The Gym Thread

There seems to be a few of us (shugga, The Butchers Wife, Genau, me...) going these days - some of us more regularly than others.   Maybe we can inspire each other?!

After a long hijack on the UP thread (mods feel free to move those comments over here if you want to) -- here is The Gym Thread!  To discuss gym-y kind of things.   (those of you who know me know, for the most part, I'm not a strict 'stick to the thread topic or else!' kind of person )

My program right now is cardio - about 30 minutes split between bike, cross-trainer & treadmill.  Plus some weights - 3 machines for building upper body strength & only 1 for my legs because my legs are pretty strong already (pittpanther - my former Pilates tutor might say my calves are steel -- but hey that's what you get for walking miles & miles carrying all this extra weight around - lol!).

And I'm shopping around for a sports bra!  Oh & I got a Pilates DVD in the post today (plus I got a mat and bands for Christmas too) so I hope to continue that at home, only I'm sad that my Pilates tutor is back in the US now. :\\\'(  They have classes at my gym but they start late (for me - considering I'm off work by 4-4:30 pm) at 5:30-7 pm or so, which is when I definitely want to be heading for home!

I am doing a promotion for the radio station I work for so we are doing a "Fit Camp"

So far it has just been a lot of cardio, and some resistance but I am finding I am really liking it even through the bumps, brusises and sore muscles.   DH and I have also started swimming for 50 mins on the "off days" from the gym.  I sleep so well now that my butt is off the couch and on a treadmill.  I am going to be sad when this 6 weeks is over, but the gym is far to posh for my wallet maybe we could swing a leisure center membership.

I am hoping to join Fitness First once I get paid at the end of the month. I can't wait!!! I really miss my gym in the US. I went to the leisure centre up until about July when I couldn't even afford that anymore.    I'm a big fan of group fitness classes. I find it's much easier to motivate then working out on my own. I have DVDs which I do when I can't make it to the gym, but I don't think I get as good of a workout. Kristin, even if you can't afford the leisure centre membership, you can pay as you go. The reason I'm joining Fitness First rather than the leisure centre again is because FF offers the Les Mils Body Fitness program. They had that at my US gym and I really liked it. Those are the Body Pump, Body Combat, Body Flow, RPM classes. They also offer a power yoga class which I really enjoy. I'm so excited to join and get my body back to pre-England shape! 

Ooooooo!  There was a Martin Lewis tip I saw on television last week, about saving on some gym memberships over here by taking out a private health insurance policy...here's a link on it:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/health/gym-discounts

Good luck brave people!!

I may join at the end of March (financially can't swing it at the moment) so I'll keep an eye on you guys and pinch the suggestions of whoever does best. 

Good luck brave people!!

Nothing brave about it really (for me)!   I'm the biggest gym dork you'll ever see.  I've just found exercise to be much more effective (for me) at getting and/or keeping weight off than being 'on a diet' ever has.  I am trying to watch what I eat a little more, cos I've been on a pre-, during & post-Christmas roll with all kinds of goodies & booze -- but I just can't resign myself to giving up as much food/booze as I'd have to do to lose/maintain weight.  So off to the gym I go!  At first, it was just the walking -- but we can't do the long walks all the time, so I need something to supplement them with.

I've been a member of my local councils gyms for, ooh, over four years now. It's great because I'm still on a really low tariff even though I have the highest membership tier because of a one-off "upgrade for life for one £20 payment" a few years back!

Ever since I lost a bunch of weight with SparkPeople in 2006 I've been going a lot more regularly and running more seriously and lifting actual weights instead of pansying about with the bar. In the last couple months I've doubled the amount I can squat so that's been really cool and I'm trying to get my 10k times down now for the big Bupa 10000 run in May.

Currently my routine is:
Monday - 7:15am Boot Camp class at York Hall (Bethnal Green)
Wednesday - ~7:45am long run, 10-12k usually, plus whatever weights I can squeeze in at John Orwell (Wapping)
Friday - ~7:45 30min of HIIT/fartlek followed by a bunch of weights and ab work at John Orwell
one Saturday a month - full day, 10-20km rambling session with a giant pub lunch in the middle

That sounds pretty hard core!  I don't know what this means...

... instead of pansying about with the bar...

...but if it involves a bar, it's probably something I would like to do!

Thing that annoys me the most about the gym:  the men preening themselves in the mirror!

(I don't know what 'HIIT/fartlek' is either.)

