Do you work out at a fancy-pants, high-end fitness center? The kind we all envy, with acres of gleaming equipment, 43 different exercise classes, luxurious locker rooms, gourmet juice bars and complimentary fluffy towels with no weird stains on them.

Good for you. We don't. We skip the pampering and save a bucketload of money. Problem is, the more economical gyms aren't just cheap -- they're straight-up dirty. But if you want to get that beach bod while the beaches are still open, quitting in disgust is not an option. I can advise.

How to Tell If Your Gym Is Crappy:
1. Outdated Equipment: Some gyms collect old, weird stuff from the '60s and '70s. Unfortunately, it's not on display for educational purposes; they actually expect you to use it.

2. Deferred Repairs. Shrieking elliptical machines, missing free weights, busted electronics, rickety old weight machines that shudder and jam ... those all take money to remedy. Whereas "Out of Order" signs are pretty much free.

Click here to read more and learn how to cope, after the jump.

3. Nasty Locker Rooms: Some cheap gyms have discovered that rarely cleaned facilities will encourage people to shower at home and only use the toilets if desperate. Then they save on water bills, too!

4. Temperature Extremes: Gyms don't want to spoil members by providing a comfortable workout environment. Exercise is supposed to be miserable. (Also saves on heating and air-conditioning costs.)

5. Crowded Conditions: Is there anything more crazy-making than watching your limited workout time tick away while you're waiting around for a machine to free up? But cramming more members in means more money for the gym.

But don't bail yet ... Perhaps there's hope!

1. Complain: Everyone assumes that obvious problems have been reported; often they haven't because people are busy, lazy or passive-aggressive.

2. Commiserate: Weirdly, sharing your gripes with other frustrated gym goers can be a bonding experience. And bonding about why you can't work out is much more fun than bonding over "What a great workout that was!"

3. Diversify: Even if you don't have a full home gym, as long as you have a few free weights and a DVD or other cardio option, you can take the pressure off crowded prime-time gym hours by getting a few things done at home before or after you go.

4. Distract: Great tunes, extra caffeine and someone cute to sneak glances at can help you to forget that it's 89 degrees in the cardio area and the carpets smell all moldy and your treadmill is stuck on the highest incline level and won't budge.

5. Strategize: If you have a flexible schedule, find out when it's less crowded. Sounds obvious, but some people just assume it's packed all day. It's not. Or try less popular machines like rowers ... could be a good change of pace and it beats standing around fuming.

6. Shift Perspective: Think of the money you're saving by sticking with your cheapo gym. Often, the more basic the gym, the nicer the people! Snotty stuck-up types are far less common at budget gyms.

Crabby McSlacker gives the kind of fitness advice we can relate to at her blog, Cranky Fitness.