It’s an uncomfortable feeling: you walk out of your fitness class and know the vibe was off but can’t say exactly why. The coach was perfectly polite and the workout itself was fine, but you’re sure you won’t go back. How come?
I have a few hunches because I’ve spent a lot of time in gyms. I played three sports in high school, was on the swim team in college, started CrossFit in 2016 and have been a CrossFit coach and personal trainer for the past four years. I’ve written for Men’s Health for almost a decade, and dropped into at least 50 gyms, from luxury boutiques to basement sweat boxes.
