No Grunting, They Said, and He Was at the Gym - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 11-20-2006, 07:14 PM

Quote:

No Grunting, They Said, and He Was at the Gym
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
LINK
WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y., Nov. 13 — Albert Argibay, a bodybuilder and a state correction officer, was at a Planet Fitness gym with 500 pounds of weight on his shoulders one afternoon this month when the club manager walked over and told him it was time to leave. Mr. Argibay, the manager explained, had violated one of the club’s most sacred and strictly enforced rules: He was grunting.

“I said to her, ‘I’m not grunting, I’m breathing heavy,’ ” recalled Mr. Argibay, 40, an energetic man with the hulking appearance of a pro linebacker. “I guess she didn’t like the fact that I challenged her, because she said to me, ‘Meet me up front; I’m canceling your membership.’ ”

He continued lifting, but soon was surrounded by town police officers, who told him to drop the weight slowly and pack his bag, then escorted him from the gym. Now Mr. Argibay is considering suing the club, claiming the notoriety the incident earned him in this cozy 5,000-person town 75 miles north of Manhattan is tantamount to defamation. Mr. Argibay said he has endured ridicule from colleagues who call him and make grunting noises, and he fears that inmates will lose respect for him.

Grunting, rude as it may be, has been commonplace in gyms for as long as weights have been lifted. At most health clubs, grunts elicit little more than annoyed looks or sighs of irritation. But at Planet Fitness, a national chain with 120 locations, it is a matter not only of etiquette, but also of club policy: one too many offending noises can get a membership revoked in the time it takes to do a sit-up. Nationwide, the chain expels roughly two members a month for various reasons, most commonly grunting and dropping weights.

The no-grunt policy is one of several eyebrow-raising rules — no bandannas, no jeans, no banging weights — that managers say are intended to make their target clientele of novice exercisers feel comfortable.

The manager who confronted Mr. Argibay, Carol Palazzolo, said without hesitation that people who feel the need to grunt should take their sweat elsewhere, though she said Mr. Argibay was expelled largely because he became hostile when she confronted him, a claim he disputes.

“He immediately created an intimidating atmosphere not only for me but for the guests around me,” Ms. Palazzolo said. “He got very offensive and very loud, so I walked away and I called the police department.”

Planet Fitness bills itself as “The Judgment Free Zone.” But in the weeks since Mr. Argibay was booted, a number of members have accused the gym of judging with extreme prejudice, saying the club humiliates members whose physiques are too chiseled and who take their workouts too seriously. And the incident has raised other imponderable questions.

How does one distinguish between a grunt and a very deep breath? Must a grunt be “characteristic of a hog,” as one dictionary defines it? And what if there are no patrons around to take offense? What would happen if Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, known for their noisy exertion on the tennis court, showed up wanting to work out?

At Planet Fitness gyms, grunters and other rule-breakers are treated to an ear-rattling siren with flashing blue lights and a public scolding. The “lunk alarm,” as the club calls it, is so jarring it can bring the entire floor to a standstill. (A lunk is defined, on a poster, as “one who grunts, drops weights, or judges.”)

Tim Gunther, a 6-foot, 200-pound firefighter in Poughkeepsie, said he and his colleagues were frequently harassed for “making noises that can’t be avoided” and compared the alarm to a nuclear war siren. “The first time I heard that thing it scared the heck out of me,” he said. “I thought there was a fire, and I’m a fireman. Without exaggeration, I’ve seen them set that thing off on people just for breathing too loud.”

At most gyms, etiquette battles are over loud cellphone conversations, the failure to wipe down machines after use, or standing too close to the treadmill while waiting for a runner to finish. “Telling someone they can’t grunt seems a little rigid,” said Sonny Kim, the general manager of the New York Health and Racquet Club’s branch on West 23rd Street in Manhattan. “I’m assuming most people who have worked out have grunted. I have as well; it’s about physical exertion.”

Several press agents for national organizations that represent health clubs said they could not think of any other gym that had anything resembling a no-grunting policy.

“I’ve never seen any gym that micromanages their customers like that,” said Bernhard Schroeder, a spokesman for IDEA Health and Fitness Association, a trade group. “If they see someone talking, are they going to tell that person they’re disturbing other patrons? It’s wild.”

