Sat, 18 Nov 2006

No Grunting at the Gym

You know, as a private business they can set any rules they want. But why the Hel would they impose this one?

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.

But the real irony here is the "lunk alarm":

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.")

Isn't defining the difference between a grunt and a heavy breath "judging"? Is the lunk alarm recursive, that is, when you set it off, it gets set off repeatedly as each setting marks a judgment?

Thank the gods I get more than enough physical exercise out here on the farm, and will never need to go to one of these fitness palaces for a workout. Not that I grunt, but I have been known to break wind when hoisting bags of feed to my shoulders ... and I'm sure that's against the rules, too.

At Planet Fitness, a national chain, too many offending noises can get a membership revoked.

(link) [New York Times]

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