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What to look for in a Gym?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
I'm thinking of joining a gym soon. There are many in my area and I want to know what sort of thing to look for. I'm mainly doing it to improve circulation, build stamina and muscle.
Post edited by JustV on
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you go and try out the gym, before you mention trying it out chat to the staff about how many members they have etc. Slip in a question about when they are most busy (just offhand). When you try the gym come at this point, so you know that it won't get any more crowded than this. Also look at the changing rooms, good showers are a must. When looking at the machines glance at the belts on the running machines, the chains/cords on the weights machines etc and see if you can see any signs of wear and tear, at a good gym there should be very little wear showing, but there will be some. When you try the place out try to move away from the staff and strike up conversations with people - go for the people that look like they know what they are doing, the regulars. Ask them how long they've been there, what times they come and what they think of the place etc. Most regulars don't mind answering these sort of questions as long as they are asked in friendly manner. On the free weights, there should be a selection of different size dumbells, a minimum of 3 different benches, and Barbells with a selection of weights to put on them. Most gyms use dumbells with fixed weights, make sure these are secure and not flopping around. Have a look at the people using the free weights, do they look like they have a clue? just flinging round weights is bad, people using barbells on a bench with a spotter watching them is a good sign.

    Hope this helps.

    Alistair
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: What to look for in a Gym?
    Originally posted by openup
    I'm thinking of joining a gym soon. There are many in my area and I want to know what sort of thing to look for.

    Fine female specimens getting all hot and sweaty.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree with all that has been said by the people above, for me the most important things I have found in the past are:

    Do you feel comfortable in that gym? Are there "meatheads" hogging the equipment and not being very nice to new people etc... very rare nowadays.

    Will you look forward to going there? Nice environment, temperature, drinking water etc...

    The membership rules - are you being tied into a whole year of payments? Fitness First allows you to freeze or cancel your membership if the situation arises where you may need to, i have been caught out in the past where I joined a gym, had to move out of the area for job reasons but that gym wouldnt let me cancel my membership till the 12 months was up... ouch.

    Are you looking to do the gym after work/college? If so the location - I find that the closer to work the better as then you can add it to your daily routine, and routine is the important factor in exercise. I used to find if my gum is close to home then I am more inclined just to go home!

    But the busy thing is V important too - there is nothing more irritating than not being able to do the exercise that you want to. That or the idiots with insanely bad form swinging & heaving massive amounts of weight (watch some of the people on the lat pull down machine and you will see what I mean...) Normally the busiest times are Monday/Wednesday/Friday between 6pm and 7:30/8:00 pm... if you can get in there even 30-45 minutes before that you will get much more out of it.

    Basically, the chains of gyms like Fitness First are very good in that they have a quality of staff and range of exertise that is usefull, generally have a good range of equipment and facilities and allow you to use their gyms wherever they are in the Uk, infact in the world. So if you go to another city you can use the Fitness First there too. Also, council backed/subsidised gyms are good too - look at leisure centres - but these can get more crowded...

    Have fun!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Re: Re: What to look for in a Gym?
    Originally posted by ebb


    Fine female specimens getting all hot and sweaty.

    *drools*

    Yeah, why bother with all this getting fit shite, when you can just sit there an ogle?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry lads - but do you think that Women like blokes just staring at them in the gym?!?!?

    Do you think Fit exercise loving women are going to go for something unfit and leery? No not really...

    If anything then its going to deter them from going, deter them from getting fit and therefore reducing the amount of fit females around the place...

    How about you just get on with your exercise, be friendly to people and they will be friendly back and maybe, just maybe, they may see you as a fit young friendly bloke ... who knows what may happen after that??

    If not then quit the gym, save you money and make the place less crowded for people who want to improve their quality of life...

    NOTE to OpenUp - when choosing your gym, look for people that are exercising not leering - especially if you are a woman...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just noticed in my last post I said "young" - that is not necessarily true and wasnt meant to be ageist!!!! :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by SimonKingpin
    Sorry lads - but do you think that Women like blokes just staring at them in the gym?!?!?

    Do you think Fit exercise loving women are going to go for something unfit and leery? No not really...

    If anything then its going to deter them from going, deter them from getting fit and therefore reducing the amount of fit females around the place...

    How about you just get on with your exercise, be friendly to people and they will be friendly back and maybe, just maybe, they may see you as a fit young friendly bloke ... who knows what may happen after that??

    If not then quit the gym, save you money and make the place less crowded for people who want to improve their quality of life...

    NOTE to OpenUp - when choosing your gym, look for people that are exercising not leering - especially if you are a woman...

    NOTE TO KINGPIN: Get a sense of humour :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry dude... its just that the gym I was at before the one I am at now was particularly bad for that and therefore the atmosphere sucked...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by SimonKingpin
    Sorry dude... its just that the gym I was at before the one I am at now was particularly bad for that and therefore the atmosphere sucked...

    Appreciated and understood. I actually joined a small gym for the very reason that it is friendly.

    Also, I'm not surrounded by "beefcakes" who seem more interested in sculpting than just being fit. I just can't motivate myself to be like that...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by SimonKingpin
    Sorry lads - but do you think that Women like blokes just staring at them in the gym?!?!?

