Health Clubs - A New Mating Habitat

I'm young, body-conscious, and hate the idea of working out in a gym or "Health Club". Family, friends and co-workers don't seem to understand why my apprehension regarding such places frightens me more than if I was to have six teeth pulled without the assistance of anesthesia. I choose, for a very long time, not to go to gyms because too many people go these muscle meccas for dubious reasons. Health clubs are no longer havens to blissfully 'pump iron"- they've evolved into a mating habitat. The neighborhood gym is now more of a night club than a place of purely physical fitness, resulting in your being propositioned while riding the stationary bike. Later as you attempt to "lift weight", unless you are in peak strength, others of either sex may be overheard poking fun at your effort to improve you underdeveloped appearance. But by far the worst effect is the atmosphere created by so many people desperately seeking a date, a mate, or simply "fresh meat".

The transformation from health club to singles club was first made apparent to me the day I went on a guest pass to Family Fitness: a gym chain in Southern California. While I rode an exercise bike I watched the other gym goers attempt to "pick-up" on patrons of the opposite sex. Several forthrightly approached and tried to strike up conversations to "help" their intended victim. Some of the lines I was able to easily hear over the whir of the exercise machines and clinking of weights sounded like the same lines a "leisure suit Larry" would use in a seedy night club or greasy bar: "Come here often?" or "You look like you could use a work-out buddy".

The April '96 issue of Men's Fitness, a widely published American Health Magazine, in an article about the current health club craze in New York described gyms as "…getting to be more like night clubs…High decibel funk. Heat. Writhing sweaty bodies. Who needs the Roxy (a famous N.Y. club) at 2 a.m. when you can have the Equinox (a N.Y. gym) at a reasonable hour? Unfortunately I don't enjoy lifting weights in a nightclub environment-do you?

A memorable episode of the comedy TV Show, Seinfeld highlighted another problem I see with gyms. In the course of the show, two male characters spend time in a health club "checking out" the female patron's breasts: discussing whether or not, from afar, if one woman's are "real" or implants. This comedy sketch is not too removed from the truth regarding many gym members. In the same magazine article mentioned earlier, Phil, a 37 year old physician admits to propositioning women in his gym: "I meet some of the best looking women in New York." Believe me, a trip to the gym can now easily become a bad rerun of the "Dating Game" with you as the unwilling sweaty contestant.

The overall atmosphere created by these desperately seeking individuals is not conducive to what I would want to come to any gym for-a decent workout, not a one-on-one battle of the biceps with the WWF wrestler next to me. I would like to go a health club to build my endurance and muscle size, not increase my libido. Having to view the "bar" antics, and endure the perceived sneers and laughter of others is too much. I may be able to get a workout done, but there would not be a sense of enjoyment; there is no looking forward to the next workout in such a "meat market".

Some people may not be negatively affected by this environment when working on the improvement of their physical health, but I am. If I wanted to find a date I would rather try to act suave and be clean; not sticky with sweat and out of breath from physical exertion. The nightclub tone, unwanted socializing, and palpable hyper-competitive atmosphere is enough to keep me several states away from the nearest health club.

Health clubs may be one choice in seeking a better body, but I'd recommend a home gym and free weights; you will get a better workout and can save the "pick up lines" for your Friday nights.

GYMAMERICA

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