What gym do you use?

toots99
toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been going to Bally's for years, but the one closest to me is closing down next week, and I am not driving 35 minutes one way to another one. So I've started looking around for new clubs. So far I think LA Fitness is in the lead, it's a total of $107 to sign up, including the first and last month dues (29 a month). 24 Hour Fitness is in a close second, same monthly dues, but they don't have any locations convenient in New Jersey (I live in Texas but go see family in NJ often enough where I'd still go to the gym).

Where do you guys go?

Are there any 24 Hour or LA Fitness members here? What do you like and not like about your gyms?

Replies

  • Meags23
    Meags23 Posts: 98
    I haven't paid for a membership for years because I'm a student. But I really loved Good Life Fitness, here in Canada. It's amazing!! If you're a member, you get free access to all of the classes they offer. As soon as I can afford to spend money on a gym, I'm going back to Good Life.
  • hartkid13
    hartkid13 Posts: 1,551 Member
    I'm a member of 24hour Fitness. I like that it is always open, but it isn't that close to where I live. That is really my only complaint. It is always clean and the staff is very friendly. With the exception of right after work it is never hard to find a machine and you very rarely have to wait on weights.
  • tabchanges
    tabchanges Posts: 1,435 Member
    I go to Anytime Fitness. I love that it's small and open 24 hours.
  • dclarsh
    dclarsh Posts: 364
    I go to LA Fitness, and I like it a lot. They have a good variety of classes that are free with membership, and I like having a pool there too.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    My garage. I have a better setup out there than some commercial gyms. I don't have to fight for machines or worry about some inconsiderate individual leaving the benches all sweaty.
  • xsargex
    xsargex Posts: 768
    I go to 24 Hour Fitness. When I moved back home, I had a few friends that went. So I got a great deal on a 3-year contract. Came out to like 14 bucks a month. My initial contract ends this November. I'm not sure if I'm gonna stay or switch to this local owned gym in our town.

    24HR is great, cause they have all the latest machines and maintain them very well. Everything is usually organized. There's alot of room and you don't feel like your working out ontop of other people. I stay away from the peak hours, but even then...I never feel like I have to wait in line or compromise my routine because of crowds. I like to keep to myself, so its not like "social hour" for me. Working out, is MY time and MY TIME only to concentrate on what I'm doing. Not effn around and wasting my time. People that see me there on a regular basis probably think I'm a real a-hole, cause I never talk. I get irritated when someone tries to drum up lame conversation. Like "hey nice tatts, where'd you get your work." Man this isn't tattoo-talk time...its me burning gasoline time, get off my *kitten*.

    The only irritating thing about 24 Hr is that it can be clicky at times. Alot of people come in there and just fool around. It can be distracting sometimes. People walking on treadmills and talking on their cell phones. Yeah, just die! There is this regular guy that like conducts his business on the cell phone while walking on a treadmill. You gotta be kidding me. Its amazing to see how many bad habits people have when it comes to working out. I just want to club them in the head with a barbell or something. Why there isn't more shooting-spree's at gyms, is beyond me...cause sometimes thats about how I feel.

    The staff, for the most part is friendly. My only complaint is that in the later hours, it seems that the younger staff don't do a good job of keeping the paper towels or cleaning supplies up to snuff, to wipe machines down.

    But yeah...typical gym experience.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    you should check out your local Y or Parks and Rec.
  • xsargex
    xsargex Posts: 768
    you should check out your local Y or Parks and Rec.