Grunting can be a nuisance to anyone within earshot, sure, but does it serve any physiological purpose?

Dennis G. O’Connell, a professor of physical therapy at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Tex., has conducted studies on the effects of grunting. He found that weight lifters produce between 2 and 5 percent more force when they grunt, in part because the deep breathing grunting entails can help stabilize the spine.

“I’m not so sure it’s wise to tell people not to grunt,” Professor O’Connell said.

Rosemary Lavery, a spokeswoman for the Boston-based International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, said she could only assume Planet Fitness was trying to discourage bodybuilders and others who are diligent about working out. Ms. Lavery cited statistics showing that baby boomers who exercise once or twice a week represent the fastest-growing segment of health club members. Many clubs are seeking ways to appeal to those groups, she said, but a ban on guttural noises is not the path most have taken.

“I don’t think that at a health club the expectation of quietness is realistic,” Ms. Lavery said.

In an age where the Internet can make even the smallest feud public, perhaps it was inevitable that Mr. Argibay’s plight would become a cause célèbre for grunters everywhere. His lawyer, Jason Stern, a former competitive bodybuilder, created boycottplanetfitness.com, a Web site that includes a list titled “Top Ten Reasons to Join Planet Witless.” Among the entries: “Library just too noisy of a place for reading books.”

[He also placed a video of a local television news segment about the controversy on YouTube.com.]

Hundreds of e-mail messages have poured into Mr. Stern’s Web site. Most are supportive, he said, but not all. “Occasionally, I do get an e-mail from someone who says this is a good thing,” Mr. Stern said. “They write in and say, ‘You know, this gym is for people like me who are used to getting sand kicked in our face, and we’re tired of it.’ ”

I think this whole "image" thing is just ridiculous. We have some simliar type things in our private cooperative gym but nothing as extreme as "no grunting,"
Private gyms can apparrently discrimate based on sex since there are women only gyms.

Zeraph · 11-20-2006, 08:07 PM

Errrrrrrrrrr.....

.......

Errrrrrr.....

Heh. OOOOkay. Grunting at a gym? Who would have thunk it. This is so bad is seems made up.

ratbastid · 11-20-2006, 08:16 PM

Hunh. Well, it's positioning itself as a beginners' gym. Makes sense that they'd cancel your membership once you get advanced enough to... grunt. :shrug:

Vincentt · 11-20-2006, 09:04 PM

There is a guy that makes very loud noises at my gym.

It does bother me... this isn't like just grunting when you go up.

This guy does it like

AH II UUU EEE OOO

in a fast rhythm about once a second.

Very distracting, and very annoying.

healer · 11-20-2006, 10:33 PM

The grunting pisses me off too, but this is a bit extreme. It seems strange, however, that one could get kicked out of a gym after a single offense. I would've expected him to get at least a talking to - a warning if you will.

Dilbert1234567 · 11-20-2006, 10:51 PM

it's like saying no farting at taco bell...

analog · 11-20-2006, 11:07 PM

Oh noes, grunting at teh gyms?!?!

This is just stupid. I've never heard of a "no grunting" policy. People breathe. People breathe more, and more heavily, when working out. It's not a tough concept that a person doing heavy lifting will exert their breathing so forcefully that it makes a grunting sound. They're not just sitting around making pig noises, they're working out.

I like the list comment about "because libraries are just too noisy." This place's policy is ridiculous.

I also find it hard to believe what she claims, that he instantly became "very offensive and very loud" because she wanted to kick him out for grunting- especially given that he's hardly the only person who has a beef with this absurd policy. Go ahead and run your business the way you want, but you are putting your business' success in danger when you do stupid shit like this.

I hope he wins.

jorgelito · 11-21-2006, 12:56 AM

You know, I also agree that this is a ridiculous policy. But guess what? Don't work out there then. I wouldn't. I'm actually glad they pointed this out to me, save me the hassle of signing up and then have to get kicked out for some weird infraction. To each their own. If that's what they want, fine. Grunters of the world unite! And spend our money at a different gym!

thingstodo · 11-21-2006, 03:41 AM

I can't imagine that they'll stay in business very long. And I'm sure he intimidated the clerk just by looking at them, especially if they felt there was a chance that he might grunt at them!

