The January Joiners

[Barmacral]

Read a fun article about the January Joiners, or the people who resolve to get fit and join a gym, an annual phenomenon every January. My question is, are you amongst those complain about them, or encourage them to continue?

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/01/january-joiners-polarize-gym-crowd.html

 

Personally, I don't use gyms, so I'd encourage them to continue, or to find other cheaper ways to work out if they aren't liking the gym.

[SelinaKyle]

I'm of two minds in that I'm basically a nice person who wants people to look sexy and achieve their goals, but I'd just be just as happy to have the entire gym to myself.  Also, I like BodyPump classes and January is the only time when they ever fill up before I get there.

[jimmie65]

Give them the benefit of the doubt.

S

[Blueberries]

I want them to continue! So long as they don't hog my squat rack...

ETA: Actually, I had a lot of fun yesterday watching some of the wide-eyed looks that were cast in my direction by the newbies when I was doing clean & jerks. It was only 65 pounds, but the bumper plates make everything look better. I was hoping that maybe I could inspire some of the women to give weightlifting a chance!

[BeautifulBeast]

I have a home gym set up, so I don't have to worry about it  

[guest439437484421]

is that what that was?  i thought there was an awful lot more of people on the treadmills/elipiticals wednesday.

[rketterman]

I noticed that just before the holidays it was getting busier at the gym I go to.  Is that normal?  I haven't been in since the new year started so I'm dreading walking in. 

 

I'm all for supporting anyone that wants to make changes but I do like it when I'm the only one in there sometimes.  Just makes it easier to get the equipment I need. 

[shortstuff]

After reading this when I went to try out a new gym with a friend (the one we were going to close down for good) I was worried it would be really busy but we saw 5 people there while we were, one of which was nearly done when we got there.

[Gladius270]

I work out at my place of employment and at home, but I have been astounded by how packed the gyms have been as I drive past. 

[vintageenvy]

I'll admit that I'm a judger. I really want everyone to succeed, and I would never put anyone down who is trying to lose weight, but I kinda hate not being able to find parking in January only to see just the regulars back after Valentines Day. I feel like gyms should create the opportunity for Accountibili-buddies for those that have made working out a habit to help out the "January Joiners" (love that term btw) to keep them coming back and reaching their goals.

[jimmie65]

I'll admit that I'm a judger. I really want everyone to succeed, and I would never put anyone down who is trying to lose weight, but I kinda hate not being able to find parking in January only to see just the regulars back after Valentines Day. I feel like gyms should create the opportunity for Accountibili-buddies for those that have made working out a habit to help out the "January Joiners" (love that term btw) to keep them coming back and reaching their goals.

 

It's not good business sense to keep the January joiners around for long. Get them in, get their money, and get them out. Joiners will end up paying at least 3 months for a gym membership they use for a month; some will keep paying for most of the year. 

[missrackl]

I'm of two minds in that I'm basically a nice person who wants people to look sexy and achieve their goals, but I'd just be just as happy to have the entire gym to myself.  Also, I like BodyPump classes and January is the only time when they ever fill up before I get there.

^I agree. I always notice the crowding on the bike trail, where I ride to work every day.  During January, it's always packed with new walkers and joggers, but by February, it's usually back to normal. 

[sylph]

It's not good business sense to keep the January joiners around for long. Get them in, get their money, and get them out. Joiners will end up paying at least 3 months for a gym membership they use for a month; some will keep paying for most of the year. 

This is the truth. These folks help keep your membership costs down.

[andygates]

It's fun to guess which ones will stay and which will be gone in a week, but I do my damndest to be Good Guy Gates 'cos I remember repeat newbie-hood over the years.  

 

There's a subset I've spotted this time round, who have lots of kit already.  These are the RE-starters.  I may smirk, but only inside.

[Raikas]

This is the truth. These folks help keep your membership costs down.

 

^This.  My personal membership is paid by my employer as part of our benefits package, but I figure all those 1-year memberships that are sold in January to people who will only use the place for a month are what's paying for the new equiment that we see in the summers.  I can live with not going in for the first month of the year to avoid the crowds when it means the place will stay in business and keep the gear in good condition.

[Rivanariko]

I could hardly find a parking spot today! Which is great, I'm excited that so many people are doing something good for their health even if it'll only be for a few weeks. 

