I am in the process of checking out some of the Fitness Clubs in our area to get into better shape, check out what exercise bikes (and other equipment) that they have and even to check out the Spin Classes that they offer.

I think that Fitness Clubs are pretty big business so I have been expecting a pretty hard sell at the places that I plan to visit. I checked out the first fitness club on my list yesterday and sure enough they were trying to get me to sign the papers right then and there! Well, I was not ready to sign-up, of course, so I made it past that hurdle.

I did have quite an experience which is definitely worth mentioning.

My first stop was Bally Total Fitness and I met with the club manager first. Step one in their process was to find out all about my fitness goals so I mentioned that I do a lot of cycling and want to stay in shape or improve and to lose some weight too, of course.

Next they took a Body Fat reading with an Omron hand held body fat measurement tool. This was actually very disappointing for me (I need to get in shape!) but it lead me to research these devices along with other body fat measurement techniques online after I got home. It turns out that these devices are not completely accurate but they are somewhat accurate (when used correctly) and they are very convenient.  I may purchase one of these soon.

Next, they showed me around the club a little and the manager set me up with a Personal Trainer to get me warmed up and inspired to get into shape I guess.

Wow, this was an experience! I had never worked with a personal trainer before and it was very enlightening. All we really did was various calisthenics with very little equipment. we used a 15 pound ball and some dumbbells for a few of the exercises, but that was it. I can’t believe what a major workout you can get just from calisthenics! We did a 20 minute workout and was was exhausted and am very sore today.

Since I mentioned cycling we did a lot of exercises for the lower body and legs and I can feel that today. I jotted down the exercises that we did when I got back for future reference.

So after my Personal Trainer workout, I was exhausted but I still had not completed my mission so I proceeded to the Exercise Bikes to check out what they had and to try them out (and in this case wind down a little).

They had some Star Trac Uprights and Recumbents plus quite a few  Life Fitness bikes (Upright and Recumbents). Once again I preferred the Life Fitness bikes (models 9500HR) over the Star Trac bikes (I did not see the model number on them). The Star Trac upright bike did have a nice feature that allowed you to adjust the handlebars (horizontally so they were closer or further away).

The heart rate monitors on the Star Trac recumbent were on the upper bars only which is not as comfortable as having them on the lower bars (by your side) like the Life Fitness bikes.

Riding the exercise bikes seemed like a break compared to the personal trainer workout that I just did. Of course, I took a pretty easy pace and I believe that I am in much better shape for riding than for other exercises.

My last stop was to check out the Spin Bikes. They had a room full of Star Trac Spinner Pro Spin Bikes setup for their Spin Classes. I did ride on one of these just a little and it was fully adjustable and worked well but I did not do a major workout on it.

What I am really hoping for is to be able to go there next week for one of their Spin Classes. I have a free 7 day trail pass but I am not sure if it covers the Spin Classes. I will find out about that and if I am able to do it I will definitely keep you posted.