The Sad State of GOLDs Gym

When I moved from the “sticks” of western Nebraska to the city of Omaha I was excited about lifting in a big city gym. GOLDs had a reputation that started back in the days of Arnold and Franco. Pro wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and football players like Lyle Alzado had lifted there. Huge guys throwing around huge amounts of weight, I couldn’t wait to start lifting there! The past few weeks the TV and radio have been flooded with ads for a new, “friendlier” gym. If anyone looks intimidating or is scaring people with the weight they lift, they will be asked to give up their membership! The owner would rather gain a new member than keep an old one. Don’t get me wrong….I’m not into scaring people or intimidating them, but let people do their own thing. That used to be the coolest thing about a big gym- You had guys training for marathons, football, powerlifitng, wrestling, bodybuilding or just to stay in shape, everyone had different workouts and different goals . Now the money is in having fitness centers where people can watch TV while they treadmill.
I might be jumping the gun, because I haven’t been kicked out yet. It just seems inevitable to me, I like to lift heavy, sometimes I grunt or yell encouragement for my brother while he’s doing a heavy set….and I think that is exactly what they don’t want. They want a library setting and I’m losing my home away from home.