Without a base of lifters that care about what they're doing this gym will constantly churn through members.

stevie667 · 11-21-2006, 03:48 AM

Grunting and making noise at gyms is the favourite gripe on most bb'ing forums.

Generally it boils down to the namby pamby gyms who want the average schmoe in there who doesn't really do anything, but pays the membership anyways. 'Hardcore' people who get to the stage where its almost inevitable to grunt arn't welcome because they are a minority that scares off the affore mentioned people.

Then there are the people who do 20lb barbell curls and scream with each rep...

Thats why i workout at home, loud music, i can grunt on the last few reps, and generally make a fool out of myself without anyone else noticing.

highthief · 11-21-2006, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jorgelito

You know, I also agree that this is a ridiculous policy. But guess what? Don't work out there then. I wouldn't. I'm actually glad they pointed this out to me, save me the hassle of signing up and then have to get kicked out for some weird infraction. To each their own. If that's what they want, fine. Grunters of the world unite! And spend our money at a different gym!

I think the only thing about that is this is a town of 5,000 people. How many other gyms are there likely to be?

Charlatan · 11-21-2006, 05:45 AM

I dont' think this is a case of a simple grunt. If this goof is anything like the muscle heads I have seen, he was making a way more than just a grunt.

Now, I can appreciate the need to make some noise but most of these guys are just doing it to seek attention.

Bill O'Rights · 11-21-2006, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highthief

I think the only thing about that is this is a town of 5,000 people. How many other gyms are there likely to be?

A Yellow Pages search for "gym", in zip code area 12590 (Wappingers Falls, NY), shows 3 listings for Excercise & Physical Fitness Programs, 20 listings for Gymnasiums, and 67 listings for Health Clubs. Not all of these, of course, are in Wappingers Falls itself, but are located within the immediate area.

You asked.

Lasereth · 11-21-2006, 06:30 AM

It's the club's rule to not grunt. He joined knowing that you would be kicked out if you grunted. He grunted, and now he's kicked out. Why is this on the news?

Yes, the rule is ridiculous, but it's not like it's a hidden rule or something. The gym is KNOWN for being "grunt-free," so how can you be surprised when they enforce their own rules? It's like going to a boot camp and wearing jeans during training and wondering why you got your ass kicked by the officer.

highthief · 11-22-2006, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

I dont' think this is a case of a simple grunt. If this goof is anything like the muscle heads I have seen, he was making a way more than just a grunt.

Now, I can appreciate the need to make some noise but most of these guys are just doing it to seek attention.

I see a lot more pencil-necked beginners grunting and making a nuisance of themselves at my gym, than I do the big boys. The pencil-necks are the ones with no gym etiquette (largely) in my experience - they don't put weights away or wipe the machines down, and clang their little ten pound dumbells around like they were trying to win Olympic gold.

Charlatan · 11-22-2006, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highthief

I see a lot more pencil-necked beginners grunting and making a nuisance of themselves at my gym, than I do the big boys. The pencil-necks are the ones with no gym etiquette (largely) in my experience - they don't put weights away or wipe the machines down, and clang their little ten pound dumbells around like they were trying to win Olympic gold.

No question... but like everything, there is a bell curve. The guy in this scenario is likely at one end and your pencil-necks are at the other.

The rest just want some quiet and some gym etiquette.

pornclerk · 11-22-2006, 08:45 PM

Oh my god, I absolutely detest when people grunt at the gym! I feel like saying "If you need to grunt, then you are lifting too much." Seriously it just looks stupid. Are guys trying to act macho when they do that?
I was at the gym one day and there was a guy on the treadmill running at a pretty fast pace. He kept shouting out very loudly "WOO!" and everyone was staring at him like he was a complete idiot. What a knob.

undeadninjaz · 11-23-2006, 12:35 AM

this reminds me of that adam sandler song titled "sex or weight lifting". In the song, adam sandler plays a tape of people making noises and asks other people if the tape is of people having sex or lifting weights at the gym. Lyrics can be found on google http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...ng&btnG=Search

yournamehere · 11-23-2006, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highthief

. . .The pencil-necks are the ones with no gym etiquette . . . . .

