Charlotte Personal Trainer Reveals 10 Reasons NOT to Go to the Gym and Miss the CIAA

Since I am here in Charlotte North Carolina, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about the infamous Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament which is better known as the CIAA that is going on right now and how those that are reading can still enjoy the festivities as well as get in their workouts throughout the week. This year marks the 64th annual Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament which starts from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28, 2009. It is one of the largest and financially successful basketball tournaments in the United States. The annual tournament showcases athletic competition in men's and women's basketball during five days of play culminating with the championship game. Long before the civil rights initiatives of the ‘60s and the affirmative action activity of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the CIAA provided America with some of its most legendary sports personalities. And it offered blacks a choice for education. Today, the conference and its member institutions continue to provide opportunities for every generation. Historically Black Colleges and Universities or HBCU’s changed the face of our culture and the CIAA helped lead the way. There will be lots to do during this week of event from day parties to night affairs, from family oriented events to concerts, from Greek step shows to comedy shows. The CIAA has something for everyone.

This year's CIAA festivities are going to be hotter than ever. And I wanted to make sure you are in the mix as shallow or as deep as you desire. Therefore, I have posted some things that can help you while you enjoy this historical event. Time is of essence especially when you have an itinerary to stick to. I know that the gym is the last place that will probably want to be,and you shouldn’t allow this event to throw you off of the goals that you have set forth for yourself. As a result, I have come up with some tips on reasons not to go to the gym and not miss your CIAA weekend, but still get in your workout. It’s the best of both worlds.

I remember the days when I used to workout at a gym exclusively.

I used to think it was absolutely necessary to be in a gym to get results- that a good workout required you to be in a health club or weight lifting room of some sort.

Today I find myself at the best point of my life, from both a business and fitness standpoint, and I haven’t stepped a foot in a typical gym for 6 months now.

In fact, I workout exclusively at home or in my boot camp training center, and all I have at these two places is space and the following training equipment: bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, med balls, and a couple other user and budget friendly implements to mix things up from time to time.

It’s crazy when I think about it… the overall quality of my life dramatically began to improve as soon as I stopped going to the gym.

Here is a brief list of some of the things that have happened to me in the last 6 months since I stopped going to the gym:

- I now maintain a single digit body fat percentage with abs popping year round

- I have seen better results with my physique since using my own body weight and resistance bands than I did by using barbells and dumbbells.

- I get in at least six high-quality, distraction-free workouts per week (sometimes as many as 10-12)

- My concentration and focus is better which results in a better workout without spending half the time that I did with going to the gym (that includes travel time and actual workout time).

Now, I don’t mean to imply that not attending the gym anymore was the only reason for the dramatic turn of events in my own life.

However, it is now clear to me the sheer act of breaking from the norm and NOT doing what everyone else seems to do has set me on a distinct path of success- the road less taken if you will.

After some thought, I put on paper what I feel to be the top 10 reasons NOT to go to the gym. If you take heed to these suggestions then you will get the best of both worlds which equates to getting a great workout in and not missing out on the fun and festivities at the CIAA tournament:

1.) Needless Travel Time

Most of us live at least 5-10 minutes away from the closest gym (some people live 20-30 plus minutes away). This means that a daily gym workout will cost us at least 10-20 precious minutes in wasted travel time. Add that time up over the course of a week and you are looking at losing at least 1-2 hours going to and from the gym. And that’s not including any additional time changing clothes in the locker room or getting caught in conversation with people you know.

2.) The Sheep Mentality

It’s sickening to go to the gym. I truly believe the example that most people set will make you worse. Everybody is doing the same thing. Most men and women are just sheep- slaves to all of the misinformation provided in the form of sensational fitness magazines and infomercials. People just go to the gym and do whatever everybody else is doing.

Most women are cardio queens spending hours at a time on ellipticals, bikes, and treadmills- sadly getting nowhere fast. Ladies you need to start doing some resistance training and cut those cardio sessions down to 20 minutes of intense interval training to burn that stubborn hip, thigh, and belly fat that is holding your sexy back.

And then there are also those meathead guys who only work their mirror muscles (abs, chest, biceps) while taking extraordinary long rest periods between sets of upper body isolation exercises. These oversized morons often bench in excess of 300 lbs but probably couldn’t perform 10 perfect, full range of motion push-ups with their body weight if their life depended on it.

When in doubt, DON’T do what everybody else in the gym is doing because it’s not working!

3.) Needless Waiting Time for Equipment or Space

I remember when I used to workout at a gym that I would spend about an average of at least 15-20 minutes per workout waiting on a piece of equipment or a certain space of the gym to complete my daily routine. Not only does this waste a bunch of valuable time and create a detrimental roller coaster of warming-up and cooling-down, but this long stop and go format is completely counter productive to the appropriate alternating set format and work to rest ratio to burn fat and lose weight fast- the main goal of over 90% of fitness enthusiasts.

I have found the most effective strength training protocol for fat loss to be a 50-10 (50 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest and transition) Five-Exercise Total Body Strength Circuit. Frankly, there is no way you can workout in this format at the typical overcrowded commercial gym when people are constantly getting in your way and hording your training space and equipment.

Build your own gym at home so you and you only control your workout environment.

4.) Sickness and Disease

Let’s just be honest about this- gyms are cesspools for sickness and disease. Most overworked, burnt out trainers working at the typical failing health club are forced to double dip and clean up the gym at the end of 8+ hour workdays. How much energy do you really think they have left to thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment that hundreds of people have sweat and dripped on all day long?

Beyond catching the common cold, there are some other real serious things that have been spreading at gyms like wildfire like the recent merca staph infection epidemic.