 

I also got really excited because the gym just got a new "TRX training zone" thing up by the track. It has monkey bars and pull up bars and straps and platforms and balls and I think you could probably do just about everything bodyweight ever on it. I just sat and watched people on it while I was stretching after walking today.  New goal is to work up the courage to play on it in the next couple weeks. Not sure what I'd do, besides just play on the monkey bars forever. It looks seriously awesome though. 

 

On the downside, besides that there are tons of new weight machines up there. All of the empty space around the track where I use to stretch or do bodyweight before/after/during my runs is now full of weight machines. I don't know if this is a January thing and they'll move them to storage when things calm down again, or if they just bought a ton of new equipment and had no where else to put it. 

[jimmie65]

I could hardly find a parking spot today! Which is great, I'm excited that so many people are doing something good for their health even if it'll only be for a few weeks. 

 

I also got really excited because the gym just got a new "TRX training zone" thing up by the track. It has monkey bars and pull up bars and straps and platforms and balls and I think you could probably do just about everything bodyweight ever on it. I just sat and watched people on it while I was stretching after walking today.  New goal is to work up the courage to play on it in the next couple weeks. Not sure what I'd do, besides just play on the monkey bars forever. It looks seriously awesome though. 

 

On the downside, besides that there are tons of new weight machines up there. All of the empty space around the track where I use to stretch or do bodyweight before/after/during my runs is now full of weight machines. I don't know if this is a January thing and they'll move them to storage when things calm down again, or if they just bought a ton of new equipment and had no where else to put it. 

 

That's pretty exciting. If our local Y had opened the TRX platform/base/whatever open for use outside of the silly classes, I might have kept my membership. 

[basscrack]

We have a TRX setup too! I'm excited to do inverted rows on it to work myself up to pull-ups -- I've been trying to figure out where I could do those.

 

Luckily for me, I work evenings so I go to the gym between 10am-2pm and even though there's more people than usual, it's still like... 10 people on the 30+ cardio machines instead of the usual 3. The weights are even more scarcely populated.

 

I'll admit, I am a restarter myself, although not due to a resolution. I'm using my winter break from school to rebuild my workout routine so it will be easier to continue when the new semester starts, I fell off last semester when my workload got too heavy. It's unfortunate that in the gym I've been going to for two years I look like a "January Joiner" cuz I haven't been in months.

 

Oh well. Come Feb-March I will still be there when the false starters are gone!

[Rivanariko]

I'm a restarter as well, and I'm really going to look like a January Joiner, as we're moving in February, so I won't be at this gym any more! 

[SelinaKyle]

We've got the TRX monkey setup too.  I like it and am using it for inverted-weight rows.   Usually I work out in the mornings, but yesterday I overslept so I worked out after work.  It was CRAZY.  Like, I do the really involved warmup that comes with the strength guide and I couldn't do the jump rope portion because there was no place to swing a jump rope. 

Setting the alarm tonight.

[blindasutsutsu]

Hmmm I am a six one half a dozen the other on this as well. I think it is awesome that people want to better themselves and support that entirely....but I hate waiting for squat racks/benches etc. That being said most of the new comers at my gym don't mind me working in/ask for some guidance or relegate themselves  to cardio machines which i stay away from (I do my cardio outside). So it doesn't bother me much. I will say the one thing that does make me a little mad is when they come in as a group  and there is "the guy" who has been to a gym twice before "teaching" his friends what to do. It doesn't bug me due to time but rather they often teach bad habits that can eventually cause  injury or make the overall experience less enjoyable for their friends. I do like to joke about the new comers with some of the other regulars but to be honest as long as I don't spend an extra hour because i have to wait for everything I  want  to use more  power to  them. 

[secretlobster]

I couldn't get to the gym last night because there was absolutely zero parking (in a huge lot) and a 10+ person wait for the cardio machines. I hope they are successful but the influx of January Joiners really can be annoying.

[arkadia]

The thing I enjoy most is that people tend to be more open to advice in January, like giving strength training a try or trying paleo. I really want them to succeed, but until they change their mindset from, "I'll do this until I lose X amount of pounds" to " I'm making a permanent lifestyle change" they'll probably be gone come February.