SIGHTS
Glass walls, a locker room, product display cases (holding exercise bands, workout gloves, fitness equipment, supplements endorsed by athletes and famous bodybuilders, fitness DVDs), television sets affixed to the walls in front of cardio equipment (treadmills, stationary bikes, stair climbers, elliptical machines), a rowing machine, a squat machine, resistance bands, black safety mats, personal trainers spotting clients and helping them use equipment efficiently, a lat pull-down machine, an abduction machine, medicine and stability balls, a rack of kettle bells and a weight tower for dumbbells, leg curl and leg press machines, free weights at a power lifting station, barbells and plates, a curl bar and triceps bar, jump ropes, a chin-up bar, a room for group aerobics, yoga and dance classes, a pro shop area selling nutritional supplements and equipment (wraps, gloves, chalk, weightlifting belts, active wear, water bottles), towels and antibacterial spray or antibacterial wipes for cleaning machines, mirror panels along the wall, incline and decline benches, flat benches, hyperextension benches, weight scales, restrooms, a community board filled with special event notices and inspirational messages, clients dripping sweat with towels draped around their necks
SOUNDS
Music, heavy breathing, grunts and groans, sudden blasting exhales, swearing, trainers shouting encouragement, the clank of metal (bar bells bouncing against the floor after a dead lift, plates sliding home, free weights being returned to the rack), resistance-powered machines wheezing out air, the pattern of footfalls on a treadmill, beeping as one sets the incline on a running machine, the hiss of air conditioning, TV noises, clients chatting between workouts, the distant voice of a class instructor calling out directions, music from the spin or dance class
SMELLS
Sweat, deodorant, antibacterial cleaner
TASTES
Water, protein smoothies, hydration drinks, energy drinks, caffeine pills tossed back with water, energy bars or chews
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The powdery dust of weightlifting chalk, the cold metal of a plate or barbell, the cinching tightness of a weight belt, the soft give of a workout mat underfoot, sweat sliding down one’s neck, face, sides, and back, swiping at sweat with a cottony soft towel or T-shirt, taking a swig of cold water and rejoicing in its coolness, accidentally bashing a knee against a bench, one’s feet relentlessly pounding the treadmill, fatigued muscles that quiver during a workout, a painful tearing sensation as a muscle or tendon is injured, a padded bench under one’s back, stretching between reps, the pleasant burn of muscles being worked out, muscles twitching as they reach the end of their endurance
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Arguments over who was next to use a machine
Anger over people who don’t put equipment back where it belongs
Someone tripping over a bar bell
Having something stolen from one’s locker
Being ogled by another gym member
Chatty members who don’t let others work out in peace
Injuries resulting from improper use of equipment or not knowing one’s limits
Steroid rages
A rude or abusive trainer
Being sexually harassed by a trainer or other member
Body issues keeping one from visiting the gym as much as one would like to
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Bodybuilders, equipment technicians, gym employees, people desperate to lose weight, people interested in physical fitness, the gym owner and manager, trainers
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Outdoor pool, outdoor skating rink, rec center
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Bigger gym chains may have extensive exercise facilities, such as a pool, sauna, hot tub, and squash and basketball courts, along with separate rooms for hot yoga or spin classes. Gyms that are smaller may have older machines or a smaller variety of them, resulting in a person struggling to get a complete workout when the gym is busy. If any of the equipment is broken or if someone is hogging a machine, this will increase possible tension and conflict between gym users.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Amanda hopped on an empty treadmill next to a paunchy guy wearing a gray T-shirt ringed in sweat. He looked done in, yet the gym had only opened, so he must be a newbie. Typical. Every January a tidal wave joined up, determined to get in shape. Most quit before month’s end. She gave him a nod in greeting, pretending to not notice his creepy up-and-down stare, and then programmed her machine to a light run. Ten bucks says he’ll be a peacock. Sure enough, Mr. Track Pants increased the pace of his treadmill to match hers. Amanda choked down a grin and shoved in her earbuds to drown out his wheezy breathing. Then she increased her incline. This was going to be fun.
Techniques and Devices Used: Metaphor, multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Characterization