Do you go to the gym?

[kasabian]

Hello how are you today?

Do most of you guys here go to the gym? I was wondering.

I've always been "anti-gyms". I thought they were just for meat heads. But I'm considering joining one now. I got an appointment to be shown around my local place tomorrow.

I've always been quite skinny, so it would be nice to bulk up a bit I think. Also, over the past few months, I seem to have developed a little pot-belly which I wanna get rid of. I think it's all this sitting I do in front of the computer. I'm also diabetic, so the exercise will do me good health-wise.

I'm looking forward to it. But I'm not looking forward to the membership fees!

 

[ada8356]

Hello how are you today?

Do most of you guys here go to the gym? I was wondering.

I've always been "anti-gyms". I thought they were just for meat heads. But I'm considering joining one now. I got an appointment to be shown around my local place tomorrow.

I've always been quite skinny, so it would be nice to bulk up a bit I think. Also, over the past few months, I seem to have developed a little pot-belly which I wanna get rid of. I think it's all this sitting I do in front of the computer. I'm also diabetic, so the exercise will do me good health-wise.

I'm looking forward to it. But I'm not looking forward to the membership fees!

I used to go all the time, but I never really LIKED it... so when I had to re-evaluate how I was spending my time, the gym got cut.

Keep in mind that when you get 'shown' around the gym, it will be a salesman doing the showing, and from what I've seen, those dudes are worse than car salesmen... as long as you are prepared for it up front you'll be fine.

 

[Scotto]

I get up at 5AM every morning and head to the gym. I alternate cardio with weight lifting. Exercise is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and keep your weight down.

For me, the motivation of knowing I paid for a membership gets me out of bed; when I had equipment at home I was very adept at coming up with excuses why I shouldn't use it.

 

[fuerein]

I'm a member at my office's gym $10.?? automatically deducted each biweek, cheap compaired to some independant gyms I've seen and it is pretty nice too. Classes throughout the day and everything, best thing is it on the first floor of my building, can go down whenever. That said, I rarely go. Just keep having trouble with the whole motivation thing. Keep telling myself I really need to though, at least for a half-hour of cardio. I get sick of lifting weights really quick so I avoid that when I go.

 

[moses]

I really need to join one. Haven't gone in years. It is subsidized through my work, but still about $100 a month. Still, I am realizing, when I go home and try to do some work on the farm, that I've lost a lot of strength, which is not cool. I do try to run pretty regularly though, and walk two miles every day to work, which helps.

I used to go three times a week to lift when I was in college. I actually enjoyed it, because I had a good lifting partner. Doing on my own = not fun at all. I also HATE HATE HATE doing cardio in a gym. I'd rather run in 95 degree heat.....

 

[SSLStudio]

Hi Kasabian,

I can shake your hands with the belly I grew mine suddenly quite since I had to suddenly do a Fully Stop from training 8 hours Aikido a week and doing Yoga and running .
Due to my neck/back injury I gained like what 10 kilo of belly , I still eat healthy but dont get to excersize enough also due to that neck injury I could not go jogging or lifting weight.

I am a student of the Spartan Health Regime , you can look it up on google it is quite an elite group of FANATICS in training. we dont need much equipment to get buffed its all hardcore training. oldschool style. its quite similar to Rosstraining.com The Spartan Regime is foremost get kick *** health with special dieting and then the next step muscle building. but it also contains lots of running thru the weekly training to get STAMINA building.

but running is dangerous to your knees you must have great running shoes you cant cut on those ! expenses wise. the nutrition of a spartan is very hardcore like cuts out all SUGAR I dont know if you can or may as a diabetic to do so it can be VERY dangerous to you. my mom is diabetic she doesnt shoot insuline..but she gotta watch what she eats.

good luck.. Ive been sporting since age 6 any question you got concerning health /dieting PM me.

 

[jmhUT]

Exercise fixes just about everything. The health benefits are obvious but there are secondary benefits that feed off of each other. Even if you just do cardio you will build lean muscle mass, which will burn calories itself even when you are not exercising. You will have more energy during the day, sleep better at night, and experience a generally eleveated mood. Have high blood pressure? cholesterol? Arthritis? Knee or ankle problems (from carrying excess weight)? Exercise is by far the most common prescrpition. It's the equivalent of re-booting you computer, fixes just about everything.

