Which gym ?

k900

I have contacted two gyms that i'm considering joining but i'm not sure which one to go with.

Ymca - $39 per month.
You must pay six months or a year in advance if you don't want them taking it out of your bank account monthly (which i don't)
The hours are Monday - Friday 445am to 10pm. Sat - Sun 7am to 5pm.
It's always crowded every time i drive by there.

Anytime fitness - $36 per month with first month free.
Open 24/7. They give you a key card that will let you in.
Unlimited tanning is offered there but i don't do that.
The times i would be working out there it doesn't seem to look that busy. I work odd hours so i like that they are open 24/7.

Both are about the same distance from my house. I would be using some of my tax refund to cover the cost because i wouldn't want to be paying monthly. I also wouldn't want to sign a contract that is hard to get out of. I am just nervous that the one i end up at i will not like. I have these horrible views of what a gym is like in my head. I don't want to be somewhere that only has a bunch of meat heads and girls that go there for attention.

Thoughts ? Have you tried either gym ?

jimmie65

Anytime is cheaper, less crowded, and open more hours. Obviously, the Y is the better choice.

More seriously, have you considered what equipment and classes, if you want them, that both gyms offer?

OkieTink

My gym has 24 hour access, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

angieroo2

I'd love to have a 24 hour gym. Mine is 24 hours Monday-Thursday but it's the weekends that i'd be more likely to work out in the off-hours.

Do some research and see what the local opinion on both gyms is.

cwolfman13

I think a more important consideration is whether a particular gym offers the services and equipment that you need to do what you want to do. We have a number of gyms around me that only have cardio equipment and resistance machines...no free weights. While they are much cheaper than the gym I go to, they don't have the equipment necessary for me to workout the way I want to workout. Plus, my gym also has a lot of other family type stuff going on that I can take the kids and what not...like Daddy and Me Gym Time every other Sunday, swimming lessons in the summer at membership rate, 2 hours drop off child care included in membership cost and a host of other things that make the cost worth my while. Considering all of the services we get and membership discounts, I think $93 for a family membership is a pretty good value....plus the entire place has more of that private club/gym feel to it, so it's not just packed like sardines with everyone staring at each other.

DopeItUp

Definitely check out the gyms for the equipment they have first. For example, no squat/power racks, forget it. As far as asking people if they have been to either isn't going to be that helpful. Different gyms will have very different equipment, people and environments in general. Even if they have the same name.

taso42

What sort of training program will you be following? Which gym would be more accommodating to your training?

spade117

Definitely take a tour of both before choosing.

That_car_is_full_of_balloons

Anytime Fitness

Crowded gyms are not worth it. You can do pretty much everything at AF. I see pro bodybuilders work out there. Good enough for them, good for you.

And there's nothing better than walking in and having the place to yourself (even with 1-3 others there it still feels like that). I have no idea how people stay focused when someone is working out right next to them and people are walking behind and in front of you.

And since you work odd hours the 24/7 hours are crucial. I can't stand gyms being closed on holidays. I always want to workout on that day too.

bcf7683

I actually switched from the Y to Anytime. I like Anytime much better. Better hours and less crowded.

However if you're looking for classes, the Y is the way to go. Anytime doesn't have much in the way of classes. My gym recently added a room with a drop down screen and a kiosk where you can pick different workout class videos. But there's not an actual instructor on hand.

I do mainly strength training so Anytime is better suited to my needs. I'd say tour both and consider what you'll be doing most of.

JenMc14

Many gyms offer a free week trial membership. Perhaps you should try the Y for a week, then Anytime for a week and see which you prefer.

naculp

Make sure you ask about joining/membership fees. They can get pretty high and offset the whole "cheaper $/month" factor

KimberlyinMN

Another thought, check Craigslist to see if anyone in your area is advertising for someone to take over their Anytime Fitness membership (if that's the gym you are leaning towards). I just did this on Friday and my membership is only $33 a month. A co-worker just signed up as a new member and he's paying $39 a month. The membership that I took over has the contract expiring in September, so I am only "locked in" for six months instead of the 18 months. (Doesn't mean I HAVE to quit going, just that if I decide it isn't for me at some point, I can cancel the membership after September.) The Anytime Fitness folks don't mind a member finding someone else to take over for them. All I did was meet up with the guy at the Anytime Fitness place and fill out a form. He gave me his key (saving me $50) and my first payment will be March 1.

Another co-worker of mine only pays $30.93 a month at Anytime Fitness and that includes tanning. (I think he joined with a student discount a few years back.)

links_slayer

Both Anytime and the Y should give you a tour so you can see what each has to offer so you can see which would be a better fit for what you want to achieve.

FWIW, I love love love Anytime.

alyssamiller77

I'm going to go along with the answer of: You've not provided us enough information to answer your question. You have to decide what you want to get out of a gym. If all you need/want is some weight and cardio equipment, then go with Anytime. The fact that you can workout 24 hrs a day and they're less crowded is a huge benefit and can help you be more successful.

However, if you want more facilities like pools, running tracks, basketball courts, roller skating, fitness classes, etc. then you probably want to look at the Y. For a lot of people, having those additional activities really helps them avoid becoming bored with their exercise which ultimately leads to avoiding working out all together.

Ultimately you have to decide what is more important to you. Are you more likely to make excuses not to get to the Y during specific times that they're open or are you more likely to make excuses not to go to Anytime because you're bored with the same old workouts day after day.