I love walking past Equinox gyms, or any other luxury gym. Or any gym for that matter, though especially the expensive ones. New Yorkers commonly pay $300 to $400 per month for Equinox memberships.

Why do I love walking past them? Because almost guaranteed, someone will be walking in or out who is less fit yet spends more per month than I spent in probably the last decade on fitness. and I know that I got my full workout in less time than they took commuting or possibly even just changing clothes.

The friend I mentioned yesterday in More Personal Bests: floor press, single-arm row, Turkish get-up also once told me he could show me how to get a full-body workout with two kettle bells. He showed me at least ten years ago and I’ve done it since. I now have five kettle bells, so I guess I splurged, but it’s partly because I can lift more all the time. Kettle bells having no moving parts, when I die or can’t lift the heavy ones any more, they go back into use with someone else.

I also have a rowing machine I bought over ten years ago, used, and it works as well as the day I bought it. I used to row a lot, but since I realized fasting for 24 hours achieves the calorie burning benefit and twice-daily burpees achieves the cardiovascular benefit, I use it a lot less. I changed my cardio days to cardio or fast days. Cardio instead of fasting is easier in the winter, when I spend more time indoors, which in my apartment means being near my kitchen.

Even cheap gyms cost $30 or $40 dollars a month. Even at one-tenth the cost of luxury gyms, they seem a lot more expensive than free. From my perspective, even $30-a-month gyms are expensive, in money and time.

Many people say they want the motivation of signing up for classes to provide accountability. They might not go otherwise. In that case, they’re spending money to deprive themselves of the chance to develop discipline and integrity. Exercise works the mind as much as the body, but relying on others to provide discipline atrophies the mind like wearing a cast atrophies the body. Why pay more to make your life worse?

I think there is also mating value in putting yourself in a community of people with similar values and budgets. Still, you could do other things that signal your values and put you in contact with potential mates. You could volunteer, for example. If no volunteering opportunities screen out people poorer than you enough, you could start a new volunteering organization.

Speaking of community and helping others, if anyone wants to learn the exercises my friend taught me and seriously wants to do it that way, dropping gyms, contact me and I’ll help.

Rocky and Philadelphia

Sometimes I think I benefit from growing up in Philadelphia when the Rocky movies came out. The Rocky character is the underdog. The other guy has more resources, but Rocky digs deep for internal motivation and finds what resources he can to develop himself as much as he needs to. If he doesn’t have a punching bag but works in a meat freezer, he uses frozen animal carcasses for punching bags.

The other guy uses the latest equipment, scientific doo-dads, and personal trainers. Rocky digs deep. Rocky wins, or at least doesn’t lose.

He only loses when he becomes soft and stops believing in himself. Then he goes back to his roots, digs deep again, and wins again.

Our Ancestors

I’m not trying to become the heavyweight champion of the world. As far as fitness is concerned, I’m just looking to be generally healthy and mentally disciplined.

Really, I’m just looking for my lifestyle to give me about the amount of physical and emotional activity our ancestors got just living for most of human existence, most of which preceded agriculture. If they were hungry, they had to dig, climb, or hunt for food, not just walk to the fridge or swipe on their phone. I can’t dig, climb, or hunt for food, so I find ways to do near equivalents of their activities.

What do you know? Once I made sidchas and standard procedures of them, they became intrinsically rewarding.

So I hope luxury gym-goers get their money’s worth. They certainly give me joy in their paying that money.

In The Luxury Gyms’ Own Words

Check out this description of Equinox’s flagship New York City location. What a waste. So much pollution and depletion. It doesn’t look like it creates community. It looks like it isolates.

The aesthetic is modern and futuristic throughout. The rooms are every bit as five-star as the fitness. Every corner is considered, and every detail serves a purpose

Here’s what makes the Equinox Hotel gym stand out:

Spanning a huge 60,000 square feet across multiple floors and open 24/7 to guests, the club features a gym floor with the very best strength and cardio equipment, along with areas for mobility work and functional training…

If recovery is an important part of your routine, Equinox Hotels has you covered with cryotherapy, plunge pools and infrared saunas…

Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards is more than just a workout space. It is a destination for people who prioritise performance alongside their travel, business, or holiday. With a strong focus on design, recovery, and precision, Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards is undoubtedly one to watch for fitness-led hospitality…

Equinox Hotels are expanding their footprint with an exciting new spot in Saudi Arabia, currently under construction. A little more close to home, Equinox have announced that Nashville will also see its first property.