Gym Membership

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EasterJoy

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Does anyone here belong to a gym, used to belong to a gym, would belong to a gym if they could…?

Advice? We’re thinking of joining one, but it is a bit of an investment.
 
Planet Fitness was dirt cheap, and they are a real gym-no lunkheads, pretty little barbie dolls (darn-I wish they had those! ;)) or psycho fitness people. They have HUGE gyms, are open all the time, and are a great gym overall!
 
Rascalking said:
Planet Fitness was dirt cheap, and they are a real gym-no lunkheads, pretty little barbie dolls (darn-I wish they had those! ;)) or psycho fitness people. They have HUGE gyms, are open all the time, and are a great gym overall!
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None in Oregon or the State of Washington, though. Describe a bit more what you mean by a “real gym”, perhaps? What does a gym need, and what should it ideally lack?
 
EasterJoy said:
None in Oregon or the State of Washington, though. Describe a bit more what you mean by a “real gym”, perhaps? What does a gym need, and what should it ideally lack?
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“Real Gym” means that “real people go there”. People who aren’t jakked up on steroids, talking about MMA/UFC all the time, and women who look like they can carry on a conversation about stuff other than gym equipment.

A gym should have well maintaned fitness equpiment, a helpful NON JUDGEMENTAL staff, and have people who attend that are decent and nice.
 
Hey Easter… What are your goals? What kind of sports do you like? Can you get a 2 week pass to the gym you’re looking at so you can try it?

I was basically raised in a gym and a ballet studio. Hated the gym… loved the studio. Joined a gym after the twins, they hated the day care so that was ruined. But to be honest, I just HATE the gym. I have slowly built my home gym (the garage is NOT for cars…) Love all my “toys” and workout when it REALLY fits into my schedule. Just got off the treadmil… and am stretching while I type. I like FUN workouts. And I could write a person a serious gym workout. But I’d much rather play with my suspension training system, or my pilates chair. Saving for a yoga swing, 'cause I’d really like to hang upside down. LOL! My kids have sensory issues. Wonder where they got it… They love the suspension system too!

OH, but then their are CLASSES at the gym. Now, when I lived in OR, and went to a 24hr fitness, we had an exARMY boxing champion. I’ve never had so much fun. I was the only girl in there. But WOW… the speed bag is a blast. The punching bag, exhausting. And the drills INSANE, but fun. You can adapt. I LOVED The body pump classes. Disliked anything cycling. I’m a dancer, areobics is obnoxious, but hip hop a blast. Joined a small gym with a pool to swim laps when I was PG, 'cause floating felt good. Water cardio classes can be awesome.

And stay away from steam rooms, dry saunas, and hot tubs. Seriously, you don’t need the extra dr. visits for skin problems. too many dirty sweaty people.

So, what do you think suits YOU!

In the end, if you’re really not familiar with the gym, do your research and get a trainer. SOMEONE that has a clue. You will need to be taught form when lifting and how to work the machines. Also, most people in the gym are quite helpful. If they have headphones on, usually a “leave me alone” sign.

This time of year is when gyms make all their money. New Years res. They expect a solid 75% drop out rate. I always hated this time of the year at the gym… way too many people. Takes 'till March to filter out those that were never gonna stick it out. Also, should you join, be vigilant with cleaning your equip. BEFORE you use it. Cootie season.
 
I belong to a gym that is quite nice, and even has a sushi bar. One of my main requiremnets was that the gym wouldn’t have that sweaty, awful, high-pressure “gym” feel to it. I wanted something clean and low-pressure that allowed me to come and go when I wanted and participate in some yoga/pilates/group fitness.

As for the cost, yes, it does add up, but it’s about the cost of a cup of Starbucks a day, so I cut that out of my routine and, voila, the choice was worth it. 👍

(Also, I only join the gym during the winter months (about 4-5) as I am an active cyclist/runner during the summer, so that factors into the cost issue as well for me).
 
We have a wellness center in the bottom of our area’s Catholic hospital (weights, cycle training, group classes and a “Turrtle” pool.

They allow for 3 month memberships, I primarily use the pool for water aerobics and water walking.

In June when the city’s other pool open, I switch over and do the outdoor water aerobics until August.
 
Look for a gym that doesn’t lock you into a 24- or 36-month membership that’s impossible to get out of. Get a month-to-month plan if available, or a one-year membership that converts to month-to-month after that.

Also, check to see if there have been any health code violations brought against it. A friend of mine’s eldest son lost several fingers to MRSA he contracted from a weight machine at his gym. Turns out his was not the first case of MRSA they’d had reported.😦

Luna
 
Luna_Lovecraft said:
Look for a gym that doesn’t lock you into a 24- or 36-month membership that’s impossible to get out of. Get a month-to-month plan if available, or a one-year membership that converts to month-to-month after that.

Also, check to see if there have been any health code violations brought against it. A friend of mine’s eldest son lost several fingers to MRSA he contracted from a weight machine at his gym. Turns out his was not the first case of MRSA they’d had reported.😦

Luna
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:eek::eek::eek:

See, one of my last gym visits, I was on the treadmill and watching a guy a few treadmills down from me…running…A VERY heavy sweater…water was pouring off him and all over the machine…He finished his run and

WALKED AWAY without wiping off the machine!!!

:bigyikes::tsktsk:

I reported him to the staff but 🤷 what can they do after the fact?

It’s just G R O S S

And dangerous.
 
I belonged to a gym, and hated it. Not the gym’s fault, I happen to live in a fitness-crazed town. In one of those endless polls, my town was voted #1, in having people with the greatest looking bodies in America. 😉 My town is a also a magnet for mountain climbers, marathon runners, cyclists, etc.

