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FINDING THE RIGHT GYM FOR YOU

Over the course of the past 30 years or so, starting in late high school, working out at a weightlifting / aerobic exercise gym has been a successful part of my fitness regimen and, indeed, has led to generally good mental and physical health. During that time, the gyms where I felt most at home had and have several common characteristics - looking at these factors could be of benefit in your search for the right gym and the right way to use it once you find it.

FIND YOUR HOME AND LIVE THERE: In the long run, the only way that you will make appreciable gains and make working out a gym part of your life is to be absolutely comfortable at your gym. If you reflect on this for a moment, you will realize that as much as anything the cities and places in which you felt most comfortable and most at home usually led to you finding the right place to work out and that you found yourself looking forward to heading to the gym, not dreading it as pure work and drudgery.

The perfect place will, of course, differ for everyone. In my case, I am more at home in Austin, Texas than anywhere I have lived and, accordingly, found my favorite gym in the country there, as well - Hyde Park Gym - where I worked out while attending school here in the late 1980's and which I immediately rejoined upon my return to Austin in the late 1990's, hopefully for good. With a background as a decent weightlifter with bodybuilding goals and gains, albeit with no competitive aspirations, this gym has the perfect combination of serious, friendly employees, owners and members, practically all of them there without pretense or attitude, interested in being part of a place where everyone is working together in a comfortable, relaxed setting.

Upon entry to this gym, the first thing you will notice is that there are NO CONTRACTS to sign, really no "hard sells" whatsoever - reasonably priced memberships available on weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual bases, a detailed tour of the gym available for anyone interested and daily rates less than $10 per day for those wanting to get a feel for the place before making a longer commitment.

The equipment is well-designed, some of it absolutely unique due to one of the long-time members being a metalworker, plentiful and in good working order. The hours allow for a workout literally every day of the year as the gym prides itself in being open at least a few hours EVERY day of the year.

The owners, trainers and employees will make an effort

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