so how crowded is your gym with newbies?

icimani
icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
A friend of mine calls them Resolutionists. You know them - the people who make a New Years Resolution to lose weight and join a gym only to quit after a few weeks.

My first day back at my gym was last night. I saw a few new faces but not enough that I had to wait on a machine. But I also realize that my gym is at a rehab hospital and the average age is higher, so I'm guessing there were more newbies in the morning.

No newbies in the pool last night. But we're in a deep freeze at the moment (-9F last night - BRRR!) so I'm guessing a lot of people chose not to leave their house in that weather!

The new people in the pool bother me more - they don't pay attention to where people are and that makes it tougher to swim laps. and if gets too crowded I won't swim laps. It's a really small pool with an older clientele so it's not really a lap pool, and there have been complaints about one guy who only thinks he can swim - we call him The Splasher. lol
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Replies

  • R0asted
    R0asted Posts: 83 Member
    My gym actually wasn't as bad as I feared but I workout some time between 8-11 pm so its not exactly peak hours. I'm sure 6-8pm was a zoo.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    Mine is very crowded. I expect things will be back to normal by the end of February just like every year. Sad, but true.
  • emilykg12
    emilykg12 Posts: 119
    This is my least favorite thing about gyms, and also, kind of about humanity. Because you KNOW that in a month, it's going to clear out.

    I canceled my gym membership and take fitness classes at a place near my house so that I go every time and so that I know it won't be overcrowded, since you have to pre-register. I also belong to two yoga studios, so I can mix up times and go when I know it'll be less crowded.

    I can't stand the resolution crowd!
  • deniseblossoms
    deniseblossoms Posts: 373 Member
    Yesterday I went about 10 and it was awful. When I was on the bike I saw two younger girls walking through, one on her phone and bashed right into a guy doing lat pull downs, another one was on her phone the row behind me for over 20 minutes, and talking loudly. Tons of people not wiping down their equipment. I started wiping it down before and after each use. I was seconds away from asking one girl just sitting flipping through her phone on the leg press if she was not going to do a set to let me work in when she must have finished doing whatever it was on her phone.

    Oh and my usual pet peeve of people bathing in perfume/cologne. Around some people it hung so heavy in the air you could taste it.
  • faster_than_flash
    faster_than_flash Posts: 114 Member
    <--- that was me!!

    Just signed up for a Retro Fitness gym. Lots of people signing up with me :)

    Seemed busy but I never waited for anything
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
    A little busier but not too bad. I recently changed gyms, so I'm not overly familiar with the regulars as yet, but I also get there before most people are out of work which helps somewhat I think. :smile:
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    I was really nervous but mine wasn't all that bad. I usually go either right after work if I can get there in time before I need to get my kids, or at closer to 9pm after they go to bed. I chose to wait until 9 last night specifically because of this, and it really felt about the same as usual. I'm going to try to go to 5 today so we'll see - if it's terrible I may just stick to 9pm until the end of the month or so. It's not so much the newbie behavior (we were all newbies once, plus good for anyone trying to get healthy and all that jazz), so much as I hate waiting (as in due to the volume of people, not what they're doing). It's awkward, plus I already struggle to have enough time in my day to get to the gym so I hate wasting time standing around waiting for machines.
  • dtf88
    dtf88 Posts: 53
    Hasn't been too bad so far, I usually go between 5-6. The ones that piss me off are the ones with no courtesy or etiquette, e.g those who don't re-rack weights, take forever, curl in the squat rack when its crowded, sweat gallons and don't wipe down bench, etc... I try not to be smug about it though because there are people who really do want to improve their health+fitness, and stay committed.
  • porkchop_13
    porkchop_13 Posts: 122
    This is my least favorite thing about gyms, and also, kind of about humanity. Because you KNOW that in a month, it's going to clear out.

    I canceled my gym membership and take fitness classes at a place near my house so that I go every time and so that I know it won't be overcrowded, since you have to pre-register. I also belong to two yoga studios, so I can mix up times and go when I know it'll be less crowded.

    I can't stand the resolution crowd!


