Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition • Hacker News Board

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#51

Post by pitaj » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

jakemal wrote: post #43

war1025 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Going to the gym is a ritual for many people A thing that is very important about rituals is that there are almost always triggers of when the ritual should be performed. Often that trigger involves being in a specific place. For exercise, that trigger is going to the gym. For work, that trigger is going to the office For religion, that trigger is going to the church / temple / etc. When you deprive people of the a…

I can seriously relate to this. I have been going to the gym 5-6 days a week for years and absolutely loved it. As soon as the gyms closed down, my motivation to stay in shape plummeted. It was like a light switched off. I did absolutely nothing fitness related for a few months, just waiting for the gyms to open back up. I finally started biking recently, but I struggle to get motivated and get out of the apartment t…

Same here. I can't work out if I'm not at the gym.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#52

Post by blaisio » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

dfxm12 wrote: post #6

I don't get it. Unless you're training for a very specific purpose (like an MMA fight or football season), why do you need specific indoor gym equipment? Shelter in place orders are largely lifted, so you can workout outside: run, do pull ups on a tree branch, ride a bike, lift a heavy stone, do an outdoor yoga class, etc. Hell, you only need maybe a 6' x 6' area for a perfectly effective body weight routine, even in…

It is objectively more difficult to build strength using body weight exercises. Using a barbell or dumbbell allows for precise movements and gradual overload. Even body weight workout routines require equipment and space, which many people don't have. And many people have been locked down for months - it's enough time to destroy a huge amount of progress. For people who care about fitness, it is devestating. You can debate the morals of going somewhere with a higher risk of spreading corona, but it's silly to argue that people don't need gyms or special equipment.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#53

Post by Enginerrrd » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

Ansil849 wrote: post #29

This seems incredibly dangerous. Are the speakeasy gyms requiring negative COVID tests? Are they doing temperature screenings upon entry? How diligently are they sanitizing equipment? How well ventilated are these various areas? Why are people ignoring all of these risks, what kind of threat model do they have?

I'd guess the threat model is something like: relatively low local disease prevalence rate, the likelihood that infected people show up to workout is lower than other activities like office-work, and relatively low likelihood of personal adverse outcomes in someone healthy enough to be going to an underground gym.

Further, there are major benefits to psychological state, social/emotional state, mental acuity, health, and maintenance/progression of physical capacity.

I'd love to see you try and add all that up in micromorts of personal risk and show me that it's actually a bad rational decision. I suspect it would be very marginal for your argument at best, and most likely neutral or positive.

That's all to say it's probably rational decision making, though certainly selfish thinking.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#54

Post by anewguy9000 » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #31

Did the "shutdown normal gym" mean that patrons would be violating whatever policies forced the gym to shutdown in the first place? If so, that really bothers me. Any excess contagion would endanger everyone, not just the gym users. Please consider reporting the details to the appropriate authorities. EDIT: If someone is inclined to downvote this comment, I'd be very grateful for a clarification why (comment or DM).…

i downvoted you because of the suggestion of reporting to the authorities. disband the authorities!

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#55

Post by hammock » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

jcomis wrote: post #3

While trying to buy workout equipment off craig's list I was solicited twice to join "speakeasy" gyms. They had ads for a bunch of gear and when I inquired they sent me a detailed response on working out in their private gym. One was a large neighborhood garage that offered solo time by the hour, one was a shutdown normal gym. Pretty expensive too!

Thanks for sharing, I figured these had to exist but didn't know how to find them. In the next lockdown (god forbid) I'll know what to do

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#56

Post by dublin » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #31

Did the "shutdown normal gym" mean that patrons would be violating whatever policies forced the gym to shutdown in the first place? If so, that really bothers me. Any excess contagion would endanger everyone, not just the gym users. Please consider reporting the details to the appropriate authorities. EDIT: If someone is inclined to downvote this comment, I'd be very grateful for a clarification why (comment or DM).…

You are making the fallacious assumption that the Wuhan virus actually endangers everyone. It doesn't - we know that many groups are only minimally affected. The way to get back to normal is to get back to normal. "Fifteen days to flatten the curve" has morphed into "as long as it takes to crush the economy". We are now at the point of no return for most small businesses, without which the economy of the modern world cannot exist - so it's either open up now, or welcome the fall of civilization.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#57

Post by ReptileMan » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #31

Did the "shutdown normal gym" mean that patrons would be violating whatever policies forced the gym to shutdown in the first place? If so, that really bothers me. Any excess contagion would endanger everyone, not just the gym users. Please consider reporting the details to the appropriate authorities. EDIT: If someone is inclined to downvote this comment, I'd be very grateful for a clarification why (comment or DM).…

And what if the polices were wrong? I have looked at the data and came to the conclusion that the danger from covid is tiny (to see how low - check qatar - probably the country with most extensive testing) and preventing is totally not worth it the sacrifices and damage to society.

Qatar has 44000 cases per 1m pop and 69 deaths per 1m.

That is not much higher than flu.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#58

Post by DoofusOfDeath » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:31 PM UTC

anewguy9000 wrote: post #54

DoofusOfDeath wrote: post #31

Did the "shutdown normal gym" mean that patrons would be violating whatever policies forced the gym to shutdown in the first place? If so, that really bothers me. Any excess contagion would endanger everyone, not just the gym users. Please consider reporting the details to the appropriate authorities. EDIT: If someone is inclined to downvote this comment, I'd be very grateful for a clarification why (comment or DM).…

i downvoted you because of the suggestion of reporting to the authorities. disband the authorities!

Thanks truly for the clarification. It's a relief to know your downvote wasn't because I communicated badly.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#59

Post by jdminhbg » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:31 PM UTC

dfxm12 wrote: post #6

I don't get it. Unless you're training for a very specific purpose (like an MMA fight or football season), why do you need specific indoor gym equipment? Shelter in place orders are largely lifted, so you can workout outside: run, do pull ups on a tree branch, ride a bike, lift a heavy stone, do an outdoor yoga class, etc. Hell, you only need maybe a 6' x 6' area for a perfectly effective body weight routine, even in…

> Edit: based on some of the replies, it looks like it boils down to a sense of entitlement: people wanting to stick to their routines without a care of putting others at risk.

You asked why people would want specific equipment. You didn't ask whether the tradeoffs involved are worth it. The replies here mostly answer the question you asked, not the one you're pivoting to.

Re: Secret gyms and the economics of prohibition

#60

Post by three_seagrass » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 4:32 PM UTC

jcomis wrote: post #3

While trying to buy workout equipment off craig's list I was solicited twice to join "speakeasy" gyms. They had ads for a bunch of gear and when I inquired they sent me a detailed response on working out in their private gym. One was a large neighborhood garage that offered solo time by the hour, one was a shutdown normal gym. Pretty expensive too!

>Pretty expensive too!

Dumbbells are going for > $2-3/lb on various websites right now, which is insane. Adjustable dumbbells are going for > $10/lb, which is over twice their usual sticker price.

Gyms could lease out their equipment right now and make a killing.