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Why are public gyms so popular?
- Thread starter Xerxes
- Start date
Some people don't have room for their own gym. And I bet a lot of people think it's more expensive than it is. All you really need is a good rack, a bench and a barbell and you can do pretty much anything. After that you can add some DBs and stuff for more options. When I get my own house, I'm definitely building a home gym.
If I were to get the equipment I'd want/need to train the way I do - which would only require a power rack, bench, 20kg olympic barbell and appropriate weights - it could still easily cost $1-2,000. Here's an example to demonstrate my point:
I could buy that, have to worry about cleaning/maintenance and finding a suitable space for the equipment in my home and find myself almost completely unmotivated to use it (I find having to go somewhere to train actually makes me train more consistently, while home routines easily go in the trasher almost instantly as a default setting for them), or I could spend significantly less on gym membership in the short term (it would probably take a few years for gym membership to add up to $2000), actually use the gym's facilities consistently, and enjoy the company of some friends there who I probably wouldn't see much of outside of the gym.
I could buy that, have to worry about cleaning/maintenance and finding a suitable space for the equipment in my home and find myself almost completely unmotivated to use it (I find having to go somewhere to train actually makes me train more consistently, while home routines easily go in the trasher almost instantly as a default setting for them), or I could spend significantly less on gym membership in the short term (it would probably take a few years for gym membership to add up to $2000), actually use the gym's facilities consistently, and enjoy the company of some friends there who I probably wouldn't see much of outside of the gym.
U
underdog13
Guest
xerxes is right i hate waiting for machines to be ready besides most people dont train anyway when there there. god forbid i was a member of a gym that didnt allow deadlifts.AAAAAAGH!!!
Hot Girls!
Benefits of my YMCA (US) membership:
- Use 25 yard pool
- incline bench
- flat bench
- squat rack
- smith machine
- pull up bar
- dip bar
- every size dumbbell I could imagine (I don't use the pink ones or anything over 80#)
- barbells and weights
- kettlebells
- various cable machines
- stationary bikes
- ellipticals
- treadmills
(although I rarely use the latter)
That's a lot of stuff to buy and store. Granted, you can get by without a lot of this stuff, but I like the diversity of equipment. As for waiting times, unless you are using a treadmill at 5 - 6 pm, I never have much of a waiting time.
Plus:
- spinning classes
- elliptical (although I rarely use this)
- camaraderie
- able to use other YMCA gyms when I travel which is 2 - 3x /month.
- And maybe most importantly, as Johnny mentioned, hot girls!
To me it's a no-brainer: YMCA for me.
- Use 25 yard pool
- incline bench
- flat bench
- squat rack
- smith machine
- pull up bar
- dip bar
- every size dumbbell I could imagine (I don't use the pink ones or anything over 80#)
- barbells and weights
- kettlebells
- various cable machines
- stationary bikes
- ellipticals
- treadmills
(although I rarely use the latter)
That's a lot of stuff to buy and store. Granted, you can get by without a lot of this stuff, but I like the diversity of equipment. As for waiting times, unless you are using a treadmill at 5 - 6 pm, I never have much of a waiting time.
Plus:
- spinning classes
- elliptical (although I rarely use this)
- camaraderie
- able to use other YMCA gyms when I travel which is 2 - 3x /month.
- And maybe most importantly, as Johnny mentioned, hot girls!
To me it's a no-brainer: YMCA for me.
I find it is a motivational thing, mostly. I have a pretty good gym in my basement at home, but every time I tried to workout there, I would get distracted and never accomplish much. Once I go to all the trouble of getting dressed and driving to the gym, I am pretty focused and can push myself. Plus, I have made a lot of good friends and business contacts at the gym over the years.
Many reasons I joined a gym!
1. The cardio machines, I have acess to a chain of gyms and have acess to a variety of machines, if I were to buy one myself it'd cost me well over £100 (well more then I pay a month) and it'd not be anywhere near as study. Having looked up the machines my gym has it would seem they all start at the £1000 mark.
2. The power plate.
I don't care what anyone else thinks, this think extends my stretches in ways that I am not able to do myself. It works, I feel better.
3. The maintanance of the machines- something I would never be able to afford (especially if I had 10 different ones).
4. The fact I can leave the gym at the gym. If I had a gym at home I'd be forever feeling bad for not using it more- even if I used it every day. This would make me feel bad about myself and I just don't think that its worth the stress.
5. I don't have the space. I live in a studio flat, if I want to turn the TV off or open a window I have to walk across my bed.
6. I also like to use weights from time to time. I like to use the pully machines which also have little machines on telling me my speed and power so I can monitor my movenemt. To have this machine I'd need about £5000.
7. I like to see other people at the gym, I get fed up of being in my own space in my own head most of the day, I go to the gym to get a break.
8. They have sky, mtv and other channels I cannot get at home (I have a very poor signal and no way to repair it without a few £hundred spent on an ariel on the top of my 10 story block of flats which I'd then need to fork out for maintanance for every so often- can't afford it.)
9. I like the gym classes which involve me doing something different.
10. I like the yoga classes which come free with the membership.
11. I do not own a shower (I only have a bath and cannot afford a decent shower). The gym has a shower so I just shower there every day instead.
12. I don't have to scrub the shower after use!
13. I don't have to worry about my elecrtricity bill.
14. I can pick up new ideas and techniques from the gym instructors and even from watching other people.
15. Seeing other people working out too keeps me on the ball and working out properly. I keep my pace and do a far better job then when I go out running in the park for the odd hour.
....need any more reasons?
