So, in my continuing effort to find a way to exercise that doesn’t bore me, awhile back I joined “Curves,” thinking that the 30-minute workout thing would be fast and easy.
I think I lasted a week or two–the whole atmosphere, with it’s touchy feely “let’s chat” vibe and the peppy diva music on the sound system just turned me off. I know it works for a lot of folks and that’s great, but it didn’t work for me.
I’ve seen men-only 30-minute gyms (though they don’t seem to be working as well, since many men like to have the chance to meet women at the gym, apparently) and they focus more on high energy beat-driven music and getting “the burn.” For obvious reasons I can’t go to one of these.
What I would like is a coed version of the 30-minute gym idea. A place that’s not as testosterone-ridden as the guys’ version, but not as caring-sharing as the women’s version. When I’m there, I want to do what I came to do and get out, not chitchat. Ideally such a place would have heavy music (industrial, heavy metal, hard rock, anything with a strong beat) and focus on results.
Is there such a place? If not, I kind of wonder why not. Am I weird, or would this appeal to other folks too?
You know, I often wondered the same thing. I was a Curves member for 1 year, got pregnant and stopped, and went back for another year after the baby. I lost a lot of weight and a lot of inches - but I could not STAND the yammering and chit-chat I had to listen to. A lot of the time I just put in earphones.
The Gold’s Gym I go to (FTR I’m female and not a bodybuilder) has a circuit room off to the side of the main area so perhaps you can tour a local, traditional, gym and see if they have something similar.
Have you thought of hiring a personal trainer? It’s not as expensive as you think and most gyms have them on staff now. It may be beneficial to hire one for an initial consultation, to set up a plan for you, teach you how to use the equipment and at what levels. Then you can revisit and revise every quarter or so. That way you can wear some headphones and listen to whatever you want.
Yeah, that’s a good thought and I’ve had it before too, but I really like the 30-minute gym idea (especially when it’s close to home). The idea of joining a traditional gym doesn’t appeal to me–I’ve done it before and it never seems to “stick.” I’m not actively looking for something right now–it’s more like “if this sort of thing existed I’d check it out.”
Well, I’m a member of 24 Hour Fitness, and it seems like their business model thrives on the whole 30 minutes & out idea.
I’ve never had a conversation with another member that was more than two responses (and that’s okay with me).
If you just want a place to use the machines or whatever and that’s it, they’re pretty well set up for that.
That drove me nuts about Curves. I know I seemed anti-social because I’d stick my headphones in and ignore the talk, but seriously, people. I’m trying to work out, and talking while I work out seems to kind of defeat the purpose. I swear, those women were only in there to have a social hour, they weren’t there to lose weight.
I heard there’s a place in Chicago that’s a punk-rock workout joint, the brainchild of a woman who couldn’t stand the hideous workout music in most places. No clue if it’s unisex, but it seems that it would appeal to both men and women. I read the article some time ago…no clue if it’s still around.
That whole atmosphere, which you get at a lot of gyms, is one of the prime reasons why I got an I-Pod. I am SO anti-social at the gym, but I get done what I want to.
I’d support this kind of idea too. I go to Swann (similar to Curves) because it’s near my office and lets me get my workout done fast, but damn if I can’t stand the Europop soundtrack and touchy-feely “encouragement”. I’d wear headphones, but then I wouldn’t hear the “all change” announcements and get seriously confused. I really wouldn’t mind if men could join, but I suspect some of the other current members would get self-conscious and freak out. Heck, most of them won’t even strip in the dressing room, preferring instead to get changed in the bathroom… :rolleyes:
However, one big reason I think my particular gym can’t go co-ed, even if they wanted to, is a lack of space. The franchises are mostly installed in low-rent mall locations. I can’t imagine how they’d squeeze in an extra locker room and showers.
Is there a YMCA near you with exercise facilities? I joined about 3 weeks ago and LOVE IT! You can pay by the month and do whatever you want to do for as long as you want to do it.
Not to presume to answer for the OP, but in my personal experience the Y can’t give me the workout I want. Back when I was a member, it seemed that any time I walked in to use the weight room, it was full of guys who wouldn’t give up their machines for anything. I like the idea of a 30-minute gym because of the forced “move along now” pace. No one can hog the machines, you know? There’s also the small but lovely convenience of air-pressure adjusted machines. Not having to lift and adjust plates can shave several minutes off my workout.
In all the Y’s here, there is a 30-minute limit on all of the machines. They don’t enforce it if it’s not busy, but if it’s busy, there are plenty of bouncer-looking guys around to glare and say something if necessary. Maybe such a limit was instituted because of experiences like yours.
I can’t speak to the lack of “air-pressure adjusted machines” because I’m far away from taking on anything in the weight room. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a gym with all the spiffiest, latest, cutting edge equipment, if you’ve got the money.
