Join a gym...not join??

SToast
SToast Posts: 255 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm trying to decide if I should join a gym. Okay join THE gym is more like it. We only have one here in town. It's a privately owned gym so the price is a little higher but it is really nice, offers lots of classes, and has a really nice child care area (which I would need). I have been working out at home for a month but am bored with only workout videos. My other reason for joining a gym would be our long cold winters here. I grew up in the desert where you could workout outside year round. I don't do cold weather very well so I think the gym might be good for me. I also sometimes end up with seasonal depression and I think getting out of the house and getting in a good workout would help me out.

The reasons to not join would be I'm afraid I might turn into one of those people who pays for a gym membership and not use it. How do you stay motivated. I've also never been a gym member so I really have no idea what I am doing. This gym does the typical "one free day with a trainer" thing but will that be enough? They are building an "Anytime Fitness" in town that will open next spring but they don't have daycare so that wouldn't work for me. Hubby wants to join there so we won't be at the same gym. I don't know if that is good or bad ;).

Any input at this point would be helpful. I have almost lost all the weight I wanted to but now I want to build some muscle (sexy bikini abs please) and am not sure what to do.

Replies

  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I would join THE gym as soon as you can. It sounds like it is the place you need to be.

    Take advantage of the trainer to formulate a plan just for you. You can write it down to know *what* to do...then if you need help with form or whatever, you can ask for specific help, and they probably wouldn't charge for it. It also might not be a bad idea to try and get the cash together to hire a trainer every week, or two weeks or month to make sure you are on track.

    I haven't had the cash to hire the trainer at the Y where I work out, but I have taken a free class he did, and I have watched him with some of his personal clients. Because I am in there 4x a week, we are on a friendly basis. I feel comfortable asking him occasional questions ( such as "can you check my squat form so I don't hurt myself?") , but I REALLY want to hire him as soon as I can get the cash together.
  • beproudbestrong
    beproudbestrong Posts: 26
    I say join a GYM! It's cold here and I can already tell a difference in my motivation to get out and run. You have to make it worth your $$!!
  • skittles1928
    skittles1928 Posts: 57 Member
    The reason I joined a gym is because I hate wasting money and knew I'd end up going so I hadn't just thrown the cash away.

    Sounds like you don't quite have the same mindset, but if you're serious about getting fit, you'll find time to go. In fact, every time you're feeling depressed, you could just pack up and go to the gym.
  • luvsyoga
    luvsyoga Posts: 90 Member
    I joined a gym last year. I worried about spending so much $$. But I love it!!! I love the classes, I love the social environment, I love the pool and the steam room..... I'm not giving up the membership. I would never have stayed motivated working out alone. Good luck in your decision.
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,099 Member
    I was a member at a big gym and the 6 months I did with my trainer was the best thing I ever did for me. It forced me to go, it made me get out of my comfort level, and I loved it.

    I moved and switched to an anytime fitness and now without the classes and set schedual with trainer I find myself not going anymore and it is kind of sad. I hate the contracts though to which means at least for a while now I am stuck with this gym.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I just joined a gym about two months ago after a few years of working out from home..it is acutally an anytime fitness. Main reason for me was that I wanted to do more ..squats, deadlifts, etc and could not fit more equipment in my home..I also always thought I was not a "gym" person...Now that i have joined I find that I actually like it a lot and am glad that I did..

    so I say go for it!
  • jhall585
    jhall585 Posts: 61
    I love the gym. It forces me to really put work in because I already made the trip out there. I also workout at home, but i'm super motivated from within, haha.
  • SToast
    SToast Posts: 255 Member
    It's not that I plan on not going... It just seems like a lot of people go for a couple of months then stop. I wasn't sure if that was just lack of motivation or if it gets old like workout videos do.

    I wish this gym was still in the old building with the pool and sauna rooms. They moved into the new rec center and now have a climbing wall but no pool or sauna... sigh...

    My plan was to see if I could stick to working out at home and eating right for a month before I joined a gym. I wanted to make myself be committed before I spent money on a gym. I think now that I've lost the weight and can see results I'm more motivated to keep going.

    New question... Spend the extra money for a trainer at first or start out with group classes and some machines after class? I don't think I want to do heavy lifting, at least not yet.
  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    I've had and consistently used my gym membership for the last 2 years. I love anytime fitness, I wish there was one around here. They have a keyed entry system so they never close unlike the 24hr fitness I currently go to that closed on Thanksgiving, but if you need the childcare than I say go for it! You should be able to get a week trial to see if you like the atmosphere of the gym.

    I have to have a gym to workout. I lose focus at home very quickly, as soon as my workout starts getting hard my couch is right there waiting for me. It's also great to have a gym so you can start lifting weights :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I say join a gym, but wait a bit... right now is when everyone joins and it's going to be super crowded.

    I personally out grew my gym and am moving on to more of a health club type deal, but my experience at my gym was awesome.
  • Guamybear
    Guamybear Posts: 1,061 Member
    Join the gym and find a class you like and go for it.. I go to the gym and do workouts at home on the days I can't make it..
  • willwillywilson
    willwillywilson Posts: 229
    If you do decide to go with joinging the one free trainer session is not only enough but it's probably completely unnecessary and is purely a sales pitch to get you to commit to spending more money. I'd say 99% of what you need to know you'd be able to learn on YouTube or some other internet source.
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
    Is it Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or one of the Wicked Directional Witches that decides if you magically turn into one of those people who joins a gym and then never goes?

    You get to decide if that "happens to you" or not.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Do you have a choice of getting a 30 day membership to see if you like it? Do you have friends to attend with ?

    If you're bored with videos, you can buy a machine for less than your membership would be, and you can get other videos eiother free from the library on online at half.com cheaply.
  • amydee714
    amydee714 Posts: 232 Member
    I have been going back and forth in my head for a couple months about it. Made the decision last week

    I am joining the gym tomorrow after work. I am super excited about it too.
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    I just recently joined a national chain gym again, despite having a small gym access at my school, and what keeps me motivated to go day after day are
    1) working out with friends
    2) fun gym classes for when I don't want to think about my workout or want a yoga class
    3) it's super close to my house - the last time i joined a gym was about 5 years ago, and i ended up not going after awhile because it was too "out of the way" and there was traffic. excuses, excuses, but it's so much easier to get to the gym when it's 3 stoplights away.
    4) no signed contract. somehow, it makes me feel better about the entire thing, like I'm not tied down to it and end up resenting the membership like last time, haha.
  • SToast
    SToast Posts: 255 Member
    Is it Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or one of the Wicked Directional Witches that decides if you magically turn into one of those people who joins a gym and then never goes?

    You get to decide if that "happens to you" or not.

    Oh good cuz that giant bunny scares the hell out of me and I would definitely quit going to the gym if he showed up. Looks like I'm good to go then.

    I was wondering if I should join in December before the big "New Years Resolution" rush or wait until Feb-March. Problem with that is if I wait til March the crappy winter is almost over.

    I don't have any friends that go to the gym (most of them live about an hour away in a real city actually) and I've been using that excuse for not joining. But I've decided it might be time to put on the "big girl underwear" and go by myself.

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