no that's the best customer for gyms. The ACTUAL way gyms make money is by heavily over subscribing a fixed amount of resources (machines/benches/space). You finding some random time to go to the gym instead of just canceling has barely any marginal cost over some one just not going and you'll talk positively about having a membership.
4-5am? $2. 5-6pm? $10!
And if you can’t build a habit around using their service, you won’t stay a customer for long.
The ideal customer is someone who pays but doesn’t use it. But these people tend to not renew their subscriptions. So realistically you want someone who habitually uses it and will remain a customer forever.
All that lead up to say: the numerous PFs I visit are regularly busy and people work out there quite regularly. I see a lot of familiar faces at each of the locations. Their clientele is no worse or less dedicated than those of the other gyms.
Also, having visited their gyms in a number of coastal metro cities I’ll say that they do a really great job of maintaining their equipment.
I've been to a Planet Fitness once as a guest of someone while on vacation. It as well kept, I was able to find some equipment for a good workout, and it was pretty crowded (in August), and I'm sure there are a lot of regulars. The question is, what percentage of the overall membership are those regulars?
I'm not sure if they still do the pizza thing, but that always struck me as odd and what gave them a bad image in my book. I never wanted to be a member of a gym that appeared to be sabotaging its members. It makes it seem like the gym isn't invested in the success of its members. I felt the same way about the dentist giving me candy after a cleaning when I was a kid.
So long as the water stays hot and you have the time, it's one of the more relaxing things you can do at home. Baths use way more water, and if you don't live somewhere like Japan, they aren't deep and cool off quickly without a bath warmer. Its also kind of gross to sit in a bath without already showering and getting clean before you get in.
If you have a speaker in the bathroom you can listen to an audio book. Long showers have only gotten better with water proof phones becoming more common. As a kid I would put my Gameboy in a Ziploc bag just so I could stay in longer.
If you don't believe me, try plugging the drain on just a 5 minute shower to see how much it fills up, then extrapolate...
(The shower crosses into more water generally somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the shower flow and desired bath depth...)
Are you aware that clean water is a finite resource that we're almost certain to run out of? [1] does that not bother you all?
Even mighty British Columbia with all the rivers, lakes, mountains and snowfall is under drought conditions, right now in winter!
https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state...
> Are you aware that clean water is a finite resource that we're almost certain to run out of? [1] does that not bother you all? https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state...
I think a 30 minute shower contributes to a global water shortage in the same way that plastic straws contribute.
The link you’ve provided says 90% of water usage is on the generation of electricity, food, and products.
I think the GP should continue to take 30 minute showers, because even if they stop, even if every person stops, it’ll have a negligible effect on water usage.
Much like plastic straws.
It kinda is, when you're drawing it from a spring that will lead to the ocean one way or the other.
Maybe they were (implicitly) talking about shaving their body hair? I dunno - confusing.
I was 27, about twice the age I was when I finished 8th grade.
Yes, but it's personality specific; the absolute worst part of the gym, to me, is "other people". The sweaty, macho, over-enthusiastic bros with specific kind of humour (you can tell me that's not all or even most of them; doesn't matter, my subconsciousness doesn't believe you! :). The stinky changing rooms and people who don't want to cover anything up. The noise and the loudness and the boisterousness and just... people. So many people. Way too many people. Some of them even try to engage me! Make eye contact or talk to me!
I think I'll stay home and try my elliptical again.
SO I guess, you're right, people at the gym ARE motivational :-)
(don't get me wrong - I'm mostly a people person otherwise; I'm an introvert but nobody believes me as I'm fairly outgoing, make small talk easily, smile and listen and engage people. But gym is where I'm at my most vulnerable, least-confident, and I suppose I have my share of traumatic memories of gyms as a scrawny dorky asthmatic nerdy boy. So I definitely, absolutely, completely, positively, desire no social interaction at the gym right now :)
I remember when I first started exercising, I was a fat alcoholic that was usually the youngest person there and had no idea what he was doing. I was very anxious about potentially doing something wrong, or being taunted or judged. I didn’t know how to use a lot of equipment and it took a long time before I even realized kind of “obvious” stuff like you being able to swap out attachments on cable systems. I knew my body language was glaringly displaying low self confidence and anxiety, and was further psyched out by knowing that it was obvious and I couldn’t do anything about it.
As I went to the gym more I became more self confident and also assured through experience that I wasn’t doing anything wrong and nobody would be a dick to me. I mean, people are dicks sometimes, but usually only out of their own selfishness (like wanting to use something you are, or hogging something they’re not use because of fucking supersets), not malice. There’s always a small chance of a bad interaction along those lines every time you go but the anxiety definitely greatly subsides over time.
