By Jason Williams, TwoBrain Mentor Growing up, I briefly attempted to learn boxing. I remember a few things: stance and footwork, beating a heavy bag, and how to throw a straight punch. But the thing I remember the most was the smelly ass gym. It was FUNKY. That sweat smell that gets into the gloves, clothes, floor and walls. It never comes out, and eventually gets in YOU. The memory is so vivid that when you see boxing gyms TV, you immediately smell the funk all over again. It makes you think of the bell ringing, the sound of the bag, the whir of jump ropes, and working hard. Back with CrossFit started, all of the gyms had that same smell. You’d walk in, see the home-made equipment, the dark/dirty warehouse, and smell the smell, and it told you “this place is serious”. Things have changed over the years. Nowadays if you walk in and smell that funk, it tells you “they just don’t care” That mixture of body odor and the chemicals they use to try and mask the smell is a signature of bargain gyms. (except on Fridays at Planet Fitness, when it’s also the smell of free pizza) Combine that with the poorly maintained equipment, and questionable people training alongside you and it’s no wonder you never want to show up to work out. Good luck getting results in that kind of environment. On the other hand, the best CrossFit-style gyms have ditched the old equipment, the dank and dirty warehouses, and opened the windows to let the smells out. They are full of people who work hard and encourage each other, and owners who care about your experience, from the cleanliness of the floors to the quality of the coaching. Most importantly, they care about your results not just your membership dues. What does your gym smell like?
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