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My gym has always been my sanctuary. But as June arrived, something shifted. The air grew thick with the scent of Axe body spray. TikTok soundbites played loudly between reps. The invasion had begun.
The Great Summer Un-Welcoming
The culprit is Planet Fitness’s “High School Summer Pass” program that gives teens aged 14-19 free gym access all summer. Noble cause, sure. The company invested more than $460 million to make it work. I’d just prefer that this great social experiment not happen at my location. Between my squat sets.
A Field Guide to Summertime Gym Shenanigans
I’ve started cataloging my observations. Call it anthropology. Or coping. Either way, here’s what I’ve learned.
The Great Equipment Campout
They arrive in groups and claim a machine like it’s a beachfront cabana. One kid will do a set while the others scroll through their phones for 10 minutes. I’ve timed it. When I politely ask how many sets they have left, I get the look. You know the one. The “why would I use a different machine” look.
Gyms are crowded enough already, with a record 81 million Americans holding memberships. The summer program isn’t helping.
An Unsolicited Masterclass in Bad Etiquette
Weights scattered across the floor like confetti. Machines glistening with someone else’s sweat. Kids curling dumbbells with form so questionable it makes my joints ache in sympathy. I watch a teenager quarter-rep his way through leg press and think about how improper technique can stress tendons and joints down the line. They’ll regret it later.
Between sets, they dispense bro-science advice to each other with the confidence of people who discovered fitness three weeks ago. Etiquette suggests no more than 20 minutes per machine. But that — and personal space — are concepts that elude them.
The Unofficial Social Media Lounge
The gym has become a social club with weights as props. Groups congregate near the free-weight section for reasons unrelated to exercise. They film TikToks between sets. Sometimes, instead of sets. I gather nearly half of teens report being online “almost constantly,” and it shows. The noise level rivals a food court. My head hurts.
An Unexpected Moment
Yet last week, a kid asked me to check his deadlift form. Polite. Genuine. I showed him how to adjust his stance, and he thanked me. Really thanked me. Talking to him, it occurred to me that teens need at least an hour a day of physical activity. They’re supposed to be here. And they’re just being teens. I was one once. That doesn’t erase the chaos, but it adds a layer I hadn’t considered.
Here’s to September
I’m still counting down to September 1st. I want my gym back. My familiar faces and unspoken machine rotations. But maybe if a few of these kids return in the fall as paying members who know how to re-rack their weights, I won’t complain. Much.
