Hate Going to the Gym? (builders, location, average)

[austinnerd]

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

If I am looking at you in the gym it is because either:

1) you are using a machine that looks like something out of the inquisition, and I am trying to figure out how to use it and how to have good form

OR

2) you are one really good looking dude.

Either way, feel complimented. I am not judging you.

Well, point #2 would suggest that you are indeed "judging", but in one specific criterion

I go to Lifetime, good gym, plays more towards the family crowd than many others and a must if you're into racquet sports. Plenty of lookie-loos , and yes, I admit I'm one of them, but like Jay, I'm not judging what's on the inside And I also agree that regardless of what kind of shape you're in, the fact that you're _at_ the gym at all says a lot. I'm in the middle of the road, I see 20 something former college swimmers and 60 yo's who have had plenty of time to accumulate a _lot_ of padding, and if the latter can still show up and get it done, then that actually motivates me. Then again it can be a bit depressing because sometimes you do get a bit of the ole "where I've been, where I'm going" thing happening, but again, in the end, more motivation.

[RooCeleste]

We've been members at 24Hour Fitness for four years and we LOVE it. We used to use the Lakeline location but since we moved, now we frequent Sam Bass/I-35 in RR more. The fingerprint scan came about, as I understand, for a couple of reasons: 1) to prevent you from having to carry a card around and 2) because people were "sharing" a membership and both using the same membership card. I don't mind it a bit and actually like it better than carrying a card. And oh, that new location in Pflugerville is AMAZING!!! I just wish it wasn't across town from us!

In all my years of going there (often alone), I've never felt as though people were staring at me or trying to puff themselves up. Everyone has always been friendly - and that includes the workers who are always willing to explain something, as well as the other patrons of the gym - and the machines are in good shape. There are all shapes and sizes, ranging from the extremely heavy to the lean high school kids obviously training for something to the ones working out in full dress clothes (which is odd, I will admit!), which is one of the main reasons I chose 24Hour over the other large chain in Austin. I don't like feeling like I have to be dressed in the hippest workout clothes to go to the gym!

And their prices were right. We did the three year deal which worked out to about $16/month for the first three years, and now we pay about $50/YEAR (about $4.20/month) per person. NOT a bad deal at all!

[pandavision]

Originally Posted by RooCeleste

The fingerprint scan came about, as I understand, for a couple of reasons: 1) to prevent you from having to carry a card around and 2) because people were "sharing" a membership and both using the same membership card. I don't mind it a bit and actually like it better than carrying a card.

I understand they don't want you sharing your membership and don't want to make you carry a gym card around. I don't know why they would be giving you a gym card when you already have a picture ID that's called a driver's license or a state ID. If you don't have one of those you should get one. If you had to drive to the gym, it is illegal for you not to have your license on you. Most people that go to the gym where shorts that have pockets so you have a place you can put your ID, most people bring something to change into before and after working out (not all, I know, because I don't. So, don't get offended) so put your ID in the locker room or wherever you put your things when you workout, or the front desk should keep your ID behind the counter with everyone's. You wouldn't forget your ID there because you would have to scan your ID to get out.

My point is, there are so many ways around the fingerprinting and I think it is a complete violation of people's privacy. It's like saying, pull out a strand of hair for me every time you go to the gym so I can make sure it's REALLY you. One day I'm going to laugh when people are pulling out stands of hair at the gym. What if someone doesn't have any hair on their head?

[RooCeleste]

Originally Posted by pandavision

My point is, there are so many ways around the fingerprinting and I think it is a complete violation of people's privacy.

It isn't fingerprinting - it is a finger scan. Two TOTALLY different things. Many companies have finger scans and believe it or not, you can actually buy a door lock for your house that will do the same thing.

If people would follow the rules, methods such as this wouldn't be necessary in our world. But sadly there are an increasing number of dishonest people, so companies have to resort to such means. I don't have a problem with it because I follow the rules.

[austinnerd]

Originally Posted by pandavision

I understand they don't want you sharing your membership and don't want to make you carry a gym card around. I don't know why they would be giving you a gym card when you already have a picture ID that's called a driver's license or a state ID. If you don't have one of those you should get one. If you had to drive to the gym, it is illegal for you not to have your license on you. Most people that go to the gym where shorts that have pockets so you have a place you can put your ID, most people bring something to change into before and after working out (not all, I know, because I don't. So, don't get offended) so put your ID in the locker room or wherever you put your things when you workout, or the front desk should keep your ID behind the counter with everyone's. You wouldn't forget your ID there because you would have to scan your ID to get out.

