GYM PEOPLE...

Bmjnash

So I think I have found a gym! So I was just wondering whado yall look for in a gym? And is it worth it to get a personal trainer for a couple of times. Or is that a waste of money?

stanluoser

What I look for in a gym? A place that I can be comfortable working out and at the same time get advice and watch other people's routines and learn from it. This is why I prefer gyms that has bigger guys because it gives me motivation that I will be able to get to their level one day. Also I get to watch their routines and implement it into my own. Being able to drop weights is good, because you'll never be able to experience heavy weights if you're worried about the LUNK alarm going off ( I HATE PLANET FITNESS).

It is not worth it getting a personal trainer. Waste of money, they just motivate you while you're working out but at the end they only care about the money. I see personal trainers at my gym, they don't care about form all they want you to do is get through your set even with the worst form (jerking of the body, back off the bench, etc) do your own research and you will get a better understanding on how to workout and how to diet. Your trainer doesn't know your better better than you do so why pay them for it.

thatjeffsmith

I look for :
+ flexibility in memberships - don't sign up for a year only to find out they suck
+ do all the machines work? broken machines tend to stay broken at a lot of gyms
+ towel service is a great bonus - less laundry for you
+ hours, if I wake up early on a wkd, will they be open? If i work late on a thursday, will they let me come in at 9?
+ how easy do they make it for folks to wipe down machines?
+ how many pull up bars do they have? i hate having to wait b/c there's only 1
+ how big are their class rooms? and how many classes do they offer a day?

Talk to a few members as you walk the floor. Ask them what they like (and don't like.) You might be surprised.

trmndsblndtte

My experience working with a personal trainer has been life changing. It depends completely on the gym and the trainer. My trainer cares about every aspect of my health and helping me get strong and reach my goals. She's been a support system - offering encouragement, advice and a rational voice. AND she cares a great deal about form and safety.

For me, it's been completely worth the cost and is a vital part of my budget.

turtlefitnessdad

The truth is your only goal should be to find success. Finding success means you need to know what you are doing. It's like dieting, you will see better results if you are doing it correctly. However you do not need a personaal trainer to gain the knowledge that you need. Just be really proactive in seeking out information. Google correct form for any excercise you learn. Watch youtube videos. Most importently though, GO!!! You don't need to waste time by being there to long or everyday, but you do need to go there and do your workout.

Good luck.

luperaz

My experience working with a personal trainer has been life changing. It depends completely on the gym and the trainer. My trainer cares about every aspect of my health and helping me get strong and reach my goals. She's been a support system - offering encouragement, advice and a rational voice. AND she cares a great deal about form and safety.

For me, it's been completely worth the cost and is a vital part of my budget.

For every awesome trainer there are 50 bad ones. Just take your time and research different trainers. Talk to your friends and find one that they respect.

DawnieB1977

I go to my local gym as it's near, it has a crèche to coincide with the morning classes, and it's relatively cheap. The nicest gym in my area is a Bannatynes, but it's about £60 a month, and takes a good half hour to drive there/back in bad traffic. My gym also has the option for payment holidays, which has been useful when I was at the end of my pregnancy, and if you do want to leave you only have to give a month's notice. It's small, and sometimes the machines break, but it serves its purpose just fine.

I've worked out with 3 personal trainers in total. One after I had my first child, and she was great. She was an ex dancer, and a really nice person as well as a fab trainer. She left though, and I was pregnant again, so after my 2nd child I started with another trainer. She was great too, and I achieved a lot. Then she moved, so I started with a male trainer, and out of all of them he's the best. He's only 25, but he has an amazing work ethic, and I think my results are most noticeable through training with him.

tndejong

i used my gym to give me ideas on what i liked to do as far as exercise. when i started, all i had was an elliptical. so i went and tried everything. the place im at has a free wellness coach. they meet with you and set you up on a computer based workout program based on your goals. they offer personal trainers at a fee, but this in my opinion is just as good. i show up and print out my workout for the day. it takes me roughly 30 minutes to complete. it includes instructions on how to do the workouts and people are always walking around to ask questions. this place offers towel and locker services at a fee. childcare for up to 3 hours a day. they have day and night classes. i like the saturday morning spin class. they have zumba and things like that.

i took on a job with lots of overtime. so im trying to get equipment at home now. i want to add a spin bike and treadmill. i also want a floor mat so i can use the ball and such for ab workouts. this place really did help me see what activities i like. but its just easier for me to do the stuff at home so i can keep up my house too. between work and the gym everyday, it seems like im never home.

Bmjnash

Thanks everyone! I am so excited to get back in a gym, its really needed I felt so awesome after I went before. Now to start the research and find a routine

renwicker

I go to Anytime Fitness....mostly because of my schedule. Also I get a 10% discount through my work...so thats nice too. It's generally not very crowded, and i never have to wait for a bike, treadmill, or squat rack/smith machine. Sometimes that can be an issue at other gyms. Most of the people there are friendly and a few have been very helpful. That's the kind of atmosphere I like to work out in. Also, it's brand new, so all the eq is super nice. I pay a little more than say, the YMCA, but since it's a little more money, it keeps it less crowded. There's nothing worse than having to switch around or stop your workout because you're waiting for someone to finish theirs.

As far as a PT.....I'd save your money. Just do some research on here or a legit fitness website. You can easily learn everything you need to know. Like the guy above me said...there are a lot of PT's that don't teach you as much as they take your money.

Some gyms will give you a free lesson or whatever so you feel comfortable and know how to use the eq properly tho. Maybe ask about that.

MercenaryNoetic26

ERASED

ETA just saw the update...lol

Vailara

I look for a power cage - not many seem to have them!

Capt_Apollo

Squat rack or power cage, preferably both.

renwicker

My one recommendation for your routine....aside from to research and have fun!....would be to incorporate some kind of strength training. I promise you will see your results your looking for by doing so. A lot of people are intimidated by lifting weights. (especially in public and when a bunch of meat heads are in that section of the gym) If thats the case, maybe plan a trip to the gym when its not as crowded until you feel more comfortable. Remember, the guy that can bench press 300lbs had to start somewhere too. Most of them love lifting and will be happy to help you and give advice.

Plus its dumb to to pay $30, $40, or $50 a month to use a treadmill.

eowynmn

I just want to add to find what works for you. I've belonged to lifetime and the Y because I use their childcare and group fitness classes. I'm currently at the Y, and I love that I have about 6-10 girlfriends from my moms club that all go there. We go to classes together, one of them lifts weights for me, and I love it. I also love it because I'm not the only obese person working out there. There are tons of group fitness classes and it's great.

However if I didn't have kids, I'd choose lifetime if I wanted group fitness, or a small gym with a cheaper membership like anytime or snap if I didn't need group fitness or daycare.

So I think start out with what are your basic gym needs and go from there.

As for personal trainers, it depends. We have 2 exceptional trainers at our Y (one won Best of Twin Cities Personal Trainers last year), and I have a couple sessions with him. He's fantastic for form and pushing me, but at my size it's not really necessary. I think it might be more helpful if I ever get in a fitness rut.

So it depends on what you are looking for. If you are following your own lifting program and are able to motivate yourself and push your muscles, then you don't need one. If not, the right one would help. I would suggest observing at the gym for a while before choosing one.

F1uffy123

I find a trainer beneficial for me but it is hard to find a 'good' one.

Id recommend starting out with some classes. Structured routines which you can learn from. If the different trainers also run the classes, this also tells me a lot about them.

GingerBiscuit_19

You probably dont actually need a trainer, as quite a few gyms will provide support in the way of a tailored fitness programme for you, for free as part of your membership. Alsobtry and make sure that your membership has a few classes included in it so that you can change it up a bit.

monty619

if im the biggest guy in the gym... its a bad gym.

SneakyWaff1es

I look for power racks because most of my work is done in one. Ideally a gym that isn't too busy so the big dudes don't look at me crazy when I'm in one for 40 minutes while they wait on one.

Finding a good personal trainer is hard. Most of my female friends that have trainers end up doing some girly workout in the nautilus room then get frustrated because they don't make much progress. Most of the trainers in my gym completely avoid the free weight room with their female clients which is really unfortunate. Deadlifts, squats, presses and other multi-joint compound lifts are what every beginning lifter should be doing regardless of sex. They make the biggest impact on your metabolism, strength and physique. I think the biggest value in a personal trainer is in those lifts - if you're brand new to lifting it's important to learn those lifts with good form so you don't end up broken after your second session. A personal trainer should be able to show you those. That's really the only reason I would find a personal trainer. Everything else you can find on the internet.

nexangelus

Squat rack or power cage, preferably both.

This is all I am concerned with in a gym. I run and cycle anyway, so cardio is well sorted already.

HeidiMightyRawr

What I look for in a gym?
- Good range of weights equipment. There has to be a squat rack, and preferably more than one bench (because everyone loves benching and I hate waiting)
- Can pay monthly, I don't want to be signed up for a year with no way of getting out in case I want to change gyms!
- Members with roughly the same goals would be nice - I don't wish to join a gym that's main focus is cardio/losing weight basically! I like seeing others there get really freakin' strong!
- Helpful staff

As far as the trainer goes, I don't think it's necessary. Learn the exercises and good form online, do your research (not everyone knows what they're talking about) and you'll probably be better off that way, and save yourself a lot of money too!