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How much ya bench?

A Boy Named Seo Jan 24 2010 09:30 PM

Any of you go to a gym? I've been thinking about it for years, but prefer exercising outdoors or alone, but am thinking hard about it again. Think for some reason, I'd be into the classes. Not sure why. For those that go, do you find it's worth the $$ you pay? What stuff do you like about it? What stuff do you not?

Fman99 Jan 24 2010 09:40 PM Re: How much ya bench?

I have belonged at different times in my life to Gold's Gym, the YMCA and currently Planet Fitness. For $20 a month I have gyms near both my house and work, that are clean, fairly well equipped and open most of the time. And access to a treadmill, which my house does not have capacity for due to an overabundance of "decor" and "kids' toys and crapola." Well worth the cost in my own experience. Gold's and the Y both charged twice what I currently pay for essentially the same services and equipment. The down side? Ugly people, lunkheads grunting as they lift, people who smell, and seeing more dongs than just your own. Haven't done much in the way of classes, but living in a state which gets inclement weather, I am all about the gym membership. Beats running around outside in the snow like a mental patient gone AWOL.

Frayed Knot Jan 24 2010 09:45 PM Re: How much ya bench?

Not currently, though did for several years. My biggest concern were I to look to join again would be convenience. The one I attended was about a 4 minute walk from home so I was there all the time (even if just for quickies) as there was never any hassle about whether to go. If some place is going to be a 20 minute drive that's 40 minutes out of your day without touching a weight or stepping on a machine - more if parking is a problem. Losing weight was never my big concern so I used it for strength training and fitness. Most of what I did was on my own but also took the occasional class: spin classes to keep in biking shape during the winter (I know you don't have that out there) and the odd group abs workouts, etc. If nothing else those, or ones like them, are good to incorporate movement into your work instead of just stationary sitting and lifting or single-minded machine work.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 24 2010 10:03 PM Re: How much ya bench?

We belong to the local YMCA, which is not a great gym by any stretch but an excellent thing to have in the hood. I started going regularly again late last month, I generally do 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes slow on the treadmill and some of the nautilus stuff (I'm scared of running outdoors or running fast still). Lotta young people (girls) work out there, which is a plus, and seems like the real powerlifting meathead Polish strongmen go to a different gym a block away. Our deal is 70-something a month for a family membership I think. Good deal for us since we do stuff like swimming for the kid, Wifey does a yoga class etc. and they can provide the kid with stuff to do if you need it. Lunchy Jr. also goes to preschool there -- he made Page 15 of the Winter Brochure:

A Boy Named Seo Jan 24 2010 10:52 PM Re: How much ya bench?

My sked is very flexible, so I could get in at off hours, so crowds (and dongs) freaked me out less than high costs and restrictive contracts. I think it'd be real nice to have a bike and a treadmill and some dumbbells and a yoga class with a cute chick or three at my disposal. I totally forgot about the Y. There's one a block away, too. I'll have to check it out. Saw this place a few times, so I went to their website and this is how they sell me: I never thought I would be a personal trainer in a small gym in Long Beach, CA. I studied international business administration at the University of San Diego with aspirations of being a world traveler, doing business in far off countries. I pictured myself making deals in Dubai and getting into my fast european car. Now I sit in my 2 man infrared sauna at my small fitness studio and smirk as I read about how foreigners are fleeing Dubai and leaving their Mercedes at the airport parking lot. The economy is bad. Everyone is losing their job. Everyone is stressed out. So what do you do? Work your body. Feed it healthy foods. Let it soak in an ionic foot bath. Strengthen it on a whole body vibration platform. Finish and go home charged up. My fitness studio, 2020 Fitness is booming. Clients are driving from nearby cities to train. People can feel results that are deep. Their bodies feel nourished. They're eating well and coming in regularly. We offer a training session that is extremely unique. No thanks, dick.

Fman99 Jan 25 2010 06:22 AM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="A Boy Named Seo"]My sked is very flexible, so I could get in at off hours, so crowds (and dongs) freaked me out less than high costs and restrictive contracts. I think it'd be real nice to have a bike and a treadmill and some dumbbells and a yoga class with a cute chick or three at my disposal. I totally forgot about the Y. There's one a block away, too. I'll have to check it out. Saw this place a few times, so I went to their website and this is how they sell me: I never thought I would be a personal trainer in a small gym in Long Beach, CA. I studied international business administration at the University of San Diego with aspirations of being a world traveler, doing business in far off countries. I pictured myself making deals in Dubai and getting into my fast european car. Now I sit in my 2 man infrared sauna at my small fitness studio and smirk as I read about how foreigners are fleeing Dubai and leaving their Mercedes at the airport parking lot. The economy is bad. Everyone is losing their job. Everyone is stressed out. So what do you do? Work your body. Feed it healthy foods. Let it soak in an ionic foot bath. Strengthen it on a whole body vibration platform. Finish and go home charged up. My fitness studio, 2020 Fitness is booming. Clients are driving from nearby cities to train. People can feel results that are deep. Their bodies feel nourished. They're eating well and coming in regularly. We offer a training session that is extremely unique. No thanks, dick.

