Here’s the scenario. You finally join a gym because you’ve decided to really take control of your life and your personal wellness plan. You’re gonna do it this time! You put your workouts on your calendar and establish the perfect routine. You commit to coming to the club every day after work. You do it. You make it happen…for about 2 weeks. You sync up your Beats, hit that elliptical each evening, and even pick up a few dumbbells by your third trip here. You watch carefully as the other svelte gym-goers jump on the equipment and crank out some beautifully synchronized reps. You think to yourself, “I can do that cable machine-thing; it looks simple enough. I’ll try it next time.” You’re a committed fitness enthusiast now. You’ve got this.
Then life happens. Tomorrow comes and goes, and your kids get sick. You miss a day of work, and a day at the gym. When you finally get back to the office, you’re catching up on every email and phone call you missed, and then your boss calls a 4:00 p.m. meeting. There’s no way you’ll make it to the club again tonight if you want to get to daycare pick-up before they start charging you a late fee. Your streak is broken, and you’re out of your flawless routine. Before you know it, more than a week has passed and you still haven’t been back in to workout. You’re beating yourself up because you have to start over, but on Monday you have a dentist appointment after work anyway, so you won’t make it again. Let’s be honest, you didn’t really like the elliptical anyway, and that cable thing looked pretty complicated, so why bother? You’re frustrated, and reality sets in. You feel like a failure. Again. This isn’t the first time it has happened to you, and you’re tired of always coming up short.
If this sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone. I have a new plan for you, and I think you’re going to like it. First of all – ditch the treadmill and the elliptical. You need people. You need fantastic and energetic people who are going to help you stay motivated, get results, and make working out fun. You need people in your life who are going to encourage you to keep going, show you what to do to amp up your calorie burn, pump up the music so you keep moving, and get you back to the club after a frustrating week that got you off track. You need to work out in a group, and we’ve got you covered.
Working out in groups is the best way to stay motivated and committed, and its way more fun than trying to go at it alone. Whether you love cardio and want to feel the sweat drip down your face like rain, or your doctor told you to lift weights to build better bone health and muscle strength, you’ve come to the right place. We have instructors and trainers to help you succeed, and participants who’ve been exactly where you are. For those of us who have found our commitment in groups, we’re hooked for life.
I took my first group cycling class in 2002, and was not in great shape; it had been far too long since I’d been in a legit training routine. I was definitely less than my best at that moment, and I felt it. I begged a co-worker to go with me to class because I was too scared to go in that dark and loud room alone. Everyone in there was killin’ it, and they looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. I didn’t know how to set up a bike, and I was afraid to look out of place. I wasn’t sure if I could hang and actually make it through the whole class anyway. The fear was real, but I wanted so badly to try something that would help me shed a few of those extra pounds I’d packed on and be able to run a 10K again. Thankfully, my colleague went with me to ease my fears. I caught the cycling bug, and here I am 15 years later still cranking out pedal strokes and loving every moment.
You may be thinking, “but I don’t have a buddy to go with me. I’m not just scared, I’m petrified!” Yep. I get it, and the struggle is real. Don’t be scared. I have a few tips for you to make it happen, and I guarantee if you keep coming back for more, you’ll find some buddies who will encourage you, keep you accountable, and become your workout crew for years to come.