What do y’all think of speakeasy gyms?

[stthomaschristian]

This was earlier in the yr when we were under a real lockdown, and I’m in the USA.

There’s a gym in my area that told all its members they officially closed but that members could still come work out at certain times—like morning and night when the sun is not out. They have to park in the back and leave immediately afterwards.

I don’t go to this gym, an acquaintance does and they showed me the message they sent the members.

**Also just want to make it clear to the universe when I said I wanted to live through the roaring 20s I meant the fun part not this.

we totally skipped all the parties

 

[1corithians13]

@stthomaschristian I have a nagging suspicion that this was very common among competitive/professional-ish CrossFitters

 

[utahorbust]

@stthomaschristian The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club.

 

[stander_pty]

@utahorbust “Pandemic spreading club” doesn’t have quite as nice a ring to it

 

[hephzibah7]

@stander_pty Has there been any major breakouts in gyms at all? Let alone Crossfit gyms.

 

[ahmadrajab]

@hephzibah7 Two gyms in Oahu were involved in a "super-spreading event".

 

[firsthandsemiuniversalist]

@ahmadrajab CrossFit Oahu?

 

[ahmadrajab]

@firsthandsemiuniversalist I can't find the names of the gyms involved. This article has a picture of CrossFit HTF and says it will now have a screening process, but that's mandated for all gyms—they might just be showing it as an example of a gym.

 

[firsthandsemiuniversalist]

@ahmadrajab That makes sense, thanks for letting me know. CF Oahu was the first box I ever visited way back in 2008 and I was hoping it wasn’t there.

 

[rogerr]

@ahmadrajab latest rumor is that is was a core power and a barre place

 

[asklife]

@ahmadrajab Who brings a roast pig to a God damned orgy Castro???

 

[2417301]

@hephzibah7 None that we're aware of. All of the data from contact tracing shows very small amounts of spread via gyms. California Fitness for example.

We had a coach who had "allergies" for two weeks, eventually he tested positive. I worked out with him the night before he got his test results. He hadn't told anyone that he was getting tested which was pretty crappy, but when his test came back positive, almost all of us went and got the nasal swab test and no one tested positive.

Wild since he was symptomatic for weeks and still around us daily.

*Edited for clarity

 

[stander_pty]

@hephzibah7 ”Major outbreaks?” Not yet, thankfully. Hard to ignore the combination of risk factors, though. There’s a study from South Korea that focused on fitness class environments that seems relevant. There’s also very strict reopening guidelines for gyms in most cities that I somehow doubt people of a “speakeasy gym lol” mentality have been following.

But hey, you do you. People across the US have been looking at studies and recommendations like these for months and saying “yeah well but we don’t really know, do we?” and now our country is an international example of science denial and pandemic mismanagement so... well, keep on keeping the faith, I guess.

Edit: I stand corrected, there’s been at least one major outbreak.

 

[inaweoftruth]

@hephzibah7 best friend in florida - her gym had a massive outbreak after reopening about 5 weeks ago. had to shut down before florida even shut them back down

 

[david1975]

@utahorbust First rule of what now ?

 

[leggomymeggo]

@stthomaschristian Speakeasy? But there’s no whiskey here! I was lied to

 

[stthomaschristian]

@leggomymeggo Maybe there was, who knows?

 

[xtiannmoney]

@stthomaschristian There often is at my gym lol

 

[stthomaschristian]

@xtiannmoney Take a shot every time someone fails a 1 rep max

 

[dreamer6424]

@stthomaschristian In the beginning of the pandemic, it was suspected a top source of transmission was contamination by touch. In that version of events, the concern to gyms was that everyone touched common equipment. As a gym owner, before states were closing gyms or businesses, I sat down and came up with a “station” system and list of everything to wipe down between classes and private training clients. The list was ridiculous and when I realized what would be involved and that I couldn’t in good conscious ensure client safety, I closed my gym. Several days later, gyms were ordered closed by the city and later that week, by the state.

Now we understand transmission is much more risky as the virus is not only airborne, but hangs out in the air for HOURS. The air flow systems use will exacerbate the issue just like the initial findings of spread in restaurants due to interior air systems.

Most of the states have a requirement for indoor gyms to have a mask but also have a caveat that if you’re working out at high intensity or are otherwise “compromised” with other health issues, you don’t have to wear a mask while in the gym. Most of the photos I’ve seen from gyms of all sorts don’t show the clients wearing masks.

And if that’s what we’re seeing from people who are “following” guidelines as they believe it applies to them, I don’t have high hopes for businesses who are running the show how they think is best.

All business owners who are not following absolute best practices are, in some way, responsible for the culture that enables other businesses to cut corners. There’s thinking you follow and understand science and being perhaps overly conservative (that’s where I’d place myself) and there’s thinking you follow and understand science in a way that can do harm. The difference: I’m not running a fitness facility that’s putting people at risk for COVID spread.

I’m tired of people talking about how “business owners gotta feed their family.” I’m a business owner and my gym is still closed. If I need to feed my family, I can go out there and get one of those “essential” worker jobs.

TLDR: I am a bit bitter about business owners operating however they’d like.