For those who go to the gym...

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13

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  • Yaya1976
    Yaya1976 Posts: 357 Member
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    I already started seeing an influx of newbies, but they will not stop me from going to the gym. Sadly most of them will drop it in a few weeks to a month.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    I go early enough in the morning that there is a HUGE influx of people who say "yah! Gonna get up at the 5 am and go work out, woo!" and that lasts about 3 days, and then everyone realizes that's stupid early and it's back to normal. I am really hoping Sit On The Bench and Drink Coffee Guy is going to decide it's too crowded and stay home, though.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    I'm gonna scream and drop weights.


    But, I'll most likely not pay any attention to them unless I know them already.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    When the new year approaches and all the new gym newbies with all their new resolutions start invading, how do you plan on handling it? I tend to skip the gym altogether which makes me fall off from my own health goals and I don't want to do that this year...

    I'll adjust my times appropriately. Frankly, I hope they stay- I'd love to see this area become healthier. At one point, I was that person that people glared at as a newbie who got in the way.
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
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    theyll be gone in 3 weeks 4 tops
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
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    I'm kinda selfish in the fact that I want to get on the machine I want to get on, when I want to get on it, and stay on it as long as I want to... So I generally go either early in the morning or kind of late at night anyways to avoid the crowds... might just work out on the equipment I have at home though if the gym is still too busy for me until things cool down.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
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    I stare at people and make robot noises. They stay away
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Last January, I dealt with it by nursing a stress fracture and not going to the gym. :grumble: By the time I was ready to go back, the resolution crowd had dropped off.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    When the new year approaches and all the new gym newbies with all their new resolutions start invading, how do you plan on handling it? I tend to skip the gym altogether which makes me fall off from my own health goals and I don't want to do that this year...

    Maybe welcome them in as new members and applaude them for wanting to take the first steps to health.

    sounds like a waste of time 99% of them will quit with in the week...

    because they are not made to feel welcome? Gyms have changed these days; used to be more inclusive. Shame really.

    No, because most of them joined on a "New Year's Resolution" and not because they dedicated to making a change. I've seen it every year I have ever been a member at a gym. It'll be busy until the end of January, then it'll taper off.

    How am I supposed to make someone "feel more welcome". I pay for my membership, get in my workout in the morning, and go home barely paying attention to anyone else. I was unaware the gym was to be treated as a kindergarten class.

    To answer the OP's question. I'm in the gym from 4:30-6, so I don't have to deal with it too much. By that time I'm done with my cardio and am into the free weights.
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 11,984 Member
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    I do find January frustrating - because I'm a gym-regular and all of a sudden "my space" is being invaded by all these newbies!!

    I work-out over lunch-hour, however, and there aren't too, too many persons on the weight-side of the gym, at that time. I will be glad when February arrives, though - the crowds DEFINITELY thin by then!
  • ptjolsen
    ptjolsen Posts: 365 Member
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    I work at one....trust me they don't last long. Plus if you have been there for awhile you should be doing all of the same things a NEWBIE does :wink:
  • dunadan
    dunadan Posts: 105 Member
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    The good news for those of us who lift is that the new gym folks tend to circulate among the machines and completely steer clear of the free weights. That said, perhaps we should give some thought into banding together with the other regular lifters and agree to make scary faces as we lift in order to keep our space relatively clear. :laugh:

    Faces are good, but I think some un-earthly sounds would help as well. Maybe some Monica Seles-esque grunts and groans, and an occasional "Dear mother of God, when will the pain end?" while doing reverse flys or squats.

    Some well-timed vomiting would also do the trick.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    Saying that you fall off the wagon because your gym is crowded during a certain time of the year sounds like an excuse. Go earlier in the morning, or later at night, whenever there are less people. Or just workout and not worry about others.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I'm gonna quit and get fat.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    I always go at off-peak times. To me, my gym time is my relaxation/zoning out time where I focus on physical stuff instead of mundane worries of the day. But I've always gone at off-peak times so it's not a change for me.

    The other thing is get some DVDs and do them at home when you can't go to the gym at any time other than peak times. There are a lot of really cool ones out now and I like to do them on days when I feel pressed for time and don't want to include travel time into the time allotted to working out.
  • fitplease
    fitplease Posts: 647 Member
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    The noobs aren't going to use the same machines or perform the same exercises that I do. Most noobs will go on the treadmill/elliptical/stationary bike.

    LOL. That would be me.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I think it's important not to be so judgy-judgy to the new people at the gym over the holidays. First off, some people use the discounted rates as a good time to get a good deal to switch gyms, so they're not ALL resolutioners. Second, even though there's a high failure rate, some of those people will stick it out. Third, you were new at one point, remember?!?! And fourth, those people offset the price of YOUR gym membership, without them it would be much more expensive.

    So just suck it up, go at a different time, run outside, take a training break, or just be patient, smile at a scared looking newbie, and offer to help someone who looks confused in the weights section. It will go in to your karma bank, and the busy season is pretty short lived anyway.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    I think it's important not to be so judgy-judgy to the new people at the gym over the holidays. First off, some people use the discounted rates as a good time to get a good deal to switch gyms, so they're not ALL resolutioners. Second, even though there's a high failure rate, some of those people will stick it out. Third, you were new at one point, remember?!?! And fourth, those people offset the price of YOUR gym membership, without them it would be much more expensive.

    So just suck it up, go at a different time, run outside, take a training break, or just be patient, smile at a scared looking newbie, and offer to help someone who looks confused in the weights section. It will go in to your karma bank, and the busy season is pretty short lived anyway.

    Absolutely :smile:
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    soooo. just go to the gym?!

    ETA-- I was a newbie almost two years ago. Yes, the percentage of people that stick with it is small, but those are the awesome ones who are making a real change. don't judge.
  • KiltFuPanda
    KiltFuPanda Posts: 574 Member
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    Personally, I hope to maybe stand as a "this is what you could possibly do" role model. I've got less than a year under my belt (and thankfully, moved a few pounds out from under that belt!), but the guys at my gym not only let me work in with them, but helped me get the proper form for weight training. Without them, I might have either injured myself, or not reached the level I am right now.

    Sure, there's gonna be a number of newbies who go in, work out, and leave. But if someone seems genuinely interested, I'll be encouraging and supportive.

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