I love it when people prove me right. In case you missed my editorial in the February 2007 edition of Fitness Management, I wrote about the well-hyped Planet Fitness incident in which a member, Albert Argibay, was ousted from the facility for grunting.
Argibay’s and Planet Fitness General Manager Carol Palazzolo’s accounts of the incident differ widely. I took Palazzolo’s side in my editorial for a couple of reasons. First, a facility should have the right to set policies that appeal to a target clientele and to enforce those policies. There are a lot of fitness facilities across the U.S., and I’m sure Argibay could have found one to work out in that permits grunting while lifting weights.
Second, Argibay was clearly out of line in his dealings with Palazzolo. He was abrasive, offensive and downright ugly. And, despite his insistence that Palazzolo’s account of the incident is a lie, his email to me regarding my editorial only goes to show how likely her account is true:
“This is Albert Argibay and I read your editorial. [A]pparently you are a bunch of liberals that did not take the time nor effort to do your homework. Carol, the gm at planet fitness, is a liar and her story had no truth to it. Planet fitness prides its self in being a judgement free zone, but yet it raises the bar on setting a double standard by sounding off an alarm and referring to policy offenders as lunk heads and let me remind you miss doesn’t have a clue editorial writer, this is a place that even the pioneer of bodybuilding himself arnold would not be welcomed. I am not a bully, but one that believes in standing up to his rights and voicing his opinions and I don’t have to hide behind some type writer trying to gain the approval of the average person that had sand kicked in their face or as I prefer to call them liberals. Planet witless is a place for the non serious weight lifter. So if you want a place to spend the night that is open 24 hrs, a warm shower and a place to eat pizza and bagels this is the gym for you. Grunt On!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Argibay is well-spoken, wouldn’t you say? Who wouldn’t want to have a reasonable, level-headed discussion with this man? Apparently, everyone who disagrees with him is a “liberal.” No doubt, he was equally calm, cool and collected in his discussions with Palazzolo when she asked him to stop grunting.
I think Argibay missed the point: Planet Fitness doesn’t want so-called “serious weightlifters”; its goal, as has been repeatedly stated, is to attract the family market. Planet Fitness, in its official statement to the press, says that, before this incident occurred, Argibay was previously a member of Planet Fitness, and terminated his membership, saying “This isn’t the right kind of place for me.” But, then he rejoined, and violated Planet Fitness’ no-grunting policy, despite the fact that he knew the rules. The logical question here is, Why did he elect to rejoin Planet Fitness? Is it possible that he was unable to find another fitness facility that would tolerate his behavior?
For all the publicity this incident generated, it surprises me that the only response I got to my editorial was from Argibay himself. And, I can only deduce that Argibay, not a fitness professional who would even be aware of Fitness Management magazine, located my editorial online only because he was ego-surfing. Is there no one in the fitness industry who has an opinion on no-grunting policies in fitness facilities, or about the incident that occurred at Planet Fitness? I wrote this editorial because it’s an important one to address, in light of the publicity it generated -- not, as Argibay states, to “gain the approval of ... liberals.” It would be nice to get some reasonable feedback from those in our industry -- negative or positive.
Oh, and by the way, Mr. Argibay, we clueless editorial writers use computers these days, not typewriters; computers are much bigger to hide behind!
3 comments:
Dear Sir,
Although I was not asked to terminate my PF membership b/c of grunting,I voluntarily did so after I was phoned at my professional workplace by an owner of the PF owners gym in CT. He made me aware that members had complained to their staff that I was "grunting" and suggested that this was viewed as offensive. It appears to me that the trend of athlete that is frequently found to "workout" (although - "loiter") is a more accurate term, should be used to describe many of the clientle that this gym attracts. Mr. Argibay may have "grunted", (a term used very loosely) by many of the staff employed at PF, but should not have been treated the way he was. He and many people who have obtained the same level of physical conditioning seem to be targeted by the staff and novice type of weight lifters (male/female gender alike). I am a professional healthcare practioner and have been lifting weights for decades. Educated and evolved people, typically do not criticize others for their accomplishments. "Respect" should be the more commonly use term that is exhibited by professionals, (in the gym or otherwise). The slogan that PF boasts "Judgement Free Zone and No Critics" is questionable at best and obscure. It seems as though their practices and ideals have been taken to the extreme. By ridiculing people who "grunt" or setting off a ridiculous alarm system while exercising is about as horrible as persecuting someone for their cultural belief system, and/or nationality. It is dangerous, and is no different than what the Nazi party did to millions of people not so long ago. It's disgraceful and should not be tolerated, even for the afforable membership price that it affords people. Shame on them. I will add that Mr. Argibay's incident has been superceeded by many other people who have have the same or nearly identical experiences with PF, which has left them with nothing but a poor opinion of their operation and practice. For the better of good, it would serve them to treat people with respect and encourage their members to strive for excellence via diligence and hard work, and cast their present arrogant and judgemental operational practice aside. There's no mutual benefit for either the franchise or it's paying members.
If Planet Fitness doesn't want bodybuilders, why don't they tell you that before they take your money, or why don't they post on the wall as they do the rest of their doctrine?
If this corporation has any integrity, they would instruct their franchisees to refuse admittance to people who do not fit their type, rather than take their money and then harass them for utilizing the equipment. Oh wait, I forgot, I guess that would be called discrimination.
I agree with the comment above. This "gym" is clearly a business that has no problem taking peoples cash and then harasses them when they do not followed their so called "rules." Whoever wrote this article is clearly biased and anyone with half a brain can see that a LUNK ALARM in a "judgment free zone" is clearly JUDGMENTAL. I also find it funny that dropping dumbbells is distracting and interferes with other peoples workouts, however the sounding of a LOUD ALARM is not distracting at all. Not to mention the alarm is dangerous, the last thing I want to happen when lifting weights is to be startled by an obnoxious alarm which could result in an injury. This gym does not adhere to "certain people" it discriminates.
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