Does size matter?
We’ve all been asked this question at some point in our lives. It always gets a laugh, provokes a bit of awkwardness or, in the best cases, results in a heated debate! So we thought we would give our two cents, too. Well…here it goes, we think size doesn’t matter! As long as it’s past a certain threshold, of course.
Before we get censored, or even worse - cancelled - we’re talking about gyms here. Gym size, to be clear. We think gym size doesn’t matter.
Okay, okay, let’s break it down. If you’re training towards a specific fitness goal, you only need a few pieces of equipment and enough space to get to this goal. Fitness equipment is purpose built, yes, but it’s also surprisingly flexible and versatile - if you know how to use it. For example, there’s a million excellent barbell exercises that cover pretty much every major muscle group. All you need is a barbell - and the knowledge of how to use it. Let’s break it down, once again.
Trying to build some upper body strength? Grab a bench, a barbell, a few dumbbells and you’re all set. We’re no mathematicians here but the number of upper body workout combos with these 2 is leaning towards infinity. In terms of space, you practically need the space the bench takes + 1-2 square meters to spare. Don’t believe us?
Here’s an example workout:
3 sets each
A1: Bench Press x 8 (Tempo: 3010)
A2: Hollow hold x 20-30s
B1: Bent Over Row x 8
B2: Eccentric Push Ups x 5 (aim for 3-5 sec lowering)
C1: Push Press x 8
C2: Inverted Row x 5-8
and another one:
3 sets each
A1: Single Arm DB incline Chest Press x 8 each side
A2 Incline DB probe Row x 8- 10
B1: DB Z press x 8
B2: Renegade Rows x 12 total
C1: Bicep Curl x 8-10
C2: Tricep extension x 10
C3: Lateral Raise x 10
Right. Hopefully we’ve convinced you gym size doesn’t matter.
Okay, StrongHer, if gym size truly doesn’t matter, why are most gyms so humongous?
Fair question. Here’s our little hypothesis:
Commercial gyms are big, big spaces. You walk in and you feel a false sense of security that you won’t stand out in a crowd that big, in a space so vast. But also - there’s this strange, yet sensational feeling that the workout opportunities are limitless, plus looking at the lonnnnng row of treadmills, you feel inspired.
But what actually happens when it comes to your workout is a whole different story. Chances are you’ll get overwhelmed, easily (we still do!). There’s so many pieces of equipment - instant choice paralysis. Some of them you’ve never seen, some of them you’ve never used. And we all know the silly little instructions on fitness machines don’t help one bit! And that crowd that made you feel so safe and anonymous just a few minutes ago now feels too much. So you just end up … on the treadmill. Again. And while we don’t have anything against treadmills in particular (we have two of our own after all), we know that’s not it. You tell yourself you’ll try again next time. Next time comes, you’ve mustered the courage to go get yourself a few dumbbells, so you do just that. You grab your dumbbells, find yourself a nice small gym corner where you feel comfortable, and this is where the magic happens. You have a killer workout - with just a few dumbbells, using only the space you actually need.
We’ve experienced the above firsthand before, which is how we reached the following conclusion: it’s not about how much you’ve got - it’s how you use it!
P.S. Yes, we’re still talking about gyms. We’ll reserve our right to remain silent on any other size-related topics!