What excuse do you use to get out of going to the gym?

[mailin 0]

I missed last weeks session with my trainer on doctors orders - I pulled everything in my shoulder and I have to give it a few days to heal.

This week I missed it because my daughter is in intensive care at the children's hospital...

I think he's ok with my 'excuses'


Jen

Arianna Frances

[karenmeal 0]

I agree with Douva. I use an eliptical trainer among other cardio machines at the gym. I shopped around with a friend who was looking to purchase an eliptical for her home, all of the ones in the store (even the 1,000 dollar ones) were crap! They were just squeaky and not sturdy.

For me, I don't use free weights, I really prefer the machines, so that kind of precludes a home workout. Although I suppose I could learn to use free weights.. But having a gym membership that I know I'm spending money on is major motivation for me.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[mnealtx 0]

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I agree with Douva. I use an eliptical trainer among other cardio machines at the gym. I shopped around with a friend who was looking to purchase an eliptical for her home, all of the ones in the store (even the 1,000 dollar ones) were crap! They were just squeaky and not sturdy.

For me, I don't use free weights, I really prefer the machines, so that kind of precludes a home workout. Although I suppose I could learn to use free weights.. But having a gym membership that I know I'm spending money on is major motivation for me.

I can definitely get behind the motivation issue.

My problem is limited amount of time. There's 3k people on this base, so that makes for LOOOONG lines in the gym. It literally takes 3 hours to do a workout that would take 45 minutes in a empty gym because there's so many people waiting...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[karenmeal 0]

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My problem is limited amount of time. There's 3k people on this base, so that makes for LOOOONG lines in the gym. It literally takes 3 hours to do a workout that would take 45 minutes in a empty gym because there's so many people waiting...

Yikes!!! That sucks. I wouldn't go to the gym either if that was the case.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[mnealtx 0]

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My problem is limited amount of time. There's 3k people on this base, so that makes for LOOOONG lines in the gym. It literally takes 3 hours to do a workout that would take 45 minutes in a empty gym because there's so many people waiting...

Yikes!!! That sucks. I wouldn't go to the gym either if that was the case.

Yuppers - a couple of the guys get off work at 5 instead of 7:30 or so like I do, and I see them come back from the gym as I'm heading to the chow hall to catch dinner before they close at 8... they gripe about it all the time.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[selbbub78 0]

it's cold outside!!!

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[Douva 0]

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oh, whaa, whaa, whaa, its cold out, its hot out!!

suck it up nancy boy.
i ride my bike more then 150 miles a week(ussually closer to 180) and around 200 in the summer, not including centuries.
oh yeah, did i mention its all on a fixed gear

and no i don't work out, i just "do shit outside" or whatever.

edited to add: anybody wanna see my saddle sore??

So you like riding your bike in all weather. Good for you. But it's still ridiculous to assert that purchasing a gym membership is pointless. "Doing shit outside" is great==certainly leaps and bounds beyond what most people do--but riding your bike daily doesn't give you the same well-rounded workout and health benefits as spending an hour a day in a gym.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[Douva 0]

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How so? Is there a special kind of resistance that you only get from gym machines that you can't get from a home gym or dumbbells?

Basically, yes. Professional gym equipment has more fluid, consistent movement and a wider range of motion. Professional gym equipment also offers more adjustment points, allowing a user to fit the equipment more precisely to his or her body. Also, professional gym equipment is made of heavier materials and put together with sturdier construction techniques. There is a reason you don't see a bunch of home gym equipment at your local Gold's Gym, and it's not because Gold's Gym likes spending $3,000 a piece for machines that only does one exercise each. It's because you get a much better workout on professional gym equipment. The quality difference between home gym equipment and professional gym equipment isn't a controversial issue amongst people in the know; it's a widely accepted fact.

As for dumbbells, dumbbells are dumbbells, assuming you have adjustable weight dumbbells or multiple dumbbells in varying weights, as well as a good adjustable bench that allows you to configure it for each exercise. Still, some exercises, particularly leg exercises, are very difficult to do with dumbbells, and you spend a lot more time working out with dumbbells at home, because of time spent adjusting your bench and changing out your weights, than you would spend if you were moving from bench to bench or machine to machine at the gym.

I work out primarily with free weights, so I could get a free weight set at home and do almost the exact same workout without ever leaving my house, but with setup changes, it would take me nearly twice as long. Plus, I work from home, so I enjoy the social interaction at the gym and the opportunity to get out of my home/office at least once a day.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[rehmwa 2]

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You don't work out, do you?

Anyone with much experience with gym equipment knows that home exercise machines can't hold a candle to the stuff at the gym. Also, when you run outdoors, you have to deal with inclement weather, allergens, etc.

I wouldn't knock his position just yet - different strokes -

I think running in inclement weather does let you mix it up and can give a better workout. Others think the consistency is good. I have olympic style free weights at home. and dumbbells.

