so how crowded is your gym with newbies?

JNick77

So far so good to be honest. I go early enough to where it's not an issue and most stay away from the power racks anyway.

ang3h

I work out pretty late.. around 11pm, and I'm shocked at the influx of people.. especially since it's a small non-franchise gym. I can't imagine how awful it must be during the day. As it is, I can't wait until these newbs give up.. I work out late to get away from people!

upgetupgetup

I only go to a community centre every now and then, late, just for stuff I can't do at home (swim, use the rower). But I remember being a new gym-goer and I remember being annoyed by the New Year's rush.

I think really, staff can help people share the space better by doing a PROPER induction, including stuff on gym etiquette (god, the cologne today).

AND on staying hygienic (saw someone powdering their foot, thought crap, my flimsy flip flops won't save me ). AND, by setting a standard in the gym of following through on established rules, and making them easy to follow - e.g., having spray cleaner everywhere and making people use it (in a friendly way), lots of signage around the right amount of time on machines (and communicable diseases!).

And, by having free general guidance for the first few weeks of the month. Have staff NOT working on commission walk by obviously new people and ask, 'how are you doing, need some information or help?'.

Serious training's worth money, but lots of people are just confused about how to operate machines, and it slows and annoys everyone.

A bit of general advice ('shoot for 20 minutes on the bike') wouldn't go wrong either and isn't expensive. AND, I think once some trust's been established, without pushy sales, it might even encourage people to commit to training.

TubbsMcGee

I barely saw any Resolutionists yesterday, which was great!
I go to a ladies-only gym, it's teeny tiny and above a grocery store, so if anyone else joins there won't be any room to walk around the place.

I was however upset to see that a few of the lazies must have renewed their memberships...the ladies that take naps on the machines, never wipe down their machines, leave all their personal belongings in one of the two change rooms, and the ones that scowl at me if they see I'm lifting 4x as much as they are

topyule

I know what you mean. I expected more, but there were only a few new faces. I work out from 5-630 am so there may have been an increase in the evening. I will see how it is over the weekend.

yoovie

this morning there were 5 people in my gym and 3 more in the lockeroom.

Hellbent_Heidi

I was however upset to see that a few of the lazies must have renewed their memberships...the ladies that take naps on the machines, never wipe down their machines, leave all their personal belongings in one of the two change rooms, and the ones that scowl at me if they see I'm lifting 4x as much as they are

LOL...there was a chick at my old gym we nicknamed "bookend" because she sat forever just holding up the machines....

bumblebums

I only go to a community centre every now and then, late, just for stuff I can't do at home (swim, use the rower). But I remember being a new gym-goer and I remember being annoyed by the New Year's rush.

I think really, staff can help people share the space better by doing a PROPER induction, including stuff on gym etiquette (god, the cologne today).

AND on staying hygienic (saw someone powdering their foot, thought crap, my flimsy flip flops won't save me ). AND, by setting a standard in the gym of following through on established rules, and making them easy to follow - e.g., having spray cleaner everywhere and making people use it (in a friendly way), lots of signage around the right amount of time on machines (and communicable diseases!).

And, by having free general guidance for the first few weeks of the month. Have staff NOT working on commission walk by obviously new people and ask, 'how are you doing, need some information or help?'.

Serious training's worth money, but lots of people are just confused about how to operate machines, and it slows and annoys everyone.

A bit of general advice ('shoot for 20 minutes on the bike') wouldn't go wrong either and isn't expensive. AND, I think once some trust's been established, without pushy sales, it might even encourage people to commit to training.

These are all excellent points. The only objection I can anticipate is that it is not in the gyms' interest to encourage repeat visits. They want to encourage memberships, and the culture of New Year's Resolutions and Bikini Seasons does that for them already.

My own theory, admittedly in the cuckoo conspiracy realm, is that my gym plays really awful 80's hits to make it as painful as possible to be at the gym. I remember reading somewhere about studies that found this kind of music to have an effect of discouraging people from spending too much time or money in clothing stores, so the same might go for gyms.

