Gym memberships

[lirpa1]

I used to work out almost every morning before work. last year I got on a really good health kick and decided to start toning up, and get into relly good shape. So i joined a gym and had my personal trainer set me up on a plan.

well after my first check up i felt pretty disheartened. I had gained 2% fat and that was working out and cutting down on food. so I decided to try harder.. next check up i was told that I was 2 % away from being dangeroulsy fat (FYI i am 5'2 and weigh around 49-51 kilos or 110 lbs, same now & before starting the gym) I went a bit longer and finally gave up b/c i felt so crappy with myself.

Now I am waiting to cancel my gym membership, and I do boxing on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I am thinking of doing a cycling class on tuesdays soon as I dont have to pay for the gym.

Has anyone else had a bad gym experience?

I mean, maybe I did mess up somewhere and gain fat or something, but for me, a very petite girl to be told I am close to being dangerously overweight and then feel awful abt my body, ii decided it wasn't worth it. If anything, I think people would really go off if I tried to lose weight.

so yea... i am no longer a fan of the gym memberships. what are your experiences?

thanks :bobo:

[greensgood]

Gyms are yucky!
I was a "gym junkie" for years and i quit the gym for a number of reasons:
1. getting hit on (by other members and staff!)
2. germs. people pour sweat onto those machines and they usually get cleaned about once a day at best, gross.
3. annoying music, even when i had headphones in i could still hear it
4. save $


as for your experience w. the trainer, i learned on this board that it is not that easy to accurately calculate body fat. the best way is to do a fancy test that requires a water tank, the worse way is to use one of those fat pinch tools they usually use at gyms. the person has to know exactly what they are doing and it is very easy to miscalculate. dont worry about what the trainer said, if you feel good and your clothes fit the way you want, no worries.

[MedicateMeBaby]

Reinforcing what green said, it's very difficult to determine where your weight comes from. There are many different formulas to help... but none are completely accurate. An important thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat. So if you're gaining muscle in strengthening exercises, the scale (and probably the doctor's scale) will tell you that you're getting bigger. But in reality you might be losing fat, and the numbers will be worthless.

I read an interview of Hilary Swank, after doing Million Dollar Baby... that she trained so hard and worked out so much to get toned for the film, to look the part of a boxer. If you keep up with celebrities (hehe, one of my hobbies I'm not so proud of), then you could tell she lost a lot of weight from the time they began filming, to the premiere. But on the scale, she said the numbers skyrocketed. She said she had never weighed that much in her life, and it was a blow to her self-esteem. Even though she was so tiny and muscular! She she stopped working out as much after the film, so she could return to her lower numbers and feel a little better. Even if that muscle wasn't there anymore.

Another thing is the timing of the checkup and such. I know after exercise I bloat up and retain fluid, when menstrating we retain tons of bloat weight, we weigh less in the morning compared to late in the day, you need to be weighed naked to get an accurate number... little things like that.

I've always loved my gym membership, I take bellydancing and kickboxing and run a little on the treadmills, and I haven't had a problem yet...
But that might be because I don't go to the doctor, and so no one's told me otherwise.
=]

[SonicEarth]

Weight is just a number. It tells you nothing about how healthy a person is or how much fat/muscle they have.

[Fyvel]

Lirpa, don't let those body fat % measurements get you down. Most methods of measuring them are very imprecise - especially within a range as small as 2%. What method were they using? People seem to be notoriously bad at the skinfold measurements.

I was also told I was very close to being considered "obese" according to the skinfold measurements they were doing at the gym. I laughed at them and told them they were doing it wrong (I may have a little bit of extra fat but I am in no way borderline obese) and they proceeded to tell me how I could reduce fat by doing such and such an exercise and oh wold you like to pay for a personal trainer? :rolleyes:

(I also witnessed the same thing done to a very muscular man who didn't look to have much extra fat on him at all!)

Like I said, there are very few methods that are very precise and I'm guessing your gym doesn't employ them since they are quite expensive.

[MedicateMeBaby]

I was also told I was very close to being considered "obese" according to the skinfold measurements they were doing at the gym. I laughed at them and told them they were doing it wrong (I may have a little bit of extra fat but I am in no way borderline obese) and they proceeded to tell me how I could reduce fat by doing such and such an exercise and oh wold you like to pay for a personal trainer?


Exactly.
Some gyms are out for people's money--they tell you you're too fat, therefore making you think you need their gym services, so you pay more money for more programs and a trainer/training package.

It's like going to a fancy department store, and no matter what you try on, the saleslady will say you look fantastic in it and insist you buy the outfit (even if you look hideous in it). Some gyms make their dieticians/employees tell you you're fat so you'll spend more money there.

