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Recommendation added: 04/06/2007 22:04
By: katygriff (YSUK rating +273)katygriff has been thanked 0 times for this contribution
"3 years at university has really taken it out of me, I mean eating whatever I liked which often included 4 – 5 take-aways a week and then the outrageously low prices that drinks were in the student union meant that my usually nice toned body has now become a bit of a mess. The weight piled on and I looked at myself and thought Yuk!
2 months ago I decided to take the plunge and join the gym. With my mom saying she would join if I did so we both went to sign up. Now I am giving you the experience of Fitness First gyms because they are the only gyms around in my area.
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Joining up;
Me and my mom walked in to our fitness first in Walsall wood for our appointment with a sales manager. our first impression when we looked at the gym was oh my god what are we doing to ourselves as seriously the place looked like a torture chamber with all the big muscle bound guys (known as cave men now to us) and the very scary looking machines. Never the less we decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and were shown around. Each room and machine looked scarier than the last and the only thing that I thought yeah this looks good was when I saw the big TV screens with MTV on.
The sales lady explained to us that it would cost £65 to join the gym (and this was half price) and then £33 each month that we wanted to remain a member. This would include use of any of the machines and access to all of the classes that they do. I thought this was a little expensive but because I was determined to get fit, I said yes. My mom because she works in education managed to get hers down to £31 a month. Then we found out my moms friend pays £26 a month for the same gym. I want to warn you about this because I think because I was so sure I wanted to join and the sales lady knew it that's why I got charged in full whereas I think if I had moaned a little I could have got it a little cheaper. Moaning aside, £33 a month is not bad for the amount I use the gym.
Joining up is easy as you just put down some contact details and have a photo taken so make sure you are looking ok. I joined at 8 in the morning with greasy hair and no makeup so my picture looks like it would scare small children. At fitness first you have quarterly or yearly contracts. You can renew your 3 month contract each time without having to pay the joining fee again. If you find that you do 3 months and want a little break, for £7.50 a month you can keep your membership going and then just start up a contract again when you are ready.
For joining we got given a fitness first towel and then when we recommended some people that we thought might want to join we got given a backpack, water bottle, hand towel and earphones.
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Induction;
The Saturday after we had joined we went for our induction with a very nice guy called Sean. He showed us around the gym once more and then proceeded to tell us how to work some of the machines and we were pleasantly surprised how easy the machines were to use.
He took us around to the treadmill first as it is often considered the favourite machine to use in the gym. He advised us where to stand and then showed us where the safety clips were so we could clip them on to our clothes and then if for some reason we fell behind, the machine would stop when it felt the cord being pulled. To start the machine we literally press the button labelled 'quick start' and then off we go. One button to increase the speed and one to decrease it. The machine started at the lovely walking speed of 2.4 and me and my mom happily increased it to power walking speed 6.5. To stop the machine we press cool down which steadily decreases the speed so you can stop exercising safely.
The next machine was the bike and again one button to start and one to stop. By this point me and my mom were getting really excited that it was so easy so he showed us the rowing machines, the cross trainer and some weights.
After we had told him that we had been taught how to use enough machines for a while he just let us get on with it and by the time we left the gym we had been in there for over an hour and actually felt really energetic and ready for the day.
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Daily use of the gym;
I have now been with the gym for two months and I have to say that I am really glad that I have joined. The gym to use daily is fine but just do not overdo it. Within the first 3 weeks of joining I went overboard and started to go every other day and staying there for around two hours each day. After doing this for two weeks straight I became very fatigued and every muscle began to ache so I had to spend a few days in bed to get over it and get myself feeling back to normal. It is good to exercise but you just can't overdo it as your body can't take it.
In the week our gym is open from 6am to 10pm every day and during these times the best times to go are early in the morning, about 4 and about 8 so that you can miss the rush hour. The worst time to go is about 6 as everybody finishing work turns up and although you can usually always find a machine to use, the car parking is a nightmare and it gets really hot in there. At the weekend any time is fantastic as it is quite and has a very relaxed feel considering it is a gym.
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The gym in general;
The gym is actually a very nice place to be. At our gym they have 8 TV screens including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 but then you get MTV, News channel and Sports channel so there is usually always something to watch. When I am exercising the music they play into the gym is quite good as music does motivate most people when they are exercising which is why MTV is a good channel to watch. You can use any ear phones to watch the TV as the socket is universal.