JStarnes

I have avoided the gym this week for that very reason. My anxiety just can't take all the packed-ness of a new years gym! I'll start back next week, but switch to mornings to try & avoid the resolutioners. :ohwell:

TR0berts

My wife really wanted to go to the gym after work last night (Friday night). I tried talking her out of it, but I should have known better. Anyway, we ended up going together - the parking lot was packed. But, inside, it wasn't bad at all. I figured that the first Friday night of the new year at around 5:30-6:00PM would have been completely packed. Nope - got in, did a light cardio workout, and got out. It didn't seem any busier than the other couple of nights I've been - maybe even a little less busy.

lorib75

HI!
QUESTION :

Weren't you all "new" to your gym at some point in time? Or were you born there????
Just sayin' :bigsmile:

What's this got to do with anything? We are simply commenting on the same old crowd that joins in the new year and stops somewhere in february (if they make it that long).

It has less to do with the time the signed up- after all anyone i see in the gym is either IN SHAPE or trying to get IN SHAPE. Makes no difference to me. What DOES bother me is the sudden influx of people who go to the gym to do a half-assed workout, take up a bunch of space talking, and don't have common courtesy like re-racking weights.

Either way, best of luck to them!

OP said "newbies". That's what it's " got to do with anything".
I'm tired of hearing that term used on this site. Unless you were a founding member of your gym or of this site, you too are a newbie... meaning you are new. At what point in time do all of the elite get to decide who is no longer a newbie?
:grumble:

TylerJ76

I can't wait until these newbs give up.. I work out late to get away from people!

Well that might be the sh*tiest thing I have heard on this thread...

FitCowgirl8

my gym was actually busier before the new year. Now lately when I go in its a pretty small crowd. But thats good for me. I like it that way

Candylips70

I've been working out at home and outside for almost a year and a half, and I was considering joining a gym to work with people. A lot of gyms have good deals for membership these first few weeks.

Then I read this thread.

My thought exactly - I am reasonably active, and I've been thinking of joining a gym too, thinking that it would give me an extra boost and support for my goals. But my fear of people looking down on me may actually be true (according to this thread). We all have to start somewhere, and it seems that people who are already there, or ahead of me seem to forget that they had to start somewhere too. Very disheartening

TylerJ76

I've been working out at home and outside for almost a year and a half, and I was considering joining a gym to work with people. A lot of gyms have good deals for membership these first few weeks.

Then I read this thread.

My thought exactly - I am reasonably active, and I've been thinking of joining a gym too, thinking that it would give me an extra boost and support for my goals. But my fear of people looking down on me may actually be true (according to this thread). We all have to start somewhere, and it seems that people who are already there, or ahead of me seem to forget that they had to start somewhere too. Very disheartening

Please don't let it be.

MOST people are actually quite nice, and and can be very helpful. I would suggest reading on gym etiquette before going. (Everyone should do this, not just new people)

erinpooh

My gym was not bad, but I usually get there around 5 am.

thecakelocker

We're not looking down on the people who just joined the gym, it just gets frustrating when the gym is so overflowing with people that there are long waits to use equipment/machines, and the people using your preferred equipment/machine are lollygagging or curling in the squat rack.

And then almost all of the new people abruptly quit and return next January to crowd up the gym and leave plates all over the place and curl in the squat rack and aggghhh

wolfgate

I kind of like this time of year. I do know that most of the new members will give it up within the first couple of months. But there are always that group that stick around and make it part of their life. I may not talk to them, or I might, but it's good for those who do and it's fun to see the progression of the ones i get to know. Both in fitness and in knowledge.

Hellbent_Heidi

I really try not to judge or have bad thoughts towards the 'resolutionists' because we all start somewhere, right? So I didn't mock the people who couldn't keep up in spin, or the ones who gave up after 3 minutes on the elliptical...

....then I saw a guy in his skinny jeans and a big white belt 'running' around the track on Saturday morning.....and I'm sorry, but that was just begging for ridicule :laugh:

MuslimFitnessInstructor

it comes and goes. I teach in the morning and it is not that bad but between 5-7 you cant find a parking spot and thankfully I jog to the gym to teach my night classes. and the new ones never come back.