My point is, there are so many ways around the fingerprinting and I think it is a complete violation of people's privacy. It's like saying, pull out a strand of hair for me every time you go to the gym so I can make sure it's REALLY you. One day I'm going to laugh when people are pulling out stands of hair at the gym. What if someone doesn't have any hair on their head?

This points out one of the major issues with "privacy", "one man's privacy is another's invasion of privacy". There are many privacy conscious folks who are very much opposed to the idea of using centralized id's to track folks. Some folks are just as likely to say "my gym does not need to know what my DL info is". And one of the big issues driving this is that these gyms (and other places) want to minimize the amount of typing the employee has to do to speed customer checkin so they will lean much more towards swipe/scan solutions. Do you really want 24hr fitness scanning and having access to all the information on your DL? Do you even know what information is stored on that strip of your DL?

Then again, do you really want them to have your fingerprint (while Roo is technically correct in that they are only scanning, the thing that they're scanning is one of your fingerprints, and that fingerprint would have been initially stored to compare future scans to). Right now, having a single fingerprint is not quite as useful as other pieces of info, but as it becomes more ubiquitous, then bigger issues might arise. For example, in the future, that health club employee that has access to your fingerprint might be able to get into your house or car if those things are also protected by fingerprint scanners (you will remember to use different fingers for different places, right?)

Privacy in this day and age is just a myth (for all but the most hard core). You're more likely to find out that your long lost uncle that died in a plane crash leaving the bank millions that they now want to share with you than have any reasonable expectations of privacy.

[Trainwreck20]

My family also goes to lifetime fitness, as my wife is a self-proclaimed 'gym snob'. She likes that the equipment is never unavailable (an issue at both the YMCA and Gold's) and that parking is pretty easy (that was a huge issue at Gold's down south). There is much less of a singles 'meat-market' atmosphere at LTF and more of a family atmosphere; that can be good or bad, depending on what you are looking for. The price is pretty dang expensive, but since we joined back even before it opened, we are paying about half the current membership rate :P.

Fingerprint would be pretty cool. We can ride our bikes to the gym, in which case we do not take or DL but do need to take our membership card. My wife's workout clothes often do not have pockets, so you have to leave the card in a locker or do something else with it.

[PopsNegro]

Doesn't Austin have any public rec centers with weight/cardio rooms? Or is that too low-brow?

[pandavision]

Originally Posted by PopsNegro

Doesn't Austin have any public rec centers with weight/cardio rooms? Or is that too low-brow?

If there is one in Austin let me know. I'd like to do that instead. When I was younger, I went to the rec center in Pflugerville for free and it was really nice. But, now that I don't live in Pflugerville it cost money. Although, I don't know how much. It is a good alternative though.

[RampageInAZ]

Originally Posted by pandavision

I don't know about any of you hear but I need to start working out before I let my little belly fat and thighs get out of hand. I haven't joined a gym yet but i did a free 3 day trial at 24 hour fitness. They had a lot of things I liked but there is always a catch. You have to scan your finger to sign it... what the heck is that all about?? Oh, and not to mention, the people that stare at you while you're working out. I want to work out using the equipment they have but without all the people staring you down and the muscles heads walking around like idiots haha. I have nothing wrong with people having big muscles but it just seem they are there to look at people and have people look at their muscles as if they are some important person. It's silly, I just want to work out without all the drama. Any suggestions on my dilemma? It's way to hot to be working out outside during the day and it's too scary to have a routine workout outside at night.

What drama? Do you really think everyone is staring at you? Either you are doing something stupid, or you need to get over yourself.

[RampageInAZ]

Oh and I have to point out the hypocrisy of Planet Fitness. They claim to be judgment free, but heaven forbid you have any noticeable amount of muscle mass, or use dumbbells heavier than 50lbs. They clear discriminate against men who may be of the bodybuidling or powerlifting type. You can be the nicest guy in the wrold, but if you LOOK like you actually move some weight, you will basically be told you aren't welcome there. Their idiotic lunk alarm, meant to embarass you in front of everyone else, their dumb commercials steretyping weightlifters, its rediculous for them to make the claim of being "judgment free". Take your money and your business elseware, please.