"But it's good for the sport!"
I hear that phrase tossed around all the time whether the sport in question is powerlifting, strongman, Olympic lifting, bodybuilding, or the luge. In bodybuilding, for instance, there were a ton of expectations due to the rapid growth and (marginal) acceptance of the Mr. Big & Oily competitions thanks to Arnold and the movie Pumping Iron. Did it make the sport better? Not in my opinion. What we got was baggy clown pants, fanny packs, and related douchebaggery that would not even be considered acceptable in New Jersey.
Tons of fitness centers opened up (the word "gym" not being marketable enough for the masses). Since there was money to be made, exercise machines improved (but the bar, bench, and rack were not deemed fancy enough). Nutritional supplements got better, although there was also a flood of crappy snake oil products that did nothing but make men of low integrity enough money to buy Lamborghinis (and possibly even give their old model Lambo away as a prize in marketing schemes). The people promoting the contests and selling the products did very well, but were things any better for the lifters? Absolutely not.
So now we have fitness centers, and they have even taken a recent turn for the worse with "lunk alarms" and weekly pizza parties discouraging hard work and discipline. You have GOT TO read the letter below. It is a great example of this very thing. It was passed on to me...and the letter IS real. It arrived with the name of the recipient "markered" out. I covered up the name of the fitness center and manager for legal purposes.
My favorite part is at the end of the fourth paragraph: "We are unsure of the meaning of Mr. _____'s statements but believe them to be of a threatening nature." I think it is safe to say that "Ain't no thing but a chicken wing" can only be considered threatening to poultry. It seems the manager and staff do not have any background in athletics or serious training and therefore find a self-motivating statement uttered in the gym to be a serious threat.
Notice that there is NO mention of a refund. The closing paragraph: "Please do not enter _______ facilities property or attempt to respond to this notice. We will be forced to contact the authorities if you break the conditions of this notice." Contact the authorities? What authorities? The recipient should contact the authorities about his treatment and lack of refund.
Do you know what is good for the sport? Leaving any gym in which people cower when the weights make noise.
