Field Notes: Set One

Field Notes: Set 1

Date: Monday May 10^th

Time: 6:15 p.m.

Location: Coors Fitness Center (Observations acquired from treadmills on upper level)

6:15 – Entering the gym two employees folding towels abruptly stop their chores to swipe me in and ask me if I need one. They are pleasant, and return to entertaining themselves as I enter.

6:17 – Observations commence from upper level treadmills, my notes are recorded manually in a notebook to be transcribed at a later time

6:20 – A group of four males enter the gym, shed exterior layers and proceed to rapidly consume what seems to be some sort of protein drink. They assemble around a large piece of equipment, banter casually, and steal glances of themselves from the enormous mirror, reflecting the entire gym floor.

· Implications into the gym as a social setting? Is the gym one of the few social realms in which self-confidence or even conceit is accepted…. encouraged?

6:22 – A potent combination of sweat and some sort of equipment-cleaner permeates the air, televisions facing the treadmills are tuned into a wide array of channels. At this time the gym is nearly at capacity. All treadmills are taken and a cavalry of nearly 20 students run at varying speeds and levels of intensity.

6:27 – Faint sounds of a popular, Denver-based radio station serve as the gyms backdrop and fill-in the interims between the clanking of weights and grey-chatter filling the general vicinity.

6:30 – There is a definite segregation amongst the sex of the gym’s attendees. At this stage, not one female is on the gym floor, however they dominate treadmill use (I am one of 2 males currently using the upper-level treadmills and stair masters, the remainder are being used by my female counterparts.)

· What is the underlying reason for this separation between men and women in gym settings? Are the bases of men and women exercises established by outside societal expectations?

6:34 – Men lifting on the main floor portray a radically wide assortment of what are considered gym “rookies” or “veterans”. This is a common distinction within the world of physical fitness and the classifications are fairly straightforward. The bigger you are, the more likely you are to be considered a “veteran” or a “Vet”.

· Again, this may be interesting to explore in the sense that the “vet” nickname is worn as a badge of honor, an icon of achievement.

6:37 – Whether gym-goers are in groups or lifting individually also varies, nearly all those who are lifting alone are equipped with an Ipod and can be periodically seen changing songs or adjusting headphones.

· Does the decision to work out alone represent internal characteristics unique to the individual? Insight into personal uses of the gym.

6:40 – On a few occasions I witnessed lifters recruiting other members to spot them. The athletes chosen to be spotters were nearly always more fit than the individual actually lifting the weight.

· Spotting in the sense of offering trust to a partner, demonstrating trust in others at random. Implied responsibility

6:45 – “PUSH” “GET IT” “COME ON, ONE MORE” “SMOOTH LIFT” “CLEAN LIFT” are terms sporadically used within the gym and serve a purpose similar to a warriors battle cry; to incite a short burst of adrenaline and motivation to complete the task at hand.

6:50 - Between lifts or exercises, people will commonly walk aimlessly around the gym to regain focus, energy and even sometimes to observe their fellow lifters. This lingering can best be described by paralleling it to an animal, waiting to execute its next task.

· Does this “lurking” period allow for some comparison amidst others? Wandering and its implications into one’s perceptions of their social rank.

6:55 – I have been keeping tabs on the group of four that entered the gym at around the same time as I began observations. In all honesty, they have done very little actual work. Their routine mainly consists of periodic 40-second exercises, (usually using a machine as opposed to free-weights) followed by elongated periods of talking, walking around, getting water, and looking in the mirror.

· Alternate motives for gym attendance?

7:00 – It is interesting to note that the larger “Vets” in the gym take up most of the free weight area. In fact, it seems as though less experienced gym-goers willingly give up this area to the “Vets”. For example on two occasions, two athletes were vying for a set of weights, (control of weights are a valued commodity especially when gym capacity is reaching max levels) and after a brief moment, the smaller individual relinquished the weight to the Vet.

· Fitness Center Hierarchy?

7:08 – As my observations come to a close, so do many of the workouts of the athletes I entered with. Most depart by acknowledging friends and then slowly making their way to the exit. Forgotten towels are left stranded, strewn across the equipment and benches.

7:10 – A woman asks me if I will be off the treadmill soon, (I can imagine my slow walking pace for nearly an hour impelled this woman to ask me for my treadmill before approaching others who were clearly working harder) I figured this was as good a time as any to conclude my first set of Field notes.