Life and Other Stuff

Sobriety, parenting, life….and other stuff

Dear Gym Staff (And Why I LOVE DB4L)

Where do I start?

Let me preface this by stating that while I do have a group exercise certification and a spin certification, I in no way consider myself an expert in fitness. By doing things the right way (cleaning up my diet, getting enough sleep, moving my body, and lifting heavy things) as opposed to crazy diets and eliminating entire food groups, I have been successful at losing weight and maintaining an active and fit life. In spite of this, I know I can always learn more and get better. That’s why I continue to attend classes, be exposed to new things, and get out of my comfort zone.

With that said, I have a few things I’d like to get off my chest.

When I come into your establishment, don’t make assumptions based on how I look. Regardless of how it may appear, you don’t know where I am in my journey. I may have lost 100 pounds, but still have more to lose. I am coming here to get my fitness on. Just because I am not a size 2, don’t assume that I am clueless about fitness. Strike up a conversation, without condescension, and let’s chat about it.

When you start your group class, please do not use it as a platform to sell your latest multilevel marketing weight loss product. I don’t care how awesome you think the products are, I didn’t come to your Zumba class to hear about doTerra essential oils. I don’t care that next week you are trying the wrap crap and will let us know how it works. It doesn’t and I don’t care. I also did not come to hear about how much weight you have lost, are trying to lose, or what you are doing next weekend. These are not things I need to know to get my calorie burn going. These are not class announcements. I’m excited you are excited about yourself and have confidence. Please stop looking at yourself in the mirror during class, however. It’s not cute, and it appears that you are here solely for yourself. You’re not. As a teacher, you are here for your clients.

I’m all for motivational “rah-rah” speeches about changing our lives (I live for the fist pumping, heart surging stuff!) but please don’t tell me how I can look just like you on the bike, that I can be as good as you are. I’m working on my own awesome. You’re awesome, I’m awesome, but we are awesome in our own way. I don’t want to be you. Imma be me.

Please don’t put down your fellow instructors. All instructors have their own way of doing things. When you put your co-worker down, it makes you and your establishment look unprofessional. Just don’t.

Front desk staff, you are the first thing people see when entering. Do you think it really spells h-e-a-l-t-h when I see you sipping a bottle of soda as you sign me in? What the heck!? Even if you drink soda on your own time and you have no interest in health but are just doing your j.o.b., please for the love of all that is good – stop drinking it on the clock at the gym!

Stop complaining about how busy you are this time of year. Encourage those resolution makers! They are trying! Maybe this year if they don’t get grief from you, they just might gain the confidence to keep coming!

I do like your price point, and will continue to come to use your awesome dark cardio treadmills (I LOVE running in the dark! Who knew!? You can pretend no one is in there with you, get in and get it done when it’s too cold or blazing hot out!) and I will come to your spin classes. I’ll be checking things out, but you have confirmed why I love my online workout program so much!

Sincerely,

Reluctant Gym Member

Got any gym pet peeves? What drives you bonkers about the gym? 

I am not paid to promote DB4L, I’m just a client who really digs the program! If you want more info, here’s the link and you can check it out for yourself!

, , , , , ,

Posted by:

curlymamaof2

2 responses to “Dear Gym Staff (And Why I LOVE DB4L)”

  1. nicole Avatar
    nicole

    While your blog got a kudos and many thumbs up; I’m going to call you out. You are being self righteous. I’ve been you. I cannot count the number of times I’ve walked into a gym being self conscience; while, instantly hitting the door judging others. The thing is, is that attitude hurts yourself, your health, and the others you subject to your thoughts.

    First, you are not the first person to walk into a gym that needs to lose weight, stop being self-centered. Most people at a gym are more concerned about how they look (hence the makeup and cologne phenomenon), and not how you look. If someone is eyeing you up then smile and/or start-up a conversation (you might make a friend, not that you need one but maybe they do).

