World Gym is kind of like a night club with fancy lights and lots of mirrors. It is not my favorite atmosphere either. It can be quiet there if you can go during the day time when people are at work. I would like a basic functional gym near my house too. I am looking too.
On reflection, I’m thinking at some point what I need to do is strength training classes to overcome the motivation issue. Although it’d need to be someone who spoke halfway decent English, whether in a class or one on one situation - no idea how these things work.
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My opinion is that the motivation issue won’t be solved with a class. There are two distinct stages of motivation: getting off your ass and getting to the gym (or pool or mountain or track, etc.), and working hard once you’re there. The first stage is the hardest and won’t be solved after the novelty of the exercise class wears off.
I work out now 5 times per week. Twice on Saturdays so 4 days per week. Deciding to skip lunch and head to the pool two of the days out of the four is a huge struggle every week. But I do it.
Somehow you will need to overcome the motivation issue.
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Get a shake weight and stay home.
Fair enough. I’m now getting out twice a week to cycle at least twenty kilometres and I’m trying to mix it up by cycling to some trails like the one at Beimen and going up them. How does that sound?
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That sounds excellent! I thought you were doing nothing and wanted to start. Maybe a gym isn’t right for you and going all out with cycling is the way to go, although I think with the weather in Taiwan you need to have some type of indoors option.
I do think that people who are shy around weights or people do eventually get used to a gym better from going with friends or doing 1-1 training with a coach that takes you around and shows you the ropes.
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Yeah, my idea was if I got instruction or however they do it, I’d feel obligated to go regularly and find it easier to ignore all the flashing lights and crowds if I’m required to interact with someone. Much more so than if I was just turning up on my own and doing my own thing.
The local government gyms are the worst. The noisiest and with the most people.
Go to a smaller more private gym. You will pay a bit more for the privilege of not being around the hoi polloi
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While I almost never go to the gym, the last time I went (about two months ago) was at a government place in NTC and it was very empty, even for a Saturday. You can check on the websites for the crowds. Now at 11:35 am at Songshan Sports Center, there are 23 people in the gym:
(I guess no preview for the page but whatever.)
But I do know what you mean. I remember in years past, those places would be packed full, especially during summer months when the HS and college kids would invade the government sports centers.
Where’s NTC?
Isn’t that the shorthand used on this site? New Taipei City. Huge area, I know. In my case, it was in Xizhi. My point is that the government gyms seem very empty now. Noon now and only 23 people at the Songshan Sports Center gym.
I apologise. It’s just an irritation of mine. It’s like saying Greater London. A bit meaningless IMO.
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I’d been told resistance/weight training would be good for me on a general fitness principle, since cycling is primarily, if not entirely, an aerobic activity.
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You need to do resistance training.
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I think the advice you’ve been given is good. Weights and gaining some muscle mass is good for various different reasons. I have gained some muscle from swimming so I’m okay with the muscle I have. As for cycling and gaining muscle, it’s a different thing altogether once you start heading to the mountains in Taiwan. You still want to do weights for your upper body (or swimming!), but you’ll definitely have some strong legs after about a year of mountains. There’s no doubt about that.
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My experience of the ones in Taipei have been on the whole shit. The worst gym etiquette I have ever seen in Taiwan. Unless I was travelling through, I don’t know why someone who could afford a monthly pass at another gym would choose to work out there.
Maybe there are exceptions
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Totally Agree, just yesterday I signed up for Gym. Cuz now in my 30’s with an office job, and no time for do sports my metabolism got slower, my upper body is becoming a refrigerator while arms and legs getting thin.
So is now or never to do something in order to have a good shape and health in my 50’s
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It’s my day off today. I should have gymed. Instead I ginned. I’ll whack out some press ups in a moment