    you know what makes me mad...every time that I've ever looked into the "Y" their rates were THE MOST expensive. So much for wanting to support your community, right?
  • I do not go to a gym, I do a lot of cardio workouts in and around my home.
    I run almost every day. You can even take a quick walk around the park, it is better than doing nothing.
    Running up and down stairs burns a lot of calories, even if its only for ten minutes.
    Cardio wokouts burn fat. and make you lose weight in a healthy way
  • Sometimes the Y is the most expensive, but sometimes they also have more to offer. If you have kids its a great place to bring them for classes. Also many of htem have pools which you can work on water aerobics or calistenics.
  • paulamma1
    paulamma1 Posts: 544 Member
    Would you consider investing in P90X, some bands or weights and a pull up bar and make your home your gym?
  • YourCatalyst429
    YourCatalyst429 Posts: 96 Member
    Planet Fitness!! It's cheap and it has all the stuff you really need!:flowerforyou:
  • leann_m_olson
    leann_m_olson Posts: 363 Member
    Y-M-C-A! They do offer more, most classes are free to members and they have pools usually. We are lucky enough to have a brand new Y with state of the art equipment and pools, and an indoor running track which is awesome. I just with they were open more hours, especially on Sunday mornings(they are only open 1-5pm on 'sunday). We get a discount through my husband's employer, only pay $45/month for the whole family.
  • skittlesoup
    skittlesoup Posts: 35 Member
    I am VERY lucky and I have only again started to appreciate the fact that I have a FULL gym at work that I can use for FREE. Yes, you heard me...free. My goal is to work out a minimum of 4 times a week. No less than that. I am hoping to do 5 days a week but setting a goal of 4 days for now and sticking to it is a pretty good goal for my first week back at the gym in 4 months :)
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    i use lifetime fitness and i love it. they have every machine you could possibly want, they're always clean, the staff will do anything for you, and the classes come free with the membership. its open 24 hours a day too.

    i have to agree with xsargex though. lifetime attracts a lot of the high schoolers who just walk around and mess around. it gets really annoying when your waiting for a machine and the person on it isn't even using it because they're too busy talking on their cell or to their friend.
  • ebkins7
    ebkins7 Posts: 427 Member
    I personally have had memberships at both 24 hr and LA Fitness. LA Fitness gets my vote hands down!!! Sure 24 hr fitness is open (most of the time) but you can only go the THAT gym you signed up in (unless you want to pay extra to have unlimited use which I think is dumb!!!). LA Fitness also seemed to be cleaner in my personal oppinion!

    Unfortunately I'm no longer with LA Fitness because I moved to a place where there isn't one. But I would totally go back if there was one!!! Now I have a membership at LVAC (las Vegas Athletic Club) and so far so good!
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    24 Fitness 2 yr membership 12.50 a month through COSTCO!!
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    you should check out your local Y or Parks and Rec.

    you know what makes me mad...every time that I've ever looked into the "Y" their rates were THE MOST expensive. So much for wanting to support your community, right?

    Here they are kind of high but our parks and rec is only $15 per month with no committment. You can even do by the visit, quarterly and yearly. The equipment is really nice and kept up well. The only problem is they don't have the pool and sauna stuff. There is a pool, but it is not at the same place. The do offer free gym time (for basketball and such) included in the price so it is not just work out stuff. There is usually always a game going on in the gym that people just drop in on.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    Would you consider investing in P90X, some bands or weights and a pull up bar and make your home your gym?

    I live in small apartment, not much room here. And I know I wouldn't do as well at home as I would in a gym. I'd be a slacker. :laugh:
  • angelajiniel
    angelajiniel Posts: 115
    Used to belong to the YMCA, but after we moved to a small town, it wasn't worth the drive. When we moved, we check out a couple of options and chose to go with our own home. We bought an awesome weight bench and elliptical machine for what a year's membership would have cost us at the local gym. I also subscribe to VERIA for 2.99/month (Dish Network) for the yoga and pilates workouts (which I record on DVR to use whenever I want) and run outside. My husband and I both decided we prefer it this way.

    Though I do have to say, every once in a while I miss being able to go to classes with other people and be motivated by the instructors.

    Good luck finding what suits you best!
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    I love Goodlife. Not only do I get a fantastic deal through work but I love that I can go to any location in Canada without any additional cost. And there are so many locations. I travel a lot to Calgary and there are 3 there alone! I also love the group exercise classes.:flowerforyou:
  • 24 hours fitness. I like their hours. I always have my workout clothes, swimming suit and protein powder in the car. If I ate too much or just want to the pool, I can go anytime and I can go to any of their locations. Sometimes I went there like midnight or 1am when I were stress out and could not sleep. Also their classes are awsome:weight lifting, zumba, hip hop, pilates
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
    LA FITNESS BUT I think they are only in California
  • Tiddle
    Tiddle Posts: 762 Member
    I'm in the Army, so I use the gym on post. It's not the best, but it's FREE!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    I am thinking LA Fitness, they aren't only in California.

    i was surprised how inexpensive the memberships seem! When I joined Bally's, I forget how much I had to put down, but I know I paid $50 a month for three years! Might have been two years, but I'm almost positive it was three! Then I went down to $16 a month when my account was paid up and I could cancel at any time. So to pay a total of $107, including first and last month's dues and paying $30 a month, i could handle that.
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