Want to join a gym

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ejoh40509
ejoh40509 Posts: 30 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello MFP friends, I'm looking to join a gym soon and wanted to know if anyone has a good fitness gym in mind. I have been looking at the YMCA and Fitness19. I wish I could afford a fitness trainer, but that is definitely not in the budget. I want to really focus on my upper body (waist up) don't want to bulk up just burn fat and tone up. Please help

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  • kennedar
    kennedar Posts: 306 Member
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    If you are in Canada, I recommend Goodlife Fitness. I don't think that there are any in the states though. I love that I am neither the skinniest nor the fattest girl in the gym and that everyone is working at getting healthier, not bulking up.
  • rlouise247
    rlouise247 Posts: 16 Member
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    Hi E,
    I have a Club Fitness membership, you could check and see if they have them in your area. I really like it and it doesn't break the bank. You can sign up for just one gym or pay a few extra dollars and go to any club in your area. They also have fitness trainers there in the gym and if at some point you decided you wanted a trainer for a short time you could also use that service. Hope this helps!
  • Beth720
    Beth720 Posts: 661 Member
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    I go to Planet Fitness. I pay $10/month for unlimited visits at my "home" gym. I decided to go with it since it's just machines. I'm doing DVDs at home and go to a yoga studio, so I wouldn't be taking advantage of classes, which made my choice between PF and NYSC soooo easy. $10/month vs. $72/month.

    They do have "coaches" on staff who will do small group training - and I've seen them occasionally working one on one. I don't think there's an extra cost, at least for the small group. (And one who was working with a solo offered me some running advice too, so that was cool!)
  • ejoh40509
    ejoh40509 Posts: 30 Member
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    Thank you all for your suggestions on a fitness gym. I do owrkouts DVD's at home and that's great, but I want to do more and see how it works. I will check into the ones you all had mentioned as well. Once again thanks I knew I could count on my MFP friends to gear me in the right direction. I will also let you know the chosen one and the results of the challenge.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
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    Try to get a free week membership or day or something for the clubs you are considering so you can feel the vibe of the club. I go for the cheapest one myself as long as they have machines I want and it is clean. Even if you can not afford a trainer, someone at the club will show you how to use the machines. Please make sure a staff member shows you how to use the gym and the machines. You do not have to worry about bulking up. That is a myth for sure. Women who bulk up are in the gym much more the the average women. You want to weight train you lower body also because your legs are your largest muscles and will help reeve up your metabolism faster so that you can burn fat.

    Here is an example of a good weight schedule:
    M W F = lower body (or 2 days minimum)
    Tu Th = upper body
    Abs 3 days a week,

    Always rest a day between to let the muscles rebuild. Some people do abs everyday and I am one of those people. If I have time I do them differently but I do some type of abs for 5 to 7 min every day. One day I use the big balls, another day I use machine and then another day I just lay on a bench and do them free style.
  • jclguru
    jclguru Posts: 123
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    When I joined Bally, my membership came with 4 free training sessions. That's all I needed for a kickstart.
    So if you look around, you might find something similiar.

    Try this link to find gyms in your area...

    http://www.globalfit.com/

    They'll also list membership prices and the distance from your home (or work). That's how I found
    Bally.

    Doug
  • JackieBea
    JackieBea Posts: 33
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    For the training - once you join - pay attention to someone else's training session. I know it sounds like cheating, but it works! :-)
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Check with your health insurance company (if you have insurance). Usually they have a deal worked out with a number of gyms that will either A) give you a discounted membership price at certain gyms, B) give you a refund after x visits, or C) completely pay for the gym. Its a good place to start when you begin looking.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
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    For the training - once you join - pay attention to someone else's training session. I know it sounds like cheating, but it works! :-)

    LOL!! I totally agree. You can learn so much from watching trainer's train others. I have had a trainer myself twice and they are worth every cent. I use training sessions as rewards for my weight loss or gifts to myself. One trainer gave me an awesome deal last year and I was able to train with her for six months!! I am still using stuff she taught me.

    Some people get trainers and never use the stuff they learn without the trainer. Not me I learn because I know I am not rich and I make the investment count. That is why I watch the biggest loser to get training tips. If I was rich a trainer I would have for sure. But I am not rich so I have to use and remember the things I learn.

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