Since Michael returned from his study abroad in Spain, he and I have gone lifting at the a few times. Last Monday, Michael invited Jason to join us using one of the YMCA guest passes. Technically, the pass was only valid until 4 PM, but neither of us saw any reason why the Y would refuse him entry. It was only 5:30 and he was just one person. The saggy old lady at the front desk thought differently, however, and told us Jason couldn't come in. Stupid, pointless bureaucracy.
Jason has had a membership at the local , which, incidentally, offers free, two-week passes for friends of members (with no idiotic time restrictions). So, after being turned away from the Y that afternoon, we headed over to Gold's.
The irony, of course, was that I was paying the nonprofit organization but ended up going to the for-profit business for free.
The gym was tucked in the corner of an industrial park between a bunch of warehouses. Its demographic was completely different from that of the Y. Instead of middle aged parents trying halfheartedly to get in shape, Gold's was filled with what appeared to be a more serious crowd. I use "filled" in its most liberal sense because Gold's was far less crowded than the Y ever is. There weren't any of the sterotypical -like bodybuilders, but there seemed to be a higher percentage of regulars than at the Y. The equipment was comparable; though Gold's was more heavily used. I was surprised to see that the franchise had a protein shake bar and allowed patrons to have drinks in the workout area. Also, the locker room was very nice. I will have to remember Gold's when I'm shopping around for a gym next summer.