How bad do the gyms get after New Years?

sjackson310
sjackson310 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Random question, but I know everyone says they want to lose weight for their New Year's resolution, so I assume gyms are full after New Years. This is my first time working out consecutively for several months, and so I have never seen what the gym looks like during this time.
Do you notice an increase in gym goers during this time? If so, how long does it last typically?
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Replies

  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Amount of people doing bicep curls or sit ups in the Squat rack, grunting and weight slamming jumps significantly


    It lasts for a couple of months, normally by March it starts to get better
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Gyms are at their busiest in January. By the time February comes along, things have returned to normal.
  • sjackson310
    sjackson310 Posts: 23
    Oh wow, i assumed it would be mostly the treadmills & ellipticals!
    I also assumed it'd be more quiet by the end of January when people give up.

    Amount of people doing bicep curls or sit ups in the Squat rack, grunting and weight slamming jumps significantly


    It lasts for a couple of months, normally by March it starts to get better
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    I am doing home workouts in January. Can't stand waiting for a treadmill.


    Checkout hasfit.com for great home exercises.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    Being in the industry for decades now, January is the highest usage of practically any gym I've worked at. Although there's a bump up in almost every area, the 2 the seem to get the most are the cardio areas (treadmills, ellipticals, etc) and the group fitness classes. Byt the end of February it seems to go back to normal.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
    In my experience is starts to return to normal after 2-3 weeks. It can be entertaining if you are a "people-watcher" like me (I think I hide it pretty well and try not to be one of "those" people staring).

    And yes, the treadmills and ellipticals do seem to take the brunt of the increase.

    :smile:
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    My new gym is 80 000 square feets...... can't wait to see what happen on january first!!! but usually it is still the same old, same old in the free weight area
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    Great question, I was wondering this myself, as my gym isn't huge!
  • erialcelyob
    erialcelyob Posts: 341 Member
    I am at a private gym and even then the people who have memberships all year burst through the doors after New Year and remain until around February
  • saree2013
    saree2013 Posts: 17
    The one I go to has experienced a rush in October that has spilled over into November. Had to start going 2 hours later than normal. It's a small place so when it gets packed there is nothing (4 treadmills, 3 barbells kind of small). Same thing January and February. By March usually only the ones staying are the ones still there.
  • UpToTheChallenge
    UpToTheChallenge Posts: 247
    ahh the new year. the best time of year for people in the fitness industry. It's super busy, people working out as their new year resolution. I have worked at a gym here in Canada for 5+ years and it's our busiest time.
  • happysquats
    happysquats Posts: 18
    i worked at a ymca in all throughout high school and we would always do weight loss resolution programs so the gym was ALWAYS packed in january. around march, though, it would be back to the just the regulars and the few who were sticking to their resolutions.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Oh, geez! Thanks for reminding me of the upcoming onslaught. I'll definitely shift my lifting workouts to mid-day instead of late afternoon to avoid some of the nonsense.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    My previous gym had barely any change, it was a basement gym catered for powerlifters/bodybuilders though, not many resolutioners. It had a few young guys join up, but barely enough to notice if I wasn't already aware of potential new members.

    This will be my first new year in my current gym (a more commercial gym) and I'm expecting it to be quite busy.
  • saree2013
    saree2013 Posts: 17
    Oh, geez! Thanks for reminding me of the upcoming onslaught. I'll definitely shift my lifting workouts to mid-day instead of late afternoon to avoid some of the nonsense.

    I've been thinking about changing my time to going super early before work. However, with the cold weather lately I can't seem to convince my body to get up and face the cold first thing as opposed to facing it after a day's work. I do think I would enjoy early mornings if I could wrap my head around the idea.
  • ThePinkPenguin
    ThePinkPenguin Posts: 138
    Last year, I had a hard time even getting a place to hang my coat when I went to my YMCA, so I imagine I will try to stick to home exercises for the first few weeks as well. I started getting serious about losing weight in February, though. Go figure!
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    I usually change my routine so I am not using much equipment. Squat rack and power cage are usually still freed up.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Bleh. Sadly it's when I'm the most likely to go too, not because I don't work out the rest of the time, but because it's too nasty out to walk outside in January and February...
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I go to our local YMCA and yes January is normally crazy busy with all the new years resolution goers and they are normally in group classes and out in the cardio area, not to many venture into the weight room per say... I tend to adjust my start times for that month and normal by Mid-February things get back to normal... I tend to take the late summer off from lap swimming and usually get back in the pool in January for that reason so I can get cardio in and avoid having to wait on machine in the cardio fitness area..... Best of Luck...
  • marielaem
    marielaem Posts: 202 Member
    After New Year, you generally have to fight through the mass of fat people to get into the gym, and there's no chance of getting on a treadmill. Then, after about a week, they all disappear until the following year.
  • Shan790
    Shan790 Posts: 280 Member
    mine gets stupid busy, people that have memberships come back and new ones start. The classes are the hardest hit, I've seen zumba classes that were packed like a trendy nightclub. Step left instead of right and the whole room gets knocked out of sync :)
    Luckily the weight area isn't a whole lot busier and my yoga classes stay some what less crowded. Can't get near cardio machines but Idon't use them anyway.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Busiest times I've noticed are Jan-beginning of March, May/June for swimsuit season and recently September for the slutty Halloween costumes :laugh:


    i also notice that it's crazier after work. For the January rush i either change my workout to the morning or wait until later in the day after the after work crowd has left
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
    It's hard not to be annoyed with the "New Years Resolution" crowd, but I just try to remember that we all started somewhere, and they are at least trying to change their lives. Most of them won't stick with it, but maybe some of them will, and I don't want to be the b!tch that discourages someone from getting healthy because I was too impatient waiting for the machines, or annoyed at not getting my usual spot in class.
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
    My school's gym got packed after getting back from winter break. By the time march madness rolled around, it was back to normal.
  • thistimewillbedifferent
    thistimewillbedifferent Posts: 217 Member
    This past January I was one of those New Year's resolutioners. (Resolutionists? Resolutionaries?) Long story short, it's eleven months and 65 pounds later and I'm still there. Be nice to us, as some of us do actually stick around! :flowerforyou:
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  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    This past January I was one of those New Year's resolutioners. (Resolutionists? Resolutionaries?) Long story short, it's eleven months and 65 pounds later and I'm still there. Be nice to us, as some of us do actually stick around! :flowerforyou:

    yeah i dont understand the hate for the resolutioners, especially since many of them end up subsidizing gym fees for the rest of us.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    Bad.

    2-3 months here.

    Expect the forums to fill with new people, and the database/barcode scan to be rammed with nonsense too.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    It usually gets significantly busier. As a group fitness instructor I always use it as a time to REALLY try and grab people's interest and get them to stay as regulars and not resolutioners. It makes me sad when I see people that I've connected with fall off and disappear.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Yes...at my gym there are always lots more people for the first few weeks...then it tapers off. The plus side is that a lot of gyms offer good deals at that time to entice you in, so you can save some money.

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