TVs on treadmills

GreenTeaDisease

love 'em or hate 'em?

My new gym opened today and all the cardio machines have TVs on them. I have to say it is my one problem with the place so far (the one thing I liked about the gym I just quit was the cardio set up). Usually when on the treadmill I like to listen to music and it's good if there is a TV somewhere in front of me to glance at every once in the while. With these TVs on the machines though, you plug in your headphones to turn them, so you can't listen to music and just have the tv on. it is also just weird because it blocks all your vision and all you can see is the reflection of your head bobbing around. So I was just wondering if other people really like this feature. Looking around today, most people where not using the TVs. I found it interesting because I read an article yesterday that gyms and their equipment are not designed properly for the most efficient work out. thoughts?

intodeep

My gym is pretty old and does not have tv's on the tread mills so i can't really comment. I do see where it may not be cool to have it though. I like you enjoy listenign ot music and occasionally looking at a near by tv to check out the score on espn etc.

Perhaps you could bring an old set of headphones and just plug it into the tv so you can watch it while you listen to your music?

Of course that won't stop the reflection from your head from bouncing around

lalalalaaaaaaaa

IMO, if you can focus on a TV show while doing cardio...you're not doing it hard enough.

ajedigecko

i enjoy having the tv on while i exercise, it is more for the sound than for the visual. same goes for while i ride my bike, i like music when i am riding.

rival.

love it.

working out is not that fun, so why not watch the simpsons or seinfeld while doing so?

sexysurfergirl

why pay to do exercise at some gym?

why be indoors on some machiney thing?

why dont you just get a bike or sumthing????

(bmx recommendation)

Jwmcc

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

love 'em or hate 'em?

My new gym opened today and all the cardio machines have TVs on them. I have to say it is my one problem with the place so far (the one thing I liked about the gym I just quit was the cardio set up). Usually when on the treadmill I like to listen to music and it's good if there is a TV somewhere in front of me to glance at every once in the while. With these TVs on the machines though, you plug in your headphones to turn them, so you can't listen to music and just have the tv on. it is also just weird because it blocks all your vision and all you can see is the reflection of your head bobbing around. So I was just wondering if other people really like this feature. Looking around today, most people where not using the TVs. I found it interesting because I read an article yesterday that gyms and their equipment are not designed properly for the most efficient work out. thoughts?

Yeah the new feature with how you have to plug headphones in in order to have the TV on is annoying. I like how NYSC promotes that they are "helping save energy and the environment" when in reality they just want to save some money on their electric bill. I was fighting it for a few months but recently I've given in and used headphones while running.
Jw

Jwmcc

sexysurfergirl wrote:

why pay to do exercise at some gym?

why be indoors on some machiney thing?

why dont you just get a bike or sumthing????

(bmx recommendation)

A necessary evil, especially for those of us who live in climates that have their extremes.

zircona1

I don't like the TV's on treadmills, if you're running (which I do) it makes the whole picture bounce continuously 'cause your head is moving. Now, if a TV set is a little farther away, mounted on a wall or something, that's OK.

I just bring the ol' iPod, hit shuffle, and go!

holtz

At my gym they have the tv's mounted on the wall in front of the treadmills. I really like that set up because I will listen to my ipod but watch espn while doing cardio, makes time fly.

GreenTeaDisease

Saturnal wrote:

IMO, if you can focus on a TV show while doing cardio...you're not doing it hard enough.

that's my opinion as well, and one of the main criticisms cited in the article.

GreenTeaDisease

zircona1 wrote:

I don't like the TV's on treadmills, if you're running (which I do) it makes the whole picture bounce continuously 'cause your head is moving. Now, if a TV set is a little farther away, mounted on a wall or something, that's OK.

I just bring the ol' iPod, hit shuffle, and go!

EXACTLY.

I feel like a lot of new fangled treadmills are made for walking! the ones at this gym not only had the tvs, but they also bounced around! Infact, I hadn't even started yet, it was bouncing from *other* people nearby who were running. and there are no water holders...luckily there are 2 types of treadmills and the others are a little better, but still seem to be geared toward walkers (which is weird, IMO).

sennin

They don't even have legs!

