Do I need to get a gym membership?
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Unless you know you'll go, it's a waste of money. Join when you no longer have to ask yourself that question0
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I would agree with all of the posters who said that you don't "need" a gym to get fit. But I love the fitness classes: yoga, spin, cross fit etc. and they come free with my membership. An all you can eat buffet so to speak. It took me a while to justify it but I thought of it as a reward after losing 50 lbs in 7 months. I have done gyms before and after a few weeks stopped going. This time it is different though and I feel more committed. It is what I need at this time to get me to my goal weight. So, if you can afford it and you think it will help then go for it.
I belong to a gym that has multiple locations in downtown Boston and the suburbs. I can go to any one I want and pay $60 per month. I like the option of being able to go to the one a block away from my office like I did tonight for a spin class or the one near my house in the early morning like I will do tomorrow for yoga.0 -
Unless you are a runner who has your own weight room and pool...yes, you probably need to join a gym.
I do a lot of non-gym exercise, but you can't beat the convenience, intensity and all-weather availability that you get from a gym.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »the only reason i have a gym membership is for the weight room. there are numerous forms of activity/exercise that don't require a gym. i'm actually always a little surprised by the people who get a gym membership only to drone away on some cardio machine...i mean i use them when the weather is really bad, but I'd much rather cycle or run outside.
I have it for the pool. But I also use the weight machines and bike. I'm afraid I might fall on my bike outside right now.
I really want to swim and I'm healing from hip surgeries. I need low impact, but strengthening exercises. Could I do it at home? Most of it. But the reward of the pool and spa, keeps me going.0 -
No, of course you don't need a gym. I think they're great for people who like them, but absolutely not necessary. Many ways to get fit!
If you want to join, do it. Mid you don't, find other ways to accomplish your goals.
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I am working on abs as well, and much prefer the gym for the machines which allow a seated ab workout. It's is a lot less strain on my neck and lower back. Plus there are just tons of other fun and effective exercises to do on the machines.0
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I will be using my University's gym for weights-only during my half-marathon/marathon training. Reason being that I live in Arizona, where the Earth is beautiful running ground. Tons of trails, and less CO2 than my previous home, CA.
If one can do it naturally, why do it artificially?0 -
angella_jacobs93 wrote: »My goal right now is really just to lose weight. I would like to tighten up my abs but am not to concerned with other strength training. I want to get lean. If you were me would you get a gym membership? and why?
If your goal is to lose weight - no
If your goal is to get lean you need strength training to help preserve your muscles as you lose weight, ideally progressive resistance, but if that doesn't suit you,you can follow a bodyweight training programme at home, so again no
If you would be motivated by going to a gym then yes0 -
lisaloolovesblue wrote: »I wouldn't worry about a gym membership, as there are lots of exercises (both aerobic and anaerobic) that you can do from home!
However, don't shy away from the strength training! You can build muscle (which will help your metabolism) without it being bulky. I've heard a lot of recommendations that to build lean muscle, use less weight and do more repetitions. But you'd honestly have to do a lot of work to get bulky. Try it, you just might love it!
Those recommendations you heard were wrong, absolutely wrong.. To build muscle (it's not lean or fat, it's muscle) you need progressive resistance (generally at a calorie surplus) which means go heavy and heavier and more repetitions so at a low weight just builds stamina0 -
I use hasfit.com just just follow the hasfit videos on YouTube. Coach kozac is great!0
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You never NEED a gym. But it's nice if it has equipment, classes, or other motivations that will get you to exercise more. When I was in the military, usually out of sheer boredom, we would often fashion DIY weight lifting stuff out in the field. And it worked just fine.
But it's a personal choice really. Some people can exercise at home or outdoors and appreciate the saved time and money of not driving to or paying for a gym. Some people will see the advantages of a gym useful and worth the time and money.0 -
lisaloolovesblue wrote: »I wouldn't worry about a gym membership, as there are lots of exercises (both aerobic and anaerobic) that you can do from home!
However, don't shy away from the strength training! You can build muscle (which will help your metabolism) without it being bulky. I've heard a lot of recommendations that to build lean muscle, use less weight and do more repetitions. But you'd honestly have to do a lot of work to get bulky. Try it, you just might love it!
