Busy Gyms

Nix

Nix

Nix

Soldato
Joined
26 Dec 2005
Posts
19,841
Just got back from mine (Fitness First). I went at around 7pm, and it was absolutely insanely busy. I was hoping I'd have missed the after-work rush, especially as the gym closes at 10pm, but it showed no signs of letting up. It seems if I want to goto the gym when it's calm/quiet to do my thing, I need to go during the day or early morning. It is quite weird however, trying to lift heavy weights as some old dears are throwing dirty glances your way as they take a stroll on the treadmills and/or read their paper on the cross-trainers.

From what I can guess, it seems to be:

6am - 12.30pm - quiet
12.30pm - 3.30pm - bearable
3.30pm - 8pm - heaving
8pm - close - bearable

Is it the same elsewhere? Are more upmarket gyms quieter? My gym is probably a little on the small side considering how many members there are. I don't suppose it helps that a local academy gym currently seems to be closed for some unknown reason; I imagine a lot of their members are now frequenting FF.
 
I would say thats about accurate for both my local council gym and uni gym, although 5pm-~8pm is the busiest, I'm guessing thats because most go before/after their dinner or after work =/.

Although even when its busy all it takes is "Can I work in with you" and usually you'll be greeted by a "yeah sure" or a begrudging "alright..."
 
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The times you mentioned are pretty much the same as mine.

One thing to consider is when the local sports teams practice. I happen to know that on a monday, the local rugby team works out in the gym at around 3pm - so it's insanely busy.
 
The Craig said:
Although even when its busy all it takes is "Can I work in with you" and usually you'll be greeted by a "yeah sure" or a begrudging "alright..."
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I don't mind it per sé, if someone asks me that (only happened a couple of times). But it is really irritating. I'd much rather just be left alone to rest between my sets in peace.

My main gripe when it's busy is that not only do you seem to find yourself fighting for equipment (the free-weights room is asbolutely no point in trying, that and it stinks) but you're constantly having to wipe after others as you get a lot of the inconsidate lot in. That, and you do tend to get a lot of the mirror-posing bum-fiends arriving to wail as they chuck weights around with bad form.

Actually no, my headphones pretty much allow me to block all this out anyway. My main gripe is just how damn hot and horrible it gets in there. I end up breaking a sweat before I even break into a run when it's busy!
 
Nix said:
I don't mind it per sé, if someone asks me that (only happened a couple of times). But it is really irritating. I'd much rather just be left alone to rest between my sets in peace.
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I'll tend to work in with people if they're working at the same weight I'm using. However I was using a bar that was prior on a bench today for tbar rows and someone asked if I could work in with him on the bench :| I kinda shrugged it off and found another bar, but that guy deserved a slap for a such a crazy idea :o.
 
The Craig said:
I'll tend to work in with people if they're working at the same weight I'm using. However I was using a bar that was prior on a bench today for tbar rows and someone asked if I could work in with him on the bench :| I kinda shrugged it off and found another bar, but that guy deserved a slap for a such a crazy idea :o.
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See, with machines and the like, I'd rather they just wait until I'm done. The other day I was using the squat-rack and some chap was waiting, so we just took turns resting as the other guy used the bar and had a little chat too. I don't mind that really. I just don't like some hyper-active impatient pleb forcing me off when I'm a few seconds from finishing my set. Obviously with your example, that's perfectly fair.

Say I was using a cable machine though and someone wanted to use the pull-up bar (which is connected to the machine) whilst I rested, I have absolutely no issue with moving aside for them. I do take issue with having to get on and off machines and having re-arrange everything each time though because it's a nuisence! :p

I just don't like feeling like I'm being rushed if truth be told. :p

I think the absolute cardinal sin to me would be someone lingering/pacing around where I am, waiting to use what I'm on. Find something else to do, I'll be done in a minute anyway. :p
 
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amending a weight stack on a machine is more than ok.
the issue is when some muppet wants to share an oly bar when you are both doing different weights!

anyway, shock at gyms being busy at peak times ;]
 
Usually its incredibly full at the start of the new year as people 'start anew' etc. Then it dies down by February. But this week at my gym it has been absolutely RAMMED, hardly any parking! Is there some March thing going on with people going gym?!
 
