Taking a Short Break

So I have had some medical procedures done to my shoulder and back last week, and the Doctor's orders are for me to take a month off of any real exercise.  I'm going to oblige and put this gym surfing on hold for now.  I will stop the clock and resume it when I get back into the gym. So, for example, if my next trial is a week I will just add those seven days to the 141 days I have so far been working out without paying.

I'm kind of glad I'll be missing out on the new year's resolution rush, but I also wonder what it would be like. I imagine getting tours from flat-eyed sales associates who've said the same thing 80 times for that day alone.

I also think I'm going to post an awards list of some sorts. This will be based just on my opinion and just me having some fun.  People keep asking me which one my favorite is, but it's like asking which one is your favorite child. They are all special snowflakes.  I think I'll post it with the end of the 2014 year.

Texins Activity Center

So this place really hits the nostalgia button for me.  My father worked for Texas Instruments, so during the summer in college I would workout here. It was here that I had my first experience with a personal trainer and really started to love lifting (Didn't hurt that I had a big crush on my trainer, Cissy). My first job ever was working the juice bar here. I also worked at TI for a while so I again worked out here and participated in some of the inter-mural programs with coworkers.

Not a whole lot has changed since I last worked out here, back in the early naughts.  Where there were once CRTs (Where I saw episodes of the first season of Survivor) there are now flat screens. This place is nerdy.  TI has a lot of engineers, so that’s who works out here.  Also, because I work out in the 9:30-11:00 time slot I work out with all the retirees.  So I get to run into friends of my dad while working out.  This is not the easiest gym to get to since it's on TI's campus, though it is kind of cool that I have to go through a security check point to get to the gym.

Layout/facility

This place is very large, and they live up to the name of activity center.  They have various group exercise rooms, a basketball court, indoor track, outdoor track, indoor pool, soccer field, sand volleyball courts, ping pong table, etc.  About ten years ago I got my dad hooked on mat Pilates classes, and though he’s retired he still goes to classes. I like to think that’s one reason why though he’s 74 he is still very active and has good mobility.  Anyways, they have something for everyone here. It's kind of like a college gym with the programs, but populated by older people.

Group classes

They have tons to offer here. I think I tried out a karate class here once (was not impressed, but that could be because I was spoiled by going to an awesome Kung Fu/Tai Chi place first). I also did some yoga/pilates classes with my sister and dad back in the day and remember them being good.  I've also seen swimming classes, so there is tons to do here.

Locker rooms

These are the exact same as they were back in 1999. At least for the men, this is not for the modest.  The showers are community, and you will have lots of old naked guys walking around.  They have a hot tub, and although lots of blow dryers they don't really offer any products. So you have to bring everything yourself.  Personally that's fine with me because, with the exception of Telos, I have yet to see a gym that offers everything including aftershave.  If you're going to have to bring something, might as well bring everything.

Surfability

This place is amazing with it’s free trial system.  First, they use a punch card for seven days. That means they trial period isn't for a week, it's for seven WORKOUTS. if you lift three times a week like me, that means you'll get over two weeks free. It's pretty awesome. The punch card does expire after like 30 days, but that is more than enough time to get your workout on.

Days in: 141

Amount spent: $0

Lifetime Fitness (Chicago)

So I get to go tryout another Lifetime fitness gym, this time in Schaumburg Illinois.  Back in Dallas it was a “Diamond level club” meaning membership there means membership everywhere else. However, I was told that trying out the diamond level club doesn't mean I couldn't try out other clubs. So here I am, checking out a chain gym in the suburbs for the first time.  One thing the suburbs offer over urban areas is land, and this gym takes advantage of it.  It’s less of a gym, and more of a compound.  They have tons of stuff here.  Perhaps it’s the burbs, perhaps it’s that fact that I’m in the mid-west, but this gym had a different… feel than the other large commercial gyms I've attended.  The people are less… shiny.  I don’t know how to describe it.  It’s like even the people that are showing off (because there were quite a few) don’t have that sense of pretentiousness that I’m used to.  Strange.

Gym Layout

One word to describe this place: Huge. Actually, more like Hyooge.  Two indoor pools (one with water slides), one outdoor pool, two full basketball courts, a three story rock climbing area. It’s simply massive.  There’s the organic smoothie bar, various group exercise rooms, you name it, they have at least three of it.  This place is so commercial. Everywhere I went I was bombarded by commercials.  They were all over the walls, on the TVs, and even on the radio.  All these ads were super annoying, the kind that tell you to go check out your testosterone levels, or this other latest thing that will take your workout to the next level.

I got to the weightlifting portion of the gym and SWEET BABY JESUS THEY HAVE FIVE

NO BICEP CURLS
IN THE SQUAT RACK!!!

OLYMPIC LIFTING PLATFORMS!! FIVE!!!! I was super pumped to try one out.  It was only after trying one out that I realized not was all as awesome as it seemed.  For whatever reason, the rubber padding that lines the wooden center stripe of the platform only covered half of the entire platform. It’s hard to describe, so let me try it another way.  If I’m facing the mirror (like I prefer to do) and I jerk the weight up and then drop it, the bumper plates will hit the gym floor rather than the rubber padding that is supposed to be on each side of the wooden strip.  This means for me to actually do Olympic lifting I need to turn around and face out into the crowd.  This doesn’t bother me on its own, but without a coach I have to be able to look at myself to notice any missteps with technique. 

I would have never noticed this unless I tried it out, and I think this goes to show the importance of trying things out before you commit to them. Some small little thing that you would never have thought about shows up and then bothers you for the rest of your time at that gym.

Locker rooms

Locker rooms were big, but not posh. Everything was good, but nothing was special.

Classes

They have everything, though yoga and Pilates require drop-in money.  They also have “Alpha” which is their version of crossfit.  I saw the wod on the whiteboard and it did not look impressive to me.

Surfability

This was fairly easy to surf, though I did have to take an extensive tour beforehand so I was chomping at the bit to lift by the time we were done. After explaining that I wanted to keep looking because of facilities and location, the salesperson said she had to go check with her manager. I kind of got excited and hunkered down to negotiate with a hard sale. (I would've said yes if I could get the first year free- nothing less.)  However, she returned simply saying that she was sad to see me leave but that was all.  Only slightly disappointed, I left the building.

Days in: 123 days

Amount paid: $0

Barrington Parks and Recreation Center

So after the Snap fitness fiasco, I found out my brother in law has guest passes to the Barrington park recreation center.  This place is less gym more community rec center (made obvious by its name).  There’s a lot more older peeps here, and they all know each other pretty well.  I remember hearing a couple of times “Hello Frank, how are you doing?”.  …There’s not a whole lot to this gym, it’s just your average… gym.  Either I’m experiencing gym burnout or this place is just super non-descript

Gym layout

For the gym part of the facility, there’s more emphasis on the cardio/weight machines. The dumbells and barbells are off to the side and there aren’t a lot of them. Only one squat rack, but hey, that’s all you really need.  They have a yoga room as well as a basketball court and an indoor track. When it’s 3 degrees outside I bet that indoor track is clutch.

Locker rooms

On the smaller side but very serviceable.  Have everything you need (showers, shaving cream, etc) just not 20 of each.

Classes

Seems like they offer a lot of classes, though I wasn’t able to participate because of the holidays.

Surfability

Not easy, if it wasn’t for the guest passes I would’ve had to shell out $12 for the day.  They don’t really care about getting clients as much as a commercial gym, so there is no trial package.

Days in: 120

Amount Paid: $0