Members .............................................................................................
If you’re new to a club, you may initially be intimidated by some of the other
members. Our friend John recalls his second day at his new club: “I was in
the locker room when this guy with the most perfect body — the biceps, the
abs, the whole thing — walked up to the scale and weighed himself. He must
have weighed an ounce over what he wanted because he went into a com-
plete rage, punched the wall, and then walked away. I looked down at my
body and thought, ‘Oh, man. I’m going to be the wimpiest guy at this gym.’”Fortunately, John didn’t give up his membership. He soon found out that
there are all types at his gym and that the narcissists are easy to avoid. So
don’t be too judgmental about the members of your gym. Sure, you may feel
more comfortable at some clubs than others; some gyms cater to people over
40, and others attract bodybuilders who could open a door from the hinged
side. But people are people, and most of them are nice, even if they look like
underwear models for Calvin Klein or Victoria’s Secret. Don’t give the mem-
bership factor too much weight, unless you’re joining a gym primarily to
socialize.Besides, you may be surprised by who becomes your friend. “The members
I was most intimidated by ended up being just regular guys,” says one friend
of ours. “One guy had his head shaved except for a rat tail in the back. He
looked really mean and scary, but he was a doll when you talked to him. It
turned out he was a nurse.”If you’re a woman and prefer to work out with other women, consider joining
a Curves club. Many of the clubs are efficient (read that: small), so that they
can be located in small towns and still turn a profit, but they offer a 30-minute
total-fitness program in an environment that’s often quite comfortable for
women. The focus here is on working out; in fact, you may not be able to do
your own individual workout but instead join classes or structured circuit
workouts.Staff .....................................................................................................
If you’re inexperienced, the staff is going to play an important role in your
success. Ask the same questions you’d ask when hiring a personal trainer
(see Chapter 4). Are the trainers certified by a reputable organization? Are
they experienced? Look around: Are the staff members sitting around telling
jokes to each other while some poor guy is pinned under a barbell? Is the
only visible trainer doing his algebra homework at the front desk? Does
anyone acknowledge your existence when you walk through the door?274 Part VI: Conquering the Gym (Even at Home)