Thought this would be good for old school, cause most of us have probably graduated.

My questions: Do the ones of you that were pretty regular about working out still exercise as much as you used to? Did you join a gym? If so, what gym?

How many of you are accumulating free weights and work out at home?

I personally go to an Express YMCA, but once I turn 25 in Jan, that'll bump me up about $15 a month, so i'm starting to weigh my options

I'm in the Greensboro area

11/20/2007 2:28:33 PM

yes, i probably go the gym more now that im out of school (well, idid until i started grad school part time).

when im working, im on a set routine each day, so it easier to schedule the same time to work out. i try to go every day after work.

i wouldnt be too upset about $15 a month. im paying $61 (and thats with a $10 a month discount for getting my wife to join). i dont live in nc though.

11/20/2007 2:38:47 PM

not bump me TO $15, but UP $15

Basically i'll be paying about $39 a month to go to a small gym that has minimal equipment

11/20/2007 2:58:00 PM

ah...i misread that. yeah, that doesnt sound that great.

11/20/2007 3:01:35 PM

I actually got more serious about it after I graduated. I try to go 4-5 times a week after work and then I do some running on the weekends. I joined a gym that's owned by the city and paid $125 for a year long membership. It's a great facility and has everything I need. Unfortunately for you it's a long ways from Greensboro.

11/20/2007 4:04:48 PM

i work out a lot less, but after several years of starting and stopping because i couldn't make anything less than a full blown program translate into being in top form i've finally figured out how to turn 30-45 mins a day into better results than i had with 90+ mins a day in the past

i've got a cage, 300lbs in plates, 12-45 lb dumbbells, bench, a treadmill, and an elliptical upstairs (hooray http://www.smoothfitness.com/)

i did a few gym memberships after graduating, but they were so crowded and the turnaround time getting there and back i wound up buying whatever equipment i could fit as soon as i bought a house

11/20/2007 11:06:48 PM

I still run, added 10 minutes because I was slowing down....also almost back to my goal weight of 160...since I moved to VA havent been eatting nearly as much as I was and I have lost those 10pds in 1 month..(I am staying with a coworker so I dont have easy access to the oven and the frig is full)

11/21/2007 12:01:32 AM

i graduated 2 years ago and in the last year i have really taken working out seriously. i worked out here and there in high school and college but it wasn't until i started working full time that i could get in to a routine i could stick to.

i don't live in nc anymore but i go to golds gym ($35 after discount, work reimburses me) and i am very happy with it. i have tried working out at home but i really prefer a gym atmosphere, you have to figure out what works best for you.

i have started to realize that if i am at the gym i am more likely to spend more time (i average about 1.5-2 hours a day, 4-6 days a week) than i would i home.

going to the gym has become such an enjoyable and routine activity that when i am traveling and unable to work out i am disappointed and excited to get back to the gym-- something i never would have imagined myself saying 1 year ago!

i have an excercise ball, tension bands and a jump rope that i will bring with me when i travel. it's not the best thing in the world but when i'm gone for 2-3 weeks at a time and gym accommodations are unknown, it gives me something to do

11/21/2007 12:10:28 AM

I think the benefits of going to a gym outweigh the worries about cost/crowdedness. I don't mind the crowds and I enjoy the gym for the social aspect it has to offer. I've met a lot of great people while at the Y, mostly through classes I've done like Athletic Conditioning and Cycle. Meeting people serves as a motivation to go on a consistent basis, it contributes to having people keep you accountable "Hey man where were you for class on Monday," etc.

I picked up my working out after graduating and lost a lot of weight. The biggest trick is making it a part of your routine, it's a must. I don't go home in between work and the gym, otherwise I may try to come up with an excuse for why I don't have to go that particular night.

11/21/2007 7:39:26 AM

convinience is my biggest factor when picking a gym. if i have to go out of my way, im not going to go as often. as it is now, i go home after work, take the dog out, change, and walk 5 minutes to the gym. its hard for me to justify not going since its so close.

11/21/2007 8:28:40 AM

i work out a lot more regularly now than i did in College (in terms of going to the gym/using weights/systematic aerobic exercise), although i played more team sports in college

it keeps me at marginally overweight and out of the morbidly obese category

folks at work all have 2.5 kids and live the suburban life but are in phenomenal shape...i need to catch up

11/21/2007 12:01:25 PM

man you are old Drovkin, you turn 25 in Jan...wow....you cant afford an extra $15 a month? Just cut back on the beer a bit....

ask santa for a home gym.

11/21/2007 12:41:39 PM

Sure I could afford it

I just know that I will be working out for most of the rest of my life, and $39-$45 a month adds up a good bit when you add that up over 30 years

11/21/2007 1:23:22 PM

I gained a ton of weight during my last year of college and my first few years after graduating. Now I'm in the gym a couple of times per week, I swim 1-3 times a week for ~ an hour, I try to knock out 60+ pushups 4 days per week, and I hike 6+ miles every week or two. I still carry a little too much weight, but I'm in great shape in most regards.

