Is it better to use the squats machine facing in or out? Can I get a spot while doing these bench presses? Why is my left lower back tight, and what can I do to loosen it up?

These are just some of the questions I've had for the newly visible floor personnel at my New York Sports Clubs. Kudos to NYSC for making this happen. The field trainers are available and visible, but not intrusive. And they're not engaging in blatant salesmanship of high-margin personal training sessions.

I'm not sure if this is related to the letter I wrote a month ago to the CEO of Town Sports International, which operates the NYSC chain. I wrote this after witnessing someone in the free weights room that was dressed completely inappropriately, and was in serious danger of severe injury with dreadfully improper form. (The purple towel around the neck and extra-large wool socks were just the beginning.) I said that people who were dressed inappropriately should be kicked out of the gym, because they should be. There is a high correlation between people who dress wrong and who are at the most risk of injuring themselves. Every gym should have a dress code enforceable with some staff discretion, to improve everyone's experience and minimize legal liability, keeping costs down.

Oh, and to get back to my questions: (1) It's better to do it facing out; you get better back support and work multiple muscles more efficiently. (2) I got the spot I needed; thanks. (3) This was the best. The first question the floor trainer asked me was, do your hamstrings hurt? Actually, they did, because I probably went a little too hard on the first day back after taking off a week. He then took me through some stretching routines to illustrate, without being at all condescending, just how stiff the left one was. He explained that the hamstrings and lower back are closely interdependent. Since then I've added a stretching routine to every visit, and it's worked wonders. I won't be competing for the gymnastics team anytime soon, but I'm now just a few inches from touching the floor without bending.