    Second, if the Zumba instructor makes you feel uncomfortable then go to one of the other 80 Zumba classes offered around the island; or, put your big girl panties on and tell her she’s being unprofessional when she talks about her coworkers. Also, so what that she wants you to buy a product that SHE believes is beneficial to herself and others. Are you really judging her on the fact that she wants to make some extra money? Perhaps she’s not as privileged as you are, maybe she has debt she needs to payoff, or she’s a single mom trying to pay for college (who cares); but, your attitude towards her pitch just proves you have an internal attitude problem. By the way, I patiently listen to 200lb women try to sell me Shakology and Spark in housing every other day (UGH) . I smile and say,”no thank you”, and then I ask them if they want to go to DumBell Fitness with me. Positive energy.

    Last issue I want to address is the judging the front desk clerk for drinking soda. The way you feel about that person is the way I feel about the women I over hear at DumBell Fitness talking about having Starbucks and energy drinks. Do they really think sugary coffee and power drinks are healthier? Or how about those crazy women who eat GMO, non-organic food and worse give it to their kids! NUTS! OR my favorite is “I’m going vegetarian”; meanwhile, that’ll make you fat quickly (try paleo or vegan instead). You see, we could pass judgement on others all day. It gets you nowhere. Why not engage that clerk in a conversation; start by asking them, ‘how much water does it take to null the effects of soda’?

    Finally, you asked about gym pet peeves. My pet peeve, people who come to gym with bad attitudes and are self righteous. You asked. Really and truly, not only do we need to work on the outside but also the inside. Your blog mentions faith, not sure which one; but, Christ is more concerned about our spiritual health. Fill negative thoughts with scriptures. When you feel the need to pass judgement, site Ephesians 4:29. Good luck on your journey, we are all on our OWN journey and do not need the judgment of others impeding on that journey.

    Like

    Reply
  2. curlymamaof2 Avatar
    curlymamaof2

    Hi Nicole!

    I’m so glad you commented, because it got me thinking. Let me address your comment point by point.

    Your first point is that I am self righteous.
    Okay. I’ll bite. Am I self righteous? Perhaps. That’s kind of the point of a blog, though isn’t it, to put out there what I think, what I feel, how I interact, with the world? I suppose that could be taken as self righteous. My intent when writing this post was to express my personal experience at a gym. That’s it.

    You then accuse me of being self-centered.
    Yeah, I can be. Within the context of my post, however you are stating that I am being self centered because “I am not the first person to walk into a gym who needs to lose weight”. In actuality, I am comfortable with my weight where it is. I don’t feel I need to lose weight, I’m just there to workout. Does that still make me self-centered? Oh, well. I do agree with you on your point about people being more concerned with how they look as opposed to me. I get that. In my original post I was speaking of the person behind the counter and it wasn’t just my personal experience that day – it was a collective experience of a few friends who’ve expressed the same experience.

    Next up, you say words like “privileged”, and that I have an “internal attitude problem” based on my response to a sales pitch. My point in my original post was simply to express that a group fitness class in a gym is not the place to sell your stuff on the side. I’m not judging someone for making money on the side, or paying off debt. Never said anything about that. (Not really sure where that came from. Perhaps you sell DoTerra and I struck a nerve?) And you’re right! If I’m uncomfortable in her class – I can go to any other class! And that is my plan! (Unfortunately I’m no longer living in Hawaii so I’ll find other classes in my new town.)

    You continue to address my “judging the front desk clerk”. You are right. I did judge her. Like you said – we could judge each other all day and it gets us no where. But isn’t that what your entire comment on my post is? Judging my judgey-ness? Bottom line, again, was that I was relating an experience I had at my local gym. It surprised me that someone was drinking soda, at a place where people come to work on their physical health. I assume that the owner of a gym wouldn’t really want their staff to drink soda – and that was my point, although it did have a touch of snark which is what I am also assuming is what your main issue is. Perhaps I should not assume in future posts.

    Lastly, you point out that my faith must be lacking because of what a Judgy McJudgerson I am. You’re probably right. We are all on our own journey and don’t need people like me spewing opinions about stuff.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Like

    Reply

What do you think?