    We all had to start somewhere. Dont forget that we were like that once too. You should be encouraging, not discouraging, just saying
  • Dmarisol
    Dmarisol Posts: 35 Member
    Ugh!!! mine was crazzzzy. I hate it; every year is the same thing and it only lasts for a few months. But still annoying. Yesterday, as a matter of fact i had a few girls just staring at me while they were just seating in the machines.
  • keg619
    keg619 Posts: 356 Member
    I was planning on getting some good cardio in yesterday after work. I passed by my gym and it was packed beyond belief. Trying to remember that I was once a beginner, and I give them credit. I will be doing some workouts at my home for a couple of weeks until it dies down!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Dunno. I bought 450lbs in plates and a barbell to avoid them...
  • Thesoundofwolf
    Thesoundofwolf Posts: 378 Member
    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.
  • lorenzoinlr
    lorenzoinlr Posts: 338 Member
    My gym hasn't really seen much more activity yet, maybe the crush begins next week. But 1,000 steps in Laguna has been a pain since Christmas. It's a long narrow set of steps down to the beach so when traffic builds it slows down.

    I'm going to try it today one more time and if it's crazy I'll wait a month before going back.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Cardio machines were packed - everything else was about normal or slightly above normal.
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    my gym wasnt bad at all. we got there at 630 and had no wait time on the cardio..and lots of room in the weight room
  • FrugalMomsRock75
    FrugalMomsRock75 Posts: 698 Member
    I'm one of the newbies at my gym. :-x I switched to Planet Fitness instead of my ladies' gym that I've gone to for almost 2 years now... so I'm one that people are looking at judgmentally. Or would be if it weren't the judgement free zone. :p
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    My gym actually wasn't as bad as I feared but I workout some time between 8-11 pm so its not exactly peak hours. I'm sure 6-8pm was a zoo.

    I work out late too.....to avoid the crowd. My gym is always crowded right after work no matter what time of year so I can't imagine what it would be like now!!
  • vg8pr0
    vg8pr0 Posts: 47 Member
    It's only crowded at my gym for the first two weeks of January - after that it levels off to pretty much pre January levels. I get around it by walking at the park or on the treadmill in my basement. Today I'm walking at the mall with my son who is home from college. Its' always nice to have him to chat with while walking. One of those rare moments away from electronics - no phone, no ipods, no laptops....wonderful.
  • chcoley
    chcoley Posts: 63 Member
    I WAS a resolutioner last year, so I have no room to talk, but my gym was pretty busy last night. TONS of people in the classes. Going to spin tonight and I'm planning to get there super early to make sure I get a bike.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Oddly nothing yet. I expect that to change soon.
    Each year, January to March are intolerable on weekdays.
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,644 Member
    And you were NEVER new...right?
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    My gym is empty ha-ha, because my gym is in my home. Thank goodness! I never have to wait for something to be free to use and nobody to look at me while I work it, more comfortable IMHO.
  • dianacannon89
    dianacannon89 Posts: 235 Member
    I finally felt at home! There were so many fat people there I loved it! I hope they stay it was nice to be surrounded by people that are my size rather then being the biggest one in the gym!
  • Jewcybabe
    Jewcybabe Posts: 241 Member
    I'm THRILLED to see so many newbies! Whatever gets people motivated to move more and incorporate fitness into their lives is a move in the right direction, be it resolutions, an upcoming wedding, reunion, etc.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    About 25% new faces. No catastrophes. A few playing with their iPods or cell phones while tying up a machine. But for the most part, they seemed sincere and RESOLUTE!
  • adnil17
    adnil17 Posts: 35 Member
    Wasnt everyone a newbie at one point? Instead of waiting on them to give up why not offer encoragement to make them stay.

    Ok Start of the year and more people decide to make a change but some do stick to it. I find the gym hard enough as i am not a long legged, 6ft bronzed godess with toned ABS. With out people looking and making guesses on when i will quit.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
    I can't stand the resolution crowd!

    Cool.
    Glad you're so supportive, I would hate to inconvenience you.
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    I go in the mornings and just see the same people around, must not be a common resolution to wake up earlier.
  • ludgerclay
    ludgerclay Posts: 95 Member
    Resolutionists. That's funny. But I have to admit I was one a couple of times before sticking to it. There were double the normal number of folks at our gym this morning, and I just smiled and said: "hey" just like I do with the regulars. Some of them could definitely learn some locker room etiquette though....

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