Boy - I can't wait till I work out enough to use the term "pencil-neck."
Then I'll know I have proper gym etiquette.

Seriously, though - IMO, people can grunt all they want - just don't get up and walk away expecting me to use my towel to clean up your sweat. That's my pet peeve.

Nizzle · 11-23-2006, 06:48 PM

I'd have to hear the noise to judge. Some people really get carried away with the noises, where "grunting" is tantamount to screaming like you just got eviscerated. I could understand policing this etiquette in a starter gym, and in fact I think it's not a bad idea. A lot of people are thoroughly intimidated by the "gym scene". If they are cutting their niche by discouraging the sorts of things that make people shy away from the bigger places, kudos to them. If it's a bad policy, they'll lose customers. Hooray for Capitalism.

It's a lot like clubs that won't let you in unless you're dressed a certain way. You just gotta do what they ask, or don't go. It's that simple. This isn't even worthy of a news item. Private club has a rule, guy breaks it, gets the boot.

And last but not least, there's 2 sides to this story. One side claims he was being hostile and physically threatening, the other side says he was bullied for no reason by management. Why would anyone here automatically assume he was in the right? Is it because the manager was a woman, or.. something else? I'd be more inclined to believe he flew off the handle personally, as people are wont to do in these kinds of situations. But the story doesn't give enough data to know who's telling the truth. If he was refusing to cooperate and/or leave, the *private* club manager has every right to call the police.

highthief · 11-24-2006, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yournamehere

Boy - I can't wait till I work out enough to use the term "pencil-neck."
Then I'll know I have proper gym etiquette.

Seriously, though - IMO, people can grunt all they want - just don't get up and walk away expecting me to use my towel to clean up your sweat. That's my pet peeve.

Yeah, or the term "muscle heads" that Charlatan previously used that no one seems to object to.

DaElf · 11-24-2006, 11:46 AM

Some of you people on here let things other people do bother you way to much.

flstf · 11-24-2006, 11:54 AM

This grunting must stop. Quiet down the weight lifters and then go after the tennis players.

highthief · 11-24-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaElf

Some of you people on here let things other people do bother you way to much.

Is something bothering you? Get it off your chest ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by flstf

This grunting must stop. Quiet down the weight lifters and then go after the tennis players.

And people who type too loudly, also. Goddamn clickety-clack, tippity-tap of the keyboard, it's driving me nuts!

Charlatan · 11-24-2006, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highthief

And people who type too loudly, also. Goddamn clickety-clack, tippity-tap of the keyboard, it's driving me nuts!

Agreed! Bloody fleet-fingered typists and all that typing...

yournamehere · 11-24-2006, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highthief

Yeah, or the term "muscle heads" that Charlatan previously used that no one seems to object to.

Point taken.

Oh - and let's not leave out phamtc's "pansies" (below)

Xera · 11-24-2006, 10:43 PM

gyms aren't quiet. Thats life. This is a stupid rule

There are many stupid rules in different places of business. For example, I worked in one restaraunt where we were told we had to wash our hands THREE times after going to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, once in the kitchen where the manager could see, and once on the line where the customers could see. Rediculous waste of time that REALLY damaged my hands, but I decided working there was better than being unemployed so I FOLLOWED THE RULES

tcp · 11-25-2006, 10:24 AM

What's with the lunk alarm? That's really wierd. Its natural for beginners to feel intimidated by bigger guys, but they really need to get past it, and maybe learn something from these experienced lifters. Instead, I have a feeling they've created a gym to either shield their customers, or churn through casual gym-goers for profit. Sadly enough, pansies have created their own gym, but hey, let them have it.

Nimetic · 11-25-2006, 04:14 PM

Somebody locally got disqualified from a gym for sweating too much. Try that one on for size.

To me though, "no grunting" means "no deliberate load noises". After all, some guys go crazy and make a continuous ruckus - and that's just annoying.

I've always figured that these rules are there as a way of excluding people that are generally troublesome. ie if a regular polite customer made a noise, on one or two occasions, this would not be a big deal.

fastom · 11-29-2006, 12:48 AM

He was lifting FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS for gods sakes... i think most people would at least grunt, i'd be yelping in pain.