Wow, that reads like it was written by a guy that would rest his latte and hemp keychain on your back while he was ramming you and chanting Hari Krishnas. Better off at the Y.

metirish Jan 25 2010 06:52 AM Re: How much ya bench?

JCL, is that a typical monthly price for a family? The missus was looking online yesterday and the YMCA site seemed vague on pricing, we def would check it out as we want to teach the kid how to swim. A bonus would be all three of being able to use the facilities. I've never been to a YMCA. Love the junior quote and pic.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 25 2010 07:08 AM Re: How much ya bench?

to be honest they do a bank draft and for all I know the price could be higher, but I seem to recall $78 for the fam membership. Depending on how convenient the location is to you I'd definitely recommend a Ybmembership. Swimming is cool because it lets one of us work out while the swims and vice versa. There is also something old NYish about the pllace, built in the 1800s. Smells like the Brookln Eckfors worked out there.

themetfairy Jan 25 2010 07:21 AM Re: How much ya bench?

I'm a spouse member at the gym at D-Dad's workplace. A 20-minute drive, but for $20 a month it's worth it. I tend to work out mostly on my own - I have a treadmill and hand weights at home, and I'm an ExerciseTV addict, both on On Demand and online. But I go in religiously for my weekly yoga class, which I love, and I take Pilates when it fits into my schedule. I also tried out a couple of other classes last week - I definitely get a lot out of the classes when I take them. Over the summer I had won a 3-month membership at a fancy local gym, and I took advantage of that during the fall. Again, I really didn't love the machines (even though there were plenty of them, and they were all state of the art), but I went there regularly for classes. I enjoyed it while I was there, but couldn't justify the cost of joining up after my three months were over. A lot of gyms will offer a one-week trial membership to people who haven't previously been members. See if any of your local health clubs will do that for you - it would give you a chance to check out the places without a commitment.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 25 2010 08:06 AM Re: How much ya bench?

I've never done the gym thing. We have a treadmill at home, which sometimes I ignore for months and sometimes I use a lot. I'm currently in a very active treadmilling stage.

Edgy DC Jan 25 2010 08:20 AM Re: How much ya bench?

I neglect the gym for months at a time before getting my act together. It was totally together for a while there, until I had to start double-timing it at work. Now the thought of all the good I've undone gets me so depressed I want to kill Seo for reminding me with this thread.

metsmarathon Jan 25 2010 08:22 AM Re: How much ya bench?

$150/year gets me and mrsmm (and minimm, technically) full access to the gym here, which is a mile and a half from my office, as well as lets us participate in the many "intramural" sports on site, which basically means the basketball, volleyball, and softball leagues for me. the golf league is extra, as its run independently of the gym. i'm trying to go out of my way this year to avoid running on a treadmill at said gym, mostly because despite the cold, rainy weather, i'd usually prefer to run outdoors than in, especially if i've got a longer run than 5 miles. but if its icy, or sloppy out ill head up there i guess. otherwise, i'm trying to use my office as the home base for my midweek runs (we have a shower, which is nice). i had been a regular customer in the weight (machine) room, but they got new machines at about the same time as i was ramping up my mileage last year, and since i don't really like the new machines, i haven't lifted in half a year, though i need to get back into it. the decision comes down to: a) run b) basketball c) lift, and right now a and b are winning. for the record, i generally do somewhat higher reps and generally lower weight, as i figure that'd be more useful for the distance running. i don't spend too much effort trying to max out or anything like that, but upper body strength is a good thing for a runner to have. and it comes in handy in basketball, too.

MFS62 Jan 25 2010 08:47 AM Re: How much ya bench?

Questions like this remind me of an interview I heard with George Burns on his 95th (or so) birthday. He was asked if he exercised. He answered (paraphrasing, but no far off): "At my age, the only exercise I get is carrying the caskets of my friends who exercise." Later

themetfairy Jan 25 2010 08:56 AM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="metsmarathon":3umtq4kl] for the record, i generally do somewhat higher reps and generally lower weight, as i figure that'd be more useful for the distance running. i don't spend too much effort trying to max out or anything like that, but upper body strength is a good thing for a runner to have. and it comes in handy in basketball, too.[/quote:3umtq4kl] I agree about the importance of lean muscle mass. Additionally, I have found that my abs work/Pilates has been incredibly helpful for running - I can feel my core kick in when I run these days.

Chad Ochoseis Jan 25 2010 07:54 PM Re: How much ya bench?

