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Hello all,
First, this is not a post about exercise. This is a post about going to a gym!
I notice that every once in a while someone asks a question about gyms: joining them, using them, etiquette, etc. I also noticed that there isn't much about using or accessing gyms in the wiki, so hopefully this gets added (or not, if it's not useful). If you're new to getting in shape and want to use a gym for that, I hope this will answer any questions you may have.
This is based on my personal experience, and I'm sure many of you will have "but my gym doesn't do it this way" comments, so please feel free to comment and I'll adjust accordingly. Without further ado, let's talk about gyms!
What and why
A gym is a place that makes working out easier. It's usually a space dedicated to some form of physical activity that allows members to reach their fitness goals. Gyms vary quite drastically in what they offer, how they offer it, what they prioritize, etc. While you don't have to join a gym to get active or hit your fitness goals, it usually gives you access to equipment and resources you can't get otherwise (like weights, cardio equipment, pools, personal trainers, etc.). Unless you're hitting a specific exercise (running or swimming, for example), joining a gym is an easy way to get access to those resources.
Different gyms will prioritize different aspects of fitness and well-being. Most large gyms are all-rounders: they try to cater to weightlifters, bodybuilders, yoga enthusiasts, swimmers, runners, etc. Some gyms are more specialized: for example, some may have weights only. Or some might be single function (and probably not be called a gym at all): wall-climbing, yoga studios, Pilates studios, etc. What you join should depend on your goals, and this guide will cover as much as possible to help you decide and navigate the gyms.
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Hello, all. December and January are never a good time for me. Maybe part of it is the weather, the lack of sunlight, the disruption to my schedule and diet due to the holidays, the reminder that I'm a year older, the fact that another year has passed and I'm still not where I want to be.
By all measures, I've been successful in establishing good habits and getting into shape. At first it felt great to meet goals and hit PRs, to feel good in my own skin, to feel strong, to find joy in moving my body. It still does; if I could go back I wouldn't skip a single workout. I genuinely enjoy it. I've made connections with other regulars in the gym and I look forward seeing them every week. It's the closest I've come in the past few years to establishing adult friendships.
But now it feels routine. It's the new default, and I'm still lonely, empty. It almost feels self-indulgent to workout at this point, rather than heroic. It's not "hard" to do anymore, and it's just for me. I'm not helping anyone, I'm not making the world better. I'm not raising kids, I'm not useful to others in any real way.
This year I want to volunteer more, I want to make deeper connections, I want to find a way to use my particular talents to make a positive difference in my community. It feels good to write that, but it's also daunting, because I feel so low at the moment. I'm exhausted and unmotivated. Without the structure of work anchoring me to a routine (we only start back next week), I can barely get myself in the shower.
I just wish my January 1st was kicking off the year on a better note. I wish I weren't so crippled by some bad weather and a few holiday parties. I wish my strength in the gym translated more directly to strength in other areas.
Anybody else out there just surviving the holiday season? Anybody else "just okay"? Anybody doing great? I'd like to hear about that, too. Basically I want to hear how everyone is doing today, maybe it will make me feel less alone.
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This morning I stepped on the scale for the first time in half a year. I weighed in at 202.4 pounds which is the heaviest I’ve ever been. I’m committing to drinking far less beer (although I just started home brewing again) and being more of a hydro homie. I’ve also done my first work out in a significant amount of time. I did the Marsoc Short Card and it kicked my ass, but I feel proud and accomplished for having done it.
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There is still about a week left until I feel like I can get my personal reset with the turn of the year but I took some initiative with today.
I've deleted all dating apps. I'm giving up for now.
The time and effort spent has just led to a feedback loop that further reinforced every negative feeling I've had since returning to the dating scene at the beginning of the year. I gave myself an ultimatum that after coming back from a trip in September, if I couldn't even land a single date by year's end, I'm done. Well, that time has come.
I'm focusing on myself because I just can't focus on a nebulous someone else that may or may not even exist. I've outlined explicit workout goals and think they are achievable. I tossed aside ego and milestone desire to make sure that my goals are realizable. My greatest failure has been my inability to maintain relationships and that failure has crept into other facets of my life to poison them. The subsequent depression has delayed educational/career, fitness, and personal goals. So, I'm building a barrier.
It'll be a long, difficult year but at least I'll be better off than I was in 2019. Being in my late 20s, it's really hard to remove myself from the dating scene because it feels like I'm missing a window and time is beginning to speed up.
This is not to say I'm doing this all without a plan.
I've received the all-clear to transition to remote work and I'll be moving away from where I'm at some time this year. I'm allowing myself to return to the pool after I find my new home in hopes that I've given myself a better foundation.
I don't check-in with this community enough but I need to write these goals down so I don't shirk them. This is my accountability. I implore you all to outline your own honest path to follow.
The Plan
I'm going to stick to 5/3/1 cycles for slow, steady, and reliable strength increases. I'm not going to get a new 1RM and recalculate my TM every month like before. I'm just going to do the program and allow myself Joker sets on the highs and FSLS on the lows. My last completed cycle revealed my tricep tendonitis has mostly disappeared so I hope I can finally begin growth anew. The hard expectations are to add 50lbs. to my OHP/BP TMs and 100lbs. to my SQ/DL TMs.
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I know, I know.... January 1st and I am looking into starting a workout program. How cliche, right? Well.... I’m tired of feeling this way. Physically and emotionally. I see all these posts on here (I’ve been lurking a while) if smiling people and reading testimonies about how much exercise it to credit. I want what you guys have going on. I just don’t know where to start. Obviously, weight loss is a big goal. I carry my weight in my midsection and that is a time bomb waiting to blow. What do you guys know now that you wish you would have known when you started? Do you have links to great sites for beginners? I plan on utilizing cardio as well as weight training. I don’t know much about either of those areas. My goal is not to get ripped but healthy. I’m a 38 year old male and I think I may have missed the boat on the six pack abs and chiseled physique lol. Any pointers, links, or observations are welcome. Thank you all in advance.
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Jan 23, 2014
Cake Day
Exercise Out Of Depression
A movement to provide information and support to those who would like to take up an active lifestyle, who may suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, confidence or self image issues.
We are friendly and helpful, and we are not here to judge.
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