Joining the gym? Part 2

If you're signing up to a gym for the first time and you've read Part 1 of this post, you're ready for this. You're not going to build muscle or drop the kilos just by going to the gym. In this post you will discover what else it takes to achieve these goals. You have probably heard this a million times before. When you start lifting weights or a new fitness program, don't expect overnight results. This is so true. It takes time, but if you go the right way about it, you will get results. The gym can help you get excellent results but it can also be a big waste of money if you don't know what you're doing.

Motivation is the key
Firstly you need the motivation to keep returning to the gym. It is so easy to loose the motivation and just give up. I stay motivared by always having rests. If you try going 6-7 times per week you will probably quickly loose interest. Go just 3 times per week. If you go 3 times, you're not wasting your money, you're muscles have time to recover and you wont loose interest so quickly. Also only get a 1 month membership (if they don't have 1 month memberships get the shortest they do have). At the end of each month have a 1 - 2 week rest. After the 1-2 weeks you'll be far more excited about returning.

Get your own program
When you first sign up, know exactly what you want to achieve. If you're unsure see Part 1 of this post. You will get the best results if you have your own personal program. You could try searching the internet for a program but there is one problem with this. The people writing these programs know nothing about you, so it's not personal. I recomend either asking to have a trainer at your gym create you a program (many gyms will do this free of charge). Or join an online fitness forum. There are always people on these forums who will be happy to help you and they usually know what they're talking about. Just sign up and post a thread. Try to include:

• your age
• what you want to achieve
• your height and weight
• how long you've been training
• details about your diet

Just be honest and with this information other members will be sure to help you create a good personal program.

A good diet is essential
You could work out every day for 12 months, but if you don't eat the right food you wouldn't see any results. I see this happen all the time, people spend hours at the gym but wonder why they're still so skinny or why they aren't loosing the weight. It is always because they don't have a good diet. If you're serious about building muscle you need to eat a lot. (obviously not junk food) Protein is crucial if you want to get bigger. You could try protein supplements but make sure you research them well first, they often have side effects. I'm no expert on diet, so I suggest you do your own research. Just remember without a good diet you wont get the results.

In summary, only get short memberships and have breaks to stay motivated. Get a personal program made for you, to help achieve your goals and eat well. If you follow the points outlined above you will see the results. Just keep at it.

Thinking of joining the gym? What you need to know

Will your New Years Resolution be to get into shape in 2009? Signing up at the local gym can be a good step towards this. In this post I will teach you the secrets to a gym membership.

Know what you want to achieve

Before you even find a gym think about what exactly you want to achieve. There are two main reasons people will go to the gym.
1. Cardiovascular fitness. Many people just use the treadmills, bikes, etc, to improve their fitness or burn off some calories.
2. Weight training. Most gym's have a good range of machines and free weights you can use to build up some muscle. Consider what muscles you want to work on. You need to ask yourself some questions. Upper body? Lower body? Why do you want to build up muscle? How often are you prepared to go to the gym?
If you're thinking of joining the gym just for cardio, I would reconsider. You can achieve the same results without joining a gym just by jogging, walking or playing sport. Maybe consider purchasing your own running machine or exercise bike. Also you will discover going to the gym just to spend an hour on the exercise bikes can be incredibly boring.

Finding a gym

After you have considered the points above and you still want to join up, you need to find a gym. Again there are some factors you need to consider. Do your research before buying a membership.
1. Price. You don't want to be spending too much on your membership. $60 or less for a 1 month membership or $500 or less for a 12 month membership are fair prices. Some gyms have very cheap deals for new members. But you need to remember these are only for new members. So after your first membership expires, the cost of another membership will probably jump considerably. Ask about a trial membership. Many gyms will offer very cheap or free, 1-2 week trial memberships for new members. I will come back trial memberships later.
2. Location. Ultimately you want a gym within 10 minutes or walking distance from you. The further you have to travel, the less likely you are to continue going. If you can walk there this can become part of your work out.
3. Equipment. Good quality equipment is important. Does the gym have equipment you can make good use of? Does it have enough equipment? Is it in good condition?
4. Other people. A gym session is always more enjoyable if you go with someone else. If you know someone else who already goes to the gym think about going with them. Just don't let them become a distraction at the gym.
This website may help you search for a gym.