    Do you think Fit exercise loving women are going to go for something unfit and leery? No not really...

    If anything then its going to deter them from going, deter them from getting fit and therefore reducing the amount of fit females around the place...

    How about you just get on with your exercise, be friendly to people and they will be friendly back and maybe, just maybe, they may see you as a fit young friendly bloke ... who knows what may happen after that??

    If not then quit the gym, save you money and make the place less crowded for people who want to improve their quality of life...

    NOTE to OpenUp - when choosing your gym, look for people that are exercising not leering - especially if you are a woman...

    yes, but breasts mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    on behalf of women who use gyms, we do not like ogglers, comments, any kind of bullshit like that. it really does not do anything for a women to tell her your opinion of her legs or ass or whatever. it pisses me off and makes me very uncomfortable; to the point where i have changed gyms (and the one i used to go to was relatively nice...now i use a crap gym thats in a basement with no ventilation and old machines)

    as for improving circulation...make sure its got good cardio equipment (stairmasters, cycles, treadmills, ellipticals)...a pool is good too. maybe even get into playing racquetball or squash.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hehe one girl I trained with had a very effective solution for oglers, when walking past she'd take a swig from her bottle, and miss her mouth spraying them with water "accidentally" :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hehe

    i once had a 25lb plate 'slip' out of my hand onto a fool's foot.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lmao...

    That is funny, the 25lb plate sounds a bit drastic!!! But hey - whatever worked...

    Lizzafins - with your comment about the comments guys make, I once complimented a girl at the gym because she had been in there a lot and had made obvious improvments in her fitness and her physique, are things like that unwelcome?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Lizzafins
    hehe

    i once had a 25lb plate 'slip' out of my hand onto a fool's foot.

    Hmm I wouldn't go as far as actually doing something that leaves a mark they can use as evidence :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    SimonKingpin:
    That kind of compliment is ok...I just get rather irritated with crude remarks that don't really have anything to do with why I am in a gym in the first place. Unlike most women, I am there to build strength for my sport (at 5'7" and 10 stone, I'm the smallest on my team)...I don't really care what my body looks like. Ok, maybe I would care, but I'm thin, tan, and toned. What more could I ask for? ;)

    Yeah, 25lb was a little much. But it wasn't a random guy. I had had problems with him before. Both in and out of the gym.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If a fit bird is in the gym, I'd watch her, instinct.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by ebb
    If a fit bird is in the gym, I'd watch her, instinct.

    There's a difference between noticing she's there and staring at them.... Most girls like to be noticed but not stared at. Myself when training I often get so in the zone that I recognise that other people are there in the room, but don't even notice them....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    after all ive said, im sad to admit that i check out guys too :rolleyes:

    but im too shy to let them notice me noticing them and way too shy to say anything to someone i dont know.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ooooh - now I am going to get all paranoid of people looking at me now...

    Ah well I dont mind ...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Alistair


    I often get so in the zone

    :D So gym sterotypes are true then :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bah shut it :p

    I bet you don't even know the true sporting definition of "the Zone"
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Alistair
    Bah shut it :p

    I bet you don't even know the true sporting definition of "the Zone"

    I do.

    Its that moment when the pint glass reaches your lips :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    roflmao
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i did my work experience in a gym a few weeks ago and i thought it was wicked, im thinking of joining there myself when im 16 and as you live in Essex openup i recomend it to you, its fitness first in Basildon, but theres also fitness firsts in: Southend,Romford,Chelmsford,and Ilford good luck:D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fitness First at festival leisure park eh? How much is that place per month? I'm looking for a local gym thats not too expensive to cover me when I can't get to the one down in London.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Sir Cum
    Fitness First at festival leisure park eh? How much is that place per month? I'm looking for a local gym thats not too expensive to cover me when I can't get to the one down in London.

    I pay £33 per month and thats the top member ship (they have off peak memberships available for cheaper too...) then there is the joining fee but ask if your company, especially if its a big corporation or something, has a deal with them as you can sometimes get the joining fee waived...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am joining a swanky gym too, when I get my loan through, woohoo!

    No more council faciities pour moi.

    I don't understand how people can pull in the gym, there is one girl who goes to my gym in full make up, perfect hair and cute pink DKNY outfits. I don't get that. When I go I wear supportive clothes and get sweaty, not very attractive, well it's attractive in a healthy and glowing kind of way but not exactly sexy.

    But yes, I like to look at the men, not in an overtly obvious way but with all those mirrors I can sneak a look at the (very few) nice ones. I go at cheap times which are mostly pensioners!

    Thanks for the advice on what to look for in a gym, it will prove helpful I am sure. The one thing I find annoying is gyms that won't tell you the prices but insist on giving you a tour. Grrr.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I eventually joined a gym at my local leisure centre. The next question is whether I can keep up the habit of going?!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Sir Cum
    Fitness First at festival leisure park eh? How much is that place per month? I'm looking for a local gym thats not too expensive to cover me when I can't get to the one down in London.

    hey sir cum, well its £28 a month and £50 joining fee and £20 admin :) its really nice in there to, its got a relaxation room with sunbeds, a sauna, a wet room and a steam room....... ahh brings back memories of the steam room incident.......;)
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