Stay healthy and crank it at home!

5.) Annoying People

This is probably the biggest reason I no longer go to gyms: people are so friggin’ annoying! My workout time is my time and my time alone. I don’t want to talk to anyone and I don’t like being interrupted while I’m working out.

For most people going to the gym isn’t about getting results, it’s about socializing. Plus, I have always felt like a caged animal at a zoo during my workouts with people rudely gawking at me while I’m getting after it. Sure, my workouts utilize a host of unique and advanced exercises and they are often disturbingly intense, but it’s just a pain in the arse to have people looking at you like you are crazy. To me it’s crazy that I get better results in brief 20-minute sessions than the typical gym rat who wastes 2 hours a day getting nothing accomplished.

But that’s not the worst part- the worst part is when people interrupt you mid-workout to ask you questions about your training routine. Sorry- go pay for a trainer to give you advice. I’m there on a mission, not to reeducate. That’s reserved exclusively for my boot campers and my one on one client.

Plus, I remember one time at the YMCA when a trainer came up to me asking me to “please keep it down” during a set of power cleans. Needless to say, I gave him a snarl like a dog getting a bone yanked away from them. I make noise when I workout- lots of it- lots of guttural, animal sounds. Most gyms can’t handle this- so I have created my own little training exile at home so I can scream and blast my music disruption-free!

6.) Expensive Memberships

What a sham! Paying money for a place to workout. Isn’t your current rent or mortgage enough of a monthly overhead! Plus, these scammers lock you in for long-term agreements that mean that you’ll probably still be training at the gym when your hair goes gray. They don't want you there because the more people that come + the more people that use there equipment= them having to repair or replace the equipment that is frequently being used which equates to new machines and money that is coming out of their pockets. In laymen's terms = Total BS.

7.) Useless Equipment

Machines suck- I haven’t used a machine in years. They don’t allow your body to train that way it was designed to move and function and they cause many overuse injuries.

If you want to be lean, tight, and muscular, all you need is your body weight, some bands, and a few free weight options like dumbbells or kettlebells to get the job done at home or on the road.

Every couple of months I treat myself to a new training tool (I have been enjoying sandbags and resistance band training as of recently) to mix things up and keep my workouts fresh. It’s pretty cool to slowly build you own budget-friendly personal gym by adding new implements every so often- I highly recommend it!

8.) Lack of Open Training Space

This one’s pretty simple. Idiot club owners focus on all the frills with substance by filling the training floor up with overpriced, oversized machines that take up all of the prime real estate. Ever try doing a walking lunge in the typical health club? The last time I did I winded up tripping on a loose muscle clamp and landing on my kiester.

All you need is space baby- space to move freely and explore your own body’s capabilities.

9.) Crippling Dependence

I mentioned this earliest- gyms force you to create a dependence on them. If you are used to using machines, you feel lost when you travel and can’t access the same equipment. In most cases, people figure “what the hell, I’ll just take some time off until I get back home since I don’t have any gym access out here.”

I can personally guarantee you that I can break you with your body weight far before I can break you with any machine- and your body weight can go through customs too! So, show yourself that you can get results without the gym. I promise you that the best workouts of your life are waiting for you at home or in new places like a park, beach, hotel room, etc. Step outside the box!

10.) Bad Trainers

Sorry- most trainers SUCK- they get certified by these money-hungry certification agencies that don’t provide no support with program design that’s more ancient than Larry King. And they get paid squat with no true incentive to get clients results.

When you go to the typical gym for personal training, you enter a factory. They are trying to get you in and out. They don’t care if your reach your goals nor do they have the desire to build lasting relationships with you. They just need to hit their quota- you are just another number for them.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been sick to my stomach seeing some jackass personal trainer getting paid $60/hour to talk to some overweight client while he or she walks gingerly on his or her cardio machine of choice. Personal training these days is really a crime to humanity- it’s really only just a glorified therapy session.

Join a fitness boot camp in your area that creates a fit community- a culture of success. I know a ton of great boot camp instructors all over the world- personal trainers that I network with that can get you better results for less than a third the cost of typical personal training rates. If you can’t get it done at home on your own, look for the trainers that will get you body and life changing results in less than half the time.

Man, when you really think about it, why would anybody want to go the gym if they could easily set-up their own dream gym at home (think basement, den, garage or living room)?

I mean if you are the type of person who is motivated, empowered, and dedicated enough to consistently workout on your own, it appears that going to the gym may very well be the dumbest thing you can do.

And if you need the support and motivation of a workout buddy or can’t or don’t want to work out on your own, the typical gym still falls in short in providing a results-based, cost-effective solution.

I have been intensively working out since I was 14 and I have had a lot of time over the years to develop some incredible perspective on exercising for general fitness.

And I can honestly say that if you are serious about getting results, both inside and outside of your workouts, your best move is to avoid the gym like the plague and build your own portable home gym or to join a fitness boot camp with a proven track record of unmatched results.

I hate the gym.

It’s such a joke.

It’s such a waste.

It’s such a cop out.

I can only hope that I shed some light on what might be holding you back- both in regards to your fitness and in your own life in general, but more importantly that could effect you from wasting time in the gym when you could be enjoying yourself at the events that are hosted by the CIAA.

Break outside of your comfort zone.

Step outside of the box.

Take the road less taken and have the body and life-changing results to show for it. Workout on your own and stay away from the gyms and enjoy the CIAA.

It’s A Process

A. Lamail Spain

Personal Trainer and Boot Camp in Charlotte, NC

PS- Be sure to post below some of the things YOU hate about the gym so we can all share in our fitness frustrations!