Kyle Roberts

Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
Ethnography
The first thing an outsider notices as they step foot in the Lifetime Fitness gym in
Charlotte, North Carolina is the pride. People straining and putting their bodies on the line.
Sacrifice is necessary and common as people attempt to accomplish goals and train with weights.
Weight rooms vary from classic aged ruff and tuff type of environments full of rusted iron
weights smelling of metals and residual hand chalk so as well as equipment much older than
myself, to community gyms with a friendlier environment and more modern equipment as well
as less lenient regulations. The old school took pride in a culture so much different from todays
while this generation is still following the same methods as they did years ago. Going to the gym
has slowly grown in popularity and has become a trend, and arguably a fad in recent time. As an
amateur bodybuilder and a part time ethnographer noticing this rise in popularity made me
wonder, Why? What is more compelling about going to the gym now than say in the 70s? What
is the driving force behind these ambitions, and where is it coming from?
The gym is a society in its own, metaphorically speaking. Experienced members could
tell you a list of common gym norms and practices that are otherwise unfamiliar to average joe.
These concepts and hardships are often the very thing discouraging people from pursuing any
fitness aspirations, so what makes going through the pain worth it now? I spend many hours in
the gym working on my physique and also my mind educating myself on nutrition as well as
numerous concepts pertaining to bodybuilding. I endure the pain and tear my muscles daily in
pursuit of the best version of myself so I will succeed in a fitness profession one day in the
future. I attend a college where I am pursuing an exercise science degree. The motivation of

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
someone like myself is so obvious considering it correlates to the decisions made thus far
allowing me to obtain current and future opportunities I will have, but what about someone
opposite of me? Someone who has no fitness related aspirations, but still goes out of his or her
way to make time for the gym and exercise. Whats in it for them? Its puzzling when you
consider the excessive adversity present in todays world. People set aside differences and come
together under one roof for one general purpose whether or not intentional; self-improvement.
What seems so transparent actually remains quite opaque. Why gyms got so popular still remains
unclear, however the people actively partaking form patterns that can act as great examples and
indicators of intentions and allows us to better understand the inhabitants of the Iron Jungle.
Patterns insist tendencies about the subculture and make suggestions pertaining to their
behavior and or what its stemming from. People all over have identified common characters in
the gym and evaluating their behavior speaks volumes of their goals. A member who is training
on their own in preparation of a sport has a very different plan and goals than that of a person
simply attempting to lose weight. Common characters are really just stereotypes and show how
abnormal Whats most interesting of all is this desire to better yourself has brought different
people of varying backgrounds and races together for a positive movement that embraces fitness.
Adversity separates much of the country in pointless ways, but its as if that hatred and ignorance
dont exist within the walls of a gym. The iron becomes a getaway, and the other members
become your fit family. This room of fitness equipment and other sweaty individuals becomes
your muse, where you unleash the real you. The gym brings out the beast each person contains
inside them. This beast is your ability to face challenges head on and overcome them, and being
able to get up after falling down. Its your drive. It gives a clearer reflection of a persons values.

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
During my time watching life play out inside of Lifetime Fitness I was able to observe
many different groups of people interact far closer than I was able to as a peer working out at the
same time. Charlotte is very much a diverse area and is reflected in the gyms population of
members acting as a sample. I originally began my observation with intent to discover how any
one individuals thought process is altered by exercise, but as I watched I noticed how smoothly
transitions took place between opposing groups of people training. The environment suddenly
had a new light to it when I realized how friendly many of the members were being with each
other. Total strangers shared machines, exchanged tips, provided a spot, and would do it all again
if asked. People work next to one another, with each other, and for a greater purpose than
themselves. Going all but unnoticed, the gym has successfully united people despite their
differences and allowed them to see that acceptance provides the opportunity for everyone to
thrive. Nobody gets left behind. I myself have been caught dancing by another member between
sets and was able to enjoy a moment with a complete stranger over our coincidental and
unplanned encounter. I was able to experience, not just witness, complete absence of judgement.
In digging for answers concerning the origin of these generalizations I have discovered yet
another way the fitness life intrigues me. Through personal experiences over the years as a gym
regular Ive noticed patterns in peoples behavior. Certain behaviors become more common even
making their way across the world to gyms of different cultures. Having been a member of
multiple gyms Ive had the chance to work up and close with some of these individuals and
attempt to pick apart the meaning behind these stereotypes. They are represented in the form of a
person who, for better or for worse, bears those common traits and is easily recognizable.

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
At any point throughout the day youll have a chance to see these people at work. Some
are more well-known than others, but the list continues to grow as new exercises and sports are
becoming popular all the time. An all-time favorite of mine, and one easy to spot is the man with
the disproportionally large upper body and very thin chicken like legs. His leggings cover up his
small calves allowing him to admires his and hes constantly flexing his torso while
subconsciously ignoring his lack of lower body muscle mass. Every time you see him his bicep
vein looks like reinforced cable, and hes drenched in sweat. He doesnt spend much time on his
phone unless hes taking shirtless pictures and hes the self-proclaimed king of bench press. The
only thing this man loves more than curls is his hair. As visually amusing as the upside down
triangular shaped man may be he is actually just a harmless gym advocate with an infatuation for
arm day.
Less common than disproportional athletes in the gym are the senior citizens who roam
the floor whove decided to reprioritize fitness. There are typically two types of elderly athletes
in the gym. 1; The seasoned vet with loads of experience and muscle tone to defy her age. 2; The
old timer whose son or daughter bought their membership with hopes that the transaction would
encourage their senior parents to get in shape this late in life. They can usually be found testing
out every machine once and usually performing the lifts incorrectly. Some make a routine of
going to group classes, while others spend their time among the youth in the free weights.
Seniors in the gym are usually sweet as can be but odds are you wont see many unless you go at
an obscenely early time when many of us are still sound asleep. If you work out in the a.m., you
know exactly what I mean when I say some days I feel like I mistakenly walked into a retirement
home. No one understands why they come to the gym, though some have concluded they

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
developed a habit of working out in their youth and still feel compelled to make the regular
visit. (Emily Alexander, USAtodaycollege, Apr 22, 2013)
This girl is a fan favorite and attracts attention wherever she is in the room. This girl has
all the newest, and might I add tightest, gear on the market. She follows up each visit to the gym
with a post to social media and always seems to be on leg day. The look this girl carries on her
face throughout the length of her workout would scare away the nicest grandma but really shes
like, so upset like, about sweating and aching and like, stuff. She doesnt know what a protein is,
and she thinks weights are soooooo heavy. Before giving up on the workout all together she will
retire to the free weights where she will choose the lightest weights and begin swinging her arms
in all different directions. While she poses no real threat to you or anyone she will attract an
audience and yes, she knows youre watching. Dont get distracted! Her hypnotic powers are
useless against machines however, which is her greatest cause of frustration.
She is a threat to the middle range gym-goer and annoyance to all others. Which is nothing to do
with jealousy... honest. (Adam Sinicki, Gym Characters, NQR prod, Biomatrix.com, n.d.)
This next character isnt a pleasant one and can throw off your entire workout if forced to
work within the same small vicinity. He or she reeks of last weeks gym clothes and looks as if
they were dipped in oil prior to their arrival. Worst of all the smell radiating from them could kill
flowers and burn off the ends of your nasal hair. They never wipe down the equipment after they
use it, and they always take multiple towels that they leave all over the gym. Bodybuilding.com
describes this person and an experience with someone like this. I'm pretty sure that he didn't
wash himself, his gym clothes, his underwear - or most likely all three. I could smell him coming
and it was so bad that if he worked next to me, I would finish what I was doing quickly and run
for oxygen. (Par Dues, Dont be that guy, Bodybuilding.com, Apr 6, 2015)

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
The list goes on and continues to grow as new fads make their way into the gym and
become stereotypes. The gym has always been such a positive place for me and allowed me to be
the person I want to be. Its become an outlet for me in everyday life and I utilize it every
opportunity I get. Observing the iron jungle in which I reside from the outside looking in gave
me a refreshing perspective of my own motivation as well as what its like to be a stranger to the
sport again. Detaching myself from my usual surroundings to challenge these myths and
stereotypes allowed me to figure out what it means to be motivated and feel your purpose in
another persons shoes.

Kyle Roberts
Laura Knudson
UWRT 1101
4/18-4/24
Peer editing & Reflection (Sorry it wouldnt work on the first page.)
During editing with my peers Brittany revealed to me that my sentences lacked details
that took away from the overall description. She complimented the format of my paper and liked
how I laid things out making the paper flow smoothly.
Bobby suggested I try engage in more of the gym related myths and in a more meticulous
form. He thinks my eye for detail will benefit me in the long run but suggests I elaborate more if
I want to get my point across.

I chose to trust my gut and stay with many of the original concepts my paper was based
on. I considered what I was told and feel Ive adequately completed the assignment. I feel I
elaborated well and presented my findings in a way that allows you to picture the individuals I
see on a regular basis who fall in the lines of these stereotypes, however random and or strange
they may seem. I think my paper flows nicely and really represents my experiences in textual
form.