The problem for most people is finding the time. My advice is to find a gym VERY close to your office or home. Many chains will offer multiple locations so you can find a location close to both. My main problem is getting to the gym. Once I'm there I'm very glad to be. Even if the exercise isn't enjoyable the scenery is very....ah.....motivating. Also, you will get bored eventually so pick a place that offers different activities like swimming, B-ball, racketball, etc. for those times when another dull day on the treadmill is just too much to bear. I also find that skipping the gym in favor of outdoor activity every once in awhile breaks up the routine a little and keeps things interesting. Golf doesn't count. It's fun but it isn't exercise unless you skip the golf and beer carts. Finding a pickup game to join or taking a leisurely weekend bike ride can be loads of fun though.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[letterk]

I was pretty thin in college and decided I wanted to bulk up a little. While in grad school I worked out 5 times a week for 1.5-2 hours. I did both cardio and weights. With the workouts and a very strict diet (borderline obsessive) I managed to put on 15 lbs of musslce. It was the best I've ever looked, and managed to keep it up for the first couple of years of marriage. Then my wife and I got into triathlons and the weights got left behind. I lost some weight, but it was the best I've ever felt. Then the babies started coming and the morning workouts stopped. I now use the company gym during lunch and play basketball 2-3 times a week. I'm proud that I still where the same pants I've worn since school and plan on keeping that way.

 

[Tito]

Kasabian,

I go to the gym about 2-3 times a week. A couple of things to keep in mind. Like anything they come in different varieties. You should have a good idea of what to look for. The gear doesn't have to be state of the art but needs to be in the best working order. The place should be clean and friendly. Different places attract different people. I went through a couple of places until I found the good fit. I couldn't tolerate those places with the gym rats pushing their way around and cutting in line. I like to do a moderate cardio, stretching, ab, and dumb bell workout. Working out and running helps me to manage my stess & anxiety levels. I also seem to have greater clarity or some type of creative problem solving powers when I workout... Another plus there are lots of cute ladies at the gym. If there are a couple in your area check out more than one.

Good luck

 

[Ashe]

Going to the gym as well 3 times a week. I try to go Monday, Wednesday and Saturday although this can sometimes shift a bit. I too have experienced the "solving power" that Tito describes: while you're working out you're typically thinking about all kinds of things, the majority of those are work related items which I have to solve. It's typically the running and cardio exercices that give me the chance to really focus on other things than the workout because I don't really need to focus on a specific power etc, it's more the "movement".

The gym I go uses only Technogym material which is of a good quality.

Maybe a stupid question but try to check out the airconditioning systems because my gym for example tends to be a little too cold in the winter due to not sufficient heating and way too hot in the summer. Over the past month, my visits to the gym weren't really enjoyable because the airconditioning systems are not sufficiently to counter the amount of visitors combined with continuous warmth outside: there was a sweaty smell and feel from the moment I walked into the gym until I left. This really isn't a nice experience if you're going there to work on your health but have the feeling that you can't breath properly or healthy air.

The gym is not a good place to meet people either in my opinion. I always go with a very good friend or alone. Often times there are groups of people in the gym talking way too loud trying to catch the attention of the women etc. I find the typical gym woman to be rather enjoyable persons, contrary to the male visitors but YMMV.

Make sure you go to the gym often enough to have something back for the money you give them. Make sure you keep an intrest in working out because once you slip a few times, it will more or less become a habit, rendering alot of the previously built "condition" rather useless.

Try to get a trial membership for one or two weeks too but don't profit from it. The gym I go to costs nearly 600euros a year therefore I asked for a trial membership of 2 weeks in order to see whether I could fit my professional schedule with it. 2 weeks may be a bit much but a 1 week trial should easily be doable.

Try to verify whether there are sufficent identical machines in the gym. Sometimes these places tend to get very crowded and if you have to stand in line for a few exercices, it's becoming hard to stay motivated to go.

Anyway, my 2 cents..

 

[Keith]

Another plus there are lots of cute ladies at the gym. If there are a couple in your area check out more than one.

I check 'em all out. Even if they ain't cute.

