The cost of a pound of flesh

3,500 kilocalories, an 8 hour jog, 1,460 stairs, 480 laps of an Olympic sized swimming pool...All of these numbers measure the energy required to burn a pound of fat. But what does that really mean to your way of life and the world that surrounds you?

What it means to you

Looks and appearance aren't everything, but if it is a source of grief in your life, then weight-loss can be a key to achieving a happier sense of self. In the developed world, our physical health is one of the few life factors that we have absolute control of, and it's the first place people turn when they find the rest of their world is in turmoil; this applies to both positive and negative influences on your life. If you are like many people who have had a stressful day at work, chances are you come home and eat, and eat, and eat. This impulse exists because something in your life that you can definitely control is what goes in your mouth. The more chaotic our lives get, the more we seek an internal locus of control. In fact, during the latest economic recession, health and fitness is one of the few industries that has still shown growth.

Losing weight is hard. Your body does not want to change, and certainly does not want maintain the consistent calorie deficit that is required to do so. So what a pound means to you is hard work, mental discipline, sweat, and more than likely a few tears. If you are just beginning this journey, know that the physical and psychological payoff is immeasurable. The amount of personal growth that comes from taking control of your health, overcoming obstacles, and breaking through mental barriers will change you and your life-trajectory.

What it means to the fitness industry

The first thing you should know is that beyond the physical price your body pays, fitness is FREE. You can go out for a walk or a run, you can swim in the ocean or run up some city stairs, and you can do body weight pushups, crunches, and squats, and it won't cost you a dime.

BUT

The health & fitness industry has done an awesome job of complicating something that should be almost intuitive by inundating the public with an avalanche of products and information (and most of it is crap). I should qualify that last statement by saying that I believe that a good personal trainer is a great investment for any beginner, but the reality of fitness, is that you can do it yourself.

Here is what a pound means to the fitness industry:

• 5-10 personal training sessions (variance due to the skill of the trainer and the heart of the exerciser). Depending on the rates you can negotiate (as low as $30/session, as high as $120/session, usually), one pound of fat will earn "the industry" between $150 and $1200
• Gym memberships are rarely sold for less than a month at a time, but chances are you'll be on the hook for a minimum of $20. People rarely cancel their memberships after one month, however, and many will keep the membership out of guilt and maybe's, but not use it for a year or more (the high-end gyms can easily cost over $1000/year)
• You have bought, are buying, or will buy a gadget or piece of equipment that claims to make exercising, more fun, easier, or more effective. You will use it once, and then you will forget about it. Let's just hope that "it" refers to a $5 jump rope and not a $1500 BowFlex   

What it means to the healthcare industry

"Healthcare" is an oxymoron of the most moronic sort. It should be called Sickcare, or more appropriately, Sickwedon'tgiveaf*ck. It is inefficient, expensive, and it relies on reactive, band-aid measures and thinking. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and "healthcare" companies only make money when you are sick. What does a pound mean to the healthcare industry? It means you are not buying their product. Every pound shed means less of a strain on your heart and joints. Every step, stroke, or rep, releases endorphins, naturally enhancing your mood and outlook on life.

Pills, injections, respirators, etc, should not be a way of life. And yet health care professionals recommend baby Aspirin to reduce your chance of stroke, Lipitor to cut down on your cholesterol, Xanax for anxiety and panic, Cymbalta for depression...when did we just accept that we should feel terrible and that if we take a pill, it will all be better? Let's be clear, sickness is a business, and right now, business is good. Make no mistake, the healthcare industry is not here to help you, they are there to patch you up just long enough to empty your wallet and make you think that you are reliant upon them, but you aren't. Health, fitness, and happiness, are all within your grasp.

What is the value of a pound to you? PRICELESS.

@BrendanRolfe

Image Credit
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2015 Gym Review

Does Your Gym Measure Up?

