If you are expecting miracle cures for your laziness, stop right here. As you can see from the title, this is not about what you need to do in the gym but how to get yourself there. I discovered a few things that worked for me and I have been going to the gym from Oct 2006. I know so many people who have enrolled in a gym since that period and fallen by the wayside. Try these tips and I'm pretty sure it will help.
Join a well-known gym - The most important thing about the gym is the professionalism and attitude of the trainers. If they are sloppy and tend to hang around in a group, ignoring the customers, leave immediately. The first three months are the most painful so you need to be sure that once you are there you are getting enough care and attention. When I joined Talwalkars in Bombay, I noticed the difference from my earlier gym on the first day. They took me through the fitness tests, showed me how each machine worked and were rarely distracted. When I moved to Chennai and was on the lookout for a gym, I walked into FitnessOne and noticed the same attitude among the trainers. I signed up immediately and never regretted it.
Make friends - Be friendly to as many of your fellow sufferers as possible. This creates a kind of clubby atmosphere and you will always be warmly welcomed when you enter the gym. Also, chances are that your wife/parents/friends will get really tired of your gym stories. I mean who wants to know that you bench-pressed 10 kgs more today or did 25 sit-ups more. That's when your gym buddies will come in handy, with admiring expressions and inspirational stories (where they would be the central character). Do not ask your friends to join you as they will stop going and will drag you down too.
Be a big-time narcissist - Who knows every inch of your body best? You, that's who (unless you are really really lucky). Now any bit of workout will improve your body. Strangely the people around you will never admit that there is an improvement (trust me they are wrong). This is kind of ego-bruising so take your clothes off and spend a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring your parts which are looking more toned or less flabby. DO NOT TRY THIS IN PUBLIC.
Celebrity Spotting - This kinda links to the first point. If you are in a good gym, rest assured you will spot some celebrity or page 3 persona. This makes you happy and keeps you going (no logic to it). You can also casually mention it during a conversation and then sit back and watch the fun.
Go regularly - This is like the old joke about Moses. He comes down from Mt Sinai and says "Folks the good news is there are only 10 commandments. The bad news is Adultery is still in the list." This point is the one that makes the others work. Go as regularly as you can. Take an Ipod with your fav music, accessorise yourself with cool stuff, hang out at the juice bar - whatever it takes to make a pleasant experience but JUST GO. The results will make you wanna go more and believe me it's worth it.
Join a well-known gym - The most important thing about the gym is the professionalism and attitude of the trainers. If they are sloppy and tend to hang around in a group, ignoring the customers, leave immediately. The first three months are the most painful so you need to be sure that once you are there you are getting enough care and attention. When I joined Talwalkars in Bombay, I noticed the difference from my earlier gym on the first day. They took me through the fitness tests, showed me how each machine worked and were rarely distracted. When I moved to Chennai and was on the lookout for a gym, I walked into FitnessOne and noticed the same attitude among the trainers. I signed up immediately and never regretted it.
Make friends - Be friendly to as many of your fellow sufferers as possible. This creates a kind of clubby atmosphere and you will always be warmly welcomed when you enter the gym. Also, chances are that your wife/parents/friends will get really tired of your gym stories. I mean who wants to know that you bench-pressed 10 kgs more today or did 25 sit-ups more. That's when your gym buddies will come in handy, with admiring expressions and inspirational stories (where they would be the central character). Do not ask your friends to join you as they will stop going and will drag you down too.
Be a big-time narcissist - Who knows every inch of your body best? You, that's who (unless you are really really lucky). Now any bit of workout will improve your body. Strangely the people around you will never admit that there is an improvement (trust me they are wrong). This is kind of ego-bruising so take your clothes off and spend a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring your parts which are looking more toned or less flabby. DO NOT TRY THIS IN PUBLIC.
Celebrity Spotting - This kinda links to the first point. If you are in a good gym, rest assured you will spot some celebrity or page 3 persona. This makes you happy and keeps you going (no logic to it). You can also casually mention it during a conversation and then sit back and watch the fun.
Go regularly - This is like the old joke about Moses. He comes down from Mt Sinai and says "Folks the good news is there are only 10 commandments. The bad news is Adultery is still in the list." This point is the one that makes the others work. Go as regularly as you can. Take an Ipod with your fav music, accessorise yourself with cool stuff, hang out at the juice bar - whatever it takes to make a pleasant experience but JUST GO. The results will make you wanna go more and believe me it's worth it.
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