 

[SSLStudio]

Kasabian,

I go to the gym about 2-3 times a week. A couple of things to keep in mind. Like anything they come in different varieties. You should have a good idea of what to look for. The gear doesn't have to be state of the art but needs to be in the best working order. The place should be clean and friendly. Different places attract different people. I went through a couple of places until I found the good fit. I couldn't tolerate those places with the gym rats pushing their way around and cutting in line. I like to do a moderate cardio, stretching, ab, and dumb bell workout. Working out and running helps me to manage my stess & anxiety levels. I also seem to have greater clarity or some type of creative problem solving powers when I workout... Another plus there are lots of cute ladies at the gym. If there are a couple in your area check out more than one.

Good luck

Darn I forgot about the benefits of that ! Ladies? ! How could I have overlooked that one !

 

[JohnP]

Kasabian,
I say shop around first, then go for it. I had always shied away from gyms myself for almost the same reason you mention (I thought it was full of meatheads who would simply laugh when I walked in). I am active duty, and can use the gym on pretty much any base for free, but I still joined a gym, because it is closer, and if you join a chain of gyms, there is usually one you can go to even when you travel...
Instead of meatheads, I found there are lots of just regular people, in varying degrees of fitness. Yes, there are the "meathead" types clustered around the weights, but often the "meatheads" are actually very down to earth and will help you out, should you ask them; there are also usually lots of aerobic and other type equipment, some even have pools. ANYTHING can help, usually, and at a gym it is usually surprisingly easy to find a workout that you can do that you will keep to and enjoy. The aerobic equipment is usually enjoyable because, well, you can watch your heartrate/calories, etc, and more importantly, the SCENERY there is top-notch...
Good luck, I think you'll be happy with your choice.
John P.

 

[tonyespo]

I drive past the gym on my way to the donut shop. Does that count?

 

[Austin]

I drive past the gym on my way to the donut shop. Does that count?

 

[SSLStudio]

I drive past the gym on my way to the donut shop. Does that count?

Close call guys ? wouldnt this be like watching a soccer game and having a sixpack to drink and afterwards thinking wow that was a good game I lost atleast 5 kilo's ?

Do Nut pass the Gymn... Do Nut pick up your money ( monopoly phrase? )

still thought you are funny dude !

 

[AACJ]

Those "meat heads" really do care about the others in the gym. When I first joined, I went up to one of them and told them I wanted to lose some serious weight and look buff like them. He said if I was serious, I would need to meet with him during our like-available times and he could show me a thing or two, plus it helps to have a workout partner. Since then, I know all the "meat heads" and they really are down to earth guys. A lot of them do their workouts for competion and spend pretty much all day in there, but once you earn their respect, they can help you in any areas you need.

I've been going 3 to 4 days (depending on my schedule) per week for about 5 or more years now. It has helped me to lose a lot of weigh and help get my good cholestoral up. Plus the ladies (MILF) that go there are not bad looking at all!

 

[majkeli]

At the beginning of summer I took stock of my health and realized that I'd been slowly gaining more and more weight, all the way up to 255lbs from 200lbs nine years ago. At 38 it was time to do something about it. I used to ride bicycles a lot in college and now I ride my road bike every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. I do about 15-20 miles during the weekly rides and then 20-30 miles on the weekends depending on how I feel. It's getting easier and easier with each ride, and the rides are getting longer and longer. Since I've been exercising I've lost 2 belt notches and I now have more energy than I've had in years. I sleep better too. If I could only stop drinking beer I'd be wafer thin!

 

[nichhel]

Gyms aren't that bad, but the worst thing about "glass-and-fern-land" (I find) is the dumbed down television one is forced to watch. I much prefer Aikido and suchlike to gyms in general. It's far more engaging of the brain. But then perhaps you can't problem-solve as others have mentioned -- you're too busy trying not to break your neck!

Since I don't have the time I'd like to seriously continue Aikido, the little lifting I do is with kettlebells (kettlestack.com) along with some very basic yoga (5 tibetans). Those two things fixed my knees too.

I've started running up 7 flights of stairs at work every time I go down for a mocha. Kind of restores balance to the universe! Plus I always get back before the elevator-folk.

---
'Dan

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

i am so out of shape my local gym makes me come through the back door !!!!