[jAded]

My mum was told she had too high a body fat percentage by her gym. She was in her mid-50's, was once told by a PT that she was fitter than most people half her age, slimmer and younger looking than people 10 years younger than her and was always confirmed as being in fantastic health by her doctor.

So she just ignored them.

[WonderRandy]

My shrink always says, "There's no magic in a gym membership."

[slicknickns]

buy some good running shoes --- "cough cough" --- some new balances. They'll last longer than a gym membership.

run with your heart.

don't forget the push ups, and stomach/ab work,

[Jon_Veggie]

You don't need a gym to keep in shape. Check out this book:

http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html

[hidden]

I stay away from gym memberships and those huge gyms. It's too intimidating for me, especially with all those people in there. Besides, I wouldn't know what I'm doing once I get in there. I'll just stick to doing things myself and using the workout room in my apartment complex.

[Abbey]

I've always had good experiences at my gym! When I first joined, I got a personal trainer because I didn't know how to work out at all. My trainer was great! She didn't use one of those fat pinching tools, she used one of those scales with handles, which read my weight, percentage body fat and percentage body water, and some other stats, all at the same time. In any case, she didn't once make me feel bad about my body; I'm 5'6" and 130lbs, she said I was perfectly healthy. I told her I was joining the gym to gain more endurance (I couldn't run for longer than 5 minutes when I joined!) and to gain strength, but not to lose weight. She was really great, I went to her for 12 sessions, then was on my own after that. I've been going for a year now and I love it! I'm still the same weight (I need to work on protein, I'm lucky if I get 30g a day!) but can run for much longer and lift much more weight. I sleep better at night too.

Not that you NEED to go to a gym to get healthier and work out, but it's the route I took, and I'm happy.

[Licence]

I used to work out almost every morning before work. last year I got on a really good health kick and decided to start toning up, and get into relly good shape. So i joined a gym and had my personal trainer set me up on a plan.

well after my first check up i felt pretty disheartened. I had gained 2% fat and that was working out and cutting down on food. so I decided to try harder.. next check up i was told that I was 2 % away from being dangeroulsy fat (FYI i am 5'2 and weigh around 49-51 kilos or 110 lbs, same now & before starting the gym) I went a bit longer and finally gave up b/c i felt so crappy with myself.

Now I am waiting to cancel my gym membership, and I do boxing on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I am thinking of doing a cycling class on tuesdays soon as I dont have to pay for the gym.

Has anyone else had a bad gym experience?

I mean, maybe I did mess up somewhere and gain fat or something, but for me, a very petite girl to be told I am close to being dangerously overweight and then feel awful abt my body, ii decided it wasn't worth it. If anything, I think people would really go off if I tried to lose weight.

so yea... i am no longer a fan of the gym memberships. what are your experiences?

thanks :bobo:

OK everyone else has been nice to you. I'm gonna give you a reality check.

You are using excuses to avoid going to the gym. You appear to be giving up cause someone tells you something you don't want to hear. You need to remember why you went to the gym in the first place.

And how can you expect to lose weight after 2 visits? It can take 6 months before you lose weight. All you're doing in that time is getting your body's metabolism working properly. Keep it up for another 6 months and you will start to look better, IF you eat properly. And just because you're veg*n doesn't mean you're eating properly (albeit its probably better than 90% of the population).

Don't give up - don't let people get you down. The rewards are very hard to achieve, and they take a long time, but believe me, they are truly worth it. :hug:

[Lornaa]

I work at a gym and as frustrating as my job is sometimes I can take deep pride in the fact that our facility treats members with respect. I took one of those tests at my gym before I worked there and this is how it went for me:

They did a flexibility test, strength test, and endurance test. They also did the dreaded fat pinch test which I know a I have a little bit but I know I'm a healthy size. From the sound of it I was bigger then the OP and they didn't tell me I was obese...because I'm not. All they did was tell me my fitness level was great and offered some suggestion on work outs and classes that would help keep me going.

Nobody wants to be told they're obese...or almost obese. I'm sure some gyms prayon peoples insecurities to make money by telling them they are. What they should be doing is using more positive ways to motivate people no matter what there fitness level so they feel good about coming in. That's why I liked getting a print out of classes that were at my level so I wasn't wasting my time on something to easy or killing myself with something too hard and I didn't feel like I was being judged since it had been so long since I'd being physically active.

Like I said I'm proud of where I work and I don't think a gym membership is a bad idea if the staff there is supportive and understanding of their customers. I believe that a big part of the reason why people pay for gym memberships is because they want a support system. That's part of my job, to make everyone feel comfortable coming into our facility and feel motivated. Like some of you have said you don't need a gym membership to keep in shape, but sometimes its nice to have a place to go for motivation or a place to bring your kids. We have a large facility with programs for everyone from the Elderly to infants and parents and places like that are good for the community.

