Millions of people around the world have used the Starting Strength method to train in a wide variety of gyms. They have done their training either in a Starting Strength Gym, in an affiliate gym, in their home, or, for many of us, in a commercial gym. Let’s be honest, Starting Strength stands in diametric opposition to nearly everything about a commercial gym, but this does not mean you cannot be highly successful training in such an environment.

I personally have had memberships at globo gyms, non-profit gyms like the YMCA, and even a high-level barbell club that turned out a national champion in raw powerlifting. I have also had the pleasure to drop in at the SS Gym nearest to me a few times. Over the years I have learned that how you train is more important than where you train. Nonetheless, some challenges and insecurities can arise when you are training in a commercial gym. The following is my best advice to motivate yourself, overcome challenges, and ultimately to be the person that everyone else at Globo Gym envies.

Assumptions on Equipment

Before I proceed, I must remove the assumption that you have a perfect gym in which to train. You must have available to you a good barbell, appropriate plates, a quality power rack, a suitable bench, a level platform, and be allowed to use chalk. If your commercial gym is deficient in any of these, cancel your membership immediately and find another gym that meets your criteria. If the gym has all of the equipment but does not allow chalk, you may be able to carefully chalk your hands with your own chalk over a trash can. I have done this and no one complained because I was respectful, and they all saw how much I was deadlifting compared to everyone else in the gym. Avoiding eye contact and ignoring everyone else helps get by the rules, too. Wipe or brush the chalk off the bar at the end of your workout and it is likely that no one will complain.

Be Self-Confident

Many people can be self-conscious when going to a new place, or when trying something new in a familiar place. If trying something new in a new place, it can double the apprehension one may feel. This is especially true when there will be an audience. No one bought a ticket to watch you squat, press, and deadlift at the local Globo Gym today, but still you may feel like everyone in the weight room is watching your performance. Well, good. Let them. Let them see what you are doing. Let them be enlightened.   

I discourage anyone from hiding in the rack in the corner or being quiet with their deadlift out of fear of drawing attention to themselves. Be confident, but not loud. You are doing the right thing, and what others think does not matter. If you are following the Starting Strength method, you are working on – or have already developed – the best lifting technique there is. If you are following the Novice Linear Progression or a custom program from your online Starting Strength Coach, you are making progress in your strength and body composition. What you are doing will be different than what others at the Globo Gym are doing, but know that what you are doing is superior.

Recently at my gym, a woman approached me on a busy Saturday morning and exclaimed, “I love how you own this gym! All of these men around you and you don’t care.” She’s right; I don’t care about anything but good training.

Filming Yourself

If you are working with an SSC online, you are likely to be filming your workouts. Even self-sufficient lifters like myself will film all or some sets for our personal use. Filming at Globo Gym seems to make people anxious (the people filming themselves, that is). Let me remind you to be self-confident in what you are doing, and that includes filming yourself for the purpose of improving your technique. You are not filming yourself doing leg curls in booty shorts like an Insta-thot. You are not a wanker whose friend is recording him doing preacher curls to get likes on TikTok. Perhaps TikTok will not be around by the time this article is published, so sub in the name of whatever video app the gym bros are using at the present time.   

As a Starting Strength lifter, you have a legitimate need to film your lifts. If anyone at Globo Gym asks about filming or makes a comment, just say, “I film everything for my coach.” Just using the word “coach” at Globo Gym makes most people shut up and move on because they don't have a coach, and now they will think about their life choices (“I don’t have a coach. That lady has a coach. Should I have a coach? Where would I even find one?”). Yes, you may call yourself coach if you are coaching yourself.

Invest in a tripod. When making a purchase, remember that you get what you pay for. A $10 tripod from buycrap.com will disappoint you out of the box, and likely will not make it through one workout without breaking. A $200 tripod from the local camera store is unnecessary because you are going to the gym, not on a safari. Tiny tripods usually will not give you a good angle if they sit on the floor. If you have to put a tripod on a piece of equipment to make it the right height, you will rightly be accused of hogging equipment. Most lifts need to be filmed from hip height, and a short tripod cannot do that. Neither can a phone propped up on a water bottle. Just buy a decent tripod with adjustable height.

Where you put the tripod matters to your coach or whoever will be using the video. Finding the right distance, angle, height, etc. takes time to figure out. Just keep experimenting. What makes it more complicated at Globo Gym is the presence and movement of other people. Avoid having other people in your shot because they may give you a hard time about it. Avoid setting up your camera in a place where someone may walk between you and the camera.   

The best place to set up a tripod is at the corner of the platform that is attached to the power rack. If your gym does not have a platform attached to the power rack, just visualize in your head where the corner of a platform would be. Once Globo Gym members see you doing serious training they are unlikely to complain about your tripod.

Asking for a Spot

Much as already been written on spotting in SSBBT3 and at startingstrength.com. Always use a spotter for high intensity or limit bench presses. Using the pins or safeties at the proper height in the power rack is typically all you need for a safe squat, bench, or press. There is no point in having a spot for deadlifts, power cleans, or any other exercises. If someone offers to spot you on an exercise that does not require a spot, tell him where to go.

In the context of Globo Gym, it is most important to find someone who you trust to spot your bench press. Typically I ask the gym staff for a spot. The staff has a very good reason to ensure a safe bench press: their jobs and reputation. If the staff is not available, assertively ask someone that you have seen benching for a spot. Whether it is a staff member or a fellow bench presser who spots you, clearly and concisely dictate how many reps you are doing and that the bar is only touched if absolutely necessary, which means that you are indeed really stuck or in real danger of getting hurt.

How to Handle Unsolicited Advice

There is no shortage of unsolicited advice about lifting at Globo Gym, and it often comes immediately after you got that spot for which you asked. The “personal trainers” on staff are looking to start a conversation with anyone who will listen in order to get new clients. Members who have been there for decades want to tell you how they did it “back in the day.” Do not listen to anything these people say. You have in your SSC one of the very best in the industry. If you are working your way through the NLP on your own, you have the best method known to man and everything you need to know is in The Blue Book or at startingstrength.com.

I have heard the most asinine advice while working out at Globo Gym. Let me share some of these gems so that we can all laugh at them together:

“You should squat with plates under your heels.” – Someone who started bodybuilding in the 70s

“Warming up with resistance bands helps you lift more.” – The personal training manager thinking he was teaching me something

“Your hips are too high when you deadlift.” – A person who doesn’t know anything about deadlifting

“Exhale as you push.” – Someone who lifts less than I do

“Touching the bar to your chest on the bench ruins your shoulders.” – Someone who thought I should listen to him because he “used to play football”

“Don’t pause your squat at the bottom; it makes it harder.” – Ok, that is true, but what the commentator did not know is that my SSC programmed pause squats for a specific reason: to make it harder.

I share these examples not only in jest, but also to prepare you for the deluge of foolishness that awaits you when you undertake serious training at Globo Gym. Be self-confident and do not allow their comments to influence you. If people are bothering you, wearing headphones sends a great signal that you do not want to talk. If someone talks to you with your headphones in, just ignore them. If anyone gets a word in with you, just say, “Thanks. I already have a great coach,” and keep training. Whatever you do, do not get discouraged.

Doing serious training in a commercial gym with your SSC or following the NLP on your own is possible. Make it happen and do not let any situation in your environment deter you from training. If you keep training consistently for many months you will put a lot of weight on your bar, you will get strong, and eventually you may develop a sort of fan base at Globo Gym. You will get compliments on your strength, your form, and your dedication to training. You will be asked questions about how others can replicate your results. Remember that how you train is more important than where you train.

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