Good post topic @JGood
Being old, I’ve gone to gyms and have been working out since 1997. Way back then it was my local YMCA. I moved around a lot and went to some rinky-dink gyms and some were nice and one was beyond nice, a health club with all the bells and whistles, multiple indoor pools, an indoor running track, an indoor 3 story rock climbing wall, a juice bar, many indoor racquetball courts, a full size indoor basketball court and a lot more.
I played sports from a young age on, I’ve always been active doing something. Today, pushing 60, I ride a bike a lot and I ruck (which is walking with weights in a backpack). I also lift weights 3 to 4 days a week.
Since the pandemic here in the U.S., I’ve spent little time at an actual gym. I’d already been riding a bike for a long time prior to the pandemic and I kept riding during it. I took up rucking during the pandemic and that stuck. I also bought some things to make a home gym (a minimal one, due to the pandemic).
Decades and decades ago, I went to the gym either early or late due to school and/or work.
I prefer it to be less crowded. For me personally, I dislike having to wait for a machine. I like to go from machine to machine to machine as that’s part of my workout, not getting too much rest in between sets. It also helps to keep the time in the gym down. I much prefer to go in, get my workout in and to leave.
I do 30 mins of weights and 32 mins of cardio on ellipticals (I dislike running as a form of exercise). Running is fine as a part of sports for me, but I don’t like running by itself. Also, ellipticals are low impact, better for one’s knees long term.
In many cities and states I’ve lived in, there were 24 hour gyms and I LOVED those. I’m weird that way. I’d go to the gym at 3 a.m. to avoid people, to get in, have any machine available, to get my work in and get out.
Again, I’m a bit different. After my divorce, I went out a lot compared to when I was married. I do this in terms of the gym. On Friday nights I’d go out with one group of friends who ended the night “early”, around 10 to 10:30 p.m. We’d leave and I’d go to the gym at like 10:30 p.m. on that Friday night and needless to say, not many were at the gym at that hour on a Friday night.
I’d workout, get cleaned up and then go out with another group of friends until like 3 or 4 a.m.
Here is more about how I feel about working out. At times I’ve had to travel a good bit for work and for many months in a row I’d fly out on Monday morning and fly back home Friday.
I had to be at the airport by 5 a.m. on Monday mornings. To avoid NOT working out, I’d go to the gym at like 3:30 a.m., workout, get cleaned up and then drive the airport.
Now, when I was in the city and state I was flying out to regularly, I had to workout. I went to a local gym, said I’d like a short term membership, they said no.
I spoke with teh manager, said they had a gym and equipment and wanted money from folks to use it. I said I wanted to pay to use it. I said I didn’t want a 1 year membership as I’d only be around for like 4 months. He and I were able to come to an agreement and I had my short term gym membership there while still having my gym membership in the city I lived in.
To help me deal with my divorce, after my 1st wife cheated, I’d go to the gym a lot. Some days I’d go to the gym 3 times in a day. Most days it was twice and always at least once.
I went before and after work and by that time I was at a level I could leave and go workout during the business day too, so I did a time or two each week.
I’ve never wanted or tried to really build up a lot of muscles, to become “jacked”. To each their own, I wanted and want to be lean. I will use lighter weights and keep my form correct rather than trying to look cool by lifting huge weights and using momentum to move them rather then using proper form.
One of the best gym tips I ever got and one I pass along to others is to vary your workout regimen like every 6 weeks or so. It’s easy to go into the gym and do the same machines, in the same order, with the same amount of weight for the same amount of reps. Do NOT do that.
Change your workout, it’s better for your body to do different things as opposed to doing the same things over and over without any change or with very little change.
Additionally, incorporating different things keeps your workouts fresh, they don’t become stale or boring, at least not as quickly.
In terms of my workout gear, I’m old school. What do I mean by that? I began in the 70’s. There weren’t fancy Under Amour items and fancy Nike workout gear. Gear back then was much different than it is today. Much less colorful. Things weren’t stretchy and tight. Yoga pants weren’t exactly popular in the 70’s either.
I wore baggy clothing and in layers. Sweating was/is good.
In other comments previously I said I ride my bicycle in cargo shorts and baggy shirts as I don’t wear the bicycle shorts like my friends do or those small tight riding shirts that you see long distance bike riders wearing. Many will wear the shoes with the “spikes” to clip onto their pedals on their bikes. Not me. I usually wear tennis shoes while biking. But get this, there are times I wear boots, just a bit over the ankles, think Wolverine boots or similar along with my cargo shorts and big baggy shirts. It’s easy to pick me out of the group of us who go riding.
Well, in the gym I’m like that. I don’t conform to many things, tis just me. Give me some big sweatshirts, hoodies, a ball cap and layers. Some of my pairs of compression shorts are very long, they will stick out from under my shorts a long way.
I’m not one to go for fashion when working out, riding a bike etc.
Over the decades, I tried to workout with friends. My ex-wife was always active too and went to the gyms I did and she and I tried to workout together, but I’ll just say that didn’t work out well for either of us so we’d go our separate ways in the gym when we went together.
I’m not a model, not on TV, not in magazines etc. I say this because I don’t workout to look a certain way. It’s entirely rooted in wanting to age well, period. Oh, that and I like to move, to workout etc. It’s a great stress reliever. It helps folks with their outlook, to deal with work etc.
Also, so many always say they are so tired, they do so much and they are dragging by the end of the day. Guess what? Working out consistently gives folks MORE energy. What does that mean? That means when you are trying to get stuff done from say 9 to 10 p.m. after work at home or maybe even still in the office, you’re able to do it better and not be as tired as you would be if you didn’t work out regularly. You’ll have more stamina and you’ll be able to get more done each day due to not being as tired.
There is way too much info online about the benefits of working out regularly so I’ll stop now.
Great post JGood.
