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Message |
steva11
Posts: 1687
Phone Model:
w810i/pearl
Service Provider:
Rogers |
 
Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:25 pm |
I'm appalled! they kicked this guy out for grunting and they think he was just trying to get attention! he's squatting 500 lbs. I don't think anyone can do that without gruinting!
| Quote: |
Grunting Carries No Weight in This Gym
Updated 11:21 PM ET November 2, 2006
By CANDICE CHOI
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Some gyms forbid hogging machines and or wearing flip flops. At one gym, grunting is grounds for expulsion. Albert Argibay of Beacon, N.Y. was escorted by police officers from a gym this week for grunting _ which is against Planet Fitness' rules for maintaining a non-intimidating atmosphere.
"Perhaps I grunted, perhaps I didn't. It's open to interpretation," said Argibay, a 40-year-old corrections officer. He said he had his headset on when he was lifting 500 pounds on a squat machine at the gym in Wappingers Falls, about 80 miles north of New York City.
Planet Fitness, which has 120 locations across the country, markets itself as a place where anyone can feel comfortable in its "Judgment Free Zone."
Its rules, posted around the gym, state members cannot wear bandanas, grunt or bang weights on the ground. When an offender is spotted, a "lunk alarm" sounds to warn the member.
Across its locations nationwide, there is at least one expulsion every two weeks, said Mike Grondahl, CEO of Planet Fitness. He said grunting and dropping weights are the most common offenses.
"When somebody's in there and they grunt and they grunt loud, it's trying to bring attention to themselves to show everyone how strong they are," Grondahl said.
Argibay emitted the offending grunt Monday evening, a peak time for gyms, said Carol Palazzolo, the gym's general manager. She said she heard it from across the room, even though "the place was a zoo."
"He was looking directly at me and he did it four times," she said. "I'm not a doctor, but as far as I know, a grunt is a noise that comes out of one's body that is loud and is intimidating."
An argument ensued when she confronted him, and the police were called. Argibay was escorted out, but no charges were filed.
"It's an embarrassing situation to be in, over a grunt," Argibay said.
Most clubs have policies regarding proper gym manners, although expulsions are rare, said Brooke Correia, spokeswoman for the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.
Grunting might be more taboo in gyms like Planet Fitness, which cater to exercise novices, Correia said.
The heaviest dumb bells at Planet Fitness are 80 pounds, meaning it's a place geared toward the general public, Palazzolo said.
She didn't know if Argibay was a chronic offender _ he'd only been a member since Sept. 27. But it was the first time she kicked a member out for grunting.
"I don't know the reason behind grunting or not grunting. But if you need to grunt, you may go and join another gym," she said.
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Bjoern
Posts: 3615
Phone Model:
Nokia E61
Service Provider:
o2 Germany |
Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:12 pm |
A friend of mine does regularly train and sometimes forgets his gym shorts at home... which doesn't stop him... he trains in his underwear... nobody was ever offended... I love Berlin 
And such news prove as always why everybody thinks all americans are nuts...
An elementary school in Boston (and some other schools) banned tag, touch football and other chasing games... unless they are supervised... because the kids could hurt themselves and the parents might sue the school...
Some schools were thinking about banning dodgeball... because it is exclusionary and dangerous...
Original News:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20061018/D8KR36U00.html
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steva11
Posts: 1687
Phone Model:
w810i/pearl
Service Provider:
Rogers |
Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:24 pm |
i heard about that school! I know, it's rediculous.
that would be awesome to see a guy train in his underwear! ('cause it would be funny, not...umm...erotic...or anything like that!)
if we banned excludionay sports, there'd be no more bill gates, steve jobs...
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Bjoern
Posts: 3615
Phone Model:
Nokia E61
Service Provider:
o2 Germany |
Fri Nov 03, 2006 6:42 pm |
On a german news portal somebody wrote a comment:
"In the USA children are getting fatter and fatter... and now they forbid them to play and run and exercising... that's ridiculous"
And for the exercise of my friend: he wouldn't mind letting you watch, he is gay
And I don't think he is grunting...
