Resolutionists at the gym?

I don't do cardio on machines at the gym. I prefer my cardio by walking or jogging outside, rain or shine don't matter to me. Treadmills are boring. I'd rather watch Twilight than jog on a treadmill. I can fall asleep to Twilight while on a treadmill I likely will injure myself when I fall asleep. :laugh: I only lift at the gym. I go to the YMCA so they have instructors everywhere to help the NYR's that are new. It hasn't been too bad. I go pretty early in the morning and my weekend off work is right at the start of the week Mon and Tues. I did have to go on a unplanned jogging session outside when it was a planned lifting day. It was just too crowded.

As for helping I don't unless I am approached and asked. Even though I've been doing this for 2+ yrs. I don't look like someone a complete stranger would ask fitness advice from.

My gym is packed in the evening. But I only go to the gym for my hip hop class and the class is not that popular.
I do use pool area but I go odd hours - late late.
It used to bother me that people clean the machines after they are done.
Now I just clean the machines before i step on it.

I would like to say even though I don't go to a gym, surely you all were new once at a gym.
How about you try help these people rather than look down on them. You meantioned that some people are looking around lost. HELP THEM! I'm sure that you would feel pretty good if you could use all you knowledge and experience to help someone continue their resolution. It's a daunting experience walking into a gym for the first time, so try make it a less painfully experience for the new members. I have idea what gym etiquette is, neither will they do just explain it to them....

hear hear! it is unfair to look down on the people who are genuinely trying to make positive changes in their lives - like many people on MFP. this time last year it was me who was new to the gym..........

I would like to say even though I don't go to a gym, surely you all were new once at a gym.
How about you try help these people rather than look down on them. You meantioned that some people are looking around lost. HELP THEM! I'm sure that you would feel pretty good if you could use all you knowledge and experience to help someone continue their resolution. It's a daunting experience walking into a gym for the first time, so try make it a less painfully experience for the new members. I have idea what gym etiquette is, neither will they do just explain it to them....

hear hear! it is unfair to look down on the people who are genuinely trying to make positive changes in their lives - like many people on MFP. this time last year it was me who was new to the gym..........

I will repeat what I said earlier. This thread isn't complaining about people being new. It's complaining about SOME of those people not treating the gym or their fellow members with respect.
If they are "genuinely trying to make a positive change" they won't be the kind of people we are complaining about in this thread because they will be doing things properly.

This is the kind of thing that makes me glad I brave the cold and do outdoor running I do feel for you guys!

LOL @ everyone trying to look like they're exercise pros by complaining about others.

My gym is also super crowded right now due to the influx of new people... So bad that at peak hours(which is the only time I'm able to go!) there are no machines. Which is why the weight area is much better because not many people venture in there.

I understand about PT's having to help the new ones.. but seriously, it's starting to get redic. They have so many new clients that the old clients get shafted to make way for the new ones... and plus my gym is doing a get fit challenge shortly.. which is going bring even more new PT clients in.

As far as teenagers go... I think they need to go. Last week I was with my PT, and this girl comes up hair down, matching workout clothes, pretty much cooing at my trainer.. Hi Chris! Do you think that my friend could borrow your gloves? and then when he said No, they weren't his, her face pretty much fell as she ran off... and then I hear telling her friends, OMG guys, if you think that was bad, you're really going to hate me now!(and by hate me now, it was like 1 set of ab work before running out of the studio and back to the weight machines to goof around some more) Another teenage client of his, walks up to him and goes Hey, can you hold my locker key? Uh, WTF? Can't you hold your own locker key? What does he look like? Of course he does it.. and I'm pretty much just standing their glaring at her, like seriously? I'm trying to workout with him.. and would appreciate it, if you did not interrupt for stupid things!

Finally as one of the gals who cleans the gym yesterday said "There are so many new people here.. but give it a month. By then, they will be gone, sitting on the couch eating ding dongs!". Made me smile yesterday.