I had a 3-month membership, and let it expire. Even though, I was meticulous about wiping equipment down before I used it, I had 2 colds in those 3 months.
 
asia53 said:
I belonged to a gym, and hated it. Not the gym’s fault, I happen to live in a fitness-crazed town. In one of those endless polls, my town was voted #1, in having people with the greatest looking bodies in America. 😉 My town is a also a magnet for mountain climbers, marathon runners, cyclists, etc.

I had a 3-month membership, and let it expire. Even though, I was meticulous about wiping equipment down before I used it, I had 2 colds in those 3 months.
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You can work out in the outdoors, I can’t imagine using a gym at any point in Denver. Well, maybe weight work, but you can do some of that with just little hand weights, and you guys even have basements up there so you can set up your own home gym.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
You can work out in the outdoors, I can’t imagine using a gym at any point in Denver. Well, maybe weight work, but you can do some of that with just little hand weights, and you guys even have basements up there so you can set up your own home gym.
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I do work out outdoors, now. Joined a gym, because there are times, like yesterday, wind gusts up to 92 mph, or 3 weeks ago, 14 inches of snow. It’s not smart to be outside. I also wanted the fancy weight equipment. However, I soon learned it’s not worth it.
 
EasterJoy said:
Does anyone here belong to a gym, used to belong to a gym, would belong to a gym if they could…?

Advice? We’re thinking of joining one, but it is a bit of an investment.
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sure like about millions of other people paid my membership, on mandatory automatic billing, used it about 6 times and could not get out of the contract

how committed are you? how motivated are you?
how have similar contract situations worked out for you in the past (other memberships, clubs etc)?
are you already pretty fit and using this to stay fit and improve, or do you expect the gym to magically undo years of sedentary life and bad diet? in other words are you realistic about what you expect from the gym?

and then what about this particular gym? the equipment, the staff, the clientele, ancillary services, are you sure it meets your needs?

can you even do those machines? obviously I could not join a conventional gym today, and need a doctor’s letter before even Curves will take me back
 
Planet Fitness is aka Planet Fatness in the fitness world, because of their catering to setting mediocre goals and constantly providing impediments to their success (pizza parties etc), and being judgmental about people who are actual athletes.

OP: If you have the space for it, consider building a home gym. I have a rack, a barbell, 500lbs in plates, a bench, and a few dumbbells, costing less than $1,000. It will last me the rest of my life, I only have to walk 30 seconds to my gym as opposed to driving there, and it pays for itself in two years. A garage is a great place for this, but you might need a space heater depending on your climate. You could also put an exercise bike, treadmill, kettlebells, etc in the gym, but the most important takeaway is that all you really need fitness wise you can do at home (if you have the space), and gym memberships only really have the benefit of environment. Depends on what your factors are
 
EasterJoy said:
Does anyone here belong to a gym, used to belong to a gym, would belong to a gym if they could…?

Advice? We’re thinking of joining one, but it is a bit of an investment.
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Look into your local YMCA, cheap membership and at least my local YMCA offered before and after school care. I used to belong to the YMCA, but the stress diet has done wonders for my weight loss.
 
I have a membership to Lifetime. There is a mix of all types. I really just go to do my thing and leave. I have been considering quitting, but think I will hold on to it for now.
It really depends on weather ot not you are willing to go, you can look for reasons not to go, or look for reasons to go.
I think getting a trial membership is a good idea though.
 
I second the motion for getting a membership at the local Y. Whatever source you opt for, try checking them out on “rip off reports” or type their name in with “scam” by it on the internet and see what pops up. I would recommend you not sign anything or let them bill a credit or debit card for anything! There are too many cases of cards being billed several months in advance, people being sent to collections even after they cancelled a membership and thought all was well, and the most recent episodes of gyms closing without notice and people being out of those prepaid months. Do some scrupulous research first before you do anything!
 
I would steer clear of Planet Fitness because they seem to have a problem with any of their members actually getting in shape.

Their equipment is kept to a minimum to discourage “lunks” from joining: no squat rack, no deadlifts ,no dumbbells over 70 lbs, can’t use chalk, annoying “lunk alarm” if you exercise too hard.

I like my home gym because by the time I could drive somewhere I am already finished working out. I have a bar, some free weights, a heavy bag, sand bags, and pull up station. All together it probably cost 300.

Look on craigslist in a about a month or two for used equipment. People make new year’s resolutions to get in shape and rarely keep them, so there is always plenty of quality equipment available this time of year.
 
Shop around, wait for deals, take advantage of free visits and check to see if your employer has any discount programs. Also, look into the YMCA, local colleges or any regional rec centers.

Around here, prices for memberships can vary wildly, even at the same gym. I know a few that have regular rates of about $40/month with a 2-3 year commitment, but if you go during a sale or with a coupon you can deals as good as $20/month with no commitment. I canceled my membership a few years ago when they told me I had to renew at $40/month with either a 3 or 4 year commitment, or pay the month-to-month fees of $60/month. This was when the nicer gym across the street had dropped their regular rates to $30/month with no contract.
 
KostyaJMJ said:
I would steer clear of Planet Fitness because they seem to have a problem with any of their members actually getting in shape.

Their equipment is kept to a minimum to discourage “lunks” from joining: no squat rack, no deadlifts ,no dumbbells over 70 lbs, can’t use chalk, annoying “lunk alarm” if you exercise too hard.
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I knew about all the other things, but nothing over 70lbs!? HAH! good luck getting stronger there
 
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