We be gymmin’ [starving artist]

It’s a new year, and everyone is talking about their resolutions.  Getting in shape, finally joining a gym, etc.  The problem is that gyms suck.  Most people (me) just end up sitting at a machine staring off into space/ awkwardly trying not to make eye contact with attractive people that walk by.  Not to mention, gyms in the city are ridiculously expensive.  New York Sports Club costs about $80 a month, or $1,000 a year.  If you work retail, that’s like half(?) of your annual salary.  That’s money that could be spend seeing plays, taking acting classes, or buying a sassy new audition outfit.

An awesome and cheap alternative is the P90X.  No, not the cyborg from Star Wars Episode VII.  It’s an at-home workout system created by Tony Horton, who is cool and fun and good-looking and has a horribly corny sense of humor, but you forgive him because he’s so cool and fun and good-looking.  There are 12 different workout DVDs, and you can do them all in your apartment and stop using the excuse that it is too snowy/rainy/humid to make it to the gym.

You can buy P90X online for about $150.  I got mine via a sketchy Craigslist meet-up, but the fates were on my side, and I escaped a gruesome murder and got the whole package (including 12 DVDs and a nutrition guide) for $40.  Besides that, all you need is a yoga mat ($20), a pull-up bar ($30) and a set of weights ($50).  Or you can just do everything with a workout band, (don’t fret, Tony will show you how.)  In the end, my total system cost less than two months membership at the gym.

I gave P90X my first try last fall.  Although I had to stop prematurely due to apartment drama, after 2 months, I was in the best shape I’ve been in since moving to the city.  And now, with all the holiday feasts of 2010 behind me, it’s my resolution to hop back on that P90-pony, you should give it a try it too.  Giddy-up!