Growing Pains Part II: Over Crowding

Hey Everyone,

This is getting out to you all later than I had hoped.  Thursdays are usually the slow day of the week.  Today it was steady the whole time, so I didn't get the to write as early as I had hoped. 

With memberships being up, the gym is feeling a little crowded in the evening.  Last Tuesday was a perfect storm consisting of lots of people, a workout with 6 stations not counting the runs and a barbell being required at each end of the workout.  Thankfully it didn't have multiple rounds.  Normally Tuesdays and Thursdays are slower, but almost everyone in the evening crowd showed up for "Luke."

Lots of members enjoy the camaraderie of working out with each other and that is what the gym is all about.  People feeding off the energy that happens when more people workout together.  If you are a regular in the evening crowd and not one of these people, or would prefer a little less of the extreme, I would like to suggest changing the hours you come in. 

The morning crew at 5:30 A.M. is extremely consistent and fun, with only a hand full of regular players.  It is more of a light version of the ESPN hours that take place in the evening with Todd, Annie, Tom, Michelle and Henry currently on the regular crew.   Back in the day it was the Holly and Susie show!

The lunch hours from 11 AM to 1 PM are slower with Roni Sue and Sami holding down the fort, while different floaters are here on different days.  If this works for your schedule, I highly suggest it.  After recording workouts for 15 years, my strongest and best performing part of the day is 11 AM.  If that works for you, give it a try.  I know that not everyone can get away during lunch.  However, there is a shower here if you  are worried about feeling too sweaty to go back to work.

The rest of the day from 7 - 11 AM and from 1 - 4 PM you can generally have the gym to yourself, with only one or two people here at any given period of time.  This obviously requires a pretty generous work schedule.  If you are a master of your own time, you can receive a lot of attention during these hours.

The gym is currently bigger than it has ever been and we are considering ways to make even more space usable.  However, we don't have any way to increase the building's foot print.  We are on the property line after the addition.  

During the warmer months I want to make some workout space available alongside the building - Venice beach style.  This being Montana, obviously this will only be a seasonal solution, but it does sound like fun.  Not sure where I am going to put the clock, but I will make it happen.

This weekend we are going to move the bleachers down by the heater  to free up the choke point between them and the assault bikes.  If we need more space in the future we might remove them completely but will still have places for people to sit during martial arts classes and competitions.

We are possibly going to put more platforms both in the middle of the gym and in the back room, after we have figured out the kids area.  However, these changes will only increase space if we start setting up workouts on the platforms specifically.  We have had extra space for so long that we are all used to having our equipment spread out where ever we want and not putting our stuff away right after the workout.  

Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to start "Tylering" the workouts by cleaning up gear before the workouts are done.  However, consolidating our workouts to the platforms and cleaning up after ourselves will let us all know who is using what, so that we can follow members using similar weights and be aware of what is currently in use.   During the busy hours we need to think about making room for the next person in line.

We are making it a point to have more trainers during the ESPN hours so that we can have more eyes on you all and not have anyone getting ignored.  Trainers is the subject that will be covered tomorrow!

I would love to get rid of "Chippers" and workouts with more than three stations all together, but I know that some of you would lose your mind.  Don't worry, as much as I hate chippers, we will keep them for the people that love them.

Once again, these are my thoughts and I would love to hear yours.  Post any ideas in the comments below.

Clint