I'm thinking of joining a fitness center. Any advice?

[spinbaby]

Some minor surgery followed by a long, snowy winter has left my body in sluglike shape. There's a fitness center on my way home from work and I'm considering joining. I'm afraid it will be terribly expensive and that I will be surrounded by skinny, muscular folk in fancy workout gear. What should I know about these places?

[Taverner]

1. If you have 24 hour fitness use them

They're not especially good, but they're cheap and clean. And that's the best you can ask for.

As for skinny muscular folk, they go to Golds Gym

[flvegan]

2. Well...

can you get into the shape you want/will make you healthier without the benefit of a gym and that equipment? If not "expensive" is a relative term. Check the internet, you may have several around you that you have no idea of. Go to each one and see if it's clean, well-lit and well-staffed. Is the equipment in good shape? How many "out of order" signs do you see?

Then, see if they'll give you a 7 day pass to test drive the place. Remember, you're investing in yourself. Read any fine print on any "contract" you sign. Know what you're getting yourself into. I also don't care for 95% of the staff personal trainers, which you'll pay extra for. That's a personal thing, though, YMMV.

The only time I know of when the gym is simply stockpiled with the bold and the beautiful is during social hour. At my gym, it's around 8pm. Peacocks, the lot of them. Each one more ridiculous than the next. Otherwise, maybe 20% of the gym goers are gym rats and are in the kind of shape you're thinking about. And truth be told, they LOVE to give advice. I can't tell you how much I like to help folks that are getting started or see me do something and ask me to show them how. Especially the ladies.

And lo and behold, you already have the ear of a personal trainer right here who can help you out (albeit in a limited fashion) when you need it.

Good luck!

[spinbaby]

3. There's only one really under consideration

It's the only one I can hit on my way home from work (I'm in a fairly rural area), but it's a big one. What kind of equipment should I be looking for? I"m hoping that spending money will make me work out regularly.

[flvegan]

4. Depends on your goals.

However a good rule of thumb is, if it's a BIG gym (especially a chain) they're designed to fit just about everybody's goals. You want to see multiple of each *usual* cardio machine: bikes (recumbants are a plus), elliptical machines, stairclimbers and treadmills. If it's a really big place, they may have rowing and climbing machines as well.

Weights: there should be at least one FULL set of dumbbells from roughly 2.5 lbs to 120 lbs or so. There should be several free weight benches, leg presses, etc. There should also be a number of nautilus/Hammer Strength/etc type weight machines.

Some gyms will offer classes or other fitness alternatives, such as spinning or kickboxing, so be sure to ask about those sorts of things.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Grunt a lot. Talk on the cell phone incessantly and loudly while working out.

Put your shit on a machine to "reserve" it then go do something else for 20 minutes, and while you're using the machine, keep stopping to go do "something else" (maybe have a smoke, chat with someone, or best yet, make another loud cell phone call) but keep your shit on the machine to ensure you don't "lose" it.

Oh, and don't wipe anything after you're done because "it's too gross to wipe down", and complain loudly that you are being persecuted if FOX News isn't playing on at least one of the TVs.

[pink-o]

6. Rab, I didn't know you worked out at my gym! n/t