A Google User
May 13, 2018 05:07
The YMCA is a mixed bag. I think many people pay their membership just to come doddle and complain about others because they are spiteful, jealous have a vendetta etc. People here are extremely opinionated and most are bad at working out which is why they make a lot of money on training. The fitness director quit because people here complain about every little thing every day(No cell phones, no video recording, no loudness, no talking etc) and the rules are arbitrarily enforced making it miserable and subjective for everyone, basically hell if it was a gym. Add the snotty nimby hippies, old creaky building and badly placed LED lighting and your in for what feels like a disorienting and threatening workout experience which is not for the faint of heart. It's mostly overcrowded and needs a massive rule and structural overhaul as well as new blood. This gym is cool because it has everyone from little kids to old people who don't know how to work out but also everyone from strongmen, people who deadlift 400lbs to people who do olympic weight lifting are here. Problem is keeping peace with all those groups is nauseating contentious if not impossible. It's also really annoying when a parent brings their 6 year old into a room with people deadlifting 400lbs and the first floor has only 3 single person bathrooms so it's impossible to get into one. Be weary, if you are serious about fitness (Athlete etc) you should consider another gym or prepare for a headache, else if you are an old person or have a family and will come around from time to time and dont mind lighting a match to 60-110$ a month this may be for you.
Overall the Berkeley attitudes and entitlement here are what make it the worst to workout at.