I need some gym rat advice

busy91

busy91

0
OK, I think I'm going to join a gym. A Powerhouse opened up about a mile from my home. I can walk there. I haven't been a memeber of a gym in 20 years, and that was a woman's gym.

I don't know what to really look for. I am planning to visit on Saturday to check out the equipment, staff and the clientele, as well as the locker room.

From the photos of the gym I've seen they have all the stuff a gym should have (weights, tredmill, ellipticals....).

What attracted me to join this particular gym is 1) location 2) hours (24 hours) 3) membership plans (you can pay per day, week, month...) and they give you one week free.

What I am afraid of are too many men and pushy trainers. At this point in time, I don't want a trainer. I just want to do my own thing. I'm not opposed to someone showing me how to use the equipment, but that's it. I also still have that torn tendon in my shoulder, so I can't really do anything heavy duty.

Does anyone know what red flags I should look out for?
 
ooo a read a thread somewhere on the forums where this question was answered.

i will try find it and let you know.

i used to go a 24 hour gym and it was so convenient, working out alone at 1am felt amazing hehe. i would get really sweaty and wasn't worried about what people thought cause nobody was around! lol
 
I'm no gym rat but I can say most gyms today cater to most everyone. It's the small, strip-mall gyms and/or old school gyms that you have to watch out for.

Besides those though, most aren't going to be too bad. Pushy trainers would suck, but as soon as you tell them to buzz off once, I doubt they're going to keep pestering you. If that was their business plan, the gym would close down.

As long as they have the basics and anything else that you might be looking for..... there's nothing I can think of that you'd need to watch for. Lift there for a week and see if the environment fits you.

There's a gym in my area that completely denounces free weights. And their trainers are morons. I shy people away from that place.
 
snookums that would be great. Thanks.

Steve, thanks for the thoughts. I'm happy for the free week, they really seem like they try to cater to everyone.

I plan to go around 5am during the week and 7am on weekends, so hopefully I can get a good feel.
 
i wish the trainers at our ymca were more pushy. they don't pay attention to anyone but their friends and if you ask them a question they look at your like they wish you would just drop dead. you could be halfway to killing yourself on a machine and they wouldn't say a word.
 
LandonsBaby said:
i wish the trainers at our ymca were more pushy. they don't pay attention to anyone but their friends and if you ask them a question they look at your like they wish you would just drop dead. you could be halfway to killing yourself on a machine and they wouldn't say a word.
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In my experience, you need at least one really good trainer on a staff in order to maintain a hint of competence and professionalism across the board of trainers.

If you don't have one on staff.... you're looking at a pot of people who fell into an easy job and who have no real care to further their knowledge. Most on this forum know more than these trainers.
 
busy91 said:
What I am afraid of are too many men and pushy trainers. At this point in time, I don't want a trainer. I just want to do my own thing. I'm not opposed to someone showing me how to use the equipment, but that's it. I also still have that torn tendon in my shoulder, so I can't really do anything heavy duty.

Does anyone know what red flags I should look out for?
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I've never encountered a pushy trainer before at a gym, have you? That would make me uncomfortable if I did. I hired two personal trainers in the past and had great experiences with both of them. What they taught me has stayed with me all this time, especially how to work out properly, correct forms, breathing, reps. It was nice to have someone watch me and point out where I was wrong in my forms while doing the variety of different machines and free weights.

I don't like a gym packed with men either, that is my own insecurities. If I looked amazing, I probably wouldn't even care who was there. You can usually ask the staff what times of the day are not busy and go then. That way you can get in and do your own thing without having to deal with the joys of a crowded gym.
 
Most gym owners/managers squash the idea of pushy trainers. But I've witnessed a few who don't.... and what you have are trainers that will do anything to get the 'sale.'

They're pushy in the sense that they will come and offer their 'advice' over and over again.... critique what you're doing over and over. Their goal is to make you doubt what you're doing and wonder if a 'professional' could make the difference you've been hoping for.
 
I have met pushy trainers, I was ready to forgo my extra spending money so i could afford the gym member ship but the person showing me aroudn insisted i'd never get my moneys worth if i didn't have a trainer at least 3 times a week etc. I didn't have that kind of money and I ended up not joining the gym at all becuase I was nervous about being in the same place as them in case they were bitter.
 
About the pushy trainers:
I haven't been in a gym in years so I have never had the experience of a personal trainer at all. So I'm not even sure what to expect from them. I see the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" and think they are like them.