I go four times a week, twice with a personal trainer. Fortunately, he's never said anything about soaking my body in an ionic foot bath. Definitely worth it, I think. All the usual good stuff you hear about it improving your general outlook on life is true. After a few years of it, I still don't look anything like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I look a lot less like Arnold Horshack than I used to. Cost for the gym itself - a friendly neighborhood gym in a working class city in Jersey - is something like $325 per year. Gym has weights, machines, cardio equipment, some classes, a locker room, and nothing else. But that's all I was looking for in a gym. The trainer...well, if I didn't have the trainer, I could probably trade in my Hyundai for a BMW. But I don't want a BMW. Waking up at 5AM to work out kind of sucks. In fact, I probably need to get out of the 'pool and get some sleep like, now. However, I find that you avoid a lot of the dorks, both figurative and literal, if you show up early in the morning. think it'd be real nice to have a bike and a treadmill and some dumbbells and a yoga class with a cute chick or three at my disposal. Ever consider martial arts? It's a much better workout than a bike, treadmill, and dumbells, and karate women are like yoga women, except that they can kick your butt. I tried it years ago and would do it again, except that both my body and my schedule lack sufficient flexibility.

themetfairy Jan 25 2010 08:38 PM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="Chad Ochoseis":1bu2aecw] Ever consider martial arts? It's a much better workout than a bike, treadmill, and dumbells, and karate women are like yoga women, except that they can kick your butt. [/quote:1bu2aecw] As a yoga woman, I'm asserting that I'm pretty sure that I can kick your butt ;)

Nymr83 Jan 25 2010 11:22 PM Re: How much ya bench?

$150/year gets me... they want that per month at the JCC, bastards.

TransMonk Jan 26 2010 10:28 AM Re: How much ya bench?

I go to a chain heath club that is $29/month. No pool or classes, but does offer machines and trainers. It is nice for me because it is 2 blocks from where I work and about 10 blocks from home. I really have no excuse to blow exercising off other than laziness.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 26 2010 10:53 AM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="Chad Ochoseis"] think it'd be real nice to have a bike and a treadmill and some dumbbells and a yoga class with a cute chick or three at my disposal. Ever consider martial arts? It's a much better workout than a bike, treadmill, and dumbells, and karate women are like yoga women, except that they can kick your butt. I tried it years ago and would do it again, except that both my body and my schedule lack sufficient flexibility.

Never really given that a thought. Never much seemed like my thing. Dunno. You guys are getting some pretty decent deals from your gyms. I went to the Y here yesterday and it seemed basic and OK, very little in the way of any kind of classes. Belly dancing and shit like that. Plus, they're strangely closed on Sunday. Wonder if that's the norm. Still $34/month, plus start-up fee. Then I went to a really nice local gym, loved everything about it, better hours than the Y, offers way more stuff, but it was $67/month, no contract. That made me balk big-time, but I still might go pull the trigger today.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 26 2010 08:57 PM Re: How much ya bench?

I joined the fancy one and loved it. An hour on a bike, 30 minutes on a rower, and a shower in a shower nicer than I have at my apartment. They're cool, too, cause they give you access to a fitness consultant or something (different than a trainer) who helps outline your goals and how to get there, and then you check in with that person once or twice a month just to keep you on course. I like that. Plus they have this thing where if you try six different things they offer (classes and whatever), and they'll knock some money off your bill. Get you interested in stuff you might not have otherwise given a thought to, and save a few buxxx, too. Very happy so far. Plus, it was raining like hell again, so I didn't feel guilty for plunking down all that moolah joining. And there's a bar upstairs that you can put your tab on your gym membership. Trouble. Thanks for all your feedbacks.

themetfairy Jan 26 2010 09:01 PM Re: How much ya bench?

Very nice Seo - enjoy the fancy gym :)

Rockin' Doc Jan 26 2010 09:54 PM Re: How much ya bench?

I pay $35 a month for membership to a small fitness center that's less than a quarter mile from the house. It's in 8-9 rooms on the first floor of a renovated former hospital. No pool and few frills, but it is filled with modern, well maintained equipment and a trained staff. I like that it is seldom crowded, so I have never had to wait for any machines in the seven months that I have been a member.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 28 2010 12:53 PM Re: How much ya bench?

Total dong parade at the new gym. 100% on dudes over 50, too. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, fellas.

Fman99 Jan 28 2010 07:34 PM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="A Boy Named Seo":2feoer8j]Total dong parade at the new gym. 100% on dudes over 50, too. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, fellas.[/quote:2feoer8j] Yeah, I think that every second or third person dong seen should equal a "member"ship discount.

Frayed Knot Jan 28 2010 07:41 PM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="A Boy Named Seo":3fyza8gv]Total dong parade at the new gym. [/quote:3fyza8gv] In that case you're assigned to do research for the circumcision poll.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 29 2010 11:38 AM Re: How much ya bench?

[quote="Frayed Knot"][quote="A Boy Named Seo"]Total dong parade at the new gym.

In that case you're assigned to do research for the circumcision poll. "Nah, I wasn't looking at your dong in that way, it's just that ... see, me and my friends were talking about dongs and circumcision and hoods and stuff, and, nah, wait, just hear me out, it's cool, really ..."

Ashie62 Jan 29 2010 05:58 PM Re: How much ya bench?

Sixteen Candles.."The Donger"

A Boy Named Seo Feb 15 2010 12:07 PM Re: How much ya bench?

Went to my first yoga class yesterday and as luck would have it, it was a Valentine's Day couples yoga. I ended up being the partner of the yoga instructor for 90 minutes. Every goddamn yoga class better be like that one.