At some point in every fitness freak's gym career, they will look back and say to themselves "Damn, I've spent a lot of time in the gym." In my case, not only have I spent a lot of time in the gym (like A LOT a lot), I have been pretty unbiased in my allegiances (you might say I get around). Here is my professional opinion about some of the joints I've dropped a weight or two at:

Trevor Linden Fitness (Club16)/She's Fit

membership cost: $15-$25/mo.

facilities: Clean, well maintained, new equipment. Like most gyms, too many treadmills, not enough squat racks. Bathrooms are clean, gym is bright and open, though there are issues with locker break-ins, oddly enough. There is a women's-only side (She's Fit) if you require a little more privacy. Unlimited tanning is available for an extra $5 per month. They do not offer classes, per se, but do offer a lunch hour circuit training program.

clientele: You get a real mixed bag, but the majority of exercisers fall in to the "college student" category. Low price-points and fairly central locations make it accessible to all. At times there is a frustrating mix of newbies with no sense of gym etiquette, hard-cores with no sense of consideration, and social butterflies with no sense of purpose.

staff: Staff are young, friendly, and helpful. There are no "in-house" personal trainers there, but the staff seems knowledgable at a basic level and are a good resource for beginners.

value rating: 7/10 - Good staff, clean facilities, low fees

YMCA/YWCA

membership cost: $40-$60/mo.

facilities: Depending on the age of the facility, the equipment is reasonably new and well maintained. You will notice extra wear and tear from the volume of use, but on whole, it is reasonably clean accessible. They tend to pack A LOT of equipment in to a little space, but have a good variety. You are going to wish there was more space. Bathrooms are clean and large and there is a pool, which is a nice feature. They also have a gymnasium where they run various sports, health, and other programs. This is included in your membership.

clientele: A decidedly youthful and international flavour. Frequent sprinklings of the super fit senior and many cardio warriors. This is actually a gym that could stand to gain more cardio equipment, though there is no where to put it because they are maxing out their space as it is. This space gets INSANELY busy at peak hours, to the point where I have walked 20 minutes to get there and just said "F-it" and left without a workout.

staff: The instructors are good, but in general I find the staff at the YMCA and YWCA to be somewhat disinterested and apathetic. They seem very hands off and unwilling to go out of their way to be helpful. There are personal trainers offered at the YMCA and YWCA. In fairness, I have not had a session with any of them, so cannot speak to their abilities. When reviewing their qualifications, I find them to often be new to the industry. This can be a plus however, as you will get an enthusiastic trainer with good intentions.

value rating: 6/10 - Good facilities & activities, but cramped quarters and disinterested staff

Steve Nash Sports Club

membership cost: $70-$110/mo.

facilities: Extremely large facilities with plenty of space. Equipment is clean and new, though often "under repair." There is a pool offered at one location an outrageous amount of cardio equipment offered at all. Their equipment includes many of the industry's newest and trendiest. They offer classes (included) in spinning, yoga, dance, group training, etc, though oddly enough, none of the "Sports Clubs" include any facilities to do sports. The gym space is usually very clean, but the locker rooms and surprisingly unkempt. Used towels overrun the floors and the wait for showers can be aggravating.

clientele: Here is where you lose me. These gyms attract young, single professionals. Lululemon is strongly encouraged (required?) and sleeves need not apply. If you are single and looking to pick up, you are going to love this gym. It does get busy around peak hours, but it is not lacking space, so if you can be creative with your workouts, you'll never be sitting, waiting, and cursing someone under your breath for being on the equipment you need.

staff: The staff is knowledgeable and engaging. They go out of their way to be helpful and are very approachable. You will be hard-pressed to find a better group of personal trainers and class instructors than you get at Steve Nash Sports Clubs. They are knowledgable, experienced, and usually extremely well-certified. Continued training and skills and knowledge improvement are strongly encouraged.

value rating: 7/10 - Facilities & staff that are 2nd to none, but it's pricey & a little douchey

