Onslaught of New Gym Members
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rheddmobile wrote: »MelanieCN77 wrote: »
Thanks. My gym (a YWCA) doesn't have a clothing policy, or if they do, I don't know about it.
Many of the regulars come in rotten-looking old tee shirts and shorts, but some wear expensive outfits.
I own "the right clothes," designed for sweat/moisture etc., but prefer my $10 Walmart sweatpants.
I guess my attitude has always been it's none of my business what other people wear or do there, or how often they come or don't come. To me, my gym is a public place. Anybody who pays the fee has a 100% right to be there
In my opinon that’s 100% the right attitude. As long as they are not directly preventing me from accomplishing my goals they can wear whatever or do whatever.
I workout at a Y as well and ours has a dress code but it’s loosely enforced. Basically they want you to wear workout/gym style clothes and closed toe shoes, but they have an older group of guys that workout in khakis and jeans.0 -
I think I took this different from you. Yes it’s a little tongue in cheek, but did you read the bits in parentheses? To me it’s more a message to help someone to get over the intimidation factor of starting at the gym.
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »Unfortunately IMO, if someone is waiting for a magic date to start exercising, watching their diet, etc., they are likely to fail. The condition(s) related to the planned changes didn't just pop up on Dec 31st. Waiting until 1/1 is just putting off what needs to be done and most likely will lead to less than optimum results.
What I find is that many people wait until after the holidays to make a doctors appointment. Then their doctor scares them into dieting and exercise. Here in Italy, we also have what we call "bathing suit readiness", so people hit the pool and gym to be ready for beach time in June.0 -
I belong to “Better Leisure” leisure centre and luckily my membership allows me gym, all classes and pool, but best of all I can use any BL gym in the country. And depending on what I want to do I with travel to a different town. One has great strength machines, but the other place s a much warmer pool and the other place nearby has youtube on its machines. So I probably look to some people that the fat old woman (with a spinal tumour and therefore doesnt hammer it hard) doesnt come very often. But I do, several times a week just not at the same place.
I went shopping in Decatholon today and hit the sales, I bet I looked like a post xmas noobie! But I wanted another pair hi vis tights, a hat with a pony tail hole, more Runderwear pants, a running kit for my son (wicking T, warmer long sleeve and jacket, tights and trainers), a different belt, ankle support (achilles feeling achey), I ended adding a pile of extra stuff to my technical gear and I spent only £100. Very happy.
I giess I am still a newbie though, 4 months in. When do I becone a regular gym bunny ??2 -
Ps I always without fail clean the gear down. And I havent noticed some people didnt appear to have realised this until theyve seen me do so. Usually its elderly folk who've come in for their cardiac rehab work.
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I hate the gym in January. I live in central London which has real estate prices worse than Manhattan, so having a home large enough for workout equipment is prohibitively expensive. I try to be generous to newbies but am thankful most of them are gone by mid February1
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Probably sick of the snobbery.5
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »
Did you read all of the words? It’s taking the things people rag on new gym goes for and turning them around to say hey don’t worry about it. People can be intolerant and entitled dicks at the gym but it’s usually about their own insecurities.
Yes, I read all the words.
The images are exaggerated and make fun of people
The words are the opposite, kind and sensible.
It has two messages, but is mostly aimed for some yucks at the expense of imperfect new people. It is NOT aimed at new people to encourage them to come, not with images that laugh at them.
I'd like to see those images with more realistic messages:
Tell the obese not to worry what they look like -- they'll fit right in with the regulars who are still obese and load up on Starbucks pastry when they finish.
Tell the woman in the jeans not to worry about her clothes -- she will never look as ridiculous as the 50-60 year old regular at my gym who curls and coifs her hair and always wears giant hoop earrings while she shows off her body (she looks like an aging streetwalker).
Nobody is perfect, anywhere. Good for anybody who tries to improve their health and their life.
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I'd like to see those images with more realistic messages:
Tell the obese not to worry what they look like -- they'll fit right in with the regulars who are still obese and load up on Starbucks pastry when they finish.
Tell the woman in the jeans not to worry about her clothes -- she will never look as ridiculous as the 50-60 year old regular at my gym who curls and coifs her hair and always wears giant hoop earrings while she shows off her body (she looks like an aging streetwalker).
Wow.4 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »
Did you read all of the words? It’s taking the things people rag on new gym goes for and turning them around to say hey don’t worry about it. People can be intolerant and entitled dicks at the gym but it’s usually about their own insecurities.
Yes, I read all the words.
The images are exaggerated and make fun of people
The words are the opposite, kind and sensible.
It has two messages, but is mostly aimed for some yucks at the expense of imperfect new people. It is NOT aimed at new people to encourage them to come, not with images that laugh at them.
I'd like to see those images with more realistic messages:
Tell the obese not to worry what they look like -- they'll fit right in with the regulars who are still obese and load up on Starbucks pastry when they finish.
Tell the woman in the jeans not to worry about her clothes -- she will never look as ridiculous as the 50-60 year old regular at my gym who curls and coifs her hair and always wears giant hoop earrings while she shows off her body (she looks like an aging streetwalker).
Nobody is perfect, anywhere. Good for anybody who tries to improve their health and their life.
I’m thinking maybe you see the images as ridiculous because you are looking for the ridiculous in others. I don’t agree that they are making fun of new people.
By the way, I’m 51, and the idea that showing off my body would be absurd is rude. Not that I have a perfect body by any means. But several gym-going ladies here on the forums who fall into the “50-60 year old” crowd would knock your socks off,11 -
Oh dear...
The ridiculousness is why I think it’s a light hearted poster...look again at the first picture with the weight bench...it’s not a stereotypical skinny/wimpy guy, or an overweight guy, it’s a buff gym rat guy...the one of the woman in the jeans is not somebody wearing something that’s just slobby or mismatched, it’s someone wearing something blinged up and totally inappropriate for exercise. The woman doing the push-up or the stretches is probably the most realistic but also the one that most people will relate to...because let’s face it we’ve all felt like that woman at one time or another while at the gym, no matter what shape we are in.
Oh well...different perspectives I guess...good luck to everyone with the newbies in the coming weeks. Hopefully some of them will be here next year lamenting the new onslaught and telling funny stories of their first days in the gym!
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No problem with others at the gym, I just don’t like having to wait for equipment. It’s why I joined Anytime Fitness. I go very early. No people, and no waiting. Win/win for me.1
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I’m kinda nervous for January at the gym... mostly because it’s a brand new gym that’s opening on January 1st, so there will be three big groups of people, and none of them will know what they’re doing, where the equipment is etc: the resolutioners, the regulars who just switched to a different gym, and other members of the same gym chain that just pop in to see what the new location is like. It’s going to be absolute mayhem, and I have to go in and be a culprit in that mess to get myself settled and learn where everything is.1
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I’m not sure what type of exercise you do but I found if I moved my strength training to Tues/Thurs/Sat vs Mon/Wed/Fri that I had more access to equipment. Be flexible is key this time of year.
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Last few days, calm before the storm
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BrianSharpe wrote: »
Me four....my basement gym is all I need and outdoors when the weather is nice.0 -
nighthawk584 wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »
Me four....my basement gym is all I need and outdoors when the weather is nice.
Definitely a nice option for those with the space.2 -
I prefer going to the gym cos they have better showers than I've got
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