Why I Kissed The “Gym” Goodbye!

GLOBO GYM

I admit it, I used to be a “GYM” guy.  I used to love to go to the gym!

There is just a smorgasbord of the latest and coolest equipment there, there’s a variety of nifty classes that you can take, the finest locker rooms with showers/hot tubs/saunas, there are multiple refrigerators with pre-workout drinks, mid-workout drinks, post-workout drinks, etc, there are 60 inch LCD HD flat screen TV’s to watch Seinfeld and American Idol, there is plenty of “people watching” and “socializing” to do if that’s your thing, and it’s just an all around very stimulating environment to say the least.

Most of these corporate gyms today make me feel like I have entered into Globo Gym from the movie Dodgeball or something and you basically need a map to just find you’re way around anymore.  I would spend hours there and a lot of money there as well and this is why I kissed the “GYM” goodbye.

First let me preface this by saying…this is why I kissed the GYM goodbye.  I know that there are people (even friends of mine) out there that the gym absolutely works for, but from a statistical standpoint…if that’s you,  then you are actually in the minority when it comes to most Americans who would like to and are trying to get fit.  For most people, the GYM is not a long term solution for reaching and maintaining fitness goals, and here’s why…

THE GYM HAS HIGH COSTS

The average cost of a gym membership in the United States is around $45 dollars a month.  That monthly fee is usually in a contract form that you have to “prove a change of residence to another state or your own death” to basically get out of and are usually charged a cancellation fee on top of it if you decide it’s not for you.

And all of this doesn’t even include the up front one time payment of an “application/initiation/enrollment fee” that is usually anywhere from $25-50 bucks, it also doesn’t include all the extra fees the gym may charge for lockers (what else can you do with your stuff?), aerobic, spin, bootcamp classes (could be $5-$10 per class), semi annual fees, and even equipment maintenance fees.  All of this is for the person who actually KNOWS what they are doing when it comes to exercise and equipment usage, but for the poor soul that doesn’t KNOW what they are doing…well we won’t even get into personal trainer costs and those fees right now, but trust me…they’re way up there.

THE GYM MAY HAVE HIDDEN COSTS

There may also be many “hidden fees” in the VERY fine print of that contract that can really nickel and dime us as well.

THE GYM HAS OTHER ASSOCIATED COSTS

Even outside of the gym, there are associated costs.  There is the issue of fuel prices.  The last gym I was a member of was about a 20 mile round trip from my house and I averaged going to that gym about 4 days a week.

That ended up being about 320 miles (16 visits) a month and around $64 dollars/month in fuel costs (4.00 per gallon @ 20 mpg).  That is $768/year just in fuel costs going to THE GYM!  The way the fuel prices are going in this economy, it’s a safe bet that even that number is “on the rise.”

THE GYM HAS AN EXTREMELY HIGH NON USAGE RATE

Let’s be honest though, most people do not actually attend a gym enough to even come close to getting their money’s worth.  People don’t go regularly, they quit going, and eventually drop out or even worse they just never go and continue to get charged every month.  According to this article at Livestrong.com, 80% of 40 million Americans with gym memberships don’t even use them!

Many people will sign up and realize that after a couple weeks, maybe even a couple months that it’s too hard to “find the time” to make it to the gym when juggling work, kids, school, and other responsibilities.  Maybe this you because it was definitely me!  That is why the gyms make you sign a contract and pay by month or by year….because the majority of people don’t go enough or even quit!  Just look at the numbers in January and February compared to the rest of the year.

REALLY? LOL

When deciding to go to the gym, you have to get ready, find your keys/wallet, make sure your ipod is charged, get your water bottle, drive 20 minutes there and hopefully not have to stop and get gas, spend 10 minutes changing clothes, wait on equipment, talk to friends, workout, post it on FB, change clothes again, get your stuff, drive home and get stuck in traffic, and then finally make it back home.  The whole process was taking me almost 3 hours!  Are you kidding me?  What a waste of time, in my opinion.  If you have a job, a spouse, kids, responsibilities…this just doesn’t fly and if it does fly, it doesn’t fly long that’s just another reason why people don’t last.

So what do you do?  Not workout?  Just give up? No way!

A SENSIBLE SOLUTION TO FITNESS

I want to share with you what has been working for me and that is an”at-home fitness” program.  Not only do I save a ton of money, but I save a ton of time too.  Extra time that can be spent with my family, at my church, working on this blog lol, etc.  I know this may come across as harsh, but unless you are a single guy/girl with hardly any responsibilities and income to burn – the gym is a waste.  I know there are exceptions so don’t get mad, but I am talking about the norm here for the average person with a job, kids, etc.

I know what you are saying, “those at-home programs don’t work.”  Listen to me, I got back in better shape with P90x than I could have ever gotten myself into at a gym and I have got in the best shape of my life with a program called Insanity Asylum all in the privacy of my own home.

I didn’t need the fancy equipment,  I didn’t need the “club-like” atmosphere and music, and I definitely didn’t need to pay a ton of money or spend 3 hours a day.  These programs DO WORK and there are literally thousands of people getting in the best shape of their lives by committing to them.  You get a world class program, nutrition guides, and a proven celebrity trainer like Tony Horton, Shaun T, and Chalene Johnson to teach, motivate you, and guide you step by step.

For what you would pay going to a gym for a year, you could own almost every workout DVD in Team Beachbody’s arsenal (P90X, P90X2, Insanity, Asylum, Turbofire, and many more) and buy the minimal amount of equipment needed to build an at-home gym/workout area to do them all in…and save a ton of money and time and NEVER leave your house.

People will also say, “there is no accountability when you are working out alone.”  This isn’t an issue either with these programs.  We have online challenge groups, FREE fit clubs, Facebook groups, etc to keep you motivated and accountable.  Just ask me and I can get you plugged in to one immediately.

But the REALLY great thing about these programs is that they are all – RISK FREE.  If you are not satisfied with them, they don’t work, whatever…you can it return for your money back with at least a 30 day money back guarantee and an even longer one with certain programs.That is how confident we are that these programs WILL WORK!

There is really nothing to lose, so if you are SERIOUS about your fitness, don’t waste your time and money with all the so-called “bells and whistles” out there and just try one of our top-notch programs and just get busy!  It worked for me!

I also like to get outdoors and run, hike, and ride my bike! (all of which are free I might add!)  It blows my mind how many people here in beautiful sunny California fight through traffic in their cars to drive to a gym and pay to RIDE a bike or RUN on a treadmill!  Crazy!  Click below to browse our programs available to “kiss the gym goodbye as well.”

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