I remember in school, we had some sort of bench where you've got to press the weights away with your legs, but you were also in a sled, so you were pressing your weight + the weights... I usually took the heaviest weights... and I think I grunted...
I'm grunting when I lift furniture... even if nobody is looking...
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steva11
Posts: 1687
Phone Model:
w810i/pearl
Service Provider:
Rogers |
Fri Nov 03, 2006 7:19 pm |
the best gyms i've worked out in were the small ones with makeshift equipment. the people who were there really wanted to be there and it was fun.
I used to belong to a more gym chain that was a little more "proper" than some of the gym's i've been in, and it was horrible. there was this one guy who would come in in a t-shirt and his workout progressed, he'd roll up his shirt sleeves higher and higher until it looked like he was wearing a tank top.
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KungfuZombie
Posts: 192
Phone Model:
LG9800- Sweet, sweet candy.
Service Provider:
Verizon Wireless |
Sat Nov 04, 2006 12:06 pm |
| Quote: | | members cannot wear bandanas |
What?!?
Now I want to make a suit out of bandanas and wear it in to see what would happen.
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steva11
Posts: 1687
Phone Model:
w810i/pearl
Service Provider:
Rogers |
Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:53 pm |
I guess bandanas can frighten the non-hardcore fitness enthusiests 
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peryus88
Posts: 459
Service Provider:
at&t |
Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:28 am |
Oh boo hoo...I'm sorry for grunting and making neanderthal noises because I'm trying to do what gyms were made for, working out.
I read about this incident, and I thought it was real stupid for a couple of reasons.
1. The name is called Planet Fitness, not Planet Lounge. It's a gym for crying out loud. If you want a "non-intimidating" atmosphere, go to Starbucks or something. And of all the states in the US, it happened in NY...last I checked, NY was called the concrete jungle. "Non-intimidating"...please.
2. Planet Fitness, for being called a gym, has one of the most retarded policies I have ever seen. No banging of weights? No wearing bandanas or any other headwear that would deem offensive? Then why the hell would you want to call it a gym?! Next thing you know, fitness trainers are going to be trained to lead a chorus of Kumbaya with the patrons. This so-called gym is more pu$$y than a kids play pen. I would be surprised to see if a pro athlete endorses this franchise.
3. The guy is a Corrections Officer for Christ's sake. Would they rather have him talk the inmates about feelings and insecurity, than rather be better conditioned to defend himself?
4. Planet Fitness states that they are trying to give a non-judgemental atmosphere. From what I see, the managers there are koo-koo. How can you state that you're non-judgemental, when you kick someone out for grunting because you think that the person working out is going through an ego trip because it draws attention. When someone is working out hard, they're not trying to bring attention to themselves. They're trying to focus, so sometimes they zone out and just think about the routine that needs to be done to complete. Is that wrong? What is more worse are those people who brag about stating in the gym 4-6 hours claiming that they work out, when in reality all they do is talk to or try to hook up with other people for about 90% of the time they are there. 80 lbs?!...that can still be considered heavy to some people, especially for people who do weight increases for every set they do. If Planet Fitness did not want grunting in their gyms, they should have played it safe and made the max weight 50 lbs. What BS...the hypocrisy seems to reak, IMO.
I'll admit, if you're a "beginner" in working out, it can be very intimidating if you're near someone who is physically fit. I've been there before...and I still get sometimes. But I think if someone really wants to change their health & well being, it's better to be shocked/intimidated and then have a plan to work with, instead of beating around the bush the whole time.
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KungfuZombie
Posts: 192
Phone Model:
LG9800- Sweet, sweet candy.
Service Provider:
Verizon Wireless |
Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:42 am |
"Here at Health Universe, we have an upbeat and positive attitude towards fitness. That's why none of our weights are more than 5 pounds. Also, we have rules that ban anything that will intimidate our 'beginner' customers: there is no grunting, no sweating, and no lifting weights in general.
Basically we look at the weights for 3 hours and charrge you 175 dollars a month."
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TipiCrawler
Posts: 617
Phone Model:
Nokia
Service Provider:
Cingular |
Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:58 pm |
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wish I had a job that paid me for being anal and listening for someone to grunt...sounds a little twisted to me...LOL
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