Hey guys,

How many of you are put off by the loud music in the gym? The music is not to my taste but the loudness is appalling. Speaking to the head instructor I was shocked to learn that requests to turn the music up or switch to radio are often put across i.e. what is loud to one is low to another. What are some of your experiences?

I agree with you 100%. My musical taste is pretty specific and even if they play something I like, chances are I'm not in the mood for it at that particular time. The music they play at my gym is really annoying dance music played too loud and doesn't mix well with deadlifts. The gym I was at yesterday was playing music for the elderly

Today was annoyingly slow classic rock that was almost like elevator music. Different guy in the control, which was too bad, cause usually Sundays are the heaviest day of the week.

I'll still take that over that loud dance music in the standard commercial gym, though. At least if I want something better, I can use my IPOD to drown out the "old people" music. Trying to be louder than bad loud dance music is a sure way to blow my eardrums.

In fact I can see a poll asking "What is the best kind of music to listen to while working out?" on the frontpage. I would have voted none of the above as after a long day the last thing I'm after is Heavy Metal or Techno while trying to do some cardio.

My weight training teacher puts on classic rock form the 70s and 80s. I like some of it, and he doesn't play it too loud. When signing up for classes for next semester I chose the same teacher instead of the other one because I've heard that the other teacher only plays really loud gangster rap. That's not my kind of thing.

I think its really hard for a gym to cater to everyone's musical tastes when music is such a diverse thing. My gym has classical music in the locker room, but what is playing in the gym can be anything from sixties stuff (which I kind of like) to the latest 'noise' which I find sometimes a little offensive. At least once a week there is a lively discussion about 'Who picked THIS' no matter what is playing.

Most of the time I don't really hear the music because I am so busy either working out or eavesdropping on conversations...and since I am older, I usually like what is most complained about. It also leads toa lot of 'Name that singer' discussion, or 'What year is this from?' which can be diverting.

I have noticed that there are certain songs ("Breathe" is one of them) that whenever I hear it I think of the gym so it must play a lot.

My 2 cents: don't play any music, people can wear mp3 players if they want

I don't have that luxury, phil.

My gym is either set on soft classic rock, country, or ****ty dance club music (not techno)...there is a time and a place for all of that, and I will enjoy them in their respective places, but at the GYM you need rock and metal. Some hip hop will suffice but none of it is played on the radios today.

What pisses me off is when I go to change the station to rock, and someone will change it again to something that is detrimental to an environment that would promote hard work.

THIS IS A ****ING GYM, NOT A RECEPTIONIST'S OFFICE

LOL! Yeah, break out the AC/DC, Van Halen, etc.

My gym does the classic rock stuff too and I frequently roll my eyes to the selection. Its irritating when I forget my own music and have to put up with it, especially on low traffic days when you can hear it better over the whir of the machines. I have to laugh when I'm lifting in the same room with guys 3x my size and they're straining and grunting to some Faith Hill song-I mean, how motivating can that be?

I get that everyone has different tastes and classic rock is probably the most "safe" across all generations. Every once in a while some more contemporary stuff will get mixed in, which is great. I too have songs I hear elsewhere that remind me of the gym because they are strickly "gym songs" thats when you know you're there too much :P

I have to say that I never thought I could go to the gym 'too much' but last week I met someone who said 'I see you here all the time - I mean ALL THE TIME' and my only response was 'I only come five days a week'...since I've never gone more than once a day I think I'm not addicted....but I'm definitely a 'regular'.

If you don't like the music, bring an ipod and listen to your own :P

Some of us don't have them

*gasp*

How do we live?!? Hahah

I have an ipod but I feel like I seem un approachable with it on. I dont really care about the music being loud, loud it good! Its bad when you get crap music but my gyms hardcore and plays hardrock and good music so I aint complaining.

I take my ipod just in case the music sucks.

Thats the BEAUTY of it! The one place nobody NEEDS me. Maybe thats why I'm there so dang much!