The Right Gym

2012 River 2 Sea Relay.  Here I am after completing "The BEAST" ... 9 miles all uphill.  Ugh.

In the early days of the Attitude Nation Gym, I have spent a lot of my time at malls, restaurants, bike shops, yoga studios, delis, churches, GNCs, and even just walking around downtown talking to as many people as I possibly can about our gym and what we are all about.  I am always amazed at the reactions I get.  It ranges from blatant disregard to captivation and intrigue.  Some people immediately feel a sense of guilt at being reminded how their own health has taken a back seat to work, a busy social life, or a combination of both.  Yet others see the excitement in this new challenge as a way to experience life and push themselves even further than they may have previously thought.

All of these meetings got me thinking about what makes a gym great.  Not just a CrossFit gym or a weightlifting gym or a Pilates studio, but any gym.  I feel like this is an important question to ask yourself... because whether you are paying $10 bucks a month or $200, you deserve the absolute best.  I am forced to pay for health insurance that sucks, I pay a cell phone bill that provides me crappy service, and my monthly Netflix payment is starting to hurt more because I realize their movie selection is getting worse and worse ("PontyPool"... really Jon???).  Therefore I refuse to tolerate spending a penny on a gym that is not providing me THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE.  After all it was years and years of frustration belonging to various globo gyms that played a big role in motivating me to become a trainer in the first place.

So as a public service I will provide for all of you a list of a few things I believe you should look for when deciding on whether a gym is not only right for you, but worth every penny you spend on it.

In no particular order....
- Less machines and more barbells.  I know this is a common "joke" in the CrossFit world, but there is some truth to it.  I would not say that machines have ZERO use in the fitness world, as they can potentially be useful in rehab or training someone through an injury.   But isolation movements promoted through the use of machines have much less positive effect on your health and fitness than compound movements accompanied by free weights.  By using free weights as opposed to machines, we are forcing our body to work together as it was intended, as we maintain a neutral spine and proper midline stability, activating the proper and necessary muscles required to move our bodies safely through a particular motion.  For instance the difference between using a leg press and actually squatting with a barbell on your back.  In a leg press I do not need to focus on engaging my posterior chain, or engaging my core (everything from neck to pelvis) in order to create a rigid midline.  Whereas with a barbell on my back - in order to perform the movement properly - I will be required to engage my PC as well as maintain MLS.  The nueromuscular benefit I get from this as opposed to being on a machine is unparalleled and clearly more beneficial for my - and yours - health.
- Trainers that know what the hell is going on.  I could write an entire blog post on this alone.  In fact I will... that will be next weeks topic.  But for now you need to know that it is important that your coaches are knowledgeable and dedicated to helping you improve.  Do not accept being just another person in the room and do not accept half-assed answers from your trainer.  If they are not giving you attention, make sure you GET their attention!  Do not hesitate to ask questions about technique and programming and why they are telling you to do what you are doing.  An exercise will have a different purpose for each person depending on their strength and their skill... make sure your trainers can explain each and every detail of their programming and how it will help YOU specifically!
- Are people doing snatches and clean and jerks at your gym?  No...? Leave immediately.  While some people may need more time to develop the skill and strength necessary to perform these movements with weight, the value they have for each and every person is too great to ignore.  Great gyms with great trainers will take the time to teach these movements, and will have the patience to help you develop these lifts.  Any gym who ignores these lifts care more about making their own lives easier and less about making your life better.
- MAKE SURE YOUR TRAINERS KNOW HOW TO TEACH THE SNATCH AND CLEAN AND JERK PROPERLY.  If you are not sure, move to Charlotte and join us at the Attitude Nation Gym and we will absolutely show you.

I could easily keep going but its the 3rd period of the Rangers game and the action is absolutely insane right now.  Rangers just blew another power play opportunity and I am freaking out.

So remember: do not sacrifice your health and your sanity in order to save a few bucks.  Find the right place for you - and that doesnt mean the place where you can be "comfortable" and just coast through a few "workout" sessions you pulled from a magazine.  Challenge yourself and get as far out of your comfort zone as you can.  Find the right place for you, looking for the things I mentioned above and do not settle for anything less.

TIP OF THE WEEK:
Foam rolling has always been a staple in my warm up routine.  There is plenty of evidence through both science and experience to support this method as being effective.  This article, however, gives some different perspectives on when to foam roll and how you can determine what is right for you.  A great read for all.
http://www.performancemenu.com/articles/article.php?article_ID=542