Some advice from a weakling(!): In most gyms where I have worked-out, you can either ask the staff or a super buff lady/dude on how to best use the equipment. Yes, you feel like a complete idiot for about 6 seconds while asking for help. But then, they are so supportive and friendly. It's weird. If you are a tiny nobody at the gym, the super buffs are more than happy to provide advice if you asking respectfully. Note: Do not ask for help when they are in the middle of a set!
EDIT
Big support for going the gym. Your original post sounds like you were going through some big issues.
I did not know that this kind of arrangement is possible (I used to go only to normal gyms which were overcrowded most of the times). My wife found it near us and we decided to check it, made a reservation, and now, after a year I cannot imagine going back.
Unfortunately it does come with hefty price tag - about 4-5 times bigger than normal gym subscription.
Doing it at 430am is their second favorite customer other than someone that doesn't come at all.
Former janitor here: people do this all the time, everywhere. On the scale of terrible things people do in the restrooms, this one is pretty mild -- but don't do it. Have a thought for the person who cleans up your mess.
> Finally I must add, all the friends (more like acquaintances) you make
> at the gym are absolutely crucial to motivate oneself and also just have
> a positive social interaction.
I'm not in my 20s anymore and I'm not actually that athletic, so 10 years of looking for a gym buddy have yielded nothing for me. Otherwise, the people I recognize at the gym are either the ones who camp out a piece of equipment or just walk around chatting others up and apparently never lifting anything.
Seriousness aside, I ask fitness folk online what the point is of a gym. If you are serious about it (they are) surely you buy your own equipment and train in the comfort of your own home?
One said he does have his own equipment and that [while people would deny it] the gym is entirely for social interaction.
I suggest watching, broScienceLife, most of his videos are bad, actually they are all bad.
If I know I'm going to bother my neighbors (with parties for example) I buy them gifts and talk with them about it. Sometimes they just want to party along. Can adapt the schedule etc
Gyms are not forbidden if it makes sense?
Membership was $5 a month (for a 3-year contract.
Now I live in Romania and gym memberships are $50-70 a month but people actually go there
Its easy to squeeze out a few extra reps at home by thinking of what it costs. It really helps how expensive they are. Lol
If you glimpse inside the gym of a professional athlete you’ll generally find a comprehensive set of dumbbells, some Olympic bars + plates and a bench and not much else!
Plenty of examples of elite bodybuilders training with them.
Power lifters, however, tend to focus on the compound movements and therefore probably need less equipment.
That’s an overly broad generalization. If you look up pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s home gym, it’s mostly machines.
This is all at home. My motivation is I'm an animal in a body that needs to be used and regularly stressed in ways it can adapt to in order to remain closer to peak functionality than degraded, and I don't want to degrade. I had very bad degenerative spine issues in my 30s and my experience living in a less degraded body has been far better than living in a degraded body. I don't feel any need for other people to push me. I work out completely alone in my own garage or on the street. I comment about it here when it comes up as a topic but don't try to be a part of any other web communities devoted to fitness. I don't publicly post progress photos or stats. I keep logs but only as feedback for my own planning.
This isn't down to trying to avoid other people, either. This is largely down to convenience. When I had gym memberships in the past, sometimes I would go and sometimes I would not and quite often the thing keeping me from going was the simple friction of needing to leave the house and get in a car for 20 minutes. As it stands, I didn't have a car for a few years and still very rarely drive thanks to the continuing spinal stiffness in the wake of multiple lumbar fusions. There is quite a bit less friction involved in walking downstairs whenever I happen to have a spare 40 minutes in the day.
I say all of this understanding not everybody works in the same way. Some may need a hard schedule. Some may need a coach or social factor. Some may do better with strict separation of home as a place to relax and somewhere else as a place to push bodily function. Some may need their garage for cars. Many are not going to have thousands of dollars to blow on equipment but can easily afford a monthly subscription to use equipment shared with others.
I'm only intending to point out there are many ways to make this work and to push language on the web away from saying things are "absolutely crucial to motivate oneself" because they worked for you personally. It was absolutely crucial to you. Something entirely different was absolutely crucial to me. What is absolutely crucial to some randomly selected other person who is neither of us I will not claim to know. If this is something you care about, try everything. Find what works for you.
Most folk will have headphones, most folk are focusing on their routine / program; themselves.
Being a regular is kind of a must, know that the person you wish to strike conversation with is a regular. Find a time when they're not plugged in to their zone and then start with a compliment. Keep it small and lite, everyone likes to be complimented now on their workout now and then.
Further it on if you've noticed that they've completed a set on new weights, extra speeds et cetera. Then the next time you see them at the gym, make a friendly hello.
Over the periods of small talk and rapport you can make larger gestures such as sharing sets, running next to them if it's a treadmill.
[1] Ignorant meant painful.
Finally I must add, all the friends (more like acquaintances) you make at the gym are absolutely crucial to motivate oneself and also just have a positive social interaction. I guess that perk of the gym membership is not even quantifiable.
I feel really thankful and privileged to have gyms around now, I will never take them for granted going forward.