Nothing brave about it really (for me)!   I'm the biggest gym dork you'll ever see.  I've just found exercise to be much more effective (for me) at getting and/or keeping weight off than being 'on a diet' ever has.  I am trying to watch what I eat a little more, cos I've been on a pre-, during & post-Christmas roll with all kinds of goodies & booze -- but I just can't resign myself to giving up as much food/booze as I'd have to do to lose/maintain weight.  So off to the gym I go!  At first, it was just the walking -- but we can't do the long walks all the time, so I need something to supplement them with.

I know all about the pre, during, & post Christmas goodies I slowly have weaned myself off the very nice sweets I was having. I am the same way I like have a serious sweet tooth I'm not much of a drinker. but I have been able to talk myself into to having a not so nutritious meal & a few sweet things 1 day a week. then the rest of the week I usually have 3 nutritious meals with good snacks mainly fruit in between them sometimes I slip now an then. I tried the diet with   little exercise I wasn't losing that much weight but when I did the diet with alot exercises the weight just started to regularly come off easier.

I really do enjoy swimming Tuesday at my gym which is actually a Leisure center is Ladies only swim my MIL really enjoys going swimming with me on that day. I also swim on Saturday mornings as well by myself if I get there early enough I have the pool mainly to myself before it starts to get busy with family's & I have to be careful I don't run into little kids while doing my laps.

I am doing a promotion for the radio station I work for so we are doing a "Fit Camp"

So far it has just been a lot of cardio, and some resistance but I am finding I am really liking it even through the bumps, brusises and sore muscles.   DH and I have also started swimming for 50 mins on the "off days" from the gym.  I sleep so well now that my butt is off the couch and on a treadmill.  I am going to be sad when this 6 weeks is over, but the gym is far to posh for my wallet maybe we could swing a leisure center membership.

I know when I started going to the gym I had no trouble sleeping at night. I used to fall asleep on the couch around 8-9pm Dh would always say just go to bed if your that tired I never thought I was tired but my body thought otherwise.

I don't know how much your posh gym membership is Butchers Wife but at my Leisure center it isn't cheap for a yearly membership it costs £385 or £38.50 per month. I did a 6 week course at the gym when I first started going when it was nearly over my MIL didn't want the progress I had done to go to waste. so thankfully she paid for my yearly membership cause Dh & I didn't have that kind of money to spend on the gym at the time. that includes everything at the Leisure center except the tanning bed.

Yeah our leisure center is just about in that price range as well, the gym I go to now is about £59 per month...Waaaaaaaayy too much.  But I might just continue walking and trying to get myself jogging...I really don't want to stop because I haven't been this excited in awhile about getting into shape.

There was only 1 hour of public swimming tonight at the leisure center and I totally missed it and I feel guilty now.

There was only 1 hour of public swimming tonight at the leisure center and I totally missed it and I feel guilty now.

That's why I'm joining the regular gym. I couldn't stand the limited pool hours at the leisure centre.

Yeah our leisure center is just about in that price range as well, the gym I go to now is about £59 per month...Waaaaaaaayy too much.  But I might just continue walking and trying to get myself jogging...I really don't want to stop because I haven't been this excited in awhile about getting into shape.

There was only 1 hour of public swimming tonight at the leisure center and I totally missed it and I feel guilty now.

But if you have been at the gym everyday this week that might a good thing that you didn't go to the gym today. my instructor said I should have at least 1 or 2 days off in between sessions to let my muscles rest & recoperate.

Nearly £60 per month wow    I would say that is a posh gym what is everything covered in gold or platinum lol.    My MIL figured it out that if I paid the yearly membership instead of the monthly in the long run I technically get 2 months free. but I know not everyone has that kind of money for the gym or a generous benefactor either.

I was really excited about going to gym as well an my MIL knew I was as well. because I was at the gym almost everyday except my rest day. swimming 2 or 3 times a week, I took 6 classes of Pilate's I didn't like that all to well & several class of aquatone which I enjoyed alot during my 6 week program. I am still enjoying the gym & swimming now I just had to get back into my routine after our trip back to the States in Nov & Christmas.

If you cant afford a full membership or even the monthly at your Leisure center maybe you can just do swimming instead. My leisure center I think for a month of unlimited swimming when the pool is available is £24 per person that includes all water classes as well.

Mrs. R, here is good info about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

http://www.musclemedia.com/training/hiit.asp

Mrs. R, here is good info about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

Thanks for the info, so now I know.  Ha ha - I don't think I'm going to be doing that anytime soon though (running/sprinting) -- I'd probably end up in hospital.  Maybe I could say I do a modified thing like that, however, in that I try to change up the intensity of what I'm doing (on the cross trainer & treadmill, etc) as I go along...but nothing approaching what they're describing as high intensity.  I'm still working on getting myself into a slow & steady routine -- and if I manage to accomplish that, it's progress (over being a couch potato... )

Now - what is a 'fartlek'?