Carry at the gym tips requested.

[Bendrx]

I've joined a local gym recently. Part of my SHTF preps is to keep the S from ever contacting the F! And croking because of a love for fat and fear of workouts is on the top of my list of things to take care of. I've improved my diet some and have been doing push ups for a while now, even some other simple exercises (Kudos to shibumiseeker on the 100 push ups posting a while back, I'm not following that plan at this time, but it's what got me started.)

My focus is going to be on cardio, as I have none, and knees since knee surgery runs in the family. I've got extra baggy sweats and have already tested out around the house wearing my instructors belt (You were right Rhino, a good belt is freaking awesome) under the sweats, I pull the draw string snug and wrap the waist band over and between the grip and my body. With the baggy sweat shirt it's far more concealed than my normal everyday look, albeit harder to get to if I were to need it. The area of concern is the locker rooms and working with a trainner. I'm going to try to mostly go when they're slower as I don't like the crowds. I haven't been to work out yet, have only toured and looked around. Is it common pracrice to go into the showers (stalls) dressed with clothes in a bag? There is no way I could avoid drawing attention to myself wearing only boxers and a gun belt. A towel would never conceal it. I haven't actually been in a locker room until the tour in about 10 years, and that was in high school where I wasn't trying to hide a firearm. So any random tips for the gym would be apprecated but especially those related to the locker room. Should the trainner notice I'll just tell her I'm happy to see her. The trainner is just for an initial welcome to the gym, here is how to reach your goals without killing yourself or wasting time so I'm not really worried about that much.

Just a tiny bit more rambling, are there any exercises or machines to take extra consideration to keep from blowing concealment. I know the over hand to the side streachy thing could be an issue. I'm planning to use the elipical machines and leg machines primarily, but I'm sure I'll end up on about everthing if for no other reason than curiosity. Sorry to ramble, but thanks for reading if you've made it this far!

 

[slmlrd]

Maybe its just me but I hope you're kidding. There are a couple times when I don't carry. Shower, sex, gym. Probably a couple others in there.

 

[Bendrx]

Maybe its just me but I hope you're kidding. There are a couple times when I don't carry. Shower, sex, gym. Probably a couple others in there.

Maybe it's me, but I hope you're joking. No reason why it ever needs to be out of reach. And I can't reach into the locker rooms from the eliptical machines.

 

[Joshnbb]

as silly as this suggestion might sound, if your going to be wearing a belt while working out then why not a thigh rig underneath your sweatpants. you would have to cut a slit in the leg of the sweat pants to get to it but with it being on your thigh i think would offer several advantages. i dont know if you are planning on doing situps/crunches but you wouldnt be able to with one on your waist. As far as an elliptical or running would go i dont think something in your waist would be to comfortable. who knows.....just a thought

 

[Bendrx]

as silly as this suggestion might sound, if your going to be wearing a belt while working out then why not a thigh rig underneath your sweatpants. you would have to cut a slit in the leg of the sweat pants to get to it but with it being on your thigh i think would offer several advantages. i dont know if you are planning on doing situps/crunches but you wouldnt be able to with one on your waist. As far as an elliptical or running would go i dont think something in your waist would be to comfortable. who knows.....just a thought

I like it, never thought of the thigh. Would probably be just as easy to access with sweats on by reaching down into my pants. I can ride a bike comfortably while carring, so that shouldn't be an issue on similar equiptment. My only concern would be that on the hip it doesn't really move much, but on the thigh it would add extra weight to one leg...but if I carried one on each leg......hmmm....(Okay, that is me kidding there.....or is it).

 

[Joshnbb]

One on each leg i think is a good idea. you would have even weight and it would be like wearing ankle weights

 

[oldbikelvr]

I personally don't feel the need to carry at my gym, and if you do, maybe you should find a better class of gym. That being said, a fanny pack setup or a small bug in a belly band or thunderwear would fit the bill. Good Luck.

 

[VUPDblue]

I prefer the KelTec P32 clipped to the waist of my workout shorts. Better than nothing and it is barely noticeable but very unobtrusive. Believe it or not, I bought the P32 for this purpose specifically.

 

[Sylvain]

I dont see how you can have a good workout while trying to keep a firerarm concealed.
I have my own gym at home and even there I dont carry a gun on me while I workout.

