New Year, New Gym: Change Your Surroundings, Change Your Gains?

With the New Year approaching, setting goals and resolutions for ourselves is not uncommon. A New Year means new beginnings and another chance for many of us to reach our health and fitness goals. You may not have achieved the physique you set your sights on this year, but looking at next year it's as if anything is possible. it's another chance to produce the body you've always wanted.

But, first you need to determine what's going to change. You need to make a list of why this next year is going to be any different. You need to ask yourself why you didn't succeed in 2015 or why you didn't push yourself to that next level.

Related: The 10 Biggest Gym Douchebags

Before you start looking at changing your diet, changing the amount of weight you're lifting, or changing the amount you exercise each day, you need to evaluate your fitness environment.

Is your work out setting putting you in the best position to succeed?
Do you dread stepping foot in your local gym every day you go to exercise?
When you think about exercise do you get excited?

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before starting your 2016 fitness journey. Finding the best exercise environment for you is the first step in your path towards success. If you don't feel comfortable or motivated in a particular fitness setting then it may be time for you to try something new.

Not everyone is going to be successful in a typical gym setting. For many of you it may not be the right environment.

Some of you may lack the time to go to a local gym. Some of you may not enjoy resistance training or using cardio machines. Some of you may be more motivated in a group setting with others surrounding you and encouraging you to push your limits.


Whatever the reason may be, this notion of, "You have to go to the gym to get in shape", should be discarded.

Yes, resistance training with weights and other machines has infinite health benefits, but is that your goal? Is your goal to bench press 315 pounds and deadlift 500 pounds? Or is your goal for 2016 to simply lose 15-20 pounds so you can fit into those jeans you bought yourself last summer?

If so, then you need to create your own definition of your GYM. While a gym in the typical sense is thought of as a space with weights, resistance machines, and cardio equipment, the definition of a gym should be defined by you.

Should You Join a Local Gym?

Many of you will be rushing to your local gym at the beginning of the year to start a new membership or renew your existing one, but is that environment the right place for you? Is that a place where you are going to feel comfortable, focused, and motivated during exercise?

Most studies and surveys taken about people joining gyms at the beginning of the year show that 70-80% of people who join a local gym in January will end their membership within 5 months. And, these individuals may stop going to the gym weeks or months before they even cancel their membership.

The most common reasons include:

Not having enough time.
Feeling out of place.
The gym isn't convenient.

If any of these reasons ring true with you then it may be time to find something new. There's an endless amount of ways you can exercise and reach your goals without being a member of a typical, commercial gym. It's time you branched out and find something that works for you.

Exercise = Fun

The reason many of you may not succeed in a typical gym setting is because it's not fun for you. it's not something that excites you, but rather something that discourages you.

Now, for many of us a room filled with heavy weights and empty squats racks is what we dream about every night. it's an environment we have fun in and we enjoy every minute of it. For us gym rats who can't get enough of the iron, a typical gym setting is the perfect environment for us to enjoy ourselves in and make progress towards our fitness goals.

But, that's not the case for some of you. Some of you dread exercise because you don't enjoy exercising in a typical gym setting. You need to make exercise fun for yourself as that is going to keep you excited and determined towards your fitness goals. Finding an exercise setting that is fun and a space you feel comfortable within is the first step towards defining your GYM.

Do you enjoy exercising in a group setting? Then look at joining a weekly boot camp class close to your home or work.

Do you complain about the lack of equipment your current gym has? Then look at joining a different gym that has the equipment you desire.

Do you enjoy exercising at home? Then start building your home gym with small items like dumbbells, kettlebells, and a jump rope.

Do you enjoy performing powerlifting movements? Then look at joining a local powerlifting gym or get involved with a local powerlifting group.

Do you enjoy being outdoors and using the earth as your gym? Then purchase that nice mountain bike or stand up paddleboard you've always wanted and use them as your tools for staying healthy.

Do you not have the time before or after work to go anywhere to exercise? Then use your lunch break to take a 20-30 minute walk or jog around your office before going back to work.

What do you define as your 'gym'? Brently Rousset wants you to find your gym and find what makes you excited to work out.

Define Your GYM

Finding the best style and exercise environment for your lifestyle is the most important factor in keeping you excited, motivated, and on track towards reaching your fitness goals. Your gym doesn't have to include weights and benches. Your gym is how you define it.

Whether you're hiking local trails, doing jumping jacks and burpees with 10 other individuals, or simply walking your dog around the neighborhood for an hour each day, don't let the gym define you. Figure out what you define as the GYM so you can become the best version of yourself.

For more fitness advice and tips follow the Muscle Minds Youtube channel and me on Instagram @thebrentness.