Grunting Allowed

If you’re working too hard in the local gym, be careful! The Lunk Alarm might go off!

What do you expect when working out at your gym?

Sweaty bodies? Naturally. A body burning calories has to get rid of heat somehow. Carry a towel so you don’t share your sweat, but perspiration is expected.

T-shirts and running shoes? Sure. Nobody wants their haute couture getting all nasty from a workout, so ultra-casual attire is the norm.

Hard work? As the popular dictum goes, “No pain, no gain.” We expect exertion at the gym (which is why most of us never go).

Grunting? Whoa now … that’s a little radical even for a place where people are lifting enormous amounts of weight.

At least that’s the case at any of the 120 Planet Fitness gym locations. They’ve banned grunting during weightlifting. In an attempt to eliminate any gym practices that might intimidate workout novices, their locations each come equipped with a Lunk Alarm. The Lunk Alarm is a giant purple siren mounted on the wall next to this definition: “lunk – n. [slang] one who...