I definitely "work out" more than I did in college although I was more active on a day to day basis back in those days.

11/21/2007 2:47:57 PM

^^

i look at it this way...

the gym costs me about $500 a year. at first that might seem like a lot but...

would i pay $500 a year to be 20lbs lighter, fitter, healthier, sick less, able to carry in all my groceries at once, walk up 6 flights of stairs at work for a meeting without being out of breath, look forward to being in a bathing suit rather than avoid it, sleep better, have more energy, do physical activities i wouldn't have tried before.. etc etc etc?

hell yes i would! i'd even pay double

if you actually GO to the gym, the cost of the membership is worth it in overall health & all the things you're able to do. now if you can achieve the same results working out at home or with your own equipment, go for it

the $35/mo is worth it to me because the gym is insanely clean, all the machines are in fantastic condition, i love the atmosphere, the people who work there are friendly and know my name, it gives me somewhere to go instead of having a treadmill at home telling myself i'm going to run, just as soon as i love new york is over. you get my point. if $35 (or whatever the cost is) seems like a lot, don't go out to eat twice that month, or instead of driving you car, walk somewhere to save on gas to make up for the cost of the gym.

11/21/2007 3:39:26 PM

there's lots of other stuff that "adds up"

focus on cutting that down and go ahead and let the gym costs add up - they're worht it

11/21/2007 4:08:30 PM

I guess my original question wasn't, "is the gym worth it"

it's "would you rather go to the gym, or invest in free weights/materials needed to work out at home"

I will never, and I repeat never, quit working out/being active in some shape or form

11/21/2007 4:49:50 PM

Depends if you are single or not. Gym is a prime place to meet members of the opposite sex.

11/21/2007 6:11:34 PM

engaged, so no, lol

11/21/2007 8:12:06 PM

i graduated in '04 and did really well staying active until about 6 months ago when i moved back to nc. new house, new job, new puppy, newly pregnant wife will really cut down on your available time. though i'm hoping to find somebody to start playing racquetball with and at least get in the habit of doing something again

11/21/2007 10:31:27 PM

i'm starting to really hate working out, lol. i do it because i don't want to get fat, but i get almost no enjoyment out of it anymore

11/21/2007 11:39:43 PM

I carry heavy bags of feed every day, walk a lot from task to task, carry water for animals, etc... so I guess I get a lot of exercise.

11/22/2007 12:35:32 AM

^^ It pisses me off you switched gyms and we can't workout together

I think that would have really helped motivate

11/22/2007 9:52:27 AM

quit being an internet badass. i already told you you can join planet fitness and we can go. MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A FATTY YOU COULD MOTIVATE YOURSELF

11/22/2007 11:51:49 AM

I'd take a look at CrossFit type gyms if one is near you and you're pressed for time. The basic idea of the crossFit program is to do high intensity workouts for a short period of time. They're hard but the idea seems to work.

Though, I take more the Mark Twight angle (gymjones.com) and do short high-intensity workouts along with long cardio and have a paleo-diet. I'd say I'm in better shape than I was in my early twenties--and I was no slouch then.

11/25/2007 2:42:05 AM

I second Crossfit. If you don't have a whole lot of time to work out, Crossfit is the way to go. Most of the workouts can be done in 20 minutes daily. It may not be the optimum for people who are looking to be at their peak, (I find my long-distance endurance suffers, so I crossfit and run) but again, if you don't have the space or time to work out, Crossfit is a great substitute. You also benefit due to the fact that you really don't do the same exercise routines all the time.

http://www.crossfit.com

The good part is that a lot of the Workouts of the Day can be done with a simple pull-up bar or something. There are a few WODs that need weights, but you can sometimes substitute. I'm not certain that you'd really need to join a dedicated Crossfit gym, as you can find 90% of what you really need in most weight rooms.

[Edited on November 25, 2007 at 10:42 AM. Reason : .]

11/25/2007 10:37:44 AM

^
Agreed. Actually, I use crossfit type workouts as a complement to my endurance base. It isn't a great program for sports-specific people IMO but for general fitness it seems great.

11/25/2007 4:00:17 PM

from that crossfit page:

11/27/2007 11:29:00 PM

like some others, i got really serious about working out once i graduated. now that i'm in grad school, though, i hardly ever find the time to exercise. luckily, my metabolism's fairly high and my teaching stipend keeps me well below the poverty line (and habitually short on food), so i'm _almost_ as slim as i used to be...just a lot weaker.

my best advice: don't burn yourself out by hitting the gym too hard; it starts to lose its charm as you grow older. try to vary your workouts and you'll run less risk of getting bored with them and stopping exercising altogether.