Nimetic · 11-29-2006, 03:11 PM

I didn't notice that. Yeah, that's massive (unless it was a calf raise I suppose)

Gilda · 11-29-2006, 05:19 PM

I'd be more likely to go to a gym if I knew they had and enforced a policy like this. I've always been easily intimidated by the uber-serious body builder types and hated getting hit on every time I went in to work out. The loud nonsense noises, yelling, and banging weights were very annoying.

I'm so glad to have the exercise equipment here at home so I can avoid any problems like this.

docbungle · 11-29-2006, 05:50 PM

This is like saying "no sweating" during sex. I see this as one of those examples of how silly mainstream society has become. "Uppity" is what it is, this policy. They have no business calling themselves a gym.

greytone · 11-29-2006, 06:34 PM

Cripes, lately I have grunted when I picked up a heavy chart at the office. Maybe I need to find a gym that targets out of shape middle age guys who grunt tying their shoes.

Coyote Hunter · 12-07-2006, 04:21 PM

Unfortunately I fit into the same category as greytone as long as they don't ban grunting in public around stairs at least I will be ok

spindles · 12-07-2006, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greytone

Maybe I need to find a gym that targets out of shape middle age guys who grunt tying their shoes.

I'm fine as long as I'm not grunting to lift up my beer

When that starts happening, I'll know I'm really out of shape.

Willravel · 12-07-2006, 08:11 PM

Planet Fitness must be slowly revolving around a small dwarf star in the Stupid Galaxy. That guy should find a gym for people who want to actually exercise, not be dainty little fairys that spread magic pixy dust on tulups in a perfectly silent medow.

braisler · 02-10-2009, 08:05 AM

The article left me wondering if Planet Fitness was in the right business. Gyms are for exercise, complete with sweating and grunting. I agree that no one wants to be around that tool on the treadmill shouting, "Wooo" every few moments, but a 'no grunting' policy is taking it way too far.

The other issue this brings up for me is the 'business conspiracy'. Planet Fitness might be on exactly the right track here for manipulating the market for maximum profit. If you own one of these gyms, you don't really want to sell your memberships to serious weight-lifters who are going to come in everyday and use the gym for 1-2 hours at a time. If you were to sell 50 memberships to serious lifters, the gym would be pretty heavily used and always appear relatively busy. Better then to sell 200 memberships to occasional, recreational lifters. These folks might come in 1-2 times per week, for 20-30 minutes. Your business is immediately 4x more profitable, and not looking too busy or full allows you to keep selling memberships to any new client who walks through the door.

I'd be interested to know if the Planet Fitness severed the membership contract of the offending lifter, Mr. Argibay. Or whether they tried to retain some or all of his payment(s). Gyms I've dealt with have been notoriously underhanded about contracts and trying to keep members paying. For instance, my wife and pre-paid for a 6 month membership at Gold's Gym, then went to a month to month with no contract after that time. We moved out of the city, and I went to cancel the membership since we weren't living near enough to use the gym. 3 weeks running around and a dozen phone calls later, I was faxed a copy of a 12 month contract where a sales-rep at Gold's had forged my signature. I had to escalate up and up the management track. I eventually got a VP at headquarters to cancel my fake contract (still no admission of wrongdoing) only as a 'favor' to me and because my month-to-month fee was "really low and most members would be happy to pay that rate". Fucktards. Not that I'm bitter about or anything.

Baraka_Guru · 02-10-2009, 08:45 AM

I'll stand by this no matter what: Unless you have some sort of disability, grunting (especially excessively) is unnecessary. It's embarrassing and distracting.

Heavy breathing is the most you need, and that can be done quietly.

I'm not sure about this particular case. He said he was breathing heavily, but grunting is a pretty obvious thing comparatively.

Plan9 · 02-10-2009, 08:56 AM

Thread necromancy! OoooOOOOOoOOOOOoooo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

I'm not sure about this particular case. He said he was breathing heavily, but grunting is a pretty obvious thing comparatively.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stereotypical Musclehead

Just go back to listening to Coldplay on your iPod, you little piece of dogshit with the chicken mcnugget pecs and biceps the size of my nostrils. That's right... if you turn the little click wheel enough the guy moaning, "Now I sweep the streets I used to own," oughta drown out my exertion-related noises.

