Gym culture

5 comments

1. Definitely not as many old guys open air drying their balls while trying to talk to me about the price of soybeans

2. Personally the same, with the little culture differences. In reality every gym has its own rules and that usually sets the culture for it.

3. It is pricey, but usually the equipments are clean and new.

   Also, I don’t understand the point of the instructor, what is he/she doing there!? The guy just stood there for hours, walking around and doesn’t notice the skinny guy without any form twisting while bench pressing 4 plates.

4. Californian here. I miss the cheap super gyms on every corner but the lack of spacious commercial real estate and lack of demand means cramped facilities at premium prices. While counterintuitive (the relationship between price and demand), a gym in the states can survive on low membership fees due to the nature of their business model: a reliance on a large number of members who don’t work out but would rather keep their membership instead of cancel because it’s so gosh darn cheap. Before coming, my Gold’s Gym membership was $14.99/month and now my Gold’s Gym here in Tokyo is 5x the price at maybe only a quarter of the size and availability of equipment. I get it though. As others have mentioned, gym culture is different compared to the US but over the years I’ve seen more and more gyms take over old washoku restaurants and karaoke parlors. If anything, I’m hopeful.

5. There has been a move more towards minimal but more affordable and flexible gyms in the past few years. For a while the locker room area was almost as big as the workout area as the gyms were offering a ton of amenities as their main draw, most weren’t open before 10 am as housewives were often their main clientele. But as that market has seemingly dried up those types of gyms, while they still exist aren’t the only kind around.