NY Resolution people and packed gyms!!?!?!?!?

IronmanPanda

I found this on another site I use for triathlon. It reminded me of how I first got started in endurance sports and what kind of a difference its made in my life. Instead of becoming frustrated and angry because we have to take an extra 5 minutes out of our already busy schedule maybe we should look to inspire the newbies and help them lead a healthier life.

We're endurance athletes. We train all year not only outside, but also at the gym and the pool. We can expect some serious crowding in both places for the next few weeks. It happens every year. Suddenly we have to add 30 minutes to our scheduled gym time because of the "resolutionists". There are no parking places. When you do manage to find one and get to the locker room 10 minutes behind schedule, there aren't any lockers available and the door is blocked by someone trying to remember the way to the weight room. In there, the machines you need to use are all occupied by people in new track suits pushing too much weight with truly horrible form. The bubbler is blocked by someone who is trying hard not to look totally out of their element. You can't get in the pool because it's jammed with people using pull buoys on their arms and kickboards as flotation devices. Half the lanes have people with no goggles and baggy swim trunks down to their knees who can't swim an entire lap. The whole freakin' place is filled with...with... beginners. It's one of my favorite sights. I've never been in a place more full of hope than a gym during the first week of January. It's a place full of people giving action to their dreams. People who for that day are making an effort to be fit, to improve themselves, to live a better quality of life. The effort and courage it takes them to get there that morning is huge. It certainly exceeds what it takes me. I know where everything is. I know the pool etiquette. I know what my workout is going to be and how to use the machines. I'm not the least bit embarrassed to take my shirt off in the locker room. This is routine for me. These new people will be showing a lot of courage and determination by going to the gym in the next few weeks and they'll deserve my respect. They'll get it. It wasn't that long ago that I was one of them. During the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to help some of these people feel a little less uncomfortable. Maybe make eye contact with some of them, be ready to give a nod or say hello. Once we're halfway into February, the crowds will be gone. Parking will be easy. Machines will be available again. The wait at the pool will go away. We know this. We're endurance athletes. We know the reward that comes from sticking through the hard parts. And from helping others through them.

CaptainGordo

When I need machine, I stand right next to the person and watch them until they feel uncomfortable and get off. If necessary, I will fart too, to make the environment less tolerable to them.

DannyMussels

OH OH its gonna be jam packed at the gym today full of new year resolutioners! I expect all the bike machines to be busy.....lucky for me they avoid the treadmills like the plague............ha!
SO.when does your gym start returning to normal?

HOPEFULLY theres some awesome eyecandy!:devil:

There is some right below that post.

bethvandenberg

usually takes about 3 weeks for our gym to normal out. We keep about 3% who stick with it throughout the year.

janet_pratt

Always back to normal by March 1.

pocomama

I think most people on this site(me included) were once in the shoes of the NY Resolutioner. Why criticize them for trying to change their lives? Statistics show that people won't continue, but how about the ones that do? If you really have a problem with it, find a new time to workout when the gym isn't packed(i.e. 5am, 10am, 3pm, 9pm etc.) By going at the crowded times you are only adding to the problem...

I totally agree. Year after year until 2011 was "the year I was going to change." I did change, lol. I gained even more weight. It wasn't until April of 2011 that my new life began. I am thankful the timing of my New Life resolution didn't coincide with January 1st because then maybe people would have grouped me in with the annoying people in the way while the "real" fitness professionals wait for their turf back.

my gym was empty today. I had the track to myself for over an hour and nobody was on the machines. There were a handful of people in the weight area but it was mostly dead. I dont know why.

angel79202

Ours has been insane
EMS was called 3 times yesterday...come on people use ur sense

janet_pratt

I think most people on this site(me included) were once in the shoes of the NY Resolutioner. Why criticize them for trying to change their lives? Statistics show that people won't continue, but how about the ones that do? If you really have a problem with it, find a new time to workout when the gym isn't packed(i.e. 5am, 10am, 3pm, 9pm etc.) By going at the crowded times you are only adding to the problem...

I applaud those who are new and will stick to it. It's the ones who are just there in the heat of some new resolution, taking up space I need who are wasting time because they won't stick to it that bug me. And since I don't know which ones those are, I'm just generally unhappy about not being able to get a machine just because its a certain time of year.

CaitlinFrost

I actually got to the gym yesterday and I was the only one in there for about an hour and a half and I was there for two hours. I was very surprised to say the least!

Nikki582

My gym, normally about 4 or 5 people there when I get there at 5 - today there were 12 or more people (Very small gym, so 12 people is A LOT) - mostly on the cardio machines or assisted weights.. so I still had the free weights area with plenty of room.

newarkco05

I wonder how many people are new to this site due to their new years resolution are now giving up because of all these comments. Seriously people, I get it. Your time at the gym is being throw off due to extra people but seriously.... many people on here are constantly complaining about all the obesity in America and judging what everyone puts in their carts. How can any of this change if you are already hoping for the newbies failure?

msjamartin

I've noticed interesting trends at my gym. Mon-Wed full morning and evening (more so now and that is to be expected). Thurs and Friday it is very quiet. I'm fortunate that my main gym is very big with many machines. I did have to use treadmills in an area I don't like as the good area was full but that will change in a few weeks.