The machines in the gym are easy to use and always have a place to put your water bottle as everywhere in the gym there are posters stressing how important it is to keep drinking. Even at busy times the popular machines such as the treadmill, cross trainer and the bikes are available but some of the weight machines have only one in the gym so sometimes you do have to wait your turn.
In our gym there are 2 floors. The top floor is where all of the cave men go because it contains all of the weights so I never really stay up there although it does contain some cycling machines and cross trainers so it is quite nice if you want some quiet as it is away from the TV screens where most people go.
Downstairs is where the main room of machines are and because it has the TV, where most people will go. There are always machines available and although it looked scary when I first joined, now I love it down there. Joined to the main room is a room for spinning classes which is basically cycling like mad and there is also a room where they do every other class. There is also an express room which is quite fun. There are several machines in there and a set of traffic lights. The idea is that when the traffic lights change you swap machines so it's quite good for exercising all areas of the body as there are various machines in there.
The classes that they do at our gym are things like spinning, yoga, weights and aerobics. They are free when you have joined and you can go into as many as you like. The idea is that you turn up about 10 minutes before the class starts to get a place and then off you go. They generally last for up to an hour and afterwards you feel like you have just run a marathon as the instructors really do work you hard.
Also downstairs is the video library which houses an array of fitness videos and some film and these can be rented at no cost for the night. There is also the café so you can go and get some coffee or a cold drink which is all free and there is a small seating area. You can also buy muffins and breakfast bars and protein shakes from here.
Going upstairs, you reach the changing rooms and they are fantastic. I actually walked in and said wow when I first saw them as they have such a great appearance. The lockers are all mahogany and are huge so you can fit a lot of stuff in there and there are big dressing tables in there with huge lighted mirrors. The toilets are always very clean and there are individual showers which I much prefer. Through the changing rooms are an aromatherapy room which is steamy with a hint of lavender and a sauna which I am not to keen on because it just makes me feel claustrophobic. Both of these are unisex which puts a few people off but most just ignore the fact.
Car parking at my gym is not great as there are only about 40 spaces so I like to come at quiet times to guarantee a space. I have seen gyms though that offer lots of parking so it is worth checking out.
Gym clothing is not too bad as most people just wear shorts and a t-shirt but I will just give you a bit of advice. I sat down on a bike the other day and when I went to rest my hands on the bars they were wet with sweat so now whenever I go I take a flannel just to mop it up as it is disgusting.
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Reasons why you should join a gym;
They say that you need to do 30 minutes of pure exercise a day and going to the gym lets you do this and believe me the time goes very fast. Gyms are good for losing weight, toning up, giving you energy and basically feeling better about yourself. I like spending the money each month because it is just for me and no one else.
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My verdict;
I love the gym and although I haven't lost any weight in two months, I feel a lot more energetic and better about my body in general. Yes I still have my pot belly but at least I am healthy now. Gyms are good to go to because everybody is there for the same reasons whether it is to lose weight or tone up so you will find it to be a very sociable place.
You can choose to have personal trainer sessions too so if you do want to change your whole life around then you can do so. I have had one session with a personal trainer and it is in no way as scary as I thought it would be. You can tell them exactly what you want to achieve and a time scale and they will work out a programme for you to follow. I have recently done this so I will have to report back to you if it works.
People still think of gyms as a torture chamber but once you get in there it is nice to think that you are spending a bit of money on making yourself feel good. The gym is for me and that is how I see it because every time I go I think I am doing myself good here. It still doesn't stop me pigging out on chocolate on take aways but I have stopped doing it so often and now at least I feel better about having the odd chocolate bar.
The last thing I will say about gyms is don't think you are going to go and be scrutinised and watched as everyone is there to do their own thing and you will find that most people will just keep to themselves. With the option of wearing headphones to watch TV you can shut yourself out from everyone and just have a little you time. If I ever have a bad day I go to the gym to get away from it all and I love it.
So if you want to get fit on your own or with help then a gym could be the thing for you and as long as you go a couple of times a week it is worth what you pay.
Thanks for reading.
xxx"
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