GreenTeaDisease

sexysurfergirl wrote:

why pay to do exercise at some gym?

why be indoors on some machiney thing?

why dont you just get a bike or sumthing????

(bmx recommendation)

I have a bike, and I run a lot outdoors. But you also need a gym to lift and cross train and whatnot, and to run when there is ice and snow on the ground (or for that matter when it is 100 degrees and humid in the summer). Just running and cycling outdoors is not a complete work out schedule. (in fact, cycling barely does anything for me itself, which is a shame because I love it. But you've got to bike like at least 50 miles to get any sort of real work out, and who has time for that on a daily basis?)

right now I am training for a half marathon, and I've needed the treadmill for a couple reasons 1) it is good for pace training and 2) there's been a continuous sheet of ice on the ground for the past month!

Spunkie

Isn't that like, an oxymoron?

Riverrunner

sexysurfergirl wrote:

why pay to do exercise at some gym?

why be indoors on some machiney thing?

why dont you just get a bike or sumthing????

(bmx recommendation)

It's 40 degrees and raining. I train almost every day so I have to do something inside - as much as I hate it. And like somebody said before to do strenghtening you need a gym, unless you have a lot of equipment at home.

Riverrunner

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

right now I am training for a half marathon, and I've needed the treadmill for a couple reasons 1) it is good for pace training and 2) there's been a continuous sheet of ice on the ground for the past month!

What half marathon are you training for? I just did the St. Judes Memphis Half at the beginning of December and plan on doing a local Half on February 9. My husband and I are planning on doing a half-Iron distance tri in June.

I manage to get my run training in 90% of the time because we have little snow and ice in So. Illinois and I don't mind running if it is above 25degrees. However, I can't stand to be on the bike when it is below 60 degrees. I guess I am a real weenie. I have my bike on a trainer but absolutely hate it. It is all I can do to make myself do it. And I watch tv when I am doing it, but I can't watch something that takes focus because then you lose focus on your workout. My bike workouts consist of various cadences at various heart rates for certain lengths of time so you have to stay focused to keep up a certain pace or cadence. I can see how the treadmills with a tv in front of your face would be either a real distraction if you have it on, or make the workout really, really boring when all you can see is a dark screen.

mookie9999

I hate the tv's on the treadmills! Fortunately, at my gym there are two rows of machines one with and one without. In the rare occasion that the one's without are taken and the one's with are free I push that bastard of a tv forward as far as it will go and just do my regular workout. Agree with the person who said if you're watching the tube you're not working hard enough.

GreenTeaDisease

Riverrunner wrote:

What half marathon are you training for? I just did the St. Judes Memphis Half at the beginning of December and plan on doing a local Half on February 9. My husband and I are planning on doing a half-Iron distance tri in June.

the half is in hyannis, ma (cape cod) in february. I did a tri once, it was just a sprint. it wasn't that hard except that being wet for biking and running is a real pain in the ass! I was wearing proper tri shorts and top and everything, but my shorts sliced into my leg while running due to being wet! (plus swimming in a huge crowd of people in murky water where you can't see where you're going isn't fun!)

know1

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

love 'em or hate 'em?

My new gym opened today and all the cardio machines have TVs on them. I have to say it is my one problem with the place so far (the one thing I liked about the gym I just quit was the cardio set up). Usually when on the treadmill I like to listen to music and it's good if there is a TV somewhere in front of me to glance at every once in the while. With these TVs on the machines though, you plug in your headphones to turn them, so you can't listen to music and just have the tv on. it is also just weird because it blocks all your vision and all you can see is the reflection of your head bobbing around. So I was just wondering if other people really like this feature. Looking around today, most people where not using the TVs. I found it interesting because I read an article yesterday that gyms and their equipment are not designed properly for the most efficient work out. thoughts?

Buy a set of cheap extra headphones and then you can turn the TV on, but still listen to your music.

GreenTeaDisease

know1 wrote:

Buy a set of cheap extra headphones and then you can turn the TV on, but still listen to your music.

yeah I think I will do that. doesn't solve the problem of having a TV screen 2 inches from my face while I'm trying to run though...what a pain, seems like every gym is lacking in at least one element.