Those recommendations you heard were wrong, absolutely wrong.. To build muscle (it's not lean or fat, it's muscle) you need progressive resistance (generally at a calorie surplus) which means go heavy and heavier and more repetitions so at a low weight just builds stamina
I've personally experienced quite a bit of muscle growth through high repetitions of lower weights. It might not be as quick as heavy lifting, but I find it hard to believe that people think it takes heavy lifts to build muscle. There is a reason that the average person on a construction site or any other semi physical job has more muscle than those with desk jobs, but personally I've never been on a construction site and seen people going for max weight and low repetitions.0 -
robertw486 wrote: »lisaloolovesblue wrote: »I wouldn't worry about a gym membership, as there are lots of exercises (both aerobic and anaerobic) that you can do from home!
However, don't shy away from the strength training! You can build muscle (which will help your metabolism) without it being bulky. I've heard a lot of recommendations that to build lean muscle, use less weight and do more repetitions. But you'd honestly have to do a lot of work to get bulky. Try it, you just might love it!
Those recommendations you heard were wrong, absolutely wrong.. To build muscle (it's not lean or fat, it's muscle) you need progressive resistance (generally at a calorie surplus) which means go heavy and heavier and more repetitions so at a low weight just builds stamina
I've personally experienced quite a bit of muscle growth through high repetitions of lower weights. It might not be as quick as heavy lifting, but I find it hard to believe that people think it takes heavy lifts to build muscle. There is a reason that the average person on a construction site or any other semi physical job has more muscle than those with desk jobs, but personally I've never been on a construction site and seen people going for max weight and low repetitions.
I said progressive
I'd like to see how much hypertrophy you'd achieve doing 100 reps at 5lbs which is what people often mean unfortunately0 -
robertw486 wrote: »lisaloolovesblue wrote: »I wouldn't worry about a gym membership, as there are lots of exercises (both aerobic and anaerobic) that you can do from home!
However, don't shy away from the strength training! You can build muscle (which will help your metabolism) without it being bulky. I've heard a lot of recommendations that to build lean muscle, use less weight and do more repetitions. But you'd honestly have to do a lot of work to get bulky. Try it, you just might love it!
Those recommendations you heard were wrong, absolutely wrong.. To build muscle (it's not lean or fat, it's muscle) you need progressive resistance (generally at a calorie surplus) which means go heavy and heavier and more repetitions so at a low weight just builds stamina
I've personally experienced quite a bit of muscle growth through high repetitions of lower weights. It might not be as quick as heavy lifting, but I find it hard to believe that people think it takes heavy lifts to build muscle. There is a reason that the average person on a construction site or any other semi physical job has more muscle than those with desk jobs, but personally I've never been on a construction site and seen people going for max weight and low repetitions.
I said progressive
I'd like to see how much hypertrophy you'd achieve doing 100 reps at 5lbs which is what people often mean unfortunately
Well I'm hoping nobody thinks 5 lbs qualifies as "heavy". I'm just pointing out that there are very few absolutes. I put quite a bit of muscle into my shoulders and upper arms tossing around stuff at work that was mostly only 10% or so of my body weight. There was heavier stuff in the mix as well, but less of it and less frequently. But not even close to maxing out anything.0 -
robertw486 wrote: »Well I'm hoping nobody thinks 5 lbs qualifies as "heavy".
Hah! I've been in "toning" classes for women at the gym where they give each person 2lb, 3lb and 5lb dumbbells and tell you to just use the "heavy" 5lb dumbbells for certain exercises.
Those classes are a total waste of time. But the myth persists that if you lift heavy-for-you weight, you'll get big. Even though it's been completely debunked, lots of women still believe it. Just as they believe that doing a million crunches will help them spot-reduce their stomach. There's an entire fitness industry of ill-informed trainers, media and self-described gurus perpetuating these myths.0 -
robertw486 wrote: »Well I'm hoping nobody thinks 5 lbs qualifies as "heavy".
Hah! I've been in "toning" classes for women at the gym where they give each person 2lb, 3lb and 5lb dumbbells and tell you to just use the "heavy" 5lb dumbbells for certain exercises.
Those classes are a total waste of time. But the myth persists that if you lift heavy-for-you weight, you'll get big. Even though it's been completely debunked, lots of women still believe it. Just as they believe that doing a million crunches will help them spot-reduce their stomach. There's an entire fitness industry of ill-informed trainers, media and self-described gurus perpetuating these myths.
I've never really dug into where the weight vs reps would end up with no gain, and agree on many of the myths. But as I said above, from my personal experience you don't really have to lift heavy either. I was doing stuff as part of my job that built a decent bit of muscle only lifting 10% of my body weight with a lot of reps.0
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