I did see some old friends whom took a few weeks off back in the mix this morning and the staff have been busy signing up the newbies and giving them their first training session (which means I don't get the free spotters and on the side tips for a while but that too will pass).

Hopefully some will truly change their habits and become new regulars. I was once a newbie and hated the gym for months. Felt everyone was looking at me and I wasn't "good enough" to be on certain machines or in certain areas. Now I feel like I should wear a t-shirt with my old photo so that they know it is possible to make a true change.

Lets encourage all of the newbies, even those we are sure will not last. One never knows.

Kagard11

March for my local Y!

NotRegistered

These new people will be showing a lot of courage and determination by going to the gym in the next few weeks and they'll deserve my respect. They'll get it. It wasn't that long ago that I was one of them. During the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to help some of these people feel a little less uncomfortable. Maybe make eye contact with some of them, be ready to give a nod or say hello. Once we're halfway into February, the crowds will be gone. Parking will be easy. Machines will be available again. The wait at the pool will go away. We know this. We're endurance athletes. We know the reward that comes from sticking through the hard parts. And from helping others through them.

Gyms should print your long thread and post it.

I don't go to a gym, but I think that the "regulars" acting prissy would not be very encouraging.

scmatthews8

Agreed. Also, on the business side of things, a lot of small gyms would not make it through the year without the holiday/new years push. Helps them bring in revenue and budget for the entire year!

Certainly this is not the case for large chain commercial gyms, but I hope some of you get the point. Instead of standing around waiting for a "machine" take this as an opportunity to try something new. Free weight or kettlebell exercises. Body-weight circuits. If you need help, PM me.

julslea

I went around 11:30 today and it was normal. I bet around 6 this evening it was crowded.

lilRicki

I found this on another site I use for triathlon. It reminded me of how I first got started in endurance sports and what kind of a difference its made in my life. Instead of becoming frustrated and angry because we have to take an extra 5 minutes out of our already busy schedule maybe we should look to inspire the newbies and help them lead a healthier life.

We're endurance athletes. We train all year not only outside, but also at the gym and the pool. We can expect some serious crowding in both places for the next few weeks. It happens every year. Suddenly we have to add 30 minutes to our scheduled gym time because of the "resolutionists". There are no parking places. When you do manage to find one and get to the locker room 10 minutes behind schedule, there aren't any lockers available and the door is blocked by someone trying to remember the way to the weight room. In there, the machines you need to use are all occupied by people in new track suits pushing too much weight with truly horrible form. The bubbler is blocked by someone who is trying hard not to look totally out of their element. You can't get in the pool because it's jammed with people using pull buoys on their arms and kickboards as flotation devices. Half the lanes have people with no goggles and baggy swim trunks down to their knees who can't swim an entire lap. The whole freakin' place is filled with...with... beginners. It's one of my favorite sights. I've never been in a place more full of hope than a gym during the first week of January. It's a place full of people giving action to their dreams. People who for that day are making an effort to be fit, to improve themselves, to live a better quality of life. The effort and courage it takes them to get there that morning is huge. It certainly exceeds what it takes me. I know where everything is. I know the pool etiquette. I know what my workout is going to be and how to use the machines. I'm not the least bit embarrassed to take my shirt off in the locker room. This is routine for me. These new people will be showing a lot of courage and determination by going to the gym in the next few weeks and they'll deserve my respect. They'll get it. It wasn't that long ago that I was one of them. During the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to help some of these people feel a little less uncomfortable. Maybe make eye contact with some of them, be ready to give a nod or say hello. Once we're halfway into February, the crowds will be gone. Parking will be easy. Machines will be available again. The wait at the pool will go away. We know this. We're endurance athletes. We know the reward that comes from sticking through the hard parts. And from helping others through them.

that was awesome, thank you for giving me a different perspective

millerll

I posted this yesterday and it went nowhere, so here it is again............

I work at a gym. I’ve only been working there for three weeks. It’s a minimum wage part-time job working the front desk and keeping the place tidy. (Laid off engineer, lousy job market, etc., etc. Gotta do what you gotta do and all that.) The gym is on a military base, and every patron has to show ID to get in. We check each ID, and keep a head count on a clipboard. We usually open at 5 am, but since today was a federal holiday, we were on shortened hours, 8 to 4.

Normally, our wonderful retirees are the first folks in the gym. They’re usually lined up outside the doors about 15 minutes before opening, patiently waiting for us to open. Most days, they number around 5-10 people that early in the morning. Soon after, the active duty folks start to trickle in to get in a workout before the duty day starts at 7:30. I worked the full day yesterday, and it was pretty light traffic since it was New Years Day, and most folks were sleeping off their hangovers. Today, however, was another story……..

