I remember the days when I used to exclusively workout at a big commercial gym. I used to think it was absolutely necessary to be in a gym to get results- that a good workout required you to be in a health club with all the equipment. Today I find myself at the best point of my life, from both a business and fitness standpoint, and I haven’t stepped foot in a commercial gym for almost 2 years now. After some thought, I wrote down what I felt were the top 10 reasons NOT to join the big gym chains:
1.) No Accountability/ No Customer Service: Once you sign the gym contract they could care less if you actually use it. In fact, they don’t want you to use it. If every member used the gym it would be way too crowded. The big gyms count on most their membership not using their passes. And they sure don’t go out of their way to make your fitness experience enjoyable.
2.) The Sheep Mentality: Everybody is doing the same thing. Most men and women are just sheep- slaves to all of the misinformation provided in the form of sensational fitness magazines and infomercials. People just go to the gym and do whatever everybody else is doing.
3.) Needless Waiting Time for Equipment or Space: I remember when I used to workout at a gym. I would spend an average of 15-20 minutes per workout waiting on a piece of equipment or a certain space of the gym to complete my daily routine. Build your own gym at home, or train at a EXL Fitness & Performance to maximize your time spent working out and optimize your results.
4.) Sickness and Disease: Beyond catching the common cold, there are some other real serious bugs that have been spreading at gyms like wildfire including the recent merca staph infection epidemic.
5.) Annoying People: For most people going to the gym, it isn’t about getting results, it’s about socializing.
6.) Expensive Contracts: In order to get a decent rate you have to commit to 3 years. 3 years of going to a gym and doing the same workouts and exercises that everybody else does (see #3) with minimal results. Train with a professional and learn how to maximize your workouts.
7.) Useless Equipment: Machines are overrated- I haven’t used a machine in years. They don’t allow your body to train the way it was designed to move and function and they cause many overuse injuries. If you want to be lean, tight, and muscular, all you need is your body weight, some bands, and a few free weight options like dumbbells, barbells or medicine balls to get the job done. You can even use this same equipment at home or on the road.
8.) Lack of Open Training Space: Money hungry club owners focus on all the frills by filling the training floor up with overpriced, oversized machines that take up all of the prime real estate. All you need is space- space to move freely and explore your own body’s capabilities.
9.) Crippling Dependence: Gyms force you to create a dependence on them. At EXL Fitness & Performance you learn how to move your body and train with minimum equipment. So, show yourself that you can get results without the gym. I promise you that the best workouts of your life are waiting for you at home or in new places like a park, your garage, hotel room, etc. This spring we’re moving the boot camps outside. Step outside of the box!
10.) Bad Trainers: When you go to the typical gym for personal training, you enter a factory. They are trying to get you in and out. They don’t care if your reach your goals nor do they have the desire to build lasting relationships with you. They just need to hit their quota- you are just another number for them.
Since opening my own training studio my eyes have been opened to the quality of workout options available to my clients as well as the power of group training. I once thought one-on-one training was ideal, now with more space and freedom to do my own thing I see the power of group training, higher energy, more motivation and a better price break all make for a win-win situation.
Stay Fit
Mat “the trainer”
Mat Gover BS, CSCS and Pam Gover CPT are Orem fitness boot camp instructors, personal trainers, and real world fat loss experts. They also the own EXL Fitness & Performance, a personal and group training studio. To book Mat to speak at your Utah Valley company, club, or organization please contact him by email at matgover@mac.com or by phone at (801) 836.7185. For a free one-week trial to his Orem boot camp to experience the best personal training in Utah Valley please visit EXL Fitness & Performance.
This President’s Day clearly signifies a special moment in history. Regardless of your political views, the recent election of President Barack Obama has brought about change. Though we’ll have to let President Obama’s accomplishments in office dictate what type of change it will be, it is very clear that this is a man who was born to lead. Obama has an undeniable aura about him, a certain calming confidence that is truly contagious. These are traits he will surely need in the face of a continually dwindling economy and the many other challenges facing our world.
For most people Valentine’s Day is an excuse to blow their nutrition plan, eat a bunch of chocoloate and try to hook up with their significant other. Hey, sounds good to me.
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Typically around the beginning of the year, I get people I haven’t heard from in a long time calling me up wanting to get going again in the gym. Which is great. It’s great to catch up with old friends and it’s great to help assist them with their New Year’s resolutions, and exercise is typically one of the most common resolutions. I feel it is an honor that they are asking for my help.
Face it- we all want a flat, sexy midsection. But for many of us no amount of crunches or sit-ups seems to get the job done. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me the following questions:
