Should I get a Gym Membership?

“A Gym Membership is Great IF You’re Following a System, Some Type of Structured Routine…”

Let’s help you figure out “Should I get a Gym Membership?”

Would you like to train indoors today or outdoors in the open air or running on a treadmill versus running along the beach.

I know which is better for you but that’s me, I love to be out, actually I spend most of my time outdoors, I surf, mountain bike, snowboard, kite surf, basically I love to be active outside and always have.

I love sport and get to games whenever I can, I love camping and I take all the toys with me whenever we go to spend some quality time away from home.

How do I feel about doing training outside?

It come’s down to the question of how much time do you actually spend indoors, is there a good balance between being in and out, what is your daily routine, do you work in the office or from home, how much time do you spend being in the car each day?

These are a few questions you need to ask yourself before even thinking if I “Should get a gym membership?” .

I know a lot of people don’t spend enough time being out, for whatever reason, but one of the main reasons is their lifestyle.

It always comes down to what you view as important, It’s never too late to get into better habits and change your lifestyle for the better, get more active and take up new hobbies, just don’t waste your golden years being stuck indoors all the time.

This brings me to the question…

Would I prefer training with free weights eg. Barbells, kettlebells, and slam balls, …Or exercise bikes, treadmills, lat pull’s and all machine’s that normally isolate different muscle groups.

Having spent many years working in Gym’s I’ve seen people’s habits over time and let me tell you something that might shock you, if you don’t at least mix your training up there will come a time that you will quit training altogether…!!

Gym memberships are great if you are following a system, some type of a structured routine, here’s a few examples:

Beginner full body workout routine for males
Workout plan for weight loss for females
Pre season strength and conditioning plan for young athletes
Intermediate split upper-lower routine for males
Advanced strength plan compound focus

By following a simple structured routine, you will progress nicely and keep the boredom at bay, if you understand what you’re after you can then ask yourself “Should I get a gym membership?”.

Here is an Example of a 3 Day Split Routine:

Chest & Back

A1 Mid Grip Incline Bench Press: 4x7reps Pause at the bottom for 1 sec.
A2 Wide Grip Chins: 4×7 Focus on stretching the lats at the bottom
B1 Flat DB Bench Press: 3×10 ¾ at the top, don’t lock your elbows out at the top
B2 One Arm DB Row: 3×10 Squeeze at the top for 1 sec.
C1 Decline DB Flyes: 3×12 Normal pace
C2 Reverse Grip Bent Over Barbell Row: 3×12 Focus on good form not too heavy

Quads & Hamstrings

A1 Back Squats: 4×7 Plenty of warm ups for some blood flow
A2 Barbell Bridges: 4×10 Place your upper back on a bench, bar on your hips, feet on floor
B1 Barbell Alt. Lunges: 3×12 This is done with the bar on your back, standing on the spot
B2 Single Leg Curls: 3×12 Pick a weight you can do the full 12 reps with, one at a time
C1 45 Degree Leg Press: 1×20 Lighter weight on these
C2 Standing Calf Raises: 1×50 Take your shoes off, free standing calf raise max out and aim for 50 you can rest a few sec and go again and again till you hit 50

Shoulders & Arms

Military Press: 4×7 Standing with good posture, core/glutes need to be tight throughout
B1 Seated DB Press: 3×10 Semi grip, do not flare your elbows out on these
B2 Standing Lateral Raises: 3×15 Bring the db’s up to eye level
C1 Standing Barbell Curls: 4×10 Squeeze the arms with every rep
C2 Dips: 4×12 Use two benches side by side using your body as resistance, add weight as needed
D1 Seated Hammer Curls: 2×15 Good posture, shoulders back, controlled movement
D2 Close Grip Smith Machine Bench Press: 2×10

The difference between

Some of the guy’s I’ve seen that are on a program vs the guys that are just turning up and doing whatever is wide, not only their attitude towards training but the physical progress over time.

You have to understand, creating a lifestyle where you’re still training well into your 60’s and 70’s take’s smart, intelligent planning to set you up well into the future.

We all love a routine, whether it’s going for a coffee to your favorite café or going for a run on your most enjoyable route.

Once you get a taste of a program and experience the rush, intensity, focus and better results of having a routine to follow, you won’t look back.!

If you’ve read this blog till now, it means you get it, you understand what I’m talking about and you’re ready to get organized with training.

Try the routine for 3weeks then if you’re happy to keep going please let me know, I’ll be more than happy to help you with your training journey. So before even thinking “Should i get a gym membership?” ask yourself these important questions.

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