Getting Back in Shape - Again!

It's Wednesday, so that means Boot Camp tonight. I know I posted a bit about it after the first class, but nothing since then. This is an hour of pretty intense exercise. We use the BOSU, we have sprint races, we skip, do push-ups (okay, I just plank - push-ups are bad for my neck/shoulder issues), and all kinds of other drills. We SWEAT. Really sweat. And I absolutely love it. In the fall, I'm going to see if there is a three times a week boot camp, because I find it to be more motivating than my gym. Did I mention how much I dislike my gym?

I joined a women's circuit style gym in August 2004. It was great, I went 4 or 5 times/week. In February 2005, the owner sold because her husband got transferred to New Brunswick. The new owners were nice, but put up a strip of mirror along each wall. They also changed the format a bit, which was fine, but took a bit of getting used to. Well, I wasn't overly fond of the mirrors (didn't need to see my sweaty self and hated seeing my stomach every time I went up on the step), so I went a bit less. And had a bit more stomach to look at! I started going more again - at least 3 times/week - last summer. And the gym closed in October. Unlike most gyms going under, the owners had made provisions for another nearby women's gym to take all of us for the rest of our paid memberships (so for most of us until the end of October, a couple people had paid a full year). The other gym also waived their initiation fee if we wanted to continue. I didn't like this place as much, but I needed something close, because I only had the time that the kids were in school (sometimes I go after Hubby comes home, but usually during the day, since I often have clients in the evening). And definitely women only - co-ed gyms are fine, but have a totally different vibe, and I'm just not into doing my hair to work out.

This gym isn't as fun - most of the people aren't very friendly, and that includes staff. The music is never loud enough - as in, you can barely hear it, because of the travel agency next door. Their clients "don't like music". Whatever! If they had a bit of background classical on, they wouldn't hear the beat from the gym, but they don't and are always coming over to complain and ask us to turn it down. Not that it matters, because it's often too slow to get your heart rate up if you work out to the beat. One woman who works there always plays the same CD of fifties music, most of which is too slow. If I hear "Peggy Sue" again, I may have to kill someone. The other thing that annoys me is that they don't change things around at this one. At the old gym, they moved the machines around once each week, so you never got complacent, and your body didn't get used to the same exercises in the same order. Here, they've moved the machines maybe twice. And they didn't really mix things up. The old gym used to offer yoga courses, held once/week for 8 weeks in the evening, after the gym's regular hours. The new place finished out the session last fall, but refused to do it again. I really, really miss yoga.

I've been going less, doing other things like the Boot Camp, and swimming, etc. It's also summer, so I have to go in the evenings when Hubby gets home, since the kids are here during the day. And we were away on holidays for ten days. You think people would realize this. This is another thing that I don't like about the gym. If you haven't been there for a while, they will call you. During the winter, I had strep throat, the kids were sick, Hubby was sick, work, choir. I didn't get the opportuniy to go, so they called and left a message. "You haven't been here, just checking in to see if things are okay". I got a call last week, too. I find it annoying - because they are also trying to sell vitamins, weight loss products and other supplements. My opinion is that they have my money, I'm paying my membership, and people get busy. Don't call me, I'll call you. I'm very much looking forward to the new gym - a ladies' only GoodLife that is more of a regular gym, not a circuit. It will be opening when the new grocery store opens in September. I am planning on cancelling my current membership, and joining the GoodLife gym. Then maybe I'll be able to wear my favourite jeans again! (they haven't fit since a couple of months after the new owners/mirrors!)