what should I expect going to a gym for the first time ever?

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
CKent, I do squats and lunges using dumbbells. If I really want to lift, I have a Bowflex machine in the garage that gets no action. lol

Bowflex is all the greatness of the gym's isolation machines built into one! 😛 I'd let it sit too.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Megatomic
CKent, I do squats and lunges using dumbbells. If I really want to lift, I have a Bowflex machine in the garage that gets no action. lol

Bowflex is all the greatness of the gym's isolation machines built into one! 😛 I'd let it sit too.

It's good rainy day/cold winter work, that's about it. I do pretty good with my iron gym, perfect pushups, swiss ball, and dumbbells. And my running and biking of course.

 

[KingGheedora]

Originally posted by: CKent

loki - the only thing that hasn't already been mentioned is the regulars there. They'll give you a hard time, anything from wannabe macho stares to verbal hostility. This will go on for a while until they realize you're serious about fitness or they lose interest. It's really not unlike a trip to the chimp enclosure at the zoo.

This has never happened to me at any gym I've gone to.

 

[Jeffg010]

The problem with most gyms is they are over crowed; from 5 to 7 pm forget about it. I live in Pittsburgh and had a 1-year membership at Gold?s. Gold?s was good for the 6 months if I went at 8:00 pm or later. Then Bally's closed and everyone went to Gold?s. God that sucked I had to wait 15-20 mins to for a rack no matter what time I was there. I looked for other gyms but none of them were as good as Gold?s in equipment and were smaller then gold?s too 🙁. The best thing I did was buying a rack for home and a 300lbs Olympic set. The last 3 months I made more gains then I ever did for at Gold?s.

 

[LongTimePCUser]

Originally posted by: loki8481

so I think I need to find a gym... I've never been to one, though, and the whole idea just intimidates the hell out of me for some reason :laugh:

The best first thing to do in gym is to get a session or two with a personal trainer who will set up a program to meet your fitness goals and who will teach you the correct, and safe, ways to use the equipment.

Next, work out by yourself for a while and then get a refresher session with the personal trainer.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: LongTimePCUser

Originally posted by: loki8481

so I think I need to find a gym... I've never been to one, though, and the whole idea just intimidates the hell out of me for some reason :laugh:

The best first thing to do in gym is to get a session or two with a personal trainer who will set up a program to meet your fitness goals and who will teach you the correct, and safe, ways to use the equipment.

Next, work out by yourself for a while and then get a refresher session with the personal trainer.

Wrong. Personal trainers know very little often times. I would suggest doing your own research or getting affiliated with someone with a good reputation for knowing their stuff. The local personal trainer will almost undoubtedly do things wrong and lead you down the wrong path. Really. The certification to become a personal trainer is a joke and by no means anybody be able to train another with this little "training."

OP, do your own research, watch many videos for form and perfect it before you make the weight anywhere near heavy.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: CKent
loki - the only thing that hasn't already been mentioned is the regulars there. They'll give you a hard time, anything from wannabe macho stares to verbal hostility. This will go on for a while until they realize you're serious about fitness or they lose interest. It's really not unlike a trip to the chimp enclosure at the zoo.

WTH? I've never experienced this in a gym I actually paid to go to. Maybe years ago in HS when I was working out with the football team, but that's to be expected. There's no way any competent gym owner/manager would allow people, even regulars, to give anyone a hard time. That's a sure way to lose new business IMO.

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: SlitheryDee

Originally posted by: CKent
loki - the only thing that hasn't already been mentioned is the regulars there. They'll give you a hard time, anything from wannabe macho stares to verbal hostility. This will go on for a while until they realize you're serious about fitness or they lose interest. It's really not unlike a trip to the chimp enclosure at the zoo.

WTH? I've never experienced this in a gym I actually paid to go to. Maybe years ago in HS when I was working out with the football team, but that's to be expected. There's no way any competent gym owner/manager would allow people, even regulars, to give anyone a hard time. That's a sure way to lose new business IMO.

I don't honestly know that a gym owner could do much about possible stares, but I don't know that he/she would need to, either--I was never the recipient of any hostile-type behaviors/attitudes at any of the gyms at which I've worked out. And while my "noob" days were many years ago, I see new members nearly every week who also avoid such treatment.

The only possible exception I've witnessed is at college gyms. During the heavy-use periods of the year (e.g., the first week of each semester, the week before spring break, etc.) and on the most-populated days and times (e.g., Mondays between 6 and 8pm), the sheer volume of new individuals will sometimes piss off the regulars. But even then, it only occurs if said new individuals are committing gym no-no's, such as failing to re-rack their weights, sitting on a bench for 20 minutes talking on their cell phones, or something similar.

 

[crt1530]

Update? You should have visited a couple different gyms by now and be thinking about which one you are going to join.