The Work Gym

My office building has a free gym for employees that is run and equipped on a volunteer basis. The room has quite a lot of floor space to run classes and the equipment consists of a cross-fit rack, a tire, a few exercise balls/ mats, barbells/weight plates, a variety of dumbbells, a box, and a pull down apparatus. It is not a tone of equipment, but it is definitely enough to give you a good workout.

Generally I try to go when it is not too busy, so I can have free use of all the equipment that I want, but occasionally I do overlap with other people/ groups. I am sure this is the same with other gyms, but I do find it interesting the different groups/ types that show up. I wonder if the gym was not free, how many would still show up.

Here are some of my observations of the people and groups:

The cross fitters – This is by far the most serious user group my gym has. They show up every day at noon, bust their butts for 30 min and then return to work. They are serious business. In fact only one or two of the group has even said two words to me when my time overlaps theirs. Don’t get me wrong, they are not mean or anything, just hyper focused. They definitely make use of the short time they are in the gym.

This group has a good mix of both men and women, and to look at them you would not think they are super fit, but I guarantee you they are not to be messed with. I would not want to have to outrun one of these folk in the event of a zombie apocalypse!

The Zumba group – two days a week at 11:30 am the gym is filled with very loud and very large group of women (and occasional man). It’s almost like a Zumba invasion. Of all the groups that use the gym I try to vacate before they even show up. If for some reason I was not fast enough it takes me twice as long to get out of the gym because suddenly the locker room is like a warzone and I have to navigate my way through a minefield of clothes, bags, shoes and people.

The Yoga class – This is the only paid class at our gym. And they occupy the gym (no one else can use it) from 11:20 – 1:30 on Fridays. Yeop!… the prime gym time! Most of the class actually works with me so they are all very friendly, but I do get the impression that the instructor is not at all pleased if I am there lifting weights when she shows up for her class (even if she is early).

The “I need a break” lifters - Two guys that often use the gym at the same time I do. One actually does a pretty decent workout, the other spends more time talking than he does lifting. The only problem with this duo is that while they are talking they are occupying all the barbells and rack space….grrrr.

The serious but messy lifters – I have never actually encountered this group, but heard the tales. They show up late in the afternoon when everyone has gone home, lift heavy things and leave them lying around for the next person to clean up.

The “I am really mad so I am going to punch something” visitors – Day not going so well, go the gym and punch something (aka the punching bag). These people generally stay away if they see another person in the gym, but I have caught one in the act occasionally.

The “I have a few free minutes” visitors – This people generally stay in the gym less than 5 min and stay in their work clothes. They come in, do a few exercises and leave again. They range from a girl who does 1 min of half-squats with 5lbs dumbbells to a guy doing one round of some serious lifts. There are also a few people who come in to do a few minutes of tai chi.

The “bathroom visitors” - generally men… just show up to use the “bathroom”… sometimes there is more than one. I don’t want to know what goes on in there….

So where do I fit into all this. I really have no idea. I probably have my own category. “Girl who works hard, but works alone” I like to think I have the respect of the cross fitters and the Zumba group, but honestly I don’t know. Any suggestions?