January Gym Rants

As the New Year fast approaches, it brings with it ‘New Year’s Resolutions’.   According to Which Magazine the top New Year’s Resolutions are:

1. Do more excersize
2. Lose weight
3. Eat more healthily. 

In my opinion setting a fitness related New Year’s resolution deems you to instant failure.  Small changes throughout the year are far more achievable than changing your lifestyle instantly come the 1^st of January.  

Long term change I truly believe comes when a person hits rock bottom or has a wakeup call.  I hit my ‘rock bottom’ on the 23^rd of December 2011 – and I implemented change there and then.  Last year after being inspired from watching Aberdeen’s Silver City Body Building competition it drove me to starting my prep plan on 27^th of December.  This year is no different, although my off season started in September when I stepped off stage, my next phase of prep starts once again on the 27^th of December. 

If you want to implement change then don’t be pressurised by a date that represents a fresh start such as the 1^st of January or a Monday– every day is a fresh start!

I am also going to lightly touch on the gym issue on the 1^st of January.  I am all for the people who decide to join a gym, I have nothing against the people who join gyms on the 1^st of January, or people who join and then quit after 2 months…. what I do have issues with is gyms themselves on the lead up to January and the early months of the year. 

Loyalty.
Although it is very rare that I attend a group excersize, a number of my friends do.  They go to the same class, on the same day, at the same time every week of the year.  However come January and Februarly they are unable to book on to their usual class due to the flurry of 'Gym Newbies' who sign up in January.  Surely it would be easy enough to implement a system that 50% of class spaces are reserved to regular members with over 12 months membership to book on to 2 days before anyone with less than 12 months can?

Equipment Hogging.

• Signs regarding time lengths for using a piece of equipment during busy periods.  I just don't think its acceptable for someone to do 10 sets of 20 reps when there is only one type of that piece of equipment and not sharing by letting others use the equipment between your set?  
• The majority of people who join a gym at this type of year are 'newbies' who also have invested in having gym programmes designed for them.  Its very difficult to follow a programme as a newbie with little understanding of alternative exercises that can be performed if someone is using equipment.  Potentially queuing for a piece of equipment may discourage them from going to the gym.

It must be hard being a PT working within these gym's at this time of year, trying to train a client but unable to get their clients on pieces of equipment due to these busy times.  If I was paying £30 an hour for a PT session I would expect to be able to follow my programme and get on every piece of equipment that was set out on my plan within my session.

Last year I didn’t have to put up with the hassle of limited available equipment due to the busy new year season.  I joined an independent gym which didn’t have the state of the art facilities but it allowed me to follow my new training programme with minimal disruption or queues for machines.  My biggest pet hate is having to make alterations to my training programme because someone is hogging a piece of equipment with bad form and ridiculous amounts of sets and reps. 

The gym can be a daunting place for any newbie as it is, if you have a programme to follow and have paid good money for it, don’t be scared to ask people if you can jump in between their sets for a piece of equipment – don’t let other peoples rudeness and selfishness mess up your goals and training - I certainly don't, especially those who come into the gym and don't train constructively.