Just signed up for a new gym and need advice

[eltorrente]

I bought a pretty nice olympic barbell for about a 100bucks, and bought used weights at Play it Again Sports. Picked up a decent bench with spotter bars and uprights at Walmart. Worth every penny I paid. I've added adjustable dumbbells, a pullup bar, various grippers and miscellaneous equipment, and have recently bought my first KB.

My office has become my own personal gym, and I have everything I'll ever need without the hassle of a big, lame gym.

[stevviec]

Buy a kettlebell, you will get results very quickly, especially if you follow the enter the kettlebell book / dvd.

Alternatively, buy a barbell set and power to the people,

PTTP will give you strength and size gains and ETK will give you functional strength and conditioning that will translate very well to sport.

Listen to the party....
Buy the kettlebell....

[rmbarnes]

When it comes to building all round size and strength nothing can beat a well equipped gym. No gym can be classed as well equipped without at least one olympic barbell and hundreds of kilos of weight plates. No, the smith machine doesn't count, so your gym doesn't cut the mustard. It sounds like a place for woman and children, not somewhere men are made.

Kettlebells would be better than this gym. In terms of getting stronger, only a small percentage of men will be able to press a 24kg bell overhead. Fractions of a percent of the general population could do a pistol with a 24. Swings will help both your condtioning and build the explosive power in just the right places for a rugby tackle.

[DrJAG2]

IS this a Planet Fitness franchise? My old gym, Olympus, sold out to PF. They quickly got rid of the KBs and anything else useful. What they want is cardio machines and weight machines. All they care about is your money and as limited liability as they can create. Run, don't walk.

[Chris Fleming]

Reminds me of when I moved to a new city and was looking for a gym. Sure, I have my portable gym (kettlebell) but I was missing my deadlift, squat, etc. I went to look at 24 Hour Fitness and I told the kid what I was looking for in a gym. He was unable to break out of his script as he showed me around, telling me about the bikes and treadmills when I had already told him they would never see me on one of those. Didn't really matter because there was no room to something like dead lifts anyway and I didn't see any squat racks, plus they said they dont' let people try the place out first. When you see something like that, you've got to run away because they are just wasting your time at that point.

I ended up at Gold's and they don't mess with me there. Some trainer even bought a 16 kilo bell along with all of the dinky weight ones. They don't know how to show someone what to do with it, but hey, at least they are trying.

Anyway, get that kettlebell and find a good gym. Don't sign up at a gym unless they have what you want and are willing to let you try it out first.

[caberboy]

AnthonyRees,

If your goal is to improve your rugby play, by getting bigger/stronger/faster, you need to drop that gym and invest in some kettlebells. That, combined with some standard, heavy implements like sandbags, rocks, poles, etc will be what you need. I played for 10 years, starting at the national level in college and ending with Superleague club play, and if I had known about kettlebells back then I would have been all over them. If you play in the backfield, you'll benefit from using them. If you play as a forward in the pack, you'll benefit from using them. Scrumhalf, flyhalf, it doesn't matter you can use them. Just the overall level of conditioning for your heart, back, ham-strings, glutes and quads will make you a better player, not to mention your upper body. I wish I had them when I was playing, We would have used them for conditioning if we knew about them. I believe there are even some articles on DragonDoor about kettlebells and rugby. Additionally, just look up "kettlebells for rugby" in Google and you'll find plenty.
Drop the gym, save your money and purchase some bells. Find a good RKC to show you how to use them and work hard. You'll be happy you did. Good luck!

[dpluslane1]

Originally Posted by AnthonyRees

ye maybe your right, i want to get bigger and stronger for rugby though, arent kettlebells mainy for conditioning?

Cancel your membership, buy a pair of kettlebells, and assuming you are familiar with Enter the Kettlebell and at least the program minimum, buy Return of the Kettlebell

[Steve B.]

Barbell+weight+kettlebells are probably the best gym investment you could make.
But you do need to learn how to use them first.

[Adam T Glass, RKC]

Originally Posted by AnthonyRees

Just signed up for my new gym, as everywhere else here as closed to accomadate for it. Thing is its all machines!!! and a smith machine!!!! they have a few DB's and a dip and pull up platform but thats it.

They have leg press, leg extensions and curls for lower body. Upper body they have chest press and shoulder press and certain rows and pull downs. they have DB's up to 40kg. They then have pull up and dip station, but u cant add weight as theres no belt. they also have a smith machine. Its like wat am i meant to gauge my progress on? smith machine squats and bench presses???

somebody help, theres no where else to train and ive never been in this dilema lol.

Why did you sign up???????

[AnthonyRees]

Originally Posted by Adam T Glass, RKC

Why did you sign up???????

its the only gym in the town apart from a steroid freak show bodybuilding one that i dont really fancy going to.