I was thinking if they are not pushy (which they are probably not), later down the line, when my shoulder heals, I may utilize one, but these people are BIG, both men & women so I'm a little worried that they'll push me too hard. I'm such a sissy.
 
busy91 said:
I plan to go around 5am during the week and 7am on weekends, so hopefully I can get a good feel.
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those hours can be extremely busy or extremely dead - so make sure what you want to use has availability and no waiting... and cleanliness of the locker rooms.. if the locker room is apigsty - then I'd be willing to bet equipment isn't well maintained either..
 
Steve said:
Most gym owners/managers squash the idea of pushy trainers. But I've witnessed a few who don't.... and what you have are trainers that will do anything to get the 'sale.'

They're pushy in the sense that they will come and offer their 'advice' over and over again.... critique what you're doing over and over. Their goal is to make you doubt what you're doing and wonder if a 'professional' could make the difference you've been hoping for.
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Ewww! That is awful. I would hate that for sure, unless the trainer was really hot! lol JK

I had the opposite experience. I watched the trainers for months with their clients, and I was impressed with them. I eventually went to the trainer whom I thought was the best fit for me and it was great.

I went to 24hr fitness, so perhaps they don't allow their trainers at the gyms I went to, to harass the members.
 
busy91 said:
About the pushy trainers:
I haven't been in a gym in years so I have never had the experience of a personal trainer at all. So I'm not even sure what to expect from them. I see the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" and think they are like them.

I was thinking if they are not pushy (which they are probably not), later down the line, when my shoulder heals, I may utilize one, but these people are BIG, both men & women so I'm a little worried that they'll push me too hard. I'm such a sissy.
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LOL! I know what you mean, the trainers on biggest loser are fierce, but the contestants know they are up for that when they sign up.

My trainers pushed me in a friendly way. Small stuff, like adding more weight, when I was getting stronger. Speeding up my cardio as I got stronger. They pushed me to show me what I was capable of, but no where near what the BL trainers do. I guess you just have to find the right fit with one, as they are all different. I picked trainers that were really grounded and down to earth, they made me laugh, and supported me. I miss them!
 
Hello good luck in the power house gym

I belong to gold's gym trainer there are not pushy alot are more open when you ask questions about stuff in the gym. I will say this about us men we are not there to hit on ladies we are there for the same thing as you ladies are to lose the fat we put on. I would say you already know what look for in anything building you walk into is how friendly the staff is and how clean is the building.

so donnot worry be happy and enjoy your workouts love life brings you.
 
3) membership plans (you can pay per day, week, month...) and they give you one week free.
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This was a red flag to me... make sure to look through the contract that you sign to be able to work there for crazy exit clauses, and hidden fees... one of the staples of the industry is them counting on you being too lazy / not knowing everything about your payments.
 
Oh don't worry James, I'm going to ask lots of questions about the payment plans. My thought is you pay more for the less time. So a Day would cost more than a week (meaning $25 a day but $20 a day if you pay for the week). Stuff like that.
 
maleficent said:
those hours can be extremely busy or extremely dead - so make sure what you want to use has availability and no waiting... and cleanliness of the locker rooms.. if the locker room is apigsty - then I'd be willing to bet equipment isn't well maintained either..
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In my neighborhood....DEAD. I'm lucky if someone else is out there with me at 5am to walk or run. I livein lazytown, better known as "The Bronx".
 
Well guys I ended up joining NYSC (New York Sports Club) instead of Powerhouse gym. I is much more money, but you get what you pay for. Here were the differences I found.


Lockeroom - PG - Small, dirty, tiny lockers, and near the male weight room.
NYSC - Clean, well lit, Large lockers and towels available.

Staff - PG - One person at the front counter. More interested in watching the TV than helping. Unable to show us around, told us we could look around ourselves.
NYSC - We were given to a worker who gave us a tour, explained things to us, showed us how to use some of the equipment.

Equipment - PG - Weight room was a real man's weight room. If you are interested in looking like Arnold, then this is the gym for you. The cardio equipment seemd OK, most of them were operational. They were off in a seperate room from the weights. Nautulus equipment was down in the bottom level, seemed to be well used.
NYSC - No seperate weight room, cardio equipment was state of the art (with TVs), Nautulus clean and well kept. Well organized and spaced out.

Powerhouse is good if you are on a budget and want to join a gym but don't have the funds. It is $5 a day, $20 a week and $50 a month. You can be a walk in and work out for $5. They are 24 hours.

NYSC - opens at 5am M-f and 8 on weekends. 1 year membership required.

They are in the same neighborhood (caddy corner from one another), and it is about a 10 min walk from my house.

So I took all of your guys advice and it was helpful. Thanks a lot! Hopefully I can be more active. I went this morning and had a good workout.
 
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