The gym

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jltaft21
jltaft21 Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I live in Las Vegas and there are many choices of gyms to join. We have Gold's, 24 hour fitness, and LVAC and a few others like Kokos. My question is what do you look for in a gym? What traps should I look for? What do you pay for your initial joining fee and how much do you pay per month?

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  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,023 Member
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    bump
  • olee67
    olee67 Posts: 208 Member
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    I look for a large free weights area. If they don't have a lot of free weights, I'm out. Also, if you walk around on a tour and see a lot of signs saying "out of order," you should pass... If you see a lot of "fit" people working out there, chances are its' a good place. More often than not, people who are on the fit side don't F around and go to a place that holds up their end of the bargain. If you only see one or two people working, chances are that's not a good sign. If no one working there bothers to ask what kind of plan your on or what your goals are, then they don't care about you, they care about your money.

    A lot of times, you get what you pay for. Yes, there are places that give you great value and are awesome and other places that charge way too much and don't do crap. Don't be afraid to trust your gut and not just go for the "cheap" deal. I spend $65 a month on my membership and don't even think twice about it. The gym is huge and I never have to wait to get on anything I want to use.
  • MommaRou56
    MommaRou56 Posts: 68 Member
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    I would see how many of them have at least a two-week, preferably one-month, sign-up. It will probably be higher, but if you go for a month, you can pretty well find out in that length of time whether it's a good gym or not -- or whether it's a good gym but just not a good fit for you. Then you can sign up with the fee, contract, etc. I don't know if they have them there, but Planet Fitness generally charges you only $10 a month with no contract. You can get out of it at anytime. However, I think that some people have the tendency to let their work-out time slide if they're not paying much for it so you may want to consider that. In other words, if you think you're likely to tell yourself that it's not costing you too much so you'll skip going, you may want to pay a little more in a SET contract. You may also want to check into local recreation centers run by your city or county. We have a great one in the town where I live, and a one-year membership (which must be paid up front) only cost $162, which really just amounts to $13.50 a month. Another thing you may want to check, if this interests you, is whether they have a personal trainer or offer classes and, if so, if there is an additional charge for using the trainer or going to classes. I joined a club here where I live back in February when they had a great manager, and once he left, the owner just let the club deteriorate, and it was a HORRIBLE experience after that point. Dirty bathrooms (to the point of dried feces in the toilets), no clean towels or even hand cleaner, dust/paper on the floors, dirty mop buckets sitting around, etc. So I really made a fuss and got out of my contract. That's why I said you need a trial period of a month or so. In that time, you can get to know some of the other patrons and hear the good and the bad about that particular club -- not just the good during the "honeymoon" period of your membership. If you don't get into a rush, you'll find one that's a good fit for you and that meets your needs.

    Good luck!
  • BSchoberg
    BSchoberg Posts: 712 Member
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    I wouldn't pay a joining fee at all... unless you just have more money than sense.

    Look for: a place you feel comfortable; that has what YOU use (equiment, classes, sauna, pool).

    Avoid: a place that seems off to you, not well tended, in disrepair. I'm not of fan of the year or 2-year contract, but that's me --- if it's a place you really like and will go to, a long term contract could save you some money.

    See if you can speak with some members - and focus on topics that are important to you. If you are a free weight junkie, but the person you're speaking to is going on about how many Zumba classes are offered, find someone else to talk to.

    Find out how long they've been open - especially the smaller one-unit gyms. The chains, you have a pretty good idea that they'll still be there after you pay your membership...

    Any decent gym should give you a grace period to try them out and decide if it's a good fit. I love my gym, so the $40 a month is a good investment. I personally am not a fan of Planet Fitness, so that $10/mo fee would be a total waste for me.
  • MommaRou56
    MommaRou56 Posts: 68 Member
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    And you may also want to check into local YMCA or YWCA, etc. Also, some local high schools and colleges offer work-out times at their facilities for a fraction of the cost of a gym membership. Bottom line is you have to find something that works for you -- your time, your budget, your lifestyle, your friends (the new ones you'll make there), etc. If you really look, you'll find a good fit for you!
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
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    I look for a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub - that's the most important part of the workout for me! :bigsmile:

    It's also important that the gym is near to me - preferably in walking distance, as I don't drive, and I'm unlikely to go regularly to a gym where I have to take a bus there.

    I look at lighting - I don't like harsh fluorescent lights - and I look for a large-ish area with mats and mirrors where you can lift small free weights. It's important for me that it is a place where I feel comfortable. I like it to be clean and not smelly. And I look for certain things that I like in my workout - balls, bosu balls, kettlebells, and certain machines. I also like a gym that has a swimming pool, because I like to swim, and I want my membership to include that.

    I'm actually in the process of considering joining a new gym, as I've left the one I was a member of (I found it too expensive, and the staff were getting pushy with trying to sell their personal training - I didn't like personal trainers constantly approaching me and chatting to me and telling me I should get personal training when I was in the middle of my workout). So I am thinking about all these things at the moment.
  • javiersito21
    javiersito21 Posts: 5 Member
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    No joining fee.
    Monthly plans don't matter much since most are within the same range.

    I got LA Fitness and there is one w/in a 5 minute drive (socal, u drive everywhere -_-) of everywhere I'm at and I get to bring a friend in for free and w/out hassles.

    Gym's here are newer so all the equipment works, lots of treadmill, bikes, etc.

    Has several spots for you to lay down and so some stretching, ab workouts, sleeping, push-ups, etc as well as several spots w/ both free-weights,medicine balls, and other such equipment.

    Oh, also has a pool to do lap swimming so that also a plus.

    So yea, that's what I looked for.

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