About a year ago my friend, Sean, and I were at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley, California when I noticed a bike which caught my eye – a belt drive mountain bike by Spot Brand. I immediately feel in love with the belt drive concept due to the simplicity, but I was not in the market for a single speed mountain bike as I already owned a few. But if you can’t buy one, the next best thing was to build it, which is exactly what I did. Here is the story of building up a bike. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Can’t Buy It? Build It!
Tag: Fitness Journal
Fitness Journal: Joining a Gym, Sign on the Dotted Line
When it comes time to joining a gym, you need to sign on the dotted line. In this way gyms and cars are a bit alike. As with cars, it begins with sales. Membership at many gyms, particularly larger chains, is handled by salesmen. Unfortunately, like their auto counterparts, gym salesmen are viewed as deceptive. While many salesmen are hardworking and honest, there seems to be many that are willing to meet a sales quote at any cost, even if it means lying or omitting information; then there are those who just don’t know anything and end up giving the wrong information.
Most likely you’ll sign up without a hitch. At the affordable no-frills gym I joined, there was no salesman involved, just the front desk. The process required filling out one page of paperwork, signing a one-year contract, and handing over a credit card—done. At the second, costlier but full-featured gym I joined, I worked with a salesman on signing up for the membership. Although the process seemed routine, I ended up having to deal with unresolved problems that, unfortunately, the salesman no longer wishes to deal with. Without going into details, there are some things to remember before and after you join. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Joining a Gym, Sign on the Dotted Line
Fitness Journal: To Gym or Not to Gym
There are several questions you should ask yourself when it comes to deciding on whether or not to join a gym.
Can you achieve the same results from working out with some weights at home or taking a run or bike ride?
I know many people who are healthy, lean, and fit, but never or rarely step foot inside a gym. They achieve this by either working out at home using simple weights dumbbells or barbells or through a physically strenuous activity like biking, running, or walking, plus proper nutrition. While every individual’s body is unique and respond differently, keep in mind that there are other ways to get fit without having to go to the gym.
Of course, if you’re looking to bulk up and work specific muscles, a good gym offers plenty of machines and free weights for that purpose. Plus, many gyms have indoor amenities like a swimming pool and racquetball and basketball courts to cater to those types of activities, and, should you wish to pay for one, a trainer.
But a gym can also feel “soulless” and boring. Imagine biking on a forest trail or through an urban jungle like New York City and crossing over the George Washington Bridge into a more leafy New Jersey, all while experiencing the sights and sounds of a mini adventure. You can never get that type of exercise experience from a gym. Continue reading Fitness Journal: To Gym or Not to Gym
Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?
I have only heard someone say “I love my new gym” once, and that came from someone who had too much disposable income to spend on an outrageously pricey workout facility. Exercise and staying fit should be an accessible and affordable (and, dare I say it, fun) activity, but as times have changed and we have traded working in the fields for the office, gyms have become an expensive but necessary evil in our modern sedentary lifestyles. But working out in a gym should be rewarding and enjoyable, right?
Well, unlike said person just mentioned, gyms are for the most part expensive. Most gyms are inconvenient and unless you live in Manhattan where everything is accessible, gyms involve driving to (oh, the irony). But even more excruciating is the actual joining of a gym, from shady business practices to dirty facilities.
Before you join a gym, read on about what you should be aware of. Much of the advice comes from personal experience and working at a fitness magazine with trained experts, and you may find them useful. Although there are many common-sense “duh” tips, there are some that even experienced gym-goers tend to forget when they join a new gym. Continue reading Fitness Journal: Should You Join a Gym?