Steve Nash Fitness World

membership cost: $20-$35/mo.

facilities: While most of the facilities have been given a facelift since the merge between Steve Nash and Fitness World, I still find them to be worn, dated, and cramped. The locker rooms and showers often have serious cleanliness issues and could use more care and attention. The machines are maintained, though dated and uninspiring; the same goes for the cardio equipment. Classes are offered as part of the membership cost, though popular classes can be cramped, given small spaces.

clientele: I don't know why, but these gym seem to attract the middle aged, fitness crowd. I think it may be to do with the fact that original memberships are grandfathered in (I know a gentleman who pays $7/mo because he was one of the original members), and they refuse to give up such a great deal. You will find a good portion of the membership occupying the cardio section, which is good, because there is not a lot by way of free-weights. These gyms are everywhere though, and there is likely one right around the corner from your house. So they are convenient.

staff: The front desk staff is always friendly and helpful. The personal training staff is definitely a mix of new trainers and, shall we see, seasoned trainers (from the old-school). While I have seen some quality training sessions be administered, I have also had to bear witness to cringe-worthy sessions that have me questioning the legitimacy of the industry.

value rating: 5/10 - The price is right, but everything else will test your commitment

GoodLife Fitness

membership cost: $35-$55/mo.

facilities: GoodLife fitness is known for having large facilities. They are spacious, though maybe slightly dated. The machines and equipment are well maintained and the atmosphere is un-intimidating and focus-oriented. There is a good variety of equipment for beginners and experienced exercisers alike and many of the gyms have a women-only area. Facilities are clean and well-maintained. Group classes are available and included in membership.

clientele: Attracts the young to middle aged crowd who wants to come in, do their work, and get out, back to real life. Peak hours are busy, but a good amount of space allows for uninhibited workouts so you do not feel squeezed.

staff: Call them. They will answer with "It's a great day at GoodLife", and this really does set the tone. Customer service and friendliness is a clear mandate. Personal trainers are knowledgeable and well trained, and on average, probably provide the 2nd best training services in the box-gym industry. Instructors are all Les Mills certified and friendly and knowledgeable.

value rating: 8/10 - Facilities & staff are welcoming, lots of space, somewhat dated

Gold's Gym

membership cost: $30-$80/mo.

facilities: Gold's Gym is, by reputation, a body builder's gym, and so they offer an ARMY of machines, and also offer plenty of free weights. The spaces are usually large and clean, and if you are ok with the colour yellow, they are sufficient for whatever you need to do. Gold's Gyms are also strictly franchised, so different gyms offer different additions (for example, some gym offer a multitude of heavy bags and mixed martial arts training equipment). This also accounts for the large discrepancy in monthly fees.

clientele: Usually, Gold's Gyms attract the body-builder, string tank top, big sweats, Timberland wearing types...or the wannabe's thereof (basically, the Planet Fitness commercial stereotype). However, this type of atmosphere is IDEAL if you are serious about your lifting and want to push yourself. You do not generally find newbies at Gold's Gyms because of this reputation and therefore only have to put up with inconsiderate weight dropping and grunting, though at least nobody will walk into the end of your bar while you're deadlifting.

staff: The staff often reflects the clientele (physically anyways). But I have to laugh, because every time I do go in to a Gold's I expect Muscle-Mania or Bronzed-Barbie who's at reception to be a jerk, but they are always super nice and helpful (just goes to show you, don't judge a book by its cover). Some gyms allow outside trainers to rent the space, some provide in-house training. Many trainers seem to focus on body-building (when in Rome) and seem to know what they are doing in that faculty. Gold's offers classes as well, though I have never taken one there.

value rating: 9/10 - Great facilities, good staff, not as many facilities available

So there are my ratings. Did I reflect your gym's score accurately? Are there other gyms that you would like to add to the last? What are your ratings?

@BrendanRolfe