I've been going to the gym for well over a year now and today I froze my membership. I had dry spells before, mostly caused by too many hours spent at work or going away for holidays. This time, however, I decided not to attend for a prolonged period of time.
I'm not happy with this decision and I hope I'll return eventually but right now I do need a break.
There are two things I'm finding very problematic.
First one is time.
As much as I like going to the gym, I have to face up with the fact that it takes away time from my day. It might not seem much since I have a gym session only three times a week but problem with working out is that you need to have a diet appropriate to your needs. I don't gain weight easily so I should be having several meals a day when I'm not working out. Just cooking them takes me half a day and it's not even close to the amount I should be eating. Funny enough, eating does take time too and I simply can't be going on a break every few hours at work just to have a snack. Instead of all that, I should be spending my time either looking for a job, taking on students or working on furthering my career rather than idly sitting on my qualifications.
Second is people.
People usually go to the gym for two reasons: either to lose weight or to gain weight. The latter is called body-building and is quite popular among the male populace. Oddly enough I don't do either of these things. My main focus with the gym is strength-training, gaining mass is just a by-product of that. How is that different from body-building, you might ask... well, the priority is reversed. Body-builders aim to grow their muscles (in specific proportions, if they want to compete at a contest), in strength-training you just focus on being able to lift more as you progress. It might seem the same but it is possible to have large weak muscles or not having the endurance to keep on labouring with your mighty muscles.
Most people I know at the gym are the same ones I work with so I spend most of my days surrounded by them. They body-build a lot and can't help but give me pointers on what to do. Where to get proteins, how many carbs I should take, how I should never do cardio, what exercises to do, how to change my routine, etc. Now, imagine you are planning to buy a car and everyone you know just walks up to you to tell you where to buy cheap plane tickets. That's a very nice gesture but it misses the point entirely and after constantly explaining what you're actually looking for, the idea of just not mentioning your plans sounds a lot less taxing... this is how I feel.
I don't need to be told that what I'm doing is wrong.
I like it; I know it's not the popular choice and I'm fine with that.
If I need help or have questions, I can ask...
I don't need to be forcefully showed the error of my ways...