So to sum up my little rant, don't give up on gyms if you like being around people. Just be very selective about where you go and don't be afraid to complain if something isn't right. You're a paying customer so should be heard. If you think the trainer was insensitive then ask to work with someone else. Also...at your height and weight how could you be obese?

[evelinadatta]

Also...at your height and weight how could you be obese?

I think the OP might have misunderstood what the body fat % represents or the personal trainer used the wrong terms. A dangerously high % of body fat does not mean you are overweight/obese. You can in fact be skinny and still have a high body fat %, as the measurement is exactly that - what percentage of your weight is fat, regardless of how small or large your weight is. (I am using "you" as a general pronoun here, I don't mean to OP or anyone specifically.) I agree that a lot of the gym tests are inaccurate though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage

[MrFlibble]

Invest in some scales that monitor bodyfat/visceral fat/muscle/water as well as weight, so you can use them on a daily basis and see how it changes?

They aren't massively accurate, but you should be able to see a trend. I've been recording my stats every day for the past month and can see muscle mass gaining whilst fat falling.

[Terry B.]

A dangerously high % of body fat does not mean you are overweight/obese. You can in fact be skinny and still have a high body fat %, as the measurement is exactly that - what percentage of your weight is fat, regardless of how small or large your weight is.

You can be obese without being overweight.

You can be overweight (by conventional scales) without being obese.

You can be obese and 'skinny' (by appearance).

You can not have a high percentage of body fat and not be obese as the former is the definition of the latter.

[razzberryapple]

I have a gym membership, and I find it totally boring. I don't have a trainer or anything, but the controlled environment doesn't do much for me.

Think about it this way: You go in there and work out. You're breathing in a bunch of other peoples' old stale air and you blow it back out and suck it back in.

I'd much rather go out for a walk, even though it's getting quite cold way up here. Walking (and running) is like, way healthier and gives me a better buzz. And the buzz is great.

[Abbey]

I have a gym membership, and I find it totally boring. I don't have a trainer or anything, but the controlled environment doesn't do much for me.

Think about it this way: You go in there and work out. You're breathing in a bunch of other peoples' old stale air and you blow it back out and suck it back in.

I'd much rather go out for a walk, even though it's getting quite cold way up here. Walking (and running) is like, way healthier and gives me a better buzz. And the buzz is great.

So you don't do any strength training? If I didn't do strength training I wouldn't have a gym membership either; staying in one place on a treadmill or stairmaster is BORING.

[Brandon]

I've had a membership for a little bit now and I've been really liking it. I go to classes, run both on the track and the treadmill and have been doing strength training for a week now. It's a nice facility and the equipment is very up-to-date and well-maintained.

A membership isn't necessary to be fit/healthy but for me it's been a really good addition to my being a runner. :up:

[lunatilian]

i really don't like how most gyms will do the body fat analysis and tell you you're too fat.

i knew someone that joined a gym and they told her that her ideal body fat percentage was 18% when in reality an adult woman should be between 18 and 25%, anything under 18 is considered too low!

they had her reaching for a goal that is unattainable for the majority of the population not to mention had her thinking she was fat when in reality she was right in the middle of the healthy range :rolleyes:


i just cancelled my gym membership after going 5-6 days a week for more than three years. i'm going to bikram yoga 5 days a week now and am once again excited about my exercise :)

[holly golightly]

I dislike fat tests because there is so much room for error. Even with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Dehydration=fat % increase. That is how a girl on our rowing team determines her hydration each day (we're in exercise & nutr. science so we have machines conveniently near us). Anyway, she has a really low fat % and tries to up it, plus, as an athlete (who is also a bad ass veg), she requires more water so sometimes she checks herself on that (BIA machine). If her fat % is high, she knows she is dehydrated. She uses its error to her advantage. Hydrostatic weighing is accurate if done correctly, but it is so hard to do!! We had to take turns at it and it sucks! You have to hold your breath correctly and there is so much potential for error. I would never EVER rely on fat % at a gym. Hydrostatic weighing takes a professional, I swear. Never, ever. If you must, do it statically. Do not compare it to 'normal' ranges (like you would with weight), just compare it to your new results the next week, then the next. Only compare it to your own results. Unless it's BIA (may hand held devices bioelectrical impedance) b/c then dehydration can cause deviations. Skin fold-blah, don't even bother, unless you are proficient in doing it yourself and gauging the results.

Personally, I had to drop 10 lbs over the summer (occupational hazard). I just used the way my clothes fit and a good old fashioned scale. It's basically about discipline. I had to partially rely on the gym due to my crappy knees. I had to swim (vs. running), which I hate. Plus I'm incorporating strength training to help out with my knees. It sucks, but it works. Normally, I avoid gyms, even with my virtually free membership. As mentioned, the machines are gross, plus I love the outdoors, but if they work best for what is right for you, go for it. I shower afterwards and so far, I have been okay.