The parking lot of my local LA Fitness was packed on a cold, rainy, crappy Sunday morning a week before Christmas. Inside, the club was bright and warm and filled with people working hard. The manager who took me on a tour was friendly and engaging.

Right away, though, I felt a disconnect. He asked me where I currently work out. I lied (sorry about that) and mentioned the bad gym I fought to leave. He told me he’d worked out there, but was disappointed because they didn’t have any “ab training equipment.”

I asked what he meant. He seemed confused by my confusion. I didn’t tell him that I wrote a book on core training, with dozens of exercises that require either no equipment, or basic stuff like a cable machine, TRX, or Swiss ball. But I figured out what he meant soon enough. As we started our tour of the workout floor, he proudly pointed out his club’s six ab-training machines. Six!

So it went throughout the tour. Tons of machines, all shiny and seemingly well maintained. Lots of benches for every conceivable type of barbell press—flat, incline, decline, overhead. The setup would be perfect for someone who wants to isolate muscles and work them from every angle.

Since I don’t use many machines, and my shoulders have filed a restraining order to prevent me from doing barbell presses, I looked for the things I might use. That was disappointing. For starters, I would have to use hexagonal weight plates for deadlifts, which makes for an awkward setup. (Lots of readers complained about flat-sided plates, and not just at LA Fitness.)

But the biggest problem is one multiple readers described. “If they have any specialized equipment, it’s for trainers only,” one said. Another added: “The area of the gym with the TRX and kettlebells is cordoned off. They frown on box jumps—personal training only.”

All of which is a shame, because it was easily the best-looking health club I’ve seen in recent memory, and it was a good deal. I was quoted $100 up front and $30 a month, with no contract and access to hundreds of clubs in dozens of cities. But just because it’s not for me doesn’t mean it isn’t a good choice for you.