Fuck Coldplay. And screw uptight people in the gym. It's a place to go and strengthen your body. It isn't supposed to be a book club meet.

Who is listening to anybody in a gym, anyway? I never see a soul without a music player of some sort. It's lonely, really. Nobody makes eye contact, nobody talks, people avoid using benches next to each other. Just some mild exertion noises from the guys and the girls are trying to look pretty for no logical reason. You can ask somebody for a spot and sometimes they just give you that doe-eyed, "God, it's another human and they want my help! Aiiiieee!"

One slice of the gym is serious exercise by serious people. Other slice consists of people half-assing it in fancy workout clothes.

11-20-2006, 09:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
Vincentt Addict Location: Tokyo, Japan	There is a guy that makes very loud noises at my gym. It does bother me... this isn't like just grunting when you go up. This guy does it like AH II UUU EEE OOO in a fast rhythm about once a second. Very distracting, and very annoying. __________________ .

11-20-2006, 10:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dilbert1234567 Devils Cabana Boy Location: Central Coast CA	it's like saying no farting at taco bell... __________________ Donate Blood! "Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

11-21-2006, 03:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
thingstodo A Storm Is Coming Location: The Great White North	I can't imagine that they'll stay in business very long. And I'm sure he intimidated the clerk just by looking at them, especially if they felt there was a chance that he might grunt at them! Without a base of lifters that care about what they're doing this gym will constantly churn through members. __________________ If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves. Stangers have the best candy.

11-21-2006, 03:48 AM	#10 (permalink)
stevie667 Too Awesome for Aardvarks Location: Angloland	Grunting and making noise at gyms is the favourite gripe on most bb'ing forums. Generally it boils down to the namby pamby gyms who want the average schmoe in there who doesn't really do anything, but pays the membership anyways. 'Hardcore' people who get to the stage where its almost inevitable to grunt arn't welcome because they are a minority that scares off the affore mentioned people. Then there are the people who do 20lb barbell curls and scream with each rep... Thats why i workout at home, loud music, i can grunt on the last few reps, and generally make a fool out of myself without anyone else noticing. __________________ Office hours have changed. Please call during office hours for more information.

11-21-2006, 05:45 AM	#12 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I dont' think this is a case of a simple grunt. If this goof is anything like the muscle heads I have seen, he was making a way more than just a grunt. Now, I can appreciate the need to make some noise but most of these guys are just doing it to seek attention. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

11-20-2006, 08:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Errrrrrrrrrr..... ....... Errrrrrr..... Heh. OOOOkay. Grunting at a gym? Who would have thunk it. This is so bad is seems made up.

11-20-2006, 08:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Hunh. Well, it's positioning itself as a beginners' gym. Makes sense that they'd cancel your membership once you get advanced enough to... grunt. :shrug:

11-20-2006, 11:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
analog Banned	Oh noes, grunting at teh gyms?!?! This is just stupid. I've never heard of a "no grunting" policy. People breathe. People breathe more, and more heavily, when working out. It's not a tough concept that a person doing heavy lifting will exert their breathing so forcefully that it makes a grunting sound. They're not just sitting around making pig noises, they're working out. I like the list comment about "because libraries are just too noisy." This place's policy is ridiculous. I also find it hard to believe what she claims, that he instantly became "very offensive and very loud" because she wanted to kick him out for grunting- especially given that he's hardly the only person who has a beef with this absurd policy. Go ahead and run your business the way you want, but you are putting your business' success in danger when you do stupid shit like this. I hope he wins.

11-21-2006, 12:56 AM	#8 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	You know, I also agree that this is a ridiculous policy. But guess what? Don't work out there then. I wouldn't. I'm actually glad they pointed this out to me, save me the hassle of signing up and then have to get kicked out for some weird infraction. To each their own. If that's what they want, fine. Grunters of the world unite! And spend our money at a different gym!

