Gym pals, workout buddies, whatever you want to call them- they are the people that make it more fun to go to the gym. It's the familiar, friendly faces around you that give you a reason to get up in the morning and do your workout. In a way, they hold you accountable. These are the people that say, "You can do it!" or "You did great!" when you finish that last set or rep.
I remember when I first joined the Y, I didn't know more than one or two people. If you go at roughly the same time each day, you learn quickly who the regulars are. Eventually, you become friends with some of those people and even socialize outside the gym. If I don't show up at my regular time, I inevitably have somebody comment to me the next day, "Hey, I didn't see you here yesterday." I had one person tease me that he almost sent a cop care by my house to check on me because he was afraid I went missing! I joke that if I don't show up, I'm either sick or dead. It's nice to have people to bond with and exchange ideas with at the gym.
I went to a "fancy" gym in our city this summer on a free-week pass. The locker room, kids program, and outdoor pool were the most impressive things to me. Other than that, machines are machines and weights are weights. They just had more of them. The thing was, I didn't have my gym buddies. Nobody to smile at and greet. It felt a little lonely. I was lucky to run into a few people that I knew in passing. After a few days, I was ready to go back to the Y. I liked the atmosphere better. I missed my friends. (Sidebar: I did have fun at the "fancy" place showing the guys in the free weights that a woman CAN indeed rock the heavy weights and swing a barbell around a bit. They looked at me like an alien.)
My gym pals ultimately helped me start on this journey of being a personal trainer and they still support me every step of the way. If any of you are reading this, thanks, guys!
