Are you cancelling your gym membership?
Discussion
Gyms are opening up in the UK again soon, they are open in some areas of Ontario but not where I am at the moment. I didn't go last summer when you could go if you booked a slot etc with limited capacity. Unless I can just go and workout then it is just more hassle than working out at home.
I haven't set foot in a gym for over a year now.
Not sure what I will do when things re-open, I think I will go back for the pool and some of the cardio equipment.
I haven't set foot in a gym for over a year now.
Not sure what I will do when things re-open, I think I will go back for the pool and some of the cardio equipment.
Even before covid I was trying to go "home.gym" mostly because between here and work there are no decent gyms. The local council gym is small, has barely any free weights, just machines and ellipticals and they want a king's ransom for it every month.
Gym at work is dire. Only £4 a month but I'd happily pay 4x that if they made it better. It's a grotty old portakabin thing that's a hot box in summer and a chest freezer on max in winter. And it's basically just dumbbells and treadmills, that's it. Floor isn't strong enough to do anything weighty and the ceiling is just a few inches above my head so can't do any overhead stuff unless you wanna kneel on threadbare carpet. But between work and home I had something decent worked out.
At home I've got a proper pull up bar, and because weights are expensive and space is tight, a selection of bands, 2 of each size up ones that are 50kg ish? Got a 20kg bag and a couple of light dumbbells to round it out.
Motivation though. It being just there, in the garage sorta makes it easier to put off. And with swimming on hold until god knows when, the goal for doing gym stuff just feels like it's not there. As well work/home has become so blurred that I often find I haven't got the time. Especially with a 9mth old to help look after.
Then there are so many things you can do with bands. It's like having too much choice. I find it difficult to settle on something. As well half the time it just feels like your aren't really working that hard despite the claimed resistance on the bands. Which is probably part of it, constantly looking for equivalent exercises that you can do with bands that work. I just end up doing a bunch of random stuff in the end.
My best ever gym results came from doing 5x5 strong lifts which was just simple and easy to follow. Just a handful of very good barbell exercises + pull ups and it sorted you out!. But the barbell is one thing I haven't got at any of my options!
I think I will sign up to a gym when we can though, I'm gonna have to find the time and motivation to go out of my way to something decent and just hit it for a months .
Gym at work is dire. Only £4 a month but I'd happily pay 4x that if they made it better. It's a grotty old portakabin thing that's a hot box in summer and a chest freezer on max in winter. And it's basically just dumbbells and treadmills, that's it. Floor isn't strong enough to do anything weighty and the ceiling is just a few inches above my head so can't do any overhead stuff unless you wanna kneel on threadbare carpet. But between work and home I had something decent worked out.
At home I've got a proper pull up bar, and because weights are expensive and space is tight, a selection of bands, 2 of each size up ones that are 50kg ish? Got a 20kg bag and a couple of light dumbbells to round it out.
Motivation though. It being just there, in the garage sorta makes it easier to put off. And with swimming on hold until god knows when, the goal for doing gym stuff just feels like it's not there. As well work/home has become so blurred that I often find I haven't got the time. Especially with a 9mth old to help look after.
Then there are so many things you can do with bands. It's like having too much choice. I find it difficult to settle on something. As well half the time it just feels like your aren't really working that hard despite the claimed resistance on the bands. Which is probably part of it, constantly looking for equivalent exercises that you can do with bands that work. I just end up doing a bunch of random stuff in the end.
My best ever gym results came from doing 5x5 strong lifts which was just simple and easy to follow. Just a handful of very good barbell exercises + pull ups and it sorted you out!. But the barbell is one thing I haven't got at any of my options!
I think I will sign up to a gym when we can though, I'm gonna have to find the time and motivation to go out of my way to something decent and just hit it for a months .
mholt1995 said:
Countdown said:
Me too. the last 12 months have been crap from a personal fitness point of view.
Thirding this - can't wait to be back under a barbell again!I've got a partial home set up, 6 pairs of dumbells, a heavy kettlebell, some bands and a concept rower. So I could get away with never going to the gym again. I go there as much for my mental health as physical health though.
I've worked from home for over 10 years (e commerce business), my wife is disabled and is deteriorating. So going to the gym is one of the few breaks I get during the week. It's that and going grocery shopping.
So my gym friends are in reality the only friends I have due to how I need to live my life currently.
Lockdown hasn't been a massive change for me, it's just removed the ability for me to get out of the property for a few hours 4 times a week.
We still get carers in daily so I can work, but I'm really looking forward to the Gym opening again next month. It's the only place I can actually switch off, even if it's just for 2 hours.
I've worked from home for over 10 years (e commerce business), my wife is disabled and is deteriorating. So going to the gym is one of the few breaks I get during the week. It's that and going grocery shopping.
So my gym friends are in reality the only friends I have due to how I need to live my life currently.
Lockdown hasn't been a massive change for me, it's just removed the ability for me to get out of the property for a few hours 4 times a week.
We still get carers in daily so I can work, but I'm really looking forward to the Gym opening again next month. It's the only place I can actually switch off, even if it's just for 2 hours.
Edited by 21ATS on Thursday 25th March 20:13
I've done better training at home than training at a gym. 24 hr access to a home gym I set about creating before lockdown hit has meant different training routines have been possible (GTG, PFPP etc). Lots of calisthenics. Vigorous hilly dog walking has taken care of cardio, but I will have to visit a gym again so I can a. get a spot, and b, use a leg press/squat rack (I've been doing single leg stuff with dumbells). Quite looking forward to it if I'm honest.
I don't go to a gym but I attend an outdoor circuit training group which I enjoy more for the social side than the fitness. I'm actually fitter this year than this time last year because i've been rigidly following a running training plan which i'm not able to do properly with circuits. I have been a bit lazy this past month though as i've lost motivation to go out on my own. Next week cannot come sooner!
I used to have a gym membership and used to enjoy doing a round of weights, swimming and the sauna. But I cancelled membership during lock down 1, and won't be renewing it. There seems little point now, as the government will be always be keen to shut them down at the drop of a hat, plus I can't be bothered with all the masks social distancing and temperature checks malarkey. To make up for it I bought some home weights, doubled my cycling mileage last year to nearly 6000, and took up open water swimming 
I cancelled my £63/month off peak gym membership November last year. I used to enjoy the swimming pool, hydropool, sauna and steam room. A year ago, the sauna and steam room were closed and out of bounds. Pool use restricted to a maximum of 45 mins and 15 mins in the hydropool. Total of 3 visits in a week and had to be prebooked to limit the numbers using the facilities. It ceased to be a relaxing break in the afternoon for me.
If things return to how it used to be before Covid, then I'll probably rejoin.
If things return to how it used to be before Covid, then I'll probably rejoin.
I cancelled last month.
I only use it for winter treadmill running (I run three times a week) but with lockdown, I've gone all through last winter running out on the road and it's been fine.
I just spent (some of) the money on waterproof/warm running clothes.
The gym is good for injury rehab, but if I need to do that I'll just get a pay-as-you-go pass.
I only use it for winter treadmill running (I run three times a week) but with lockdown, I've gone all through last winter running out on the road and it's been fine.
I just spent (some of) the money on waterproof/warm running clothes.
The gym is good for injury rehab, but if I need to do that I'll just get a pay-as-you-go pass.
Annoyingly I paid for a year up front in November 2019, it keeps giving me the option of extending it which I have done but really I would prefer to cancel it.
Gyms are so disgusting, I only really used it for spin classes and felt gross enough in that small sweaty room before the pandemic !
Gyms are so disgusting, I only really used it for spin classes and felt gross enough in that small sweaty room before the pandemic !
mholt1995 said:
Countdown said:
Me too. the last 12 months have been crap from a personal fitness point of view.
Thirding this - can't wait to be back under a barbell again!Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff