New Year New Me
January 2, 2018
Erick Mojica – B.S Kinesiology
It’s that time of year again where gyms and fitness centers get packed because of the spike in motivated individuals… New Year Resolutioners!!! If this is you I want you to know that what you are doing is great and do not let anyone make you feel otherwise. (Although the meme above is pretty funny 😝)
Joining a gym should be a positive life-changing experience and there is a lot that goes into it. Gyms vary in environment and culture so when you think of joining one make sure that you get to know it before you sign up. Whether you are a beginner or veteran of the gym floor, make sure that it is the right fit for your needs and goals.
With that said here are some pointers for your new life-changing decision!
Environment
Going to a gym the first time can be a daunting task for most individuals because they are stepping into an unfamiliar territory. If you have minimal experience with exercise I can understand how it can be intimidating learning to use weights when you have Meathead Joe benching 315 lbs. and grunting at the top of his lungs. In spite of this just remember that at some point in this jacked dude’s life he was a beginner too. Most people with lifting experience actually appreciate being asked for advice so don’t be afraid to ask how to use a certain machine, even if it has pictures on it. Just don’t interrupt him in the middle of his set because that can be a little irritating, but he’s probably a nice guy. 🙂
Every gym has its own personality and it takes some time to get to know it. The environment is set by its equipment, space, trainers, and most of all its members. The gym crowd can vary based off of the time of day, and if you’re starting off you should plan on your training based off of comfort and availability. For example a lot of Body Build/ Power Lifters like to train in the early mornings and/or later afternoons. If you feel uncomfortable lifting around these people and need time to work your way into it then the later morning and early afternoon might be a better time for you. If you are limited on when you can go then you’ll need to go back to my first point and suck it up! (You’ll be okay and honestly most people aren’t staring at you). Nevertheless joining a gym is like anything new. A new job, school, moving to another city… You’re surrounded by people you don’t know and feel like an outsider until eventually you get used to everything else. You just have to go back to your WHY and commit to achieving your goals. So if you feel lost its okay. Just keep showing up and eventually you will wonder why you ever felt that way.
Personal Trainers
Like those meatheads lifting massive weight, Personal Trainers sometimes carry a similar perception. Why is that? I think that there are many reasons, one of which is that intimidation factor. When you do something new it’s normal to feel uncomfortable and clueless when you are talking to an expert. As a Personal Trainer I want you to know that many of us are kind and loving people. If we seem intense when you see us lifting it’s because we’re trying really really hard to pick up some heavy weight! Like I said earlier, those of us with lifting experience really love to help people with their exercises. When you go to the gym find a trainer and try to pick their brain. Even though we make our living picking up clients, our role of the gym’s culture is to help.
If you decide to work with a Personal Trainer, start of by asking them a series of questions. What is your training philosophy? How can you help me reach my fitness goals? Are you going to make me cry and not be able to walk the next day? (If we do it wasn’t our intention 😛 ) Can I get a free training session?
At Genesis Health Clubs we provide all new members with a series of 4 complimentary training sessions. Our philosophy is to provide results based training, meaning that we design you a plan based off of your specific needs. We start you off with assessments, finding all the factors that will both help you and prevent you from achieving your goals. Once we get to know more about you we lay out a weekly routine that we believe will benefit you. This isn’t just a list of exercises, but also a plan of consistency with scheduling and nutrition. We stay in contact with you daily to see how your training is progressing. Through this process what matters most to us is having that relationship with you, giving you all the tools to succeed with your fitness goals. If you enjoy working with us we can set up plan to continue working together!
One thing about working with a Personal Trainer is that we all have our specialties and distinct personalities, and that is why at our club our fitness manager sets you up with who he or she believes will be a good fit. If your gym doesn’t have that type of structure, then you have to take it upon yourself to meet your gym’s Personal Trainers and get to know them. Either way what matters the most is you achieving your goals. If you don’t feel comfortable working with one or paying for our services, a lot of us just want to help. Don’t be afraid to ask!!!
If You Decide To Go On Your Own
If you don’t believe in working with a Personal Trainer then that’s okay. If you want to figure it out as you go, here are some pointers.
- Establish your WHY. If you decided to start your gym membership you need to have at least one why. Why are you committing to this new lifestyle? Why did you make this investment? Who are you doing this for? Come up with both short term and long term goals. Consistency is the most difficult thing to overcome regardless if you are starting off or have been lifting for a few years. Ask any experienced lifter and they will tell you how important it is for them to stay on a consistent routine. Whatever that routine will be for you, accept that it is going to take some time. Have patience but get after it!
- Going back to consistency, the long term goals are going to be pretty tough to reach. They are supposed to!!! Whether if you are trying to “tone up” or lose weight, you are going to reach plateaus that will be frustrating and make you want to give up. Most people will see quick results in the beginning and then experience not much of a change. When this happens you have to consider providing your routines with some kind of stimulus. That means you have to adjust variables such as volume, load, tempo, and sometimes the exercise type. Do some research to find out what you may need to add or take away from your routines.
- Research is extremely valuable but it is largely dependent on the source. You can Google right now “Leg Exercises” and you will get over 50 million hits… Try it. With everything that shows you are going to see a lot of great exercises to do but with so many hits not everything will be beneficial. I do not personally believe in general programs because they don’t apply to every individual. For example, you can follow a program that has a ton of exercises that work the front side of your legs. They even provided “Before and after” pictures and have had a lot of successful clients… Great! But what if you have tight hip flexors and the program doesn’t provide enough hamstring work? This is where you might want to ask an expert to give you their opinion. But even then, Meathead Joe might not know anything about muscle imbalances because well… he’s already jacked. I’m not saying that non-trainers are dumb, but if they don’t know any better their training methods might not help you for your specific needs.
I am very open minded with training methods and will always listen to other people’s ideas, but the people that I will trust the most are the ones with college degrees and training certifications. Take information from everyone possible and see what works for you. There are a lot of successful trainers on the internet and just because they have thousands of YouTube subscribers doesn’t mean that all of their information is credible. Even then a college graduate with an Exercise Science degree can give faulty information, so just be aware that not everything you read and hear will apply to you and your fitness goals. Training is a constant learning process where even us as “experts” are learning from our mistakes.
So what to do now? Just get to the gym! Be there and get to work! If you are uncomfortable work your way into it and try to get to know people. Whether if it’s the front desk, a trainer, or a friendly member that said hi, just know that you are officially a part of your gym’s culture! Whatever your fitness goals are enjoy the process of getting there because it’s supposed to be a great experience. If you don’t have any extreme goals to accomplish then just make sure you make it a joyful thing to show up the gym every time that you do.
If you are interested in checking out our club click on the link below.
Happy New Year!!!
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