Joining a gym...thoughts...opinions?

[KAMKIM]

I am joining a gym in 2wks with my step sister, hoping to work off some of this baby fat (yes my baby is 5...so what )

We plan on going 3 times a week after the kids go to bed and working out for about an hour.

I can also squeak in an hour on Saturday, they have yoga or pilates classes...and spinning classes (I dont know the times of this class yet though)

Any experience with gyms?

 

[clarabelle]

I teach spinning at our local Y.
Check the schedules and see if they offer classes at times that you can make.
Look at the other people there -if you feel uncomfortable with the other patrons you won't want to go.
Are the classes full? Is there a wait for the machines?
You want the gym to be busy enough where it doesn't look like it is about to go out of business -but you don't want it to be soo busy you can never get a treadmill or you can't get into the classes.
Also think about the traffic -if it is really hard to get there -that might hold you back too
If you have any questions about spinning -let me know

 

[Hercules10]

Glad to see you're going with your step-sister. Always good to go with a work-out partner to push you. However watch out and don't talk too much and miss working out.

I always have high protein 30 mins before. You can do natural PB on whole wheat toast. I chug a glass of whey protein (tastes like crap but works).

Don't let any of the gym regulars/rats intimidate you. Everyone has a first day there.

Good Luck!

 

[paintnolish]

Like Clarabelle said, be sure to tour the gym, maybe even a few times at different points in the day. Make sure to check it out at the time you'll most likely go...see how busy it is and what the time limits are on the machines (mine has a 20 minute limit on the cardio which is too short, IMO). Also, look at the classes-too full and you might not get in if you aren't early, to empty and it might get cancelled down the road. I also recommend a spin class-great calorie burning and easily adaptable to all fitness levels. Finally, make sure you feel comfortable. If be surrounded by grunting muscle heads isn't right for you, go someplace else! Good luck!

 

[Tina]

Definitely visit the gym around the times you plan to go. I made a mistake by dropping by mid afternoon on my day off to join my gym. I bought their line about never having to wait for a machine. Well, I like to go on the way home from work, so I get there between 4:30 and 5pm -- the exact same time as every one else in the freaking state. I've found that both the bike and eliptical styles that I like is also liked very well by a high percentage of patrons and they do not have enough of these. Half the time, I end up walking on a treadmill instead of doing the workout I want.

 

[BelleWDW]

Personally, I would not exercise late at night-you'll be too "up" to calm down to go to bed!

Very early AM is better-any way to do that?

 

[redlight]

Good for you! A tip: losing weight usually also requires changes in your eating habits - less sweets, more veggies, etc.

 

[AKL_Megs]

DO NOT join Bally's.

First of all, you can NEVER get out of that contract. Secondly, it appears on your credit report, and they are NOT at all afraid to mess it up for you.

 

[FireDancer]

I second the spinning suggestion.

I work out either after work or in the evening and don't find I am too up at all, but everyone is different so it may keep you up. The only way to tell is to try it.

The biggest mistake I see people make when they join a gym is to push too hard too quick. If you haven't been active in a while doing too much too quick can lead to injury and the best way to get discouraged is to hurt yourself the first week.

The second mistake I often see people, especially women, make is kind of the exact opposite. Once you have been going for a little while and are comfortable with the weights and machines push yourself a little bit. If you do the exact same workout with the exact same resistance for 5 years you will plateau and can loose motivation. I am not suggesting curling your body weight but I often hear that the reason someone is still using 3 pound weights week after week is because they aren't trying to get too big. There is a big difference between pushing yourself a little and dead lifting a bus.

I would also address diet. Maybe not right at first because some people can only handle a little change at a time, and that is ok. After a little while though I would start a food journal and make sure you know what you are consuming. Seeing the results you are looking for at the gym is partly attributable to your diet. I like to tell people that rewarding every trip to the gym with a Whopper and fries is not really a good idea.

Lastly, be patient. Most people will see a big improvement right away and then plateau for a while. That is completely normal and expected. The road to health is not short or easy but I assure you it is rewarding. It takes just as long to get into shape as it did to fall out of shape, so don't get discouraged.

Have you checked out the WISH boards here on the DIS? There is a lot of good advice and people asking the exact questions you are.

Congratulations and good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[paintnolish]

Working out late...I can't handle it. It definitely keeps me too awake. I prefer to go first thing in the morning. DH, on the other hand, is there now. It is 11 p.m. here! He always goes this late. To each his own!

 

[ckay87]

Working out late...I can't handle it. It definitely keeps me too awake. I prefer to go first thing in the morning. DH, on the other hand, is there now. It is 11 p.m. here! He always goes this late. To each his own!

And it's the opposite for me. Nothing relaxes me more than a vigorous workout. In fact, a workout, a hot shower, and a glass of red wine and I can guarantee you that nobody will hear from me for 8 hours!

Try it, OP, if that is the time that you can make it. Because it's important that you find a schedule that works for you, especially when juggling life with a young child. Classes are great, if you can fit them in because the time passes much more quickly than on machines, IMO. Also, you can usually find a very fun, effective workout by trying different classes. Have fun

 

[KAMKIM]

Thanks everyone I can wait to get started. I was going to get myself some clothes after I got the kids their school clothes but I'm going to wait because I'm hoping I need smaller pants

We have an appointment to go tour the gym (not Baileys) in 2wks, I'm mentally preparing myself for major life changes once I start the routine. I am really excited about it.

I do want to try the spin class, I think I will do much better in classes compared to machines.

Late at night really is my only option, unless I got up at about 4 AM - not gonna happen

 

[JCJRSmith]

My wife, son and I all belong to the local Planet Fitness. I get up at 5 every morning to workout before breakfast, SWMBO and DS like to work out in the evening after dinner. Do what works for you.

