gym talk

The little gym I go to is closed on Sundays, so today I headed to the big fancy one that is connected to the jimjilbang (the sauna/bath/i guess a lot of other stuff).

The gym part was okay, but it looks like I will have to choose between inadequate overall, or really inadequate in one aspect, but somewhat better for everything else. The nicer gym doesn't have a squat rack or power cage. They have a smith machine (ick, and not good for squats) and a leg press, but not a place where I would be able to do squats at all. However, everything else is in better repair, there is more room, there are plenty of fans, the treadmills are better (but still in english - yay!) and they have a 20k bar for bench, which i would be able to load and move easily for deadlifts (which is a major pain at the current little gym). The only other thing that would be impacted would be overhead press, and I can find something else that will work shoulders in the same way. This gym also has a bar that is high enough that I don't have to bend my legs at the bottom of hanging leg raises, which is awesome.

Right now, my squat is pretty high, and I honestly don't feel a burning need to add a whole lot to it at this point (jeans that fit my waist and hips are too tight in the thighs right now) and I am pretty sure I would be able to at least maintain strength if I were to do leg press stuff ("stuff" meaning a variety of foot positions, full depth, all that), DL, and run, with occasional squat rack stuff when I visit friends. The nicer place costs a little more, but if I get 3-6 months at a time, it would be the same as having to buy a day pass two times/month, and includes access to the jimjilbang.

Access to the jimjilbang will be a good thing once I figure out what the heck I'm supposed to do - I couldn't figure out if it was BYO-bath stuff or what, or if i got stuff at the counter, if I had to pay more for it, and if so, how much. Also, it was PACKED and I really didn't want to try to figure out the logistics when it was that crowded. I need someone to tell me what to do, but wasn't sure how to go about that today and after being the center of attention in the weight room, I really didn't want to continue being stared at. Particularly when naked. I mean, if I knew the routine or the layout of the room or what to do, that would be one thing. But to be clueless, the center of attention AND naked? When it was really busy? I had to take a pass today.