 

[45calibre]

fanny pack?

you could always work out at home.

 

[Bendrx]

I'm not aware of a "class" of gym immune to violence. If I had a gym at my house I'd just set it on the machine. Maybe it's just me but I don't find that carrying gets in they way of anything really. I can roll around on the ground working on a car while carrying and unless I'm laying on that side it's perfectly comfortable. Perhaps if you can't carry and work out you should look at a new holster. Just my on that as riding a bike isn't an issue while carrying for me. And that's with a Ruger .45. Maybe it's a size issue, I'm a pretty good sized guy. Trying to get alittle smaller though.

I think VUPDblue has given me another excuse to by another gun. Will keep an eye out for the cheap LCPs once the LC9 is out in Feb.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

While I didn't carry my firearm while exercising, I used to wear it to and from the gym where I was working out. Generally, turning my body away from onlookers while putting my firearm on and tucking it under my shirt worked pretty well. I only had one bystander notice/comment in two years of doing such. However, no matter how you intend to carry while you're working out, it will eventually be noticeable to someone - and will probably freak them out.

On a similar note, I've carried my EDC for all sorts of athletic exercise; bike riding, walking, running, etc. with no comment from anyone. Of course, I CC anyway.

 

[Glock19Dude]

I have run into similar issues at my gym as well. The one thing I never considered was carrying my pistol on me while I run on the treadmill. Like another poster had said, there are certain times that I don't carry. I used to wear my pistol on me and lock it into the locker room during my workout but there were always other people in there and I didn't want them to see my gun. Now I just leave it locked in the car while I go in. It may not be the smartest idea, but since I don't use the locker rooms it works for me.

If you feel that you want your pistol close to you while you work out, try keeping a small duffel bag next to you at all times. I've seen other people at my gym keep small bags near them for various reasons. Just keep the bag close by and you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[abnk]

I have never been able to carry comfortably while working out, but I understand the need. Not knowing your body type and the intensity of exercise, I doubt that you will be able to conceal anything more than a small semi-auto pistol or a folding blade clipped to the front of your shorts.

 

[tom1025]

How about an ankle holster if your that worried about remaining armed at all times. You could always hire a bodyguard to stand next to you. Keep in mind that your sweat will penetrate your holster and also your gun so you will need to make sure you keep it cleaned.

 

[rambone]

I prefer the Die Hard method.

 

[DemolitionMan]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned one of the biggest problems here: sweat. Hopefully your exercise program will make you sweat - a lot. That's good for you but not so good for your weapons! I wouldn't even try to carry while doing regular workouts for that reason alone. If you do, you either have to figure out a way to prevent sweat from getting to the gun or you have to do some cleaning every time you work out.

I work out at O-Dark-Hundred (the O stands for "Oh my God, it's dark outside!) so generally the locker room is empty, or there might be one other person there. I can usually time things so that I can transfer my carry weapon to the locker when noone else is around. The few mornings where too many people are around, I've stepped into one of the bathroom stalls with my gym bag. There are a number of guys who change in there anyway - either because they also carry or because they're shy - so it doesn't seem strange to do so. My gym also has a little alcove with a curtain where you can change out of view of others.

I suppose that leaves me vulnerable to some lunatic attacking the gym while I'm working out, but OTH there are lots of things laying around that would be great weapons. A 45 lb plate to the head would ruin your whole day, for example...

 

[jesse485]

I prefer the KelTec P32 clipped to the waist of my workout shorts. Better than nothing and it is barely noticeable but very unobtrusive. Believe it or not, I bought the P32 for this purpose specifically.

I was just about to make this very suggestion. I recently bought a pocket clip for my P32 for bike rides. It should work just fine with the thick waistband on most of my workout shorts. The clip doesn't affect the pocket holster I normally use either.

 

[WebSnyper]

This thread caused me to do some looking as I've owned a couple of Bianchi KI fanny packs for years. Seems they are no longer made, but this type of thing would server well in the role you are discussing...

Bianchi 4411 K.O. Fanny Pack Right Hand 4" Barrel Medium and Large Revolvers Nylon Black - MidwayUSA

 

[Keyser Soze]

Gym should be the one place you don't carry. If your doing it right you shouldn't be able to shoot for worth a darn anyways. You should only be in there for 45mins tops anyways.