They were lined up 20 deep at the door this morning. As soon as we opened, a marauding horde rushed the front desk. It was like a zombie apocalypse of “resolutionists”. You know, those folks who think they can undo the last 52 weeks of bad living with their New Years resolution to get back in the gym. They ran by, flashing their ID cards so fast we couldn’t read them, all in a mad dash to get a cardio machine. It got so hectic we had to stop the whole thing and make everybody file past again one at a time so we could verify their IDs.

And of course, since yesterday and today were holidays, we had no contract janitorial service these last two days. I was run ragged just trying to keep the trash from overflowing. We use those disposable gym wipes on the machines, and the trash cans fill up pretty fast when we have three times the normal patronage. The floors were also getting dirty, but all the brooms and vacuums are locked in the janitor’s closet, which we employees don’t have access to since the janitorial service is contract. So I’m trying to spot clean floors with a rag and bucket. Fun. There were only two of us working today, and we’re both ladies, so no one could clean the men’s locker room or restrooms. I hope the poor gents didn’t run out of toilet paper.

Ah, newbies. They have yet to learn the finer points of gym etiquette, and they left the weights scattered everywhere instead of racking them. Collars were strewn across the floor like bizarre confetti. The dumbbells were racked so out of order that they resembled a Fibonacci sequence in iron. The phone rang off the hook as well. “Are you open today?” Why, no sir, we’re closed, they just pay me this exorbitant salary to sit at the desk all day answering phones to tell people that. And when we made our usual announcement that we would be closing in 15 minutes, we were greeted with howls of indignant protest. “I thought you were open until 11 tonight!” Well, yes, normally we are. But today’s a holiday and we’re on holiday hours. In fact, they’ve been posted on the bloody front door for three weeks. Sorry you missed that.

Four o’clock finally came, and we ushered the last patron out and started our clean-up checklist. The gym looked like Bourbon Street after Mardi Gras; the locker rooms like Times Square the morning after the ball drops. Just as we were finishing up a half hour later, four teenagers come strolling through the gym. Well, where the heck did you guys come from, and how did you get in here? Turns out, they had been playing racquetball in one of the courts, and in the rush, we didn’t notice that they were still in there after closing. Apparently, they didn’t hear the closing announcement. Five minutes later, and they would have been locked in, with the alarms set. It almost would have been worth it to see the looks on their faces when the Security Police showed up to let them out.

And it’s gonna be like this for at least another three or four weeks. I work at a gym. Pray for me.

katzmeow_83

Awww come on guys!!! what happened to supporting new people trying to get in shape??? remember you had to start somewhere too

BEERRUNNER

well i hope the newbies will be in it for the long run. Tnat being said...those who pay but do not go must help lower my own membership price lol.

Ha!!! Nice point babycakes!!!! Are you into big brown attractive men???:bigsmile:

Begood03

The gym was so packed last night that it took about 15 minutes until I was able to start my workout.

KimmieBrie

Off to my gym by work in 15 mins... 1st day back after the new year. Will be interesting to see if it's crazy or not. Last yr it was a little more crowded but not too bad... hoping for the same.

PF will be another story... I am 100% sure it's going to be a zoo!

That being said it doesn't bother me.I like seeing people try to better themselves. I'll just have to adjust my schedule a bit.

1WorkoutAtATime

Omg, I hate having to wait for the equipment and treadmills because off all the people who will lose interest by February 1st are hogging all the machines!!!

this is why I go late at night ( my gym is 24 hours) to avoid the crowd..

mgmlap

I am just grateful I got some stuff where I can work out at home and dont have to bother with a gym...people drive me nuts.. It would be one thing if they stuck with it..but resolutions really dont work..in my opinion. you dont need to wait for New Years to be healthy...I know I didnt..I started in June and I am still down 40 pounds...

KimmieBrie

Doesn't look like many new people at BSC.... 8 total people in the cardio section most of which I knew as regulars...
No one in the showers when I got in the locker room, I like a certain shower, dunno why - yay!!

deadstarsunburn

My little dinky community college has a gym and I think most people don't know it's open to the public. THANKFULLY even at 6:15pm when I left there were only maybe three or four extra people at the gym, which makes a difference in how small it is but as I'm sure you've all noticed they only do cardio for about 10 seconds than walk around looking most of the time.

So I'm feeling lucky.
My parents did however purchase me a Y membership but I'm scared of looking like a resolutioner if I go...='[[

scs143

Mine was packed at 5:30 am. I can't wait until everyone leaves again.

tinydancer24

I keep telling myself, everyone has the right to get healthy...sadly most don't stick to it.

MaximalLife

I love the new year resolution sheeple crowd.
They herd in every Jan but drop out by March, then come stampeding back a month before summer like that's going to suddenly make any difference.
It will not, and they'll mostly fail - AGAIN!
So, why do I like them?

They keep my gym membership low - :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

bigdawg025

It dies down by the end of January or early part of February. Most don't stick with it... thus the reason I don't believe in "New Year's Resolutions". Why do I need to wait until Jan. 1st to start something??? If you need that excuse to do it you're probably not in it for the long haul. Just like people who decide to make a resolution to quit smoking... most of them are smoking within a week or two again.