11/28/2007 1:38:16 AM

As soon as I get the space, and some cash, I'm buying a power rack, bumper plates, some reg plates, a good oly bar, a cheapo, and building a platform. I suppose, i'd need 2 cheapos (to do dips in the cage), and a bench. Add an old stereo, and it will be heaven.

[Edited on December 3, 2007 at 7:42 PM. Reason : ^don't give advise]

12/3/2007 7:42:13 PM

I think one of the biggest things i'm struggling with right now is trying to gain weight as well

I'm 6'1", and only about 162 lbs...and people have been making comments that I look extremely skinny

I'm a big fan of men's health magazine, and have explored both the Abs Diet and TNT Diet, both slightly address bulking and weight gain.

My problem is that I don't really know what would be the best way to go. I would like to bulk, but definitely don't want to add the gut that so easily accompanies that.

Any success stories of skinny guys staying consistent with a workout, eating a certain way, and able to pack on the muscle without packing on the fat?

12/4/2007 2:30:47 PM

^^ hey, go for what you know, dude.

most people aren't that dedicated. and those who would like to be (like me) don't have the time.

12/5/2007 9:49:48 PM

I struggled to find time to consistently work out when I was in school. After I graduated, one of the first things I did was join a gym and get dedicated to my workout routine.

I have a bench, a power cage, and about 1500lbs in weights in my garage. I even have 100lb plates for using on heavy lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench.

That being said, I work out at a gym after work each day. It's not very safe to lift alone, and I feel like I can get a better workout in at a gym.

I wish I had a nice treadmill or elliptical machine in my living room so that I could do cardio early in the morning and for really long periods of time on the weekends. I'll probably end up getting one next year sometime.

12/5/2007 10:56:13 PM

i don't work out quite as much as i did in college, but pretty close.

the limiting factor, more than anything else, is that base gyms aren't open until 11pm (or however late it was) like carmichael was, and i'm often more busy than i was in college. sometimes i literally just don't have a spot in the schedule to go.

add to it that i've dealt with ongoing shoulder, elbow, and TMJ pain (prob mostly as a result of tearing it up in the gym so hard until the last 3 years or so), and my workout intensity has dropped off some. I can still probably bench press 300 lbs, and I can do 20 pull-ups without even breaking my rhythm, but I'm not in the kind of shape I was when I left college. Being 28 years old prob doesn't help, either.

12/6/2007 2:29:36 AM

^^ So do you not use your home weights? How much did that stuff run you?

12/6/2007 8:06:46 AM

anyone know much about Lifetime Fitness gyms? I'm getting ready to relocate (again) and they are popular in the new place. i've heard some good reviews from friends who have used them-- any opinions on here? i currrently go to golds and just want to know how it compares

12/6/2007 6:20:38 PM

^^the weights belonged to my dad from his powerlifting days, so all I had to do was clean them up and repaint them. Unfortunately, the only thing I ever do with them is back training, since I don't run the risk of getting pinned under anything doing pullups and bentover rows. I would probably do more arm and shoulder workouts if I actually dedicated a workout to arms and/or shoulders, but i haven't done that in probably 2 years.

12/7/2007 4:55:33 PM

why not look for a used power cage??? (to comment about not being safe)



[Edited on December 8, 2007 at 6:47 AM. Reason : ]

12/8/2007 6:44:48 AM

a power cage will prevent you from getting trapped under the bar, but it's not going to call 911 for you if you were to have a catastrophic mishap such as blowing out a knee and rolling over inside the cage. My gym is a mile down the road and always has a squat rack open with other people around to see if anything happens to you.

If I found some people that wanted to train for powerlifting, then I'd be more prone to use my home equipment. Unfortunately, you see less and less people doing that.

I decided to purchase a treadmill for my living room today. I'm hoping to start using it every morning or maybe even start doing 2-a-day cardio sessions again.

12/9/2007 10:56:06 PM

For me, working out after graduating is like playing video games after graduating. It just doesn't happen. And when it does happen, it's merely a lethargic implementation of boredom.

12/10/2007 1:08:23 PM

I've come to the realization that between being tired, and having way too much other stuff to do now (damn "real life"), I've got to get up around 4:45 to hit the gym before work

It's actually worked out pretty well the past 3 weeks, and I don't see any way that time can be affected by anything else.

Sure I'm a little more tired at night, but totally worth it to finally be on a set schedule and not have to skip here and there because of after work obligations

12/10/2007 1:26:17 PM

I haven't done shit for 2 weeks. Yay for too many deadlines and extra curricular activities. At least I've watched my diet so there hasn't been any notable impact.

12/10/2007 2:39:39 PM

never worked out until this year. I graduated in 2003. Now I go 2-3 times a week depending on how busy I am, and I've been lifting, running, doing crunches, etc. I like it, and I look better for it.

12/10/2007 3:17:53 PM

I think the new RUSH gym on battleground was advertising some good deals. Like $20-$30 joining fee but $10/month after that. They gotta promo it to get people in since its new I guess.

12/12/2007 3:47:33 PM