The Difference in Gyms

Upon returning home, Anna and I were determined to carry on our tradition of religiously working out on a daily basis. Anna had been a member of the “Spectrum Club” locally prior to our departure, so we both got a two week pass to use their facilities over the holidays. I entered this new club with great curiosity to see how it differed from what I had become used to in Italia. The contrasts were dramatic…

The men’s locker room is a logical place to start especially since it’s the first place that I went upon receiving my pass. I guess the best way to describe the feeling was that of “Belonging” when I entered the facility. Something about every man having been circumcised that feels like home I guess :>)

Outside the locker room and on to the workout floor, things are glaringly different as well. The first challenge was making the adjustment to pounds from kilos. Since 2.2 pounds equals 1 kilo, you automatically feel stronger when lifting weights. The honeymoon was short lived however as I quickly realized that my Italian friends are wimps compared to my American brethren. I really shouldn’t have been surprised by this fact, but man there are many many more buffed and strong people (Both men and woman) at the US gym than that of Italy. Beyond the noticeable difference in size and strength, I also immediately noticed a lot less socializing in the American gym versus what I had become accustomed to in the palestra in Italia. This is something that I actually appreciate and highlights the good old American work ethic as being alive and well. Man, the folks at the Spectrum are for the most part all business compared to what I am used to seeing.

Another major difference is somewhat the inverse of the previous paragraph. There are a hell of a lot more fat people at the gym in America as well! This seems to be counter intuitive, however with a deeper look you find all the clues…

First off, Americans eat like crap compared to Europeans (This is fact, not opinion). Upon returning to the US, it was implicitly clear to me how poorly the average American eats. In all do respect to that former fat boy Jerrod, Subway is not the formula for healthy eating, in fact its horrible for you. Unfortunately so are a huge percentage of all fast food eateries in the US. The key difference is preservatives, which are consistent in most all American take out yet virtually doesn’t exist in Italy and much of the EU. The next key ingredient is that of High Fructose Corn Syrup. This stuff is a killer and is once again consistent in many beverages and snack foods in the US, where its difficult to find here in Italia on the back of any label. What you will find, is good old fashion sugar, which is much better for you than HFCS. Lastly, the difference in oil is dramatic. US residents take in mass quantities of vegetable oils and other types of hydrogenated and saturated oils, where Italians stick with the healthiest of all oil, Olive Oil.

Beyond that of food, as we have touched upon before, Italians get a lot more cardio activity in their daily routine than Americans. This consistent walking throughout the day is a key factor in why you see very little overweight Italians (To be honest I can’t really recall seeing any extremely overweight people. From a gym perspective, its also interesting to note that there are many more swimmers at the gym in Italy than there are at the Spectrum club. The lap pool in Italia is six lanes across and Olympic size in length. On any given morning, you will have at least two and sometimes three people in each lane swimming laps. The pool at Spectrum is half as long, with four lanes and is empty most of the time. I’m not sure where this love of swimming as an exercise activity comes from here in Italy, but its another interesting contrast from the US.

Lastly, and perhaps more glaringly is the quantity of food consumption. Don’t get me wrong, Italians don’t eat like birds and by no means do you see the kitchen skimping on portions like you may in a French restaurant. There are no Claim Jumpers or Cheesecake Factories in these parts. The portions are plentiful but not so obscene that you are forced by sight alone to consume more than is reasonable for the human digestive system.

Back to the gym. Another major difference is the one that intrigued me the most, the lobby! The lobby at the Spectrum Club is what I would have expected from any gym. Its about 200 square feet, with a two sitting chairs and a flat screen TV, just enough space to wait for your friend or spouse if you are finished working out prior to them. Even with the limited space, I can’t recall ever seeing both chairs occupied in the two weeks of working out there. The palestra on the other hand has a sitting area that I’m guessing is two thousand square feet, with a nice café and is constantly filled with people who meet for a coffee before exercising or have lunch following their workout. The same slow pace and social aspect of life here in Italy that influences the length of meals and patience put into preparing them has made its way into the gym environment.

Another major difference is the hours of operation (Not unlike store and restaurant hours). The Spectrum opens at 5:00 am and closes at 11:00 at night, seven days a week and nearly every day (It was closed on Christmas BUT open from 7:00 to 7:00 on New Years Day and open on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve). The palestra in Italia opens at 8:30 and closes at 10:00 Monday through Saturday (Yup not till 8:30!) and is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 on Sunday! By far the busiest time is lunch time when the Italians have a two and a half hour lunch! Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day were closed! Hell, when I got The Spectrum Club on New Years morning at 7:45, I would have guessed I would be the only loser there who didn’t stay up past midnight! Nope, it was pretty full in fact! Ahhhh the constantly over achieving Americans that we are!

Its interesting when you think about it. The microenvironment that is the gym in America and palestra in Italia, is in many ways resembling of the macroenvironment that are the differences between the two societies as a whole. Americans are always looking to the future, always trying to strive for a finish line that they have created, always in a hurry to catch that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Italians are always in the moment, always interacting with each other and in many ways without a finish line that they are chasing.