Everyone was new at the gym at some point. Along with resolutions, people join gyms in January because many gyms make it a better deal by lowering the cost & reducing or eliminating fees & the colder weather means moving workouts indoor. It's really the responsibility of the gym staff to ensure that classes are not overcrowded (sign-up sheets) and that equipment is being used in accordance with gym rules. I will probably join later in the month because of the deals, it's too cold to be outside & I may take advantage of the childcare. I'll leave in March so that I can hit the streets to train for my spring races.

I have been a little disheartened to see so many threads/blogs on this site about January gym members. It happens every year so the gym staff & regular members should be prepared for it. I would think we would have a better attitude about people starting their journey even if they're not doing it the way we think they should Everyone starts somewhere.

well said.

So for those of you that are members at a gym, how bad is the resolutionist crowd right now (i.e. those folks who make a new years resolution and join the club). I know from past experience that January is always the busiest month at the club, especially up here in Wisconsin where January's arrival also means weather that is far too cold to be exercising outside. My club in particular is getting extremely busy right now. Part of it is that they're still new (having opened in November) and so they're still signing people up. That coupled with the New Years crowd is really getting crazy.

I'm happy to see the gym doing well and certainly want them to make lots of money so they can stay in business but man it's frustrating to have so many noobies there who simply have no clue about gym etiquette or even how to use a gym in the first place. College girls that come in groups of 2-4 and go from machine to machine doing 2-3 reps before deciding "this machine's too hard" and then giggling and talking for 10 minutes before moving on to something else. College guys who are there just to try and show off to their buddies how much they can bench or curl. One guy tonight was so intent on keeping his muscles flexed at all times while walking around the gym that he literally looked like someone had shoved a telephone pole up his rectum.

How I long for February and March and the inevitable return to sanity at the gym. When all of the novelty wears off, the uncommitted start making excuses to not go to the gym and only those that are truly serious and committed to their fitness show up on a daily basis. I see it every year, I know the end of the insanity will come but right now it's become pretty frustrating.

My Gym (Bannatynes) has a minimum 12 month membership so people tend to think twice before signing up if they are not serious so I dont have this problem. Also, each new member has a gym induction where they are shown how to use all the equipment and given a program which means we don't get loads of people wasting time and space in there. My problem is getting into the weights area as all the regular body building guys hog it all the time :laugh:

Insanity!!! But the only thing I'll complain about are the kids (my gym allows 12 year olds in) who are playing on the cardio equipment, tying it up for people who are actually serious about being there! Grrrrr!

You don't think it's important for kids to have access to gym equipment, and build the foundation of a healthy lifestyle for themselves?

I think kids should have access to gym equipment, if they're using it properly. A few years ago the only gym membership I could afford was at the local community center's fitness room, which only had four treadmills. I ran a couple times a week over the winter when it was too cold to run outside. Every day a woman came in and used one treadmill to work out, and her son (not old enough to be left home alone, I suppose) took up another treadmill walking at 2mph while hitching up his baggy jeans with one hand and playing on his cell phone with the other hand. That's the sort of thing I take issue with.

As for my current gym, it seems like there are a lot more people in the cardio area right now, and a handful more people in the weights area, but it doesn't seem to have affected my ability to work out so far.

I went to the gym at 5:30am this morning and it wasn't bad at all

I think the resolutionists are also fans of sleeping in before work

Someone said something about how if it was this way all the time then the gym could expand and prepare and that what I agree with. The classes are so big at our gym that you have to line up at the door and once it's too big, too bad - you don't get in, you have to wait for machines and the weights room is chaos as well.

The gym puts on extra classes in January, but unfortunately this means the roster changes weekly, so it throws all of us out who have been working off the same routine for the last 9months are back to square one. And yeah, so we need to replan our schedule around these changing timetables, arrive at the gym 15mins early to queue outside and then you might not get in,.. It's very annoying to say the least, especially when you've left work early to get there.

I dont like it, i'm glad they are taking an interest in their health (the serious ones who stay on), however having so many people appear at the classes that are a bit restricted (body pump, weights etc) is a bit annoying!

Their is always a wave of new ones at new year, 10 weeks before holidays, 10 weeks before xmas are the usual times when its a bit 'mental'.

Standing talking during high intensity cardio classes is dangerous for the people talking and the people around them.

I don't care who wants to come to the gym, just wipe down the machines!!!