I’ve recently landed a relatively decent job that I can actually expect to work for a while and so I can finally afford a few monthly bills. Unfortunately, it’s a “sitting on my ass” kind of job. I get home after dark, and I don’t have the same kind of outdoor activities available to me that I used to. I feel sloppy and lazy and I know I need some exercise besides walking to the bus stop and back.
Luckily, I live in gym central. There are literally ten gyms within walking distance of me, plus a half dozen martial arts studios and a few yoga studios.
Now, my only experience with gyms is a few days of “weight training” in high school where the jocks sat on these machines that looked like torture devices and make lots of grunting sounds on each other while the geeks (like me) tried to avoid the PE teacher while he made his rounds. I’ve always been kind of scared of gym equipment. I have this feeling that I’ll use it all wrong and it’ll collapse around me or something. But hopping on an exercise bike for a while doesn’t sound too bad.
I’m not particularly looking to lose weight or build muscle. I just want to move a bit. Although I build up muscle pretty fast, and it would be cool to see what I can do.
I would entertain doing a martial art or yoga, but yoga doesn’t seem strenuous enough and I think I’d dislike being stuck to a schedule of classes.
In any case, I don’t know where to begin. How do I know if a gym is beginner friendly? Are they going to laugh at me because I know nothing about gyms? Any particular equipment or facilities I should look for? Any chains to avoid? Do I really have to sign a long contract, because I really don’t want to. Are they going to try to rip me off? How much is this whole endeavor going to cost? Is there anything else I should know about the mysterious world of exersize?
Check out all ten gyms and see which one makes you the most comfortable and which one has the best deal. With so many in one area, competition may work in your favor.
It hasn’t been my experience that people laugh at a beginner. A personal trainer can show you haw to do things right and set up a routine for you, so don’t worry about not knowing how to do it.
I could go on and on about looking for this or that bit of equipment, but in the end, choose the cheapest gym that has the best atmosphere for you and the equipment you’ll likely need–the sort of place you don’t mind spending time at. Really, that’s it.
Watch out for the fine print when they sign you up–long term contracts, hidden costs, etc. The national chains tend to be rather sleezy about this, I’ve noticed.
I’d suggest visiting these gyms during the hours when you are most likely to be there working out. If you plan to workout at 5 on weeknights, visit it at 5 on a weeknight. You’d be suprised at how the atmosphere changes from a Sunday evening when it’s very slow to the after work rush where it may be hard to even find a machine to get on.
The gym (athletic club) I work at is rather expensive. But that’s due to all the amenities it has. Racquetball courts, tennis courts, gymnasium, pilates studio, aerobic studios, fitness floor, sauna, jacuzzi, smoothie bar, clothing shop. If I didn’t work here I wouldn’t be a member. That’s because all I want to do is lift some weights and leave. Depending on how many activities you want to get involved in don’t pay for what you’ll never use.
Read the contracts carefully. I wouldn’t sign anything longer than a year. Find out what kind of drop-out penalties they have if you move out of town, are laid up from an accident, lose your job, etc.
Find out what ammenities are included. Are towels free or do you have to rent them? Are lockers free? Do they offer newbie instruction? Does it cost extra?
Is the equipment all running or do they have ‘out of order’ on a lot of the machines?
Different gyms attract different crowds. There are some rare gyms who really go for the hardcore angle. It’ll be really rough and they won’t have ac in the summer. But most gyms try to be accomodating to as many people as possible.
A place that is more suited toward a beginner will probably have more machines rather than free weights. The more serious lifters usually work on the free weights. Machines are good for beginners because they usually have instructions printed on them, can easily be adjusted, and are usually safe from having the weight fall on you or anything like that.
If you want to do the aerobic machines, see how crowded they are. If they are full, are there a lot of people waiting? If only 1 or 2 people are waiting, that’s not too bad. If 5 are waiting, they need to get more machines.
Take a look at the classes they offer. A lot of people enjoy the spinning classes. I’ve also seen people doing aerobic classes where they use weights. Don’t worry about being a beginner. You’ll get the hang of any class in a few sessions.
Most gyms will want you to sign a long-term contract, but you might want to go for just a month to see if you like it. Most gyms will offer daily or monthly rates. My gym’s normal rate is like $30/month, but you can do daily for like $10 or monthly for $75. If you’re not sure about it, it might be cheaper to try it out for a month before signing a long contract.
No matter what type of gym you go to, one important thing I would like to say is this: Even though you might feel like people are looking at you, they aren’t. They’re into their own workout and could care less about criticizing other people. That was just in high school. I’ve heard many people say they don’t like going to the gym because they’re worried about what everyone would say about them, but I’ve never observed any of that. As for me, I admire people who are just starting out at the gym. I know how hard it is to get started and I hope they do well.
I’m just starting out at a gym myself – I joined L.A. Fitness just over a week ago. I’ve never belonged to a gym or worked out in my life, and I’m really not in the best shape, so it’s all a bit intimidating, but it’s a great facility and I have to recommend it so far. When you go in and take a tour, they did the typical high-pressure sales pitch that I usually hate, and usually makes me storm out. However, my roommate is a member, and my friend in South Florida who takes working out pretty seriously is also a member, and I trust their judgment, so I joined.
In my case, L.A. Fitness is close to home, it has everything a newbie like me could possibly need in a gym (without being all hardcore and intimidating), and I feel like despite all of their pushing and prodding and slick sales talk, I really am getting a good deal. My friend in Chicago says my rate is actually cheaper than joining the YMCA in her area! Plus, they offered me a monthly rate so I can quit anytime in the case of an emergency, which is nice.
But they have plenty of stationary bikes, treadmills, and elliptical machines, an indoor heated pool, and dozens and dozens of weight machines in addition to lots of free weights. I probably won’t ever play basketball or do aerobics classes, but they have that stuff too. They even have friendly personal trainers on site to give you more guidance, which I may actually take them up on. I recommend checking it out if you have one near you, and I’m a flabby, cheap, skeptical guy who would rather be home reading a book.
I joined a gym where they allowed you to pay upfront for three months, then you weren’t tied to a contract. Unfortunately, there was no training on the equipment, so I didn’t know I was using some of the machines incorrectly.
I then moved onto another gym with a bigger facility. They are open longer hours and have more to offer.
I pay upfront for six months, then each month I set aside a set amount, so that by the time my six months are up I have enough to pay for the next six months. This gym had a newcomer orientation and evaluation, so I was weighed and measured and given a guideline of what heart rate I needed to hit for how long. I was also shown the equipment and how to use it properly.
If you have 10 gyms in your area, see if each one will allow you a free trial membership. As Hypno-Toad pointed out, so many gyms will give you a competitive edge.
Beware, the New Year is coming up, when people decide to get in shape, so the gym will be horribly crowded for about two weeks until the fair-weathers drop off.
BBVL, they have L.A. Fitness out by you? Or have you moved to California?
sven, all the advice given here so far is good, but I’ll add one more thing. Try to find a gym that lets you rent a permanent locker. It’s well worth five or seven dollars a month to be able to keep your workout shoes and whatever you need for showering, rather than to lug these potentially heavy items back and forth every day. Especially for you since you’re travelling by bus and foot.
I’ve always found that morning workouts seem best suited for me; if I tried an evening workout schedule I’d more often than not be prevented from going by problems cropping up at work.
They have quite a few Florida locations, apparently, including one right near me in Casselberry (north of Orlando). But I wish I could move to California!
I don’t know about you, but I look for scantily clad women. Of course, that’s also what I look for in a grocery store, a doctor’s office (not much luck there, unless you’re the doctor), a flea market, etc.
Oh yeah, reading more of BBVL’s post, I’m reminded to advise you to be careful when considering a YMCA, if there is one in your area. Things may have changed in recent years, but Y’s were traditionally geared more towards group activities and team sports, so you find a LOT of gym floor space given over to basketball courts and the like, rather than aerobics and weightlifting. The equipment available for ‘working out’ can be very limited.
On the other hand, they usually do have pools, which is a plus.
If you haven’t started library school yet you could apply to UCLA, though it may be too late for next Fall. Still maybe they’d stretch a point for an incoming JD!
Another thing to watch out for about Y’s is that each facility is usually very different.
The local Y I go to has a pretty decent freeweights area…if I go to the other nearest Y, the freeweights area is…pitiful. 50 year old plates, small and crowded freeweights area, doesn’t even have a frigging chinup bar. So, check out all Y facilities in your area. Some might work for you, some might not.
Let me just fourth all the worry about contracts. I moved away from my gym recently, and despite all the hand-holding and smooth patter that I received when I signed up - it was a nightmare. Actually, it was a fucking nightmare - and I do apologize for being blue in an IMHO thread.
I went to cancel my contract (since I was moving away) - and the price to break the contract had suddenly gone up $50. Yeah, right. So after raising holy mortal hell (including showing them the contract) - the price went back to normal. Of course, they can’t cancel me there at the gym. That would be ludicrous. I needed to contact their corporate office (in written form) and inform them that I was moving out of the area. Are you serious? Ok fine. I’ll do it. I shouldn’t have to. Ok - off goes the letter. Ok - here’s the reply: we need written proof that you moved out of the area! Are you F@&#$N KIDDING ME? OK - here’s a copy of my fucking lease, you vultures! Cancel my damn contract!
Let me just say re: this hassle: Who needs it? Don’t get into a long-term contract if you can at all help it.
The main thing to look for is how hard they lock you in. If there is no out for an unused membership, and no way to transfer it to somebody else, the gym expects you to quit and is really running a racket.
That’s what I started doing. I hate getting up so early, but I do have such a sense of accomplishment when I leave the gym, dressed in my work clothes, knowing I can leave work at the normal time and not have to stress about getting to the gym after work. Plus I go five days a week now, instead of 2-3 days because of a “rough” day at work.
The advice about trying places out with a trial membership at the time you plan to normally go is really good. I have friends who complain about their gym memberships because if they go to the gym weeknights after work, they have to wait for up to 45 minutes for machines to open up.
For me, the main thing I look for in a gym is convenience/proximity. I’m really enjoying the 24 Hour Fitness Fit-Lite gym near where I work. It’s coed, but Curves-style–there’s a circuit of exercise bikes and weight machines set up, and a chime interrupts the music every 70 seconds, telling you to move on to the next machine. For me, it works because it’s brainless and a block away from the office–I can just run over there after work and get back out in half an hour. I don’t have to plan my workout routine or really think about the fact that I’m exercising.
At my last job, I used to go to group exercise classes (yoga and step aerobics) at the YMCA–again, it worked for me because 1) I didn’t have to think about what I was doing and 2) it was a block away from where I worked.
For a while (until I unlocked everything in the game, heh) I was working out 4+ times a week with Yourself! Fitness for the PS2. It’s a “virtual personal trainer” that tailors workouts for you–you pick the amount of time you want to work out, what you want to focus on (e.g. cardio fitness, abs, arm strength, etc.), and what equipment you own (free weights, Step, inflatable ball, etc.) It’s pretty great for a while, but I just got tired of it eventually. There wasn’t enough content to keep me interested–the same few crappy soundtracks, the same few scenes, the same set of warmup exercises with only minor variations. I hear there’s a competing fitness game out now, the EyeToy Kinetic. Not to mention all the Dance Dance Revolution games with their calorie-counting modes, if you just want a cardio workout.
Good advice so far but I just wanted to correct one thing that I saw in your OP. If you think yoga isn’t strenuous, you either have never tried yoga or had a crappy yoga instructor.
That is your best bet. I have been to several gyms and you can’t really tell what they are like just by the outside.
For example, my current gym is usually empty meaning I can use any machine I want. However my old gym had lines at the machines. I never would’ve found that out had I not been to both gyms for a bit. In my current gym I know to avoid going there during some parts of the afternoon because Dr Phil and Oprah are on and all the housewives show up so all the machines are taken up and all the TVs are turned to Dr. Phil. I would avoid the gyms devoted mainly to weight lifting, as that isn’t what you are looking for. Look for an all around gym, just a regular gym with a track, weights, a pool, soccer/basketball courts and various cardio equiptment .
Word of mouth is another good way to get info. Have your friends allow you in on a guest pass.
Contracts vary from gym to gym. Some have a month to month with no hidden fees and others have tons of hidden fees making it hard to just join. At my current gym they have a $75 cancellation fee which sucks, but because I intend to be there for 3 years it is no big deal.