1. The cardio machines, I have acess to a chain of gyms and have acess to a variety of machines, if I were to buy one myself it'd cost me well over £100 (well more then I pay a month) and it'd not be anywhere near as study. Having looked up the machines my gym has it would seem they all start at the £1000 mark.
2. The power plate.
I don't care what anyone else thinks, this think extends my stretches in ways that I am not able to do myself. It works, I feel better.
3. The maintanance of the machines- something I would never be able to afford (especially if I had 10 different ones).
4. The fact I can leave the gym at the gym. If I had a gym at home I'd be forever feeling bad for not using it more- even if I used it every day. This would make me feel bad about myself and I just don't think that its worth the stress.
5. I don't have the space. I live in a studio flat, if I want to turn the TV off or open a window I have to walk across my bed.
6. I also like to use weights from time to time. I like to use the pully machines which also have little machines on telling me my speed and power so I can monitor my movenemt. To have this machine I'd need about £5000.
7. I like to see other people at the gym, I get fed up of being in my own space in my own head most of the day, I go to the gym to get a break.
8. They have sky, mtv and other channels I cannot get at home (I have a very poor signal and no way to repair it without a few £hundred spent on an ariel on the top of my 10 story block of flats which I'd then need to fork out for maintanance for every so often- can't afford it.)
9. I like the gym classes which involve me doing something different.
10. I like the yoga classes which come free with the membership.
11. I do not own a shower (I only have a bath and cannot afford a decent shower). The gym has a shower so I just shower there every day instead.
12. I don't have to scrub the shower after use!
13. I don't have to worry about my elecrtricity bill.
14. I can pick up new ideas and techniques from the gym instructors and even from watching other people.
15. Seeing other people working out too keeps me on the ball and working out properly. I keep my pace and do a far better job then when I go out running in the park for the odd hour.
....need any more reasons?
I seriously don't understand the appeal of training at home. I have no clue where that $300 number came from but there's zero chance I could get what I need for that. I would spend more than that on dbs alone. If someone is monopolizing a machine, politely ask to work in. But don't give me that weak "they're bigger/stronger/prettier and I don't want to have to ask them" stuff. That's your own insecurity talking. Everybody starts somewhere, and I would never tell someone they couldn't work in with me.
Hot Girls!
Marie Digby - Say It Again :action:8
I just use a bench and a pair of dumbbells for most of what I do, though I still use a barbell for one exercise.
If I were to go out and buy all of it again, it'd probably cost about $250, and most of that would be the weight plates.
^^^^ pure fiction
How could you possibly deduce that?
Ya rly?
I just use a bench and a pair of dumbbells for most of what I do, though I still use a barbell for one exercise.
If I were to go out and buy all of it again, it'd probably cost about $250, and most of that would be the weight plates.
Cloud Cuckooland right here :-
- a bench
- pair of dumbbells
- barbell
- Olympic Weights
Pliz. Are you taking us for fools or what? You might get a useless bench and a pair of dumbbells for $250 but you are saying you got a barbell and weight plates as well?
Any pics and links of where you got those for $250? You didn't happen to have a gun and dispossess someone of their $3000 stuff did you?
I have an oly bar, bench, adjustable dumbbells, treadmill, stability ball, squat rack, pull up bar, lat machine, and over 500 lbs of iron weights, and I maybe spent 300 bucks. Hit Craiglist, garage sales, hell you can even find this stuff laying on the side of the road on trash day. I feel I can get a pretty effective workout in.
Its total nonsense claiming money is the reason for not getting a good workout. Fitness and health are free my friends.
Zero equipment can give you a nice workout. However, progressive overload is a bit of a challenge at times.
Its total nonsense claiming money is the reason for not getting a good workout. Fitness and health are free my friends.
Zero equipment can give you a nice workout. However, progressive overload is a bit of a challenge at times.
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Marie Digby - Say It Again :action:8
Had to youtube her.
uhm yeah
WOW!!:valintines:
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I have an oly bar, bench, adjustable dumbbells, treadmill, stability ball, squat rack, pull up bar, lat machine, and over 500 lbs of iron weights, and I maybe spent 300 bucks. Hit Craiglist, garage sales, hell you can even find this stuff laying on the side of the road on trash day. I feel I can get a pretty effective workout in.
Its total nonsense claiming money is the reason for not getting a good workout. Fitness and health are free my friends.
Zero equipment can give you a nice workout. However, progressive overload is a bit of a challenge at times.
I’ll be a monkey's uncle if you can get all that for 300 bucks! Any pics of your mega-gym and any craiglist listings of all that for 300 bucks?
He said he used a bar, he didn't say it was an Olympic quality bar. He didn't describe the amounts or any weight he puts on the bar.
Xerxes sounds like a middleschooler (judging by his spelling/posts all over teh place) and wrote "If I were to go out and buy all of it again, it'd probably cost about $250, and most of that would be the weight plates." This appears to be conjecture hence my claim of pure fiction. Sorry if I came out the wrong way though.
I’ll be a monkey's uncle if you can get all that for 300 bucks! Any pics of your mega-gym and any craiglist listings of all that for 300 bucks?
You're right, the treadmill was something a friend gave me a few years back. I found the oly bench, bar and some weight plates at a garage sale and offered them 10 bucks while they were packing up the sale. Right at the very end and they wanted it gone. Perfect timing. The stability ball is the only thing I bought at a store. Found the pull up bar in the trash when I was taking my family for a walk one evening. Lat machine was free on CL. etc. etc.
I'll get a pic up for you.