11-21-2006, 06:30 AM	#14 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	It's the club's rule to not grunt. He joined knowing that you would be kicked out if you grunted. He grunted, and now he's kicked out. Why is this on the news? Yes, the rule is ridiculous, but it's not like it's a hidden rule or something. The gym is KNOWN for being "grunt-free," so how can you be surprised when they enforce their own rules? It's like going to a boot camp and wearing jeans during training and wondering why you got your ass kicked by the officer. __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

11-22-2006, 08:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
pornclerk Insane Location: Ontario, Canada	Oh my god, I absolutely detest when people grunt at the gym! I feel like saying "If you need to grunt, then you are lifting too much." Seriously it just looks stupid. Are guys trying to act macho when they do that? I was at the gym one day and there was a guy on the treadmill running at a pretty fast pace. He kept shouting out very loudly "WOO!" and everyone was staring at him like he was a complete idiot. What a knob. __________________ Who wants a twig when you can have the whole tree?

11-23-2006, 12:35 AM	#18 (permalink)
undeadninjaz Upright Location: New York	this reminds me of that adam sandler song titled "sex or weight lifting". In the song, adam sandler plays a tape of people making noises and asks other people if the tape is of people having sex or lifting weights at the gym. Lyrics can be found on google http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...ng&btnG=Search

11-23-2006, 06:48 PM	#20 (permalink)
Nizzle God-Hating Liberal Location: Silicon Valley, CA	I'd have to hear the noise to judge. Some people really get carried away with the noises, where "grunting" is tantamount to screaming like you just got eviscerated. I could understand policing this etiquette in a starter gym, and in fact I think it's not a bad idea. A lot of people are thoroughly intimidated by the "gym scene". If they are cutting their niche by discouraging the sorts of things that make people shy away from the bigger places, kudos to them. If it's a bad policy, they'll lose customers. Hooray for Capitalism. It's a lot like clubs that won't let you in unless you're dressed a certain way. You just gotta do what they ask, or don't go. It's that simple. This isn't even worthy of a news item. Private club has a rule, guy breaks it, gets the boot. And last but not least, there's 2 sides to this story. One side claims he was being hostile and physically threatening, the other side says he was bullied for no reason by management. Why would anyone here automatically assume he was in the right? Is it because the manager was a woman, or.. something else? I'd be more inclined to believe he flew off the handle personally, as people are wont to do in these kinds of situations. But the story doesn't give enough data to know who's telling the truth. If he was refusing to cooperate and/or leave, the private club manager has every right to call the police. __________________ Nizzle Last edited by Nizzle; 11-23-2006 at 07:03 PM..

11-24-2006, 11:46 AM	#22 (permalink)
DaElf Tilted Location: Washington	Some of you people on here let things other people do bother you way to much. __________________ I'm sitting at my desk right now waiting for you to reply to the above message.

11-24-2006, 11:54 AM	#23 (permalink)
flstf Easy Rider Location: Moscow on the Ohio	This grunting must stop. Quiet down the weight lifters and then go after the tennis players.

11-24-2006, 10:43 PM	#27 (permalink)
Xera Crazy	gyms aren't quiet. Thats life. This is a stupid rule There are many stupid rules in different places of business. For example, I worked in one restaraunt where we were told we had to wash our hands THREE times after going to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, once in the kitchen where the manager could see, and once on the line where the customers could see. Rediculous waste of time that REALLY damaged my hands, but I decided working there was better than being unemployed so I FOLLOWED THE RULES __________________ ~~^~<@Xera @>~^~~ "A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing." ~Erno Philips

11-25-2006, 10:24 AM	#28 (permalink)
tcp Crazy	What's with the lunk alarm? That's really wierd. Its natural for beginners to feel intimidated by bigger guys, but they really need to get past it, and maybe learn something from these experienced lifters. Instead, I have a feeling they've created a gym to either shield their customers, or churn through casual gym-goers for profit. Sadly enough, pansies have created their own gym, but hey, let them have it.

11-25-2006, 04:14 PM	#29 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	Somebody locally got disqualified from a gym for sweating too much. Try that one on for size. To me though, "no grunting" means "no deliberate load noises". After all, some guys go crazy and make a continuous ruckus - and that's just annoying. I've always figured that these rules are there as a way of excluding people that are generally troublesome. ie if a regular polite customer made a noise, on one or two occasions, this would not be a big deal.

