Onslaught of New Gym Members
Options
Replies
-
Just keep in mind that the folks who pay dues and stop coming allow for you to get more than your money’s worth from the gym year round. Gyms would go out of business if only the regulars paid dues. The more annoyance you take now, the better upkeep you will enjoy latter on. I say bring in as many as we can.9
-
Mine is a tiny little coop gym in a town of 600 and a full municipality of 1200. Given the percentage that actually come to the gym I have maybe 4 people tops in there at “prime time”. That is sometimes too many for our 1200sq foot space. There is enough cardio equipment to handle people but if we all happen to be needing the racks it gets sketchy. Some don’t like to rotate through. On days I don’t want to see people for whatever reason, I have a decent setup at home. I just can’t go doing things that require safety bars when my fam isn’t home to spot me. So I have to go moderate weight, and use some moves that are not top of my list. Surprisingly, my workouts following these often are the times I get a new pb. So I do it less grudgingly now and just appreciate my options.
For cardio I do online videos, or go for a run or hike in whatever the outdoor conditions are. -40C is not a big deal, but rain makes me angry.0 -
I like it when the gym is crowded and high energy with folks training hard.
If the newbies want to join in, great.
If they want to sit on the equipment looking at their phones, there's a couple of guys in the gym who have no problem in mentioning that there is a coffee shop just across the parking lot.16 -
Think of it as an exchange programme. Many "gym" types make their only visits to bars in December and the "bar" types make their only visits to gyms during January.
Brilliant. I've done both. This year it's probably neither. (I'm attempting an alcohol free holidays, and I'm on a running outdoors kick)1 -
Motorsheen wrote: »I like it when the gym is crowded and high energy with folks training hard.
If the newbies want to join in, great.
If they want to sit on the equipment looking at their phones, there's a couple of guys in the gym who have no problem in mentioning that there is a coffee shop just across the parking lot.
Agreed. I have no issue with a crowded gym. But I take great personal offense when a machine I use regularly is being held up by someone scrolling facebook on their phone. This happened to me the other night - a weight machine I usually use first was being used, so I did something else. Over 20 minutes later, the same person was sitting there still on his phone. He finally left after 30+ minutes.
2 -
Yay for keeping my gym in business another year!4
-
Motorsheen wrote: »I like it when the gym is crowded and high energy with folks training hard.
If the newbies want to join in, great.
If they want to sit on the equipment looking at their phones, there's a couple of guys in the gym who have no problem in mentioning that there is a coffee shop just across the parking lot.
Agreed. I have no issue with a crowded gym. But I take great personal offense when a machine I use regularly is being held up by someone scrolling facebook on their phone. This happened to me the other night - a weight machine I usually use first was being used, so I did something else. Over 20 minutes later, the same person was sitting there still on his phone. He finally left after 30+ minutes.
Why didn’t you ask him if he was almost done to speed things along. Most people aren’t rude, they are just clueless. If you say you want it, they will normally move...6 -
Fact from the internet: 80% of people who join a gym in January will quit going within 5 months. If your gym has a annual contract, the gym will receive dues from 5 times the people who actually go after June0
-
We have a gym at work, I'm curious to see if any new people start to come after the NY...
So far since I started going, like 5 or so people have come and gone... The other 2 still there in the morning with me are pretty consistent tho0 -
January does tend to suck from an overcrowding/lack of machines/yoga mat place standpoint but it also can be entertaining if you accept it for what it is knowing its mostly 2-3 weeks and over and they are helping to fund a reasonable membership for the rest of us the remaining 11 months.
I just make it a spectator sport in January while doing whatever I can to start the year:
2016: The person that weighed themselves 4 times in 30 minutes like some miracle was going to happen. I did enjoy the large bottle of coke they were drinking with how many calories was in that thing.
2017: I got to see the person texting and taking the tumble on the thread mill that was going way too fast for their skill level let alone their lack of concentration.
2018: There was the person that put 50 pounds on one side and 25 on the other without locking the plates in. That didn't end well for many reasons.
2019: My personal favorite was the multiple sobbing people around the room in a brutal hot yoga class. Hot yoga studios know how to get rid of the newbies after collecting the fees after just 1 visit.6 -
9 -
I have been worried in the past about the gym being too crowded as January, but it has not been a problem at the gym I am a member of.0
-
GreenValli wrote: »I have been worried in the past about the gym being too crowded as January, but it has not been a problem at the gym I am a member of.
Same. Most resolutioners join Planet Fitness or the like, not my powerlifter/bodybuilder focused gym.0 -
Some of these posts make me sad, because we get many people afraid to go to the gym--people judging them. I sincerely hope some of the new people stay. I, personally, don't laugh at anyone that's starting out, and if they do something dangerous, I'll tell them or the people that work there.22
-
January does tend to suck from an overcrowding/lack of machines/yoga mat place standpoint but it also can be entertaining if you accept it for what it is knowing its mostly 2-3 weeks and over and they are helping to fund a reasonable membership for the rest of us the remaining 11 months.
I just make it a spectator sport in January while doing whatever I can to start the year:
2016: The person that weighed themselves 4 times in 30 minutes like some miracle was going to happen. I did enjoy the large bottle of coke they were drinking with how many calories was in that thing.
2017: I got to see the person texting and taking the tumble on the thread mill that was going way too fast for their skill level let alone their lack of concentration.
2018: There was the person that put 50 pounds on one side and 25 on the other without locking the plates in. That didn't end well for many reasons.
2019: My personal favorite was the multiple sobbing people around the room in a brutal hot yoga class. Hot yoga studios know how to get rid of the newbies after collecting the fees after just 1 visit.
I too am deeply affected by these comments. The post above made me cry... from laughing so hard!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVt_wzsVgQk2 -
Being retired now, I have the option of going at off times. However, sometimes it's not any better. You don't get the crush of newbies, but you have a bunch of doddering old people who do the exact same thing every workout and who "protect" certain machines like it was their lucky seat at bingo.
And they NEVER clean up after themselves. Worse than the kids.
OMG, this sounds like stereotypes but there's a few older men when I go that do a bunch of cardio before machines then get sweat all over the machines and don't use a towel. I do cardio first too, it takes 5 seconds to wipe the machines down so someone doesn't get your sweat all over them.1 -
I take group fitness classes and it's more fun with a big crowd.6
-
As an about to be noobie after surgery recovery this thread just gave me anxiety about being in the gym with all of you😣20
-
As an about to be noobie after surgery recovery this thread just gave me anxiety about being in the gym with all of you😣
Hugs. Most gym-goers don't mind new folks at the gym, and those that take issue (there won't be many) aren't worth the time it takes to worry about them. Most are super happy to see others trying to better themselves. We were all newbies at the gym once too, and sometimes I think folks forget that (not YOU, other person reading this). You are going to kick butt.
And for the thread: I use my home equipment almost exclusively now so I don't have to deal with the frustration of needing to play nice with others.8
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 919 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions