Members Survey

I received an email from my gym asking if I would participate in a member survey.

...we are working hard to ensure that your experience with us is not only a positive one but one that also delivers the results you expected when you joined our gym. 

Please tell us what we're doing right and what we can improve..." 

As I indicated in the survey, my experience at the gym has been satisfactory. Not great. Just satisfactory. As I explained in the survey, there are several treadmills that are either out of order or not functioning properly. For example, on one treadmill the belt slips. On another machine, the speed button gets stuck and the runner that is going 5 miles per hour is then running at 10 miles per hour. These issues can cause injuries.

So, I was pretty honest in the survey. And to be honest, I thought the survey was going to be anonymous. My assumption was proven incorrect when I received a email response from the general manager of the gym.

First I would like to thank you for putting in the time to take our survey.

Okay, that's nice. He appreciates my thoughts.

It has taken me a few days because after reading your email I spned (sic) time going on all of our equipment and as of... through today we have only a few piece down and after using all the treadmills I would love to hear which one you have issue with as all worked fine when i was on it. 

Okay. I understand he'd like for me to point out the treadmills that I've had issues with.

We have been planing (sic) catch up on fixing equipment due to a staffing issue but Hoping that is not going to be a issue anymore due to fact we have a great new guy putting in alot (sic) of work to get up back up and running.

Now he's sounding defensive.

I have to say, however, that the gym has been working on the equipment, especially the treadmills. The one that was slipping has been fixed. The one that has the sticky button, however, is still being worked on.

Naturally, it is expected for equipment, that is being heavily used, to show signs that required maintenance. Regardless, I appreciate that the manager responded to me about my response. And it is great to see machines being worked worked on.

Preggo Creeper Part 2

Wow. It's actually been over a year since I posted about me staring at a pregnant lady while working out at the gym. You can read the "Preggo Creeper" post HERE.

Well, it had been a while since I had seen her at the gym. Naturally, my guess was that perhaps she focused her attention on her new born baby and maybe rescheduled her fitness.

The reason why I think she may have rescheduled her fitness is because she looks incredible. Her figure is as if she was never pregnant. However, it's been found that working out during pregnancy does help mothers-to-be gain less excess weight and allows muscles to stay strong and toned.

If you or your significant other is pregnant, please check out the links below for more information on pregnancy and fitness.

Source: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/effectsofexerciseonpreg.html; http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/580466; http://www.aafp.org/afp/1998/0415/p1846.html; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2384387/Pregnant-women-encouraged-engage-regular-exercise-Working-improves-mood-reduces-fatigue.html; http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/EPL/; http://www.uwo.ca/fhs/EPL/resources.html

Do I smell?

This is probably the most embarrassing confession I have ever shared. It's not gross. It's not disgusting. But I'm sure it'll get a giggle or a laugh (I hope) from you.

First of all, our bodies do the weirdest things. Some are hard to explain, but we're all organic and we expose to our bodies will have some sort of affect on way or another.

It may have been the food I ate the night before, or perhaps it was the leftovers that did me in.

Allow me to backtrack a bit. After certain meals, I like to store leftovers in Glad containers and place them in the freezer. Many times, these leftovers are from meals we had weeks or even months before.

I decided to take one of the containers out of the freezer for lunch on Friday. To me, it's a mystery meal, until it thaws to reveal the content. This particular lunch, the leftovers was spaghetti, but the spaghetti had a interesting taste to it. Perhaps it was left too long in the freezer. Regardless, I finished my meal.

I went to the gym, about four hours later. This is where the story gets a little funny.

So, I got to the gym. I started on the circuit weights, then made my way up to the treadmill. Around that time, I started to feel my stomach ache a bit. Something was wrong, but that didn't stop me from continuing my workout.

I got on the treadmill and started to run. At this point, I felt my body working on getting rid of whatever it had inside and didn't like.

It wasn't farting. I didn't feel gassy. But something was up. Perhaps something that is just un-explainable. 

I slowed from seven miles per hour to four miles per hour to assess the situation. That's when I smelled a stench.

"Is it me or is it the conveyor belt?" I wondered to myself.

I didn't feel anything. I didn't fart. It must be the conveyor belt. I moved to another treadmill, hoping that the smell would disappear.

It didn't.

It followed.

Of course, I thought, "Dude, who smells bad? It must be that guy over there."

Then it slowly dawned on me that perhaps that smell was coming from me, myself, and I.

I stopped. Again, assessed my situation, and decided that perhaps... oh, yes indeed, I'm permeating that disgusting smell, but how?

After noticing more people around me at the gym, I slowly collected my stuff and made myself to the exit.

The smell continued to follow me. It followed into my car. It even followed me to my son's day camp. And finally, it followed me to the house.

I couldn't let this awful stench continue--my wife was coming home within the next few minutes. I stripped out of my clothes and jumped in the shower.

I showered off that disgusting smell and came out feeling much more refreshed.

Perhaps I was emitting silent tiny sulfuric farts.

My Workout Playlist

I can't workout without music. I've tried. It's hard.

I've found myself getting to the gym and deciding that I wasn't going because I forgot either my phone or earphones.

So, what's my playlist?

Well, I rely on Pandora for my playlist, and I've put together a pretty good mix that keeps me entertained while breaking a sweat.


MY WORKOUT PLAYLIST includes:

Afrojack - Take Over Control (Extended)

Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat

Araabmuzik - I Remember

Avicii - Levels

Avicii - Fade Into Darkness (Vocal Radio Mix)

Bad Boy Bill - Do What U Like

Calvin Harris - Feel So Close (Benny Benassi Remix)

Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love

Calvin Harris - You Used to Hold Me

The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind

Deadmau5 - Not Exactly

Deadmau5 - Alone With You

Deadmau5 - Everything Before

Deadmau5 - The 16th Hour

Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin

Deadmau5 - Moar Ghosts 'n' Stuff

Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love

Ercola & Heikki L - Deep At Night (Adam K & Soha Remix)

Goodwill & Hook N Sling - Take You Higher

The Ian Carey Project - Get Shaky

Ivan Gough - In My Mind (Axwell Mix)

Kaskade - Be Still

Kaskade - 4 AM (Adam K & Soha Mix)

Kaskade feat. Martina from Dragonette - Fire in Your New Shoes (Sultan & Ned Shepard Electric Daisy Remix)

Kaskade - Move For Me

M83 - Midnight City

Martin Solveig & Dragonette - Hello

Martin Solveig - Racer 21

Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (The Juggernaut Remix)

Skrillex - Reptile's Theme

Skrillex - Bangarang

Swedish House Mafia - One

Swedish House Mafia - Save the World (Radio Mix)

The Return

It's been while since my last "Confessions of a Gym Dweeb" blog entry.

Uh... what was my last entry? Oh yeah, it was about changing my gym time from after work to middle-of-the day. I changed my schedule mainly because my work load piles up between January and April.

Now that my work load has somewhat returned to "normal," I'm able to return to my old routine.

Since my last visit to my gym, I did notice a change. For example, mildew was growing on the air ducts. It has since been removed. The air ducts look brand new. The machines were also switched around, probably due to the cleaning. New paint also covers the walls.

The same dedicated people are there. The guys look the same. The girls are more toned. There are also new faces--new customers who are starting from scratch. I remember those days.

Although, I love my gym, I do miss escaping during the day to the uptown gym; the staff are friendly, and the gym is practically empty between 10 and noon.

Changing my workout routine

Since my days are busy during this time of year, I decided to switch my workout schedule from after work to during the day. For me this was easy especially since my gym has several locations in the Austin area which are open to all their clients.

But getting familiarized to a new gym's layout is a bit challenging. For example, the cardio machines at my old gym are located on the second floor. At the gym next to my work, the cardio machines are located in the center of the gym.

Also, I have noticed that the equipment, which are similar to those I use at my old gym, feel different. Perhaps they are calibrated differently. Maybe there's wear and tear on the weight machines. Regardless, the 110 lbs I chest press feel heavier. Yes, I struggle at 110 lbs, but it's way better than what I started with (20 lbs) two years ago.

I decided that since work for me tends to slow down between 10AM and 11AM, I would take that hour to visit the gym and get in a 30 to 40 minute workout.

Who works out at 10AM in the morning?

The people I've seen are usually older retired couples. There's a hippie couple that I've seen the past few times--she wears birkenstocks while on the elliptical. There's also an aerobic class for seniors on Friday mornings.

As it gets closer to 11 o'clock, the attractive ladies start showing up. These ladies are different from the ones that I see at my old gym. A lot of the girls at my gym are professional women or moms who are getting back into fitness. The ladies I see at this gym look like they come here daily because they have too.

What's the best time to workout?

According to a recent study at Appalachian State University people who workout in the morning have better night sleeps.  Other researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, who studied mice's circadian rhythms, which affects the body's internal clock, suggest exercising midday may be more beneficial. Regardless of the time of day you decide to workout, the key thing is to make it a part of your routine.

The cool thing about going to the gym mid-morning, for me, is that the gym is practically empty. I'm able to try new equipment without waiting or feeling intimidated.

When you do workout?


Sources: http://www.news.appstate.edu/2011/06/13/early-morning-exercise/; http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/what-s-best-time-exercise; http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exercise; http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/why-afternoon-may-be-the-best-time-to-exercise/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22988135

Control Prying

It's nothing new. My eyes tend to wonder off and people watch while working out. I notice the regulars. I can predict what time they arrive at the gym, and I know who's with whom. I try to control my prying, really.

A few weeks ago, while at the gym, I started my routine on the rowing machine, which faces the Smith Machine where a muscular short guy wearing a cap that ran low over his eyes was doing squats.

I rowed. He did squats. But when he finished, he so happened to turn towards my direction. And although I wasn't looking at him, my sight focused on him when I noticed he turn towards me. I quickly switched my attention to TVs behind him.

Yet, similar to the Preggo Creeper incident, it just so happened that this guy was either working out on a machine next to mine or in front of me. Since his capwas low, it was hard to determine whether our eyes did actually meet. Regardless, when it did seem as if they did, I would quickly find the TVs or look away.

There's obviously a reason why the gym have multiple TVs, and it's not just to keep clients informed of the world in sports and news. I think it gives clients something to focus on when working out and avoid situations similar to what I sometimes find myself getting into.