11-29-2006, 12:48 AM	#30 (permalink)
fastom Psycho Location: way out west	He was lifting FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS for gods sakes... i think most people would at least grunt, i'd be yelping in pain.

11-29-2006, 03:11 PM	#31 (permalink)
Nimetic Junkie Location: Melbourne, Australia	I didn't notice that. Yeah, that's massive (unless it was a calf raise I suppose)

11-29-2006, 05:19 PM	#32 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	I'd be more likely to go to a gym if I knew they had and enforced a policy like this. I've always been easily intimidated by the uber-serious body builder types and hated getting hit on every time I went in to work out. The loud nonsense noises, yelling, and banging weights were very annoying. I'm so glad to have the exercise equipment here at home so I can avoid any problems like this. __________________ I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that. ~Steven Colbert

11-29-2006, 05:50 PM	#33 (permalink)
docbungle It's all downhill from here Location: Denver	This is like saying "no sweating" during sex. I see this as one of those examples of how silly mainstream society has become. "Uppity" is what it is, this policy. They have no business calling themselves a gym. __________________ Bad Luck City

11-29-2006, 06:34 PM	#34 (permalink)
greytone Junkie	Cripes, lately I have grunted when I picked up a heavy chart at the office. Maybe I need to find a gym that targets out of shape middle age guys who grunt tying their shoes. __________________ I was there to see beautiful naked women. So was everybody else. It's a common failing. Robert A Heinlein in "They Do It With Mirrors"

12-07-2006, 04:21 PM	#35 (permalink)
Coyote Hunter Upright	Unfortunately I fit into the same category as greytone as long as they don't ban grunting in public around stairs at least I will be ok __________________ A man has to know his limitations (Dirty Harry)

12-07-2006, 08:11 PM	#37 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Planet Fitness must be slowly revolving around a small dwarf star in the Stupid Galaxy. That guy should find a gym for people who want to actually exercise, not be dainty little fairys that spread magic pixy dust on tulups in a perfectly silent medow.

02-10-2009, 08:05 AM	#38 (permalink)
braisler Addict Location: Midway, KY	The article left me wondering if Planet Fitness was in the right business. Gyms are for exercise, complete with sweating and grunting. I agree that no one wants to be around that tool on the treadmill shouting, "Wooo" every few moments, but a 'no grunting' policy is taking it way too far. The other issue this brings up for me is the 'business conspiracy'. Planet Fitness might be on exactly the right track here for manipulating the market for maximum profit. If you own one of these gyms, you don't really want to sell your memberships to serious weight-lifters who are going to come in everyday and use the gym for 1-2 hours at a time. If you were to sell 50 memberships to serious lifters, the gym would be pretty heavily used and always appear relatively busy. Better then to sell 200 memberships to occasional, recreational lifters. These folks might come in 1-2 times per week, for 20-30 minutes. Your business is immediately 4x more profitable, and not looking too busy or full allows you to keep selling memberships to any new client who walks through the door. I'd be interested to know if the Planet Fitness severed the membership contract of the offending lifter, Mr. Argibay. Or whether they tried to retain some or all of his payment(s). Gyms I've dealt with have been notoriously underhanded about contracts and trying to keep members paying. For instance, my wife and pre-paid for a 6 month membership at Gold's Gym, then went to a month to month with no contract after that time. We moved out of the city, and I went to cancel the membership since we weren't living near enough to use the gym. 3 weeks running around and a dozen phone calls later, I was faxed a copy of a 12 month contract where a sales-rep at Gold's had forged my signature. I had to escalate up and up the management track. I eventually got a VP at headquarters to cancel my fake contract (still no admission of wrongdoing) only as a 'favor' to me and because my month-to-month fee was "really low and most members would be happy to pay that rate". Fucktards. Not that I'm bitter about or anything. __________________ --- You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. - Albert Einstein ---

02-10-2009, 08:45 AM	#39 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	I'll stand by this no matter what: Unless you have some sort of disability, grunting (especially excessively) is unnecessary. It's embarrassing and distracting. Heavy breathing is the most you need, and that can be done quietly. I'm not sure about this particular case. He said he was breathing heavily, but grunting is a pretty obvious thing comparatively. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot