rumrunn6

been at the last gym 7+ years. gotta get used to different everything. machines, free weights, cross-fit section, general layout, lockers & showers, etc. anyone else switch gyms?

rseeker

Why'd you switch?

I'm without gym at the moment. There's one a mile away from the house -- downhill even! -- so I have zero excuses. I thought this might be the year but my fall and shoulder injury put that off for a few months.

rumrunn6

they insisted on playing non stop political propaganda on their TVs

gyms have stationary bikes you know, all kinds, incl those you sit back on, almost recumbent. no need to use a shoulder ...

rseeker

Yeah, that would be difficult/intolerable.

Hmm, hadn't thought of that. Back to zero excuses.

rumrunn6

oops sorry

Seattle Forrest

Considering it. I go to the gym on my lunch break, there's a closer gym, the time I save commuting could be better spent doing one more exercise. Seems a little more run down, but maybe worth it in the long run.

Carbonfiberboy 

We've been through a number of gyms. Back in the day when it was an organized crime scam, they disappeared with your money and the gym equipment and just left the building standing. Or else they got busted for selling drugs behind the counter. The next gym always had slightly different equipment, missing some we liked, adding some we didn't know. But folks are always advising changing up your routine now and again, so not such a bad thing. We've known some gym rats through several of these gyms. "Oh yeah, I remember you. You used to workout at . . ."

rumrunn6

this new one for me is 1 mile further away, but the walking around in the gym is shorter cuz it's smaller & only 1 floor, so I think it balances out, time-wise

rumrunn6

yikes! I do miss some of the gym rats at the old gym. we shared some brief hellos. also miss the hair dryers so I just bought my own small one. oh well. & yeah it's good to change things up a little

valleysuper

I have been “forced” to move gyms a few times in the last 3 years, i have always avoided the mass market, commercial, Plaza gyms in favor of single owner type operations. Even driving farther and paying a little more per month. But 3 of the past single owner types have been unable to stay afloat when Planet moved in close by. They would invariably have to lower prices to try and compete for members. Never pleasant seeing it happen, but that’s how it goes.
Im such a creature of habit at the gym, that switching is a pain, but it has made me do other exercises or routines and that’s probably been good in the long run.
Every gym has a pull up bar, just some are dustier than others.

rumrunn6

last gym had a very comfy lateral triceps raise machine that fit me very well

Machka 

I've been a member of or have dropped in at many different gyms over the years.

Recently, in Hobart, we went to one for about a year, and it was great ... really nice gym. But it was expensive and then we moved and it became inconvenient. So then I discovered that I got a discounted rate at the university gym. Not quite as nice as the other place, but pretty good. And half the price.

wolfchild

I have everything I need to workout at home: a barbell, squat stands, kettlebells, TRX, pull up station, push up handles... I also enjoy training outdoors in all types of weather, rain or shine or snow. I often bring my kettlebells outside, go to a local park which has a workout area for pull ups, push ups/dips and I end up doing a circuit of kettlebells and bodyweight exercises. Training outdoor is by far my favourite way to train...The thing about gyms is that most of the good ones are too much out of my way and it a lot easier and more convenient for me to just train at home or outdoors after I finish my workday. Then there is also bike commuting which I do regularly. It would be pointless for me to pay for gym membership...I have a couple of Planet Fitness close by but I don't consider those to be real gyms and would never go to one, they are more of an "adult daycare centre" or " amusement park" than a gym.

Hondo Gravel

I have good old fashion barbells and dumbbells in the garage with a squat rack. A Sony stereo to crank up the tunes and a fan. No distractions. Don’t have to put up with roid boy or scrawny guy trying to lift too much or the good looking ladies. Yes very boring but it works.

Seattle Forrest

I don't mind the good looking ladies. Especially deadlifting.

rumrunn6

then there's the creepy old dudes in locker room ewww

wolfchild

You should watch gym fails and workout fails on youtube, that should be enough to discourage anybody from joining a gym. Some of the stuff people do at gyms is pretty scary and idiotic, not something I would want to deal with.

Hondo Gravel

The guy loading up the bar with multiple five pounds weights and squatting about 3 inches in the squat rack. I have watch many of the videos you mention and yes it is scary

Carbonfiberboy 

I've been going to various gyms in this town since 1979. Never saw anything scary or stupid. Everyone seems to know exactly what they are doing, even though their workouts may be completely different.

A pretty new thing, maybe the last 5 years, is the tremendous increase in strong women in gyms. One never used to see a woman doing long sets of bench presses or deadlifts. Same thing with boarding and skiing. So many strong young women in those sports now. We took gold in women's hockey! OMG.

wolfchild

I think crossfit is responsible for encouraging women to lift heavy and train hard. There are a lot of very strong and very fit women doing crossfit. I remember way back in the 1980's women only did aerobics, today they are doing all the heavy barbell lifts which only men used to do.

noglider 

I've been thinking about joining a gym for years. Still haven't done it. At my last job (at a college), I could have used the gym for free, but I didn't. At my current one (at a big university), there is a fee, but it's probably lower than market rate.

rumrunn6

just tried the spinning bike there, cuz no class was in session. weird contraption, but I got a session in & got a sweat going before I had to quit, to get back to the office

rumrunn6

shop around, there's lots of competition. def do a trial session to see how you like atmosphere/culture, equipment, climate control & locker/change room & showers. last gym was $24 pr month, this one is $10

I prefer a gym near work, cuz once I'm home I'm not likely to back out

Seattle Forrest

I pay $34.99 a month to go to LA Fitness. Job reimburses me $17.50.

boozergut

With the amount of yacking and gabbing at the gym I thought of a business idea for someone out there. The STFU gym. STFU would of course stand for (Silent, Transforming, Focused, and Unstoppable). If you use my idea I want the first T shirt. Thanks in advance, lets bring on cycling season, enough of this endless winter!