The gym back home is usually never very busy. It probaly peaks between 5 & 7pm. I've gone in at last entry at 8:30pm and been the lst person in there and had everything in the pit to myself :)

It's not a massive gym but is part of a leisure center but is fairly well equipped. It's usually reasonably busy in the morning as everybody gets some CV in before work.

At uni it's very unpredictable. Dependant upon which day of the week as to which is the AU night out, sports matches etc. Also if people have hand ins or reading weeks it can be empty/heaving. On a few occasions they've had to refuse people entry due to over crowding. It's small enough as it is in there without 5 streaks of **** all stood round watching their mate fail to incline curl the 10's:rolleyes:

I usually train around 4pm (being a student) and as I leave/finish up it tends to start to fill out a bit. In general compared to my previous years here it's been no where near as busy. Guess it'll pick up soon with everybody wanting to get slim for summer.
 
I don't mind busy gyms. Once i'm in there, i find my zone. I don't mind asking to share dumbells etc with other ppl whilst they are resting in between sets.
 
The gym here in Prague centre is really very busy in the evenings which is why I always go before work. Near impossible to get a good workout after work here!

Was the same in Winchester, the gym being really busy in the evenings but quiet in the mornings!
 
One of the joys of being a student bum means I can normally make it into the gym for the morning opening times on mondays,wednesdays and fridays which means I normally have all the weight gear to myself. If I must go in the afternoon I get there when it opens at 4.30 so Im done before the rush around 6
 
Kappa said:
Usually its incredibly full at the start of the new year as people 'start anew' etc. Then it dies down by February. But this week at my gym it has been absolutely RAMMED, hardly any parking! Is there some March thing going on with people going gym?!
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Maybe people are starting to think "crap, not long til I have to get my body out on the beach, better get cracking". That's what I'm thinking.
 
The establishment I frequent matches the OPs description of busy times although during the week I would say it starts to get busy a bit later around 16:00 - 16:30. Not too bad although sometimes during the peak hours it's absolutely rammed. I can't comment on what it's like early in the morning during the week, I imagine it's pretty quiet. During the week I try to get there for 4ish and never really have a problem using the equipment I need. I'll often have to move to a different exercise and come back if someone is using the squat rack for example but the amount of machines there means you can usually substitute that exercise for something else. With CV machines you can nearly always get what you want no matter what the time. Sunday mornings are lovelly and quiet and Saturdays too for that matter. As yet I haven't noticed it quietening down since new year so maybe people are doing a better job with their resolutions. The car park can be heaving during peak times but that doesn't bother me as I cycle. The worst thing is the changing rooms, completely inadequate for the number of members and they aren't kept very clean.
 
Morba said:
the issue is when some muppet wants to share an oly bar when you are both doing different weights!
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I don't find it a problem having people working into your sets provided the weights being used aren't wildly different e.g. if it's just a couple of plates but if it's massively different then I can understand the problem.

The gym I use is attached to a school so we can't go in before 17:45 anyway - it's usually busy from then to some time after 19:30 (never been there later than that). However it oddly varies more according to the day than the time.
 
I avoid peak times like the plague.

I find Monday/Tuesday nights to be busiest, it's generally mobbed with posers trying to shed the beer from the weekend, usually right up until 9:30pm.
 
I train at 7am when I'm at Uni as soon as it opens, there's only 2 racks so I quickly go and monopolise one of them before anyone else has a chance.

Don't mind people asking to work in with me at all, I especially enjoy it when they try to match me until it gets too heavy for them! :D (Unfortunately doesn't happen too often :( )

Typically 3-8pm is full of 5-strong groups of lads who spend 2 hours doing every type of chest exercise known to man with a ROM worth crying over, all the while messing the place up by not unloading bars, leaving plates all over the place and generally being annoying, top-heavy poo faces. I am an angry gym goer.
 
same in every gym you go to i think pal, though it becomes less busy as the price hikes. but hey i dont care my job means i can only go after 10pm or between 10am-3pm which is quiet times
 
I'd say those times were pretty similar across the board. But I have been at 3-4 and been alone/ one other person many times.
 
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