I finally joined a gym after a long time of moaning that I wanted to do it but didn’t have the time. Things are going good so far, and I already find myself looking forward to hitting the gym and altering personal plans to make sure I can get some time in. Right now, I’m just going and familiarizing myself with the equipment, doing an hour of cardio (1/2 an hour of elliptical, 1/2 hour of bike/treadmill/whatever), then light weight training (alternating between different muscle groups on alternate days) to get back into the habit. It feels good.
My last experience in a gym setting was at in a small university weight room, which was a different experience than being in a big commercial gym. I’m meeting up today with my doctor to get a physical, and later with a trainer to get a short- and long-term plan worked out, so I’m not looking for medical advice/warnings so much as I am general gym-going advice and personal experiences.
So, a few questions off the top of my head (though if you just want to post your own experiences and findings, that’s great too!):
I know to sanitize equipment after use (and, as I’ve noticed not everyone is good at this, I’ve been sanitizing before use, too); to avoid making multiple trips in a short period of time, I’ve been wetting down a handful of towels with the sanitizer and taking it with me on my rounds in the weight room. Is this kosher, or should I be getting the towels one at a time so they don’t dry out? Would it look weird if I brought my own little bottle of sanitizer so I didn’t have to keep going back to the towel/sanitizer stations?
If I need a spotter, do I ask an employee, or another patron?
I know one should give their muscles a day or two of recovery between weight-training workouts, but what about when doing cardio?
What should I do with my wallet, keys, etc.? Leave them in the car, trust the gym’s lockers, carry them with me from machine to machine?
What are the etiquette basics for the gym and locker room? (Besides not sitting on/monopolizing equipment, sanitizing equipment, and acting nonchalant around naked guys…)
Anyone have personal anecdotes about how long it was before they noticed physical results from cardio? I’m looking forward to seeing my blood pressure begin to trend down, but don’t know if I’m looking forward to something which might be half a year off…