Some tips:

1. Start slow. Nothing kills desire to go to the gym more than overdoing it the first day, then being sore and in pain the next visit. Folks who do that end up equating working out with sorness/pain and they avoid working out.

2. If something does not feel right/comfortable/pain free, STOP. The old adage of "No Pain, No Gain" is BS. I prefer this one: No Pain, no Pain.

3. Keep in mind that you did not put on the extra pounds in a week, so it will take time to make it go away. 1.5-2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss regimen. Anything beyond that and you may be doing damage to your muscles.

4. Stay away from the scale. People who work out to lose weight tend to obsess over their weight. Use how you LOOK and how your clothes fit as a better measure of how you are doing. You may find at the start, as your body begins to build lean muscle and before it starts to burn fat off, that you may gain weight.

5. Give your muscles a chance to rest between workouts. I try to work out 6 days a week with Sunday off, but the way I do is: Upper body on Monday and Thursday, Lower body on Tuesday and Friday, aerobic only on Wednesday and Saturday. The days I do upper or lower body workouts, I lift followed by 30 minutes on the bike or the treadmill (just can't get comfortable with the eliptical). Mix it up and CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT every 40-60 days or so.

6. Exercise alone will not do it. Eating habits alone will not do it. Exercise and proper eating habits are the key. I dislike the word "diet" because too many people feel that "a diet" is temporary, only to fall back into the poor eating habits.

Best of luck to you. I found that after two weeks of going to the gym on a regular basis, if I didn't get to go on a day I REALLY miss it. It has become a lifestyle change. Once you get to that point, getting out to the gym for exercise becomes easy because it becomes a big part of your life.

 

[KAMKIM]

My wife, son and I all belong to the local Planet Fitness. I get up at 5 every morning to workout before breakfast, SWMBO and DS like to work out in the evening after dinner. Do what works for you.

Some tips:

1. Start slow. Nothing kills desire to go to the gym more than overdoing it the first day, then being sore and in pain the next visit. Folks who do that end up equating working out with sorness/pain and they avoid working out.

2. If something does not feel right/comfortable/pain free, STOP. The old adage of "No Pain, No Gain" is BS. I prefer this one: No Pain, no Pain.

3. Keep in mind that you did not put on the extra pounds in a week, so it will take time to make it go away. 1.5-2 pounds per week is a healthy weight loss regimen. Anything beyond that and you may be doing damage to your muscles.

4. Stay away from the scale. People who work out to lose weight tend to obsess over their weight. Use how you LOOK and how your clothes fit as a better measure of how you are doing. You may find at the start, as your body begins to build lean muscle and before it starts to burn fat off, that you may gain weight.

5. Give your muscles a chance to rest between workouts. I try to work out 6 days a week with Sunday off, but the way I do is: Upper body on Monday and Thursday, Lower body on Tuesday and Friday, aerobic only on Wednesday and Saturday. The days I do upper or lower body workouts, I lift followed by 30 minutes on the bike or the treadmill (just can't get comfortable with the eliptical). Mix it up and CHANGE YOUR WORKOUT every 40-60 days or so.

6. Exercise alone will not do it. Eating habits alone will not do it. Exercise and proper eating habits are the key. I dislike the word "diet" because too many people feel that "a diet" is temporary, only to fall back into the poor eating habits.

Best of luck to you. I found that after two weeks of going to the gym on a regular basis, if I didn't get to go on a day I REALLY miss it. It has become a lifestyle change. Once you get to that point, getting out to the gym for exercise becomes easy because it becomes a big part of your life.

That was very helpful thank you!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I've been a member of Bally's for 10 years (which because I've been a member so long I only pay $8 a month now). I love going to the gym but I don't do any of the classes (I'm not a group type of person). I go between 9-9:30 p.m. and get home at 11(I live about 15 minutes away), shower, and go to sleep (I get up at 7). I've found working out at night actually makes me just pass out when I get into bed. It's the best feeling. I work out during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Be careful with going with your step-sister. Meaning don't let her keep you from progressing. For about a year my Mom used to come to the gym with me and walk on the treadmill and talk to me the entire time. Well, it's impossible for me to run and talk (let alone at the intensity I want to increase to) so I would just spend my time walking and talking beside her for an hour. I eventually convinced her to just go for a 3 mile walk with me after work outside so we do that and then I hit the gym solo (she wasn't loving the gym anyways).

All gyms are EXTREMELY crowded around here from about 3 p.m. until about 7:30, that's also why I like to go later at night.

 

[Hercules10]

Interesting article I had read in TIME about working out.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

I just paid a lot of money to cancel a membership that I have had since march and used twice. I recently bought equipment formy basement that I use everyday and find it works zillion times better.

 

[clarabelle]

Interesting article I had read in TIME about working out.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html

now I am depressed

 

[FireDancer]

Interesting article I had read in TIME about working out.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html

You only have to worry about this if you don't control you diet. Along with the self control needed to go to the gym in the first place you need the self control to eat right.

Calorie deficit = lose weight.
Calorie equilibrium = maintain weight.
Calorie surplus = gain weight.

There are some caveats of course but if you track what you eat and compare it to what you burn you will have a good idea.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

There are 4 keys to successful exercise:

1 - Pick something that you will enjoy doing. We stop doing things that we do not enjoy.

2 - Schedule it at a time that will allow you to do it at the same time, every time. We are creatures of habit.

3 - Set a goal that will be a stretch to achieve, but that is achievable.

4 - Tell EVERYONE your goal - and make it clear to them that you WILL be achieving that goal, and by what date. This is the real key. Your ego will get you moving if you have set a goal and advertised it to everyone.