Gyms in USA vs UK- support given?

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jaz050465
jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just interested in this:
I read a lot about people from the USA who say they have joined a gym but don't know what to do. I've been to a number of gyms in the UK and they ALL offer free induction with a training plan which is regularly reviewed. Am I,just lucky or is this different to the US?

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  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,026 Member
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    Some gyms offer free training sessions when you first sign up, but it varies. And usually after the initial training session, you will have to pay for consecutive sessions.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    as a general rule that's a pitch to sell more personal training sessions. you do get good info tho.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Just interested in this:
    I read a lot about people from the USA who say they have joined a gym but don't know what to do. I've been to a number of gyms in the UK and they ALL offer free induction with a training plan which is regularly reviewed. Am I,just lucky or is this different to the US?

    Most gyms offer a single free training session upon joining, which more or less is just a sales pitch to get you locked into a personal training contract on top of your gym membership. If you don't ask the right questions during this single section or make sure they go over the right thing, you'll walk away feeling like you wasted your time.

    That being said, the free training session I got along with my gym membership was very educational as it showed me a bunch of really cool and fun ways to get in a full body workout with a partner and a medicine ball.
  • Cyliesmom
    Cyliesmom Posts: 35 Member
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    I was in Arizona for several weeks earlier this year and joined a gym for the 6 weeks. The manager said he could give me a free intro to the equipment etc, I just had to make an appointment. The manager was quite rotund and looked like he never used a piece of fitness equipment in his life. I did not take advantage of his offer. However the gym was fab, clean, lots of equipment, weights and classes.
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    I spent 30 FREE minutes this afternoon talking to a registered fitness trainer - not just a gym employee - because I have hit a plateau. He took the time to write a few new exercise routines, reviewed my eating habits, checked my body fat...I belong to the YMCA. They are expensive, but I never feel like a looser (so many families there - all body and fitness types) and if I am ever at a loss for what to do there is always someone there to ask.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    In the UK we have local authority leisure centres that offer a yearly membership that covers the gym, any fitness classes and use of the pool. The only thing you have to pay for on top is renting the squash courts/equipment.

    To be allowed to use the gym you have to have an induction (no extra charge) on how to use the equipment, they won't let you use the gym until this has been done for health and safety reasons. They will draw up an exercise plan for you depending on your age, sex, fitness levels and what you are aiming for, weight loss, fitness, strength, bulking etc. They keep your plan in a file and you have access to it at any point. The trainers are accessible for you to discuss your plan at any time but if you want to just do your own thing you can.

    I found all this really helpful in the beginning, no pressure or trying to sell you anything. You can hire a personal trainer if you want to but they never push it they just have posters and leaflets for you to find out what is available.

    Pretty good deal really, now if I could only get of my butt and go there :laugh:
  • alouette
    alouette Posts: 14
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    In the UK we have local authority leisure centres that offer a yearly membership that covers the gym, any fitness classes and use of the pool. The only thing you have to pay for on top is renting the squash courts/equipment.

    To be allowed to use the gym you have to have an induction (no extra charge) on how to use the equipment, they won't let you use the gym until this has been done for health and safety reasons. They will draw up an exercise plan for you depending on your age, sex, fitness levels and what you are aiming for, weight loss, fitness, strength, bulking etc. They keep your plan in a file and you have access to it at any point. The trainers are accessible for you to discuss your plan at any time but if you want to just do your own thing you can.

    I found all this really helpful in the beginning, no pressure or trying to sell you anything. You can hire a personal trainer if you want to but they never push it they just have posters and leaflets for you to find out what is available.

    Pretty good deal really, now if I could only get of my butt and go there :laugh:

    Not at any gym I've been to here! I got offered an induction but didn't have to take it (they just showed you how to use the machines and that's pretty much it). And definitely no fitness plan. And the leisure centres I'm near all charge extra fees for use of the pool or classes. They don't even have any personal trainers at the 2 gyms I've used and the people who work there just stay in the staff room and don't even look like they've ever touched a piece of gym equipment to be honest.

    I guess it depends on where you live and what you can afford. For anything decent like that, I'd have to pay £40-50 a month. (About $62-$80, I think).
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Seems like its not a country thing then- just that there's good and bad gyms everywhere

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