The Gym Project

As a newcomer in New York and not knowing for how long I will be staying, I decided not to join one gym. I want to visit various gyms, experiment with workouts, try pilates and yoga classes without being making the "commitment". Thinking of my options, I found the answer while reading the Time Out in December: the 2007 New York Fitness access booklet. This amazing booklet offers you 175 passes to dozens of NYC gyms and studios at the very low price of $75 plus shipping (only 4 bucks for that). To be more precise: those 175 passes give access to gyms for two visits, three visits or weekly visits. I even found one that offers a monthly membership! So, if I exclude the passes for Staten island and Bronx (too far to go to exercise) and a half a dozen that are for kids, pregnant women and oversized individuals (which I am not), I can pretty much go to the gym everyday for the rest of the year!

So here is the new project: Gym evaluation. Every time I try out a new gym, I will assess it. This “evaluation” should cover three areas 1. Gym facilities 2. Variety of classes and the “machines area” 3. Rate of difficulty (of the class). Needless to mention that it will be a rather personalized appraisal (does it sound very corporate?). I promise, though, to be as objective as possible ( the good-looking male instructor won't affect me at all). I hope that the gym project will turn out to have not only one but two positive outcomes. First because more information about NYC gyms will be provided and second, it will force me to go to the gym!

Last week, I visited the McBurney YMCA, 125 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011, 212-741-9210

I did the Pure Strength class on Saturday at 10:25 am. I was slightly disappointed because the class started with seven minutes delay (due to a late finish of the previous class). The class was strenuous: first fifteen minutes “tough” warming-up, followed by pure strength exercises with weights for about twenty minutes, and finally, fifteen minutes of stretching on the floor. The instructor was very aggressive (in a good way) but also funny. At the end, she only asked one question: will you be back next week?

Score card
Facilities: 7/10. It’s the YMCA after all. A community gym with plenty of people and kids. There are towels to use in the changing room free of charge but that’s pretty much what they offer you. You need to have your own lock.
Variety of classes: 8/10. I admit an abundance of classes to choose from. Amongst others you can try the Super Sculpt, H2O Fitness (in the pool) and Body Toning. There are also Yoga, Pilates and dance classes.
Rate of difficulty: 7/10 (for the Pure Strength class).

Events this week

NEW YORK

TRADERS EXPO - NEW YORK

If you are high on investing, there is no excuse to miss out on this free, four-day event at the Marriott Marquis hotel from February 17th to February 20th, 2007.
Visit http://www.tradersexpo.com/traderexpo/newyork/main.asp to register online


LONDON

Anti-Valentine Party
Wednesday 14th February

In honour of Valentine’s day come and celebrate (or commiserate!?!)

At Adam Street Private Members’ Club
From 19h30 onwards
9, Adam Street, off the Strand
Nearest tube: Charing Cross / Covent Garden

Limited places only and strictly on guest list so first come first serve
RSVP to mosaic@mosaicnetworking.com

A voluntary charity donation of £20 is suggested which which will go directly to Friends of Aschiana which are organizing the party.

NOMADS SPEAKER EVENT
When: 7:30 PM, Thursday 15 February 2007
Where: United Kingdom
Exclusive private members club. Please send email to: london@thenomads.net for further information Cost: GBP10
The Nomads SPEAKER EVENT presents Carole Stone - Britains Networking Queen
Carole Stone, former producer of BBC Radio 4's Any Questions? programme, and, with more than 28,000 names in her address book, is acknowledged as Britain's networking queen. Leaving the BBC in 1990, Carole now works as a broadcaster and media consultant to a number of large companies, bringing together journalists, politicians and business people to discuss particular issues that interest them all. Today Carole is well-known for her 'salons' - regular gatherings at her Covent Garden flat - and her huge Christmas party
Then visit us at http://www.thenomads.net