Anyone care to join me in a January gym rant?

[HandbagsnGladrags]

I'd forgotten how much I hate January at my gym (and yes, I am aware than I was once a newbie but I'm going to rant anyway as a was never a newbie dick).

Got there this morning with plenty of time to spare to get to my class. There are cars queueing for spaces and people dicking around with indicators on waiting for people to leave their space, blocking the whole road. 4x4's parked across two spaces in case anyone should park too close to their precious tank. Then I finally get inside to find an entire family with kids blocking the entrance barriers because they can't find their membership cards or whatever. GET OUT THE WAY!!!

Get to class. Newbies who have never done it before turn up at the very last minute so that the instructor starts the class late because he has to explain everything to them. If you're new, turn up early to allow for this FFS.

Then on the way out there are two kids playing catch with a ball in the café where people are eating and drinking. It's not a playground FFS!!

Ahh I feel better now. Roll on February when everyone will have fucked off and normal service is resumed.

I've taken up an outdoor sport. Coaches do the sessions for free as they love the sport and want to encourage people. I'm probably the least skilled and least fit and everyone is just encouraging and supportive anD pleased that I turn up and keep trying whatever the weather. I'm just appreciating the whole thing a bit more this morning.

@TheChosenTwo you don’t need the heart rate monitor to go initially, you can just use your own Apple Watch, fit bit etc. I didn’t have one to begin with and it was fine.
@ChickyNuggies blaze is definitely one of the classes designed to be supportive. Glad you enjoyed it.

This is why I prefer my old 'spit and sawdust ' gym. It's open 24/7 and I can use the swimming pool at it's sister gym for an extortionate amount of £26 per month.
Everyone else wants to pay a fortune for a fancy gym instead, which is great because it leaves mine free for me to crack on.

The lovely women-only gym I used to go has closed so I joined up with an LA-run family fitness centre.

It's fine, has tons of equipment. BUT Got to say this: why do men sit on the equipment looking at their phones instead of finishing their sets and fucking off? 100% women do not do this.

Are they resting between sets?

@echt I’m a woman and I have to rest between sets! If you don’t need at least a couple of minutes between each set and can just crack out 4 x 10, then you can definitely increase the weight for better results.

On, say, bench press I would probably be like 45sec for each set (hoping for something like 10, 9, 7, 6) and then minimum 2 minutes between each to recover enough to get close to the next set’s reps. In that time I usually look at my phone, because otherwise it’s very awkward when I end up zoning out and intensely staring at somebody for two minutes straight without realising 😭

I like the gym about 8-9.30 at night, that’s my go to time. I was just thinking last night how busy it was, back in sept - December time I would quite often be the only woman and maybe 2/3 tops men come 9-9.30.
when I left last night at 9.30 there were still tons of people milling around!

I did my usual dance class on Monday. Usually 10-15 but at least double there this week. Struggling for floor space to stand let alone move in, unbearable heat, because of all the extra bodies crammed in, and no individual corrections. Pointless in all

How long until most of the January people lose interest? . I think it's more significant mid Feb but starts tailing off end of Jan.

The parking problems are something else!

I did my usual dance class on Monday. Usually 10-15 but at least double there this week. Struggling for floor space to stand let alone move in, unbearable heat, because of all the extra bodies crammed in, and no individual corrections. Pointless in all

How long until most of the January people lose interest? . I think it's more significant mid Feb but starts tailing off end of Jan.

The parking problems are something else!

They'll be gone by mid-February.

On another note, have you considered not driving to the gym?!

On another note, have you considered not driving to the gym?!

This is one of the reasons I chose the gym I did. I can either walk or get the bus, no need to drive. But I guess DL clientele don't consider not driving.

On another note, have you considered not driving to the gym?!

Yes of course, but it's not at all close to work or home or accessible by public transport. It would be a mix of public transport and a 1.5 mile walk on the end, which would be quite time consuming.

But I guess DL clientele don't consider not driving.

Bit rude and incorrect

My pet hate is groups of young lads who visit the gym together and huddle round one weights machine , taking turns to out-do each other and hogging the equipment.

I chose my gym partly because it doesn't have a car park at all (and it's really difficult to park anywhere nearby). It massively cuts down the number of people who drive to the gym and then don't do very much there. You need a certain level of commitment to turn up at all (especially in this weather!)

Bit rude and incorrect.

Re not driving, we don't all have unlimited time for a half hour each way walk plus workout. What a stupid comment.

Oh. Another one of the posters that's popped up lately that just quotes another post verbatim. Really really weird. Reported.

You know you could just reduce the length of the workout and use the walk as a warm-up, right?

I've never seen that before @BloodAndFire Really weird.

@BloodAndFire oh ok then I'll ask the spin instructor to cut his classes down to 15 mins 🙄 Walking is not a proper workout. Plus I have a dog to walk as well, so I get my steps in that way. Why are people so bloody rude.

It happened to me earlier today on another thread. They repeated my exact post, from about three posts upthread, changed a couple of words around but it was very obviously copied from mine.

I reported it but I don't think it's been removed.

I don't know what the idea is but they are clearly doing something not above board. Building up a posting history? Who knows? Dodgy though

I don't think I was 'bloody rude', but OK.

Obviously walking on its own is not 'a proper workout' which is why I suggested it as a warm up. I do spin classes too, among others. I walk briskly to and from the gym, it's much better to start off with muscles etc. already fired up and means you're not starting the class 'from cold'.

My gym isn't walking distance. It would involve a short walk, public transport then a longer 1.5 mile walk.

@BloodAndFire huh? Was that aimed at me? Why have you reported it?