The gym stuff equiment is better because it's double instead single chrome, but other than that no difference. It's only harder at home as I have no spotters - but as I get older reps are more important that resistance now. Changeout on the bench with lat and leg attachments doesn't take any longer than walking to the next machine in the gym would, either. And I don't have 30 users a day on my stuff, so mine will last longer.

Ditto on my elliptical.

It's cheaper in the long run to have your own stuff. Just don't short change yourself - buy the professional grade stuff (not "commercial" grade, "professional grade") - I don't agree that you get better resistance and motion. That comes from comparing to cheap crap.

the trade off? for some, it's easier to motivate if you have somewhere to go instead of at home. And much easier to regularly workout with friends.

I also think it's silly to buy a membership, drive a half mile, and then run on a treadmill..... But a gym has a LOT more than just a treadmill.. (BTW - I work out 6 days a week)

In the end - whatever it takes to have a regular program is what works for that person. Arguing over what's better for working out is like arguing over what tastes better at an Arby's.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rehmwa 2]

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keep my $15 a month Golds Gym membership.

That's different -

Nobody mentioned a REAL gym like Golds... I thought the assumption was "health clubs"

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rehmwa 2]

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For me, I don't use free weights, I really prefer the machines, so that kind of precludes a home workout. Although I suppose I could learn to use free weights..

the problem with machine-only workouts is the stabilizers get neglected and only primaries and secondaries get built - mixing it up with dumbbells occasionally could add a TON to your injury prevention. I'd hate to see you injure a rotator cuff or the like...... "Seven Minute Rotator Cuff Solution" is an excellent book.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Douva 0]

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You don't work out, do you?

Anyone with much experience with gym equipment knows that home exercise machines can't hold a candle to the stuff at the gym. Also, when you run outdoors, you have to deal with inclement weather, allergens, etc.

I wouldn't knock his position just yet - different strokes -

I think running in inclement weather does let you mix it up and can give a better workout. Others think the consistency is good. I have olympic style free weights at home. and dumbbells.

The gym stuff equiment is better because it's double instead single chrome, but other than that no difference. It's only harder at home as I have no spotters - but as I get older reps are more important that resistance now. Changeout on the bench with lat and leg attachments doesn't take any longer than walking to the next machine in the gym would, either. And I don't have 30 users a day on my stuff, so mine will last longer.

Ditto on my elliptical.

It's cheaper in the long run to have your own stuff. Just don't short change yourself - buy the professional grade stuff (not "commercial" grade, "professional grade") - I don't agree that you get better resistance and motion. That comes from comparing to cheap crap.

the trade off? for some, it's easier to motivate if you have somewhere to go instead of at home. And much easier to regularly workout with friends.

I also think it's silly to buy a membership, drive a half mile, and then run on a treadmill..... But a gym has a LOT more than just a treadmill.. (BTW - I work out 6 days a week)

In the end - whatever it takes to have a regular program is what works for that person. Arguing over what's better for working out is like arguing over what tastes better at an Arby's.

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keep my $15 a month Golds Gym membership.

That's different -

Nobody mentioned a REAL gym like Golds... I thought the assumption was "health clubs"

I don't think we're comparing apples to apples. I'm talking about the difference between the machines at a real gym and "home gym" machines. Sure, your free weights are pretty much the same stuff you're going to find at the gym, but the original poster was talking about a "home gym abbowriderflexthigy." THESE are "home gyms." There's no comparison between "home gym" multi-exercise machines and the commercial use single-exercise machines. The gym stuff is far superior.

Running outside is great if you're training for competition or combat, but if you just want a good cardio/leg endurance workout, inclement weather is more than most people want to deal with.

I agree with you that free weights should be incorporated into any workout program. Anyone whose workout routine doesn't include resistance training with weights needs to look at some of the recent studies on the subject.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[LisaM 0]

I don't go to the gym. I go to karate. My excuse then is legit "kid has too much homework".

We have an exercise room in the house. I have no excuse for not at least walikng on the treadmill... but it has quite a bit of dust on it.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[Evelyn 0]

LOL. We have an exercise bike that has become a clothes rack. When I don't go to the gym and want to use the bike I have to remove all the clothes first.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ~ Helen Keller

[bamajay 0]

I can't get out of going to the gym - it's where I work. I figure that if I'm there, I may as well lift something before or after. The downside is that it's hard to distinguish the picture of being 'at work' and simply being at work 'working out.' In my mind, I work like ten hours a day, when I only actually worked eight.
Home gyms are never a good thing for very long, and I should know, because last year I finally gave away the weight set which was taking up the space (and being used as a clothes rack) for so long.
I definitely prefer the local independent gyms to the chains (no offense to them).

[ltdiver 3]

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I can't get out of going to the gym - it's where I work.

I work in neuro-rehab 8 hr/day 5 days/week, wrestling patients non-stop. I'm asked if I go to a gym...I laugh and say, yeah...8 hrs/day! No need to go to anything else!

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon