I feel very sorry for the lady in the floor above the gym. The people measuring the noise should not have given the gym advance warning. Isn’t there something in the SSMA about creating a nuisance or preventing people’s peaceful enjoyment in their homes? Perhaps there is a noise by-law. Fining the gym won’t be enough. She would want to stop the noise altogether.
I know why people drop weights on the floor. My personal best deadlift is 82kg. In other words, I can bend over, pick up 82kg barbell off the floor, hold it until I am standing upright. Then I drop it onto the floor. Bang!
It makes a noise and I’m embarrassed about it. My personal trainer encouraged me to drop it. The idea is not to waste energy by gently lowering it to the floor. I need that energy for the next lift. Guys can lift much heavier. When they drop the bar, it is even noisier. It startles me every time.