so, tell me about your gym

littlem

posted: 6/18/2007 at 12:48 PM

as as soon as my job formally ends at the end of this week, i lose access to the free gym adjacent to my school-- i'll be shopping around. i'm interested in the +/- of your gym situation b/c i want to know what to look for when i check out the places around me. also, i have the option of getting an alumni membership @ my old college for something like $13/mo for the first year, which is *awesome* b/c it has several very well-equipped and well-staffed locations and pools... but i'd need to drive roughly an hour to get to any of them and another hour back. worth it? $13 bucks a month!

rockenmamaof5

posted: 6/18/2007 at 1:12 PM

My gym is at home!

Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

zoom-zoom

Fanatic #3965

posted: 6/18/2007 at 2:35 PM

Quote from rockenmamaof5 on 6/18/2007 at 1:12 PM:

My gym is at home!

Mine, too. What I have... Step with 5 risers (used as a weight bench and for leg work, not for step workouts, since I hate them) 5# bar with 35#s worth of plates 3/5/8 set dumbells 10# dumbells 12# dumbells 15# dumbells (soon will need 20s) resistance bands Used to have a nice yoga ball until a certain dumbass cat jumped on it with claws extended...oops! k

Kirsten

'07: 1324.5 | '08: 1561 | '09: 1810.9 run ~ 208.7 bike | '10: 1,000.3 run ~ 3513.5 bike | '11: 710.3 run ~ 4157.9 bike '12: 659.9 run ~ 3365.6 bike (100% benched by ortho last 4.5 weeks while in long-arm cast)

'13 Goals:

• DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!!!

• get within 5#s of 130#s (and stay there, gotdammit!)

• 1st olympic distance duathlon

• 1st Iceman Cometh mtn bike race

• Half Fanatic

• punch Type 1 in the junk

Mississippi

posted: 6/18/2007 at 2:36 PM

I don't have a gym...at home or elsewhere. Probably never will.

zoom-zoom

Fanatic #3965

posted: 6/18/2007 at 2:58 PM

Quote from Mississippi on 6/18/2007 at 2:36 PM:

I don't have a gym...at home or elsewhere. Probably never will.

Don't you have a treadmill, though? I don't have that. My weights and step are WAY cheaper and take up less space than a TM. A big priority in our next house will be room for a TM...though I will have to get used to running on one. When I bought my most recent pair of shoes they had me run on one and it was REALLY awkward feeling. k

Kirsten

'07: 1324.5 | '08: 1561 | '09: 1810.9 run ~ 208.7 bike | '10: 1,000.3 run ~ 3513.5 bike | '11: 710.3 run ~ 4157.9 bike '12: 659.9 run ~ 3365.6 bike (100% benched by ortho last 4.5 weeks while in long-arm cast)

'13 Goals:

• DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!!!

• get within 5#s of 130#s (and stay there, gotdammit!)

• 1st olympic distance duathlon

• 1st Iceman Cometh mtn bike race

• Half Fanatic

• punch Type 1 in the junk

Mississippi

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:05 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 6/18/2007 at 2:58 PM:

Don't you have a treadmill, though? I don't have that.

OHHH...well,yes, I do have a treadmill but that's it. We have an old hunk of junk weight lifting bench but I don't touch it, it's missing some parts...and it scares me. Big grin

When I think of gym I picture weight lifting machines and all that fun stuff!

zoom-zoom

Fanatic #3965

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:15 PM

Quote from Mississippi on 6/18/2007 at 3:05 PM:

When I think of gym I picture weight lifting machines and all that fun stuff!

You can get a much better workout for much cheaper with simple dumbells and a barbell and plates. For me the only reason to join a gym would be to have access to a treadmill, but I'd rather own my own in the future and not be shelling out big bucks each month. But for someone who wants to use a lot of different equipment and have access to things like a pool, racketball/squash court, classes and other things that aren't practical or affordable in a home gym, then I can see the value.

Kirsten

'07: 1324.5 | '08: 1561 | '09: 1810.9 run ~ 208.7 bike | '10: 1,000.3 run ~ 3513.5 bike | '11: 710.3 run ~ 4157.9 bike '12: 659.9 run ~ 3365.6 bike (100% benched by ortho last 4.5 weeks while in long-arm cast)

'13 Goals:

• DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!!!

• get within 5#s of 130#s (and stay there, gotdammit!)

• 1st olympic distance duathlon

• 1st Iceman Cometh mtn bike race

• Half Fanatic

• punch Type 1 in the junk

rockenmamaof5

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:21 PM

Quote from zoom-zoom on 6/18/2007 at 3:15 PM:

You can get a much better workout for much cheaper with simple dumbells and a barbell and plates. For me the only reason to join a gym would be to have access to a treadmill, but I'd rather own my own in the future and not be shelling out big bucks each month. But for someone who wants to use a lot of different equipment and have access to things like a pool, racketball/squash court, classes and other things that aren't practical or affordable in a home gym, then I can see the value.

I second this!!

Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

RunChicRun

madness baby

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:23 PM

i have a membership at a nationwide gym for less than $30/month (i pre-pay every year or 1.5 yrs). i prioritize gyms that have many locations because i drive a lot and sometimes i can go to their gyms when i travel. i also want decent showers/lockers in the gym and hopefully a weight-lifting area that is not meat-markety (which is often impossible) or that the guys aren't territorial over the machines. but, i'll deal with it for the price Wink

i see a few cons with the gym for $13/mo: 1) driving automatically raises the price considerably 2) working out with undergrads 3) not as easy to go to often due to the drive Good luck! You're reminding me to make it to the gym today! Smile

deb

zoom-zoom

Fanatic #3965

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:31 PM
modified: 6/19/2007 at 2:22 PM

Quote from RunChicRun on 6/18/2007 at 3:23 PM:

i see a few cons with the gym for $13/mo: 1) driving automatically raises the price considerably 2) working out with undergrads 3) not as easy to go to often due to the drive

Years ago my alma mater gave alums FREE membership and immediate family members were something like <$50 for the entire family for the year. nowadays it's very $$$...i think something like $60/month or more, even for alums...and family members pay through the nose. granted, it is an amazing facility, but it is also super busy and we now live almost an hour away--so totally not practical, even if we did live close. but if it were still cheap and we lived closer it would be tempting. k for="" the="" entire="" family="" for="" the="" year.="" nowadays="" it's="" very="" $$$...i="" think="" something="" like="" $60/month="" or="" more,="" even="" for="" alums...and="" family="" members="" pay="" through="" the="" nose.="" granted,="" it="" is="" an="" amazing="" facility,="" but="" it="" is="" also="" super="" busy="" and="" we="" now="" live="" almost="" an="" hour="" away--so="" totally="" not="" practical,="" even="" if="" we="" did="" live="" close.="" but="" if="" it="" were="" still="" cheap="" and="" we="" lived="" closer="" it="" would="" be="" tempting.=""></$50 for the entire family for the year. nowadays it's very $$$...i think something like $60/month or more, even for alums...and family members pay through the nose. granted, it is an amazing facility, but it is also super busy and we now live almost an hour away--so totally not practical, even if we did live close. but if it were still cheap and we lived closer it would be tempting. k>

Kirsten

'07: 1324.5 | '08: 1561 | '09: 1810.9 run ~ 208.7 bike | '10: 1,000.3 run ~ 3513.5 bike | '11: 710.3 run ~ 4157.9 bike '12: 659.9 run ~ 3365.6 bike (100% benched by ortho last 4.5 weeks while in long-arm cast)

'13 Goals:

• DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!!!

• get within 5#s of 130#s (and stay there, gotdammit!)

• 1st olympic distance duathlon

• 1st Iceman Cometh mtn bike race

• Half Fanatic

• punch Type 1 in the junk

rockenmamaof5

posted: 6/18/2007 at 3:40 PM

Speaking of treadmills, we we're at Sports Authority yesterday looking at them. The one dh had his eye on has a full entertainment system in it (music and tv). Not sure I like that idea, but hey if I have to do any running inside why not watch tv Wink

Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

Bonkin

posted: 6/18/2007 at 4:35 PM

Quote from rockenmamaof5 on 6/18/2007 at 1:12 PM:

My gym is at home!

Ditto.

Passion is a rather frightening thing because if you have passion you don't know where it will take you.

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

Wingz

posted: 6/18/2007 at 5:01 PM

With that much of a drive, I think you'll find that you use it less and less frequently as time goes on. Then it's just $13 that goes into something you don't use. I'd look first to see what's closer. Much closer.

Roads were made for journeys...

reneemc

posted: 6/18/2007 at 5:06 PM

I am about to admit something excessive: I belong to two gyms. One is part of a large university I am affiliated with and has the works, an Olympic size swimming pool, nice weight room, treadmills. It's about a 15-20 minute walk from school. It was $100 for the year. The other is craptacular. The treadmills don't work, there are lots of grunting men in the weights area, it doesn't have a pool. And it's 2 blocks from my house. It costs maybe $250 for the year. I NEVER use the fancy university gym. I went once. It's inconvenient to make work, it's filled with college students who are there to do everything but work out, and the locker rooms reflect that. The other gym I use at least 1-2 times per week. I can't wait until the other membership lapses so I can stop feeling guilty about it.

2008 Goals

Run 1250 miles

Get down to 135!

Break 5 hours in the NJ Marathon

littlem

posted: 6/18/2007 at 5:50 PM

hm. hm. so much to figure out. my summer job is in my old town, right by that university, so it's actually the easiest set of gyms for me to use all summer long. i also prefer being in my old town to being in my current town, so i'm down there pretty much every weekend and maybe once during the week as it is (friends down there, etc). working out with undergrads is gross, it's true (how many times will creepy 19-year-olds looking to "make it" w/ an older woman try to walk me to my car? i actually had one of them explain it to me that way. hey, ya little twerp, it's not flattering to be called an "older woman"!), but working out w/ graduate students & professors is fine. most of my friends who are still down there are exactly those two types of people. they also have amazing alumni rates for personal trainers, classes and coached sessions, which is good b/c i want to get back into coached swimming at some point this winter. but yeah. probably during winter i won't want to make that drive on the very same days i don't want to run outside if i can help it! the gyms around here are $55/mo and up, no pools. that adds up pretty quickly! ugh gymmms. i kinda hate you as much as i love you.

so, tell me about your gym (Read 1353 times)

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