20+ Gym Secrets That the Staff Will Rarely Share With Ordinary Visitors

Gyms have become a part of everyday life for many people. You’ve probably noticed how the modern trend toward working out has increased in cities everywhere. But not many people are likely to see that gyms are constantly coming up with numerous tricks to lure us inside. And it’s better to know them so you don’t get caught off guard.

We at Bright Side haven’t managed to sign up for a gym membership just yet. First, we decided to read pieces of advice from experienced fitness instructors and comments from the experts and athletes. Now, we know for sure how to make visits to the gym as pleasant and effective as possible.

We are misled from the doorstep.

• Fitness centers are looking for your weak spot. When you enter any gym, the first thing you see is fresh flowers near the entrance, cozy sofas, and nice landscapes on the TV screens. Then you move to the doors that lead to the swimming pool, the sauna, and the spa. It’s not until the end that you’ll see the gym itself since this is the place where you’ll have to sweat.

• Annual memberships that allow a person to visit the gym at any time and use the sauna for free are presented as the most profitable ones. An expert in sports psychology, Angel Sobrino, explains why this is not true, “Paying a year ahead doesn’t contribute to your attendance. When you’re playing sports, you need to set short-term goals, and the further ahead you’re trying to plan things, the lower your motivation will be.”

We often believe in stupid myths.

• For me, the first myth is that you have to run on a treadmill to lose weight. Some people come to the gym and run or ride a bike for 1.5 hours. They think that the more they move, the more weight they’ll lose. But it doesn’t work this way. © Evgeny Murachev / YouTube

• There’s another common (but strange) misconception out there. People are trying to lose weight and pump up before they go to the gym. One of my clients has a friend who is getting in shape before signing up for a workout with me. © Vadim Kucheyko / YouTube

• Working out using weight machines is less effective and is more suitable either for bodybuilders or for people with injuries. It’s because they isolate a certain muscle and allow you to engage only that muscle, while exercises with free weights comprehensively work the whole body.

• Most newbies come with the request to lose weight before summer, but they don’t delve into the process. And the biggest problem is that after dubious weight loss programs and marathons, you may spend way more time and money trying to restore your health. The right approach is about regularity and consistency. © Victoria Borovskaya / YouTube

• Advice from a fitness instructor: A workout will be almost meaningless if you take pictures for social networks and listen to music. It’s all because these actions overload our nervous system, and the body can’t be properly involved in training. © Victoria Borovskaya / YouTube

• An anabolic window, the period of time when you’re supposed to eat after a workout, doesn’t exist. It’s enough to just consume the right amount of calories throughout the day.

• Everybody thinks that if you’re going to the gym, you can eat the way you did before. This is not true. 80% of success at the gym is nutrition. With the right diet, it’s enough to only work out 3 times a week for an hour to get in shape. © Vadim Kucheyko / YouTube

We should understand that choosing the right personal trainer is crucial.

• Normal professionals don’t have a popular Instagram account. They don’t invest in it, because they are loaded with work from morning to evening. © Victoria Borovskaya / YouTube

• For better motivation, sports psychologists recommend using the services of a personal trainer, “We feel guilty in front of the instructor if we miss a training. This forces us to go to the gym more often.”

• Sometimes, it’s difficult to understand whether it’s hard for the clients to work out with a certain weight or not. A fitness instructor, Sergey Murachev, shares, “Guys work with any weight like this is the maximum they can lift. And girls are always serious and concentrated, but it’s easier to work with them. If a girl is smiling, this means we’ve reached the maximum weight.”

It is important to remember that your health, and not a muscular body, should be your first priority.

• Fitness instructors don’t judge you for being out of shape. Fitness trainer, Alena Moysak, says: "When a plus-sized woman comes to me, the first thing I think about is what blood pressure she has, how she feels, and whether she sleeps well. Her appearance isn’t important to me at all.

• It’s better to avoid diets because of the imbalance. We often follow them and start actively working out at the same time, and because of the lack of nutrients, we harm our bodies. We should note that we won’t have any energy without fats and carbs, and the excessive consumption of protein may cause malfunctions in the body.

• Most injuries happen because people try too hard and try to do more than their body will allow them to do. © Karan Jugran / quora

• Don’t touch your face while you’re working out. I know cases when people caught some diseases at the gym. Gyms are very nasty places. © Wreckshot / Reddit

Sometimes, it’s useful to follow the advice of ordinary gym members.

• If you’re working out on a treadmill, download a TV series and watch it only at the gym. This way, the number of your visits will go up. © SparkyBoy414 / Reddit

• Carry a bag with your workout clothes with you. This way, you’ll have fewer excuses for why you missed a workout. © covok48 / Reddit

• Performing exercises with proper form at a lower weight is always way more effective than high weight with poor form. © alexfig88 / Reddit

• If you’re new at the gym, don’t be shy. Nobody pays attention to how you’re working out. © deepwaterblues / Reddit

• Don’t be afraid to ask more experienced people for help. In general, they are understanding people who know how hard things can be at first. © [deleted] / Reddit

• Don’t overwork your muscles. Rest is as important as exercise. I often got injuries because I worked out too hard. © DoctorBroBro / Reddit

Do you go to the gym often? Do you notice any features, like the ones mentioned, in your fitness clubs?