10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Gym Membership – There’s nothing like a bit of sweat to get you feeling like you’ve accomplished something. Getting the most out of your workout and gym membership doesn’t have to be complicated. You need to know how to make the most of it. Good habits and a little tenacity will help you get the most out of your gym membership, no matter how crowded or confusing it may seem.
The First Step: Get Your Gym’s Amenities Down
The first step to getting the most out of your gym is knowing what they offer. Most gyms have gym bosses who can give you the low down on their facility, but if you can’t find them, call the front desk. What facilities and equipment do they have? What’s included in memberships? If you’re going to use a facility for a long time, equipment and service are important considerations.
Number Two: Make it more than a gym.
That doesn’t mean you have to quit the gym and pursue a new hobby, but try adding other activities. Try spin classes and yoga in addition to weights. Cooking healthy meals is both a hobby and a great workout, so try cooking three times a week for two hours. Go for a hike with friends. Set up a specific day when you can get together at the gym.
Number Three: Get a good coach.
The ‘no pain, no gain’ culture is a double-edged sword. Many of us go to the gym to get stronger, faster, healthier, and build muscle mass. But many of us are also afraid of going too far or putting on too much weight. Here’s the thing: Getting a good coach means that you don’t have to overdo your workouts. The best of your gym depends on one important factor: your coach. If you’re not getting the best results, change your coach.
Getting the most out of your gym membership starts with finding a great coach who can help you navigate the gym, avoid mistakes and show you how to get the most out of your time there.
There are a lot of options when it comes to coaching. You can work out with a trainer or group class instructor or work with a personal trainer. If you want to get in the best shape of your life and save yourself a lot of time, go for an excellent personal trainer.
Number Four: Do online research
Most of us are guilty of showing up to the gym with no real plan, right? We go to the gym, run a few random machines or do a few sets of whatever we think we should be doing. But if you want to get the most out of your money and efforts, you need to have a game plan. And like pretty much anything else in life, if you want to get the most out of your gym membership, you need to do your research. Find out what they offer, their class schedules, and how their equipment works. Doing this will help you feel more prepared and in charge when you walk through their doors.
Number Five: Go to the classes you want
If you’re paying a monthly fee to be a member at the gym, that’s even more reason to get the most out of your membership. In other words, don’t waste time and money going to classes and using equipment that doesn’t interest you. Attend the classes you want and use the equipment you enjoy. It saves time and money, but it’s also more fun and motivating. Going to the gym should be something you look forward to.
Number Six: Trust your instincts
The technique isn’t everything. Instincts are often ignored in favour of the “experts” or what’s proven by science, but you’re paying for it when it comes to training, so trust your gut. If a trainer moves too slow or uses techniques that aren’t working for you, move on or find someone else. Trust your instincts when it comes to what works best for you. If you’re in pain and your trainer says it’ll pass, it’s time to listen to yourself and switch things up quickly. You don’t want to sidelined by an injury because someone refused to listen to you.
Number Seven: Get to know the other members.
After that, you need to get to know the other members. Chances are they are nice and want to be friends. Some people even make best friends at the gym, who they see regularly and talk to all the time. So call up those new members and see if you can do lunch or even find a way to hang out in the gym. If you are busy, offer to meet them after your workout or ask if you can join them for a drink after class. If you have become good friends with some of the women in your class, you can also ask if you can join them for a weekend trip, even if it is just a long shopping day.
Number Eight: Pace Yourself
This may sound contradictory to what I said about having a coach. But let me explain: I’m not saying that you should go easy on yourself to avoid pushing too hard. Instead, I suggest that executing your movements with proper form at the correct speed will allow for more efficient work and quicker results.
Number Nine: Don’t get too hung up on the machines.
Instead, take a walk around the facility and try to learn how to use different pieces of equipment that you might not usually use or know about. It can be beneficial to see what you can do with these contraptions, plus it’s exciting to experiment in the gym and be a bit adventurous.
Number Ten:Eat Right!
When, where, and how much you eat can be just as important when it comes to getting the most out of your time at the gym. Tailwind Nutrition, our new energy and nutrition brand, is here to help. Tailwind products are optimized for endurance athletes, made with all-natural ingredients and fortified with electrolytes, so you can power through workouts with ease. Tailwind Nutrition includes bars (both fruit and nut varieties) that are made without artificial flavors, colors or added sugars. When to use Tailwind Nutrition:There are several factors that can affect when you should use Tailwind Nutrition.
- First, work with your nutrition plan. Tailwind is not a substitute for eating according to a plan. Find the best Tailwind Nutrition schedule for the nutrition plan you’re using. For example, if you’re on an Ironman training plan, you should use a different schedule than if you’re training for a short Olympic distance triathlon.
- Second, work with the length of your workout. If you’re doing an intense workout, such as an interval or tempo workout with multiple effort, you may need to consume Tailwind more frequently during your workout than is suggested by the typical schedule.
- Third, work at your pace. If you’re going slower than your typical training pace, such as in a brick session, you may need to consume more Tailwind during your workout than is suggested by the typical schedul
Finally, always remember to hydrate! Like many other things, proper hydration is just as crucial for the mind as it is for the body!