Signing up at the gym

When you have chosen a good gym, it's time to sign up. The following point is probably the most valuable piece of advice I can offer you.
Do not buy a 12 month membership. When you first sign up they will try to convince you to buy a 12 month membership. They will tell you how you save so much money when buying a 12 month membership, just ignore them. Unless you are a die hard, gym junkie, I can almost guarantee you will not regularly go for 12 months. Nobody does. Chances are over 12 months you're going to get sick, suffer injuries, go on holidays and have other commitments. There goes at least 2 - 3 months of your membership. Yes, many gyms will allow you to suspend your membership, however this can be a long, tedious process, involving a lot of paperwork. Then the main reason not to get a 12 month membership is you will loose motivation. My guess would be 90% of people who buy a 12 month membership loose motivation and only go for 3 months or less. Would you want to pay for something you're not going to use?
As I mentioned earlier try to get a 1-2 week trial membership. This wont cost you much (if anything) and at the end you can decide whether you want to continue going afterwards.

If you still want to sign up to a gym, read Part 2 of this post, which will offer more advice for after you sign up. Remember to leave a comment if you have any further questions.

World Tennis Challenge in Adelaide

This coming January (2009) the World Tennis Challenge will be held at Memorial Drive, Adelaide. If you would like to see some big name past tennis champions compete, this event might be for you.

So what is the World Tennis Challenge? It is a three day tennis tournoment to be held at Memorial Drive tennis complex. This will be the innurgral World Tennis Challenge. Four teams of two players will compete, with one past player and one current player (although some aren't really current players). Australia, United States, France and Sweeden will make up the four teams. All players will play both doubles and singles.

Australia will be represented by Pat Cash and Mark Philopousus. Other players include America's Jim Courier and Taylor Dent, also Mats Wilander who won seven Grand Slam events and probably the most exciting of the current player, Gael Monfils. Monfils is currently ranked 14th in the world, so if it's top level tennis you want to see, look out for this man. The organisers of the event would have been thrilled to sign up Monfils.

Don't expect an extremely high standard of tennis in this event, because besides Gael Monfils and possibly Taylor Dent the rest are unlikely to deliver. However it is still probably the best tennis tournoment you will find in South Australia. Expect a fun event with a good atmosphere.

The World Tennis Challenge will be held at Memorial Drive in North Adelaide from January 14 - 16 2009. Tickets are $16.50 for children and $38.50 for adults and can be purchased from Venutix.

Adelaide United FIFA Club World Cup Campaign

This December Adelaide United will compete in the Fifa Club World Cup, held in Japan. Adelaide United qualified for the Club World Cup by reaching the final of the Asian Champions League. Adelaide will play their first match against New Zealand club,Waitakere United on December 11 in Tokyo.If Adelaide United are successful in their first two Club World Cup matches they will face a match up against football powerhouse, Manchester United.

Adelaide shouldn't have to many concerns in their match against Waitakere United. If they do beat the New Zealand champions they will then face Gamba Osaka in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. Gamba Osaka are the Japanese team who defeated Adelaide United 5-0 on aggregate in the final of the Asian Champions League(ACL). Despite this result Adelaide are still capable of getting some revenge at the Club World Cup. When Adelaide were defeated in the final of theACL, they had several players who were carrying injuries, or unable to compete due to injury or suspension. Goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic was battling an injury in the first leg of the ACL and could not play the second leg due to suspension. When Adelaide contends in the Club World Cup they should have a full side, free of injuries and suspensions.

It is also worth considering Adelaide United players shouldn't be dealing with the fatigue they would have experienced in the ACL. During the ACL, Adelaide were also competing with a very tight demanding schedule. They were travelling all over Asia whilst also competing in the A-League at home. No doubt, the team would have been feeling worn out by the time they got to theACL final. The side should feel a lot fresher for the Club World Cup.

Defeating Gamba Osaka will certainly be a tough task for Adelaide United. They firstly need to overcome Waitakere to even have that chance. But it definitely isn't out of the question.

If Adelaide United could conquer Gamba Osaka they would secure a semi-final match up against Manchester United. I wont event discuss that until then.