When we first moved into this building about seven years ago, while we had all the machines, mats, and weights, I didn’t notice a lot of extra equipment like TRX bands, leg bands, kettle bells, stretch bands, and balance balls. But over time, I noticed that new extra workout accessories were being added, and I thought, wow, this is great! It’s almost like someone’s personal collection of workout accessories, but in a public setting for everyone in the gym to enjoy. I’ve always liked to foam roll, and so I regularly use the foam rollers at the gym after my workouts and during the day when I get a break and feel the need to roll out my muscles.

Chris recently mentioned he was interested in using a version of a foam roller that’s called a rumble roller – it’s basically like a foam roller, but it’s got these interesting textured “spikes” that stick out of it all around. It’s very good for massage and taking out “toxins” that are concentrated in sites of pain in your muscle. I wondered if it might be something that could be added to the building gym, so I messaged our building trainer (who I occasionally chat with and text) to ask if it might be a possibility. And I was shocked: the trainer told me that the management company didn’t pay for any of the extra equipment: he himself had paid for all of those accessories out of his OWN pocket! He said he needed these things for training his clients, so he just bought them himself.

That confused and infuriated me to no end. Why would he not even ask the management company if they could comp him for it given they were for the benefit of a working and operating gym for the use of residents…? It just didn’t make any sense at all.