Anytime Fitness

If it is convenient for you and you like the location/equipment/amenities offered, then it is a good straightforward no frills gym.

HOWEVER, their contracts are very strict, and you can get quite the runaround if you try to legitimately exercise your right to end the contract.

My story: I signed up for a year contract, paid monthly. I ended up relocating 100 miles away 7 months into the contract. There were two AF locations somewhat close to where I relocated, but both were really out of the way of both home and work, and one was super strange (low ceilings, creepy managers, not well maintained).

I pulled out my contract, looked at the clause that allowed me to end it early due to relocation, submitted all of the necessary information to the original location where I signed up, and….got no response. Called and got the runaround, how they lost one of the pieces of paper I’d sent, or the attachment on the email wouldn’t open, etc. I ended up eating the $35/month for 5 months, which luckily wasn’t a huge financial burden for me, but totally sucked.

An Anytime Fitness recently opened in my town. They have a local Face Book page so I sent a message asking about cost. I got a reply to come in and we can discuss pricing options. If I wanted to do that I would have in the first place. That turned me off so badly I scratched them off my list. I did join at another fitness center. I have a personal policy to never deal with a company that refuses to answer a legitimate question. Had they replied cost can range from X to Y depending on contract length (or whatever) I may have gone there.

OP, I think it will vary greatly depending on the location and manager/owner of that location. I happen to belong to an Anytime near my house and LOVE it. That said, my gym owner is crazy anal about keeping things running and super clean. he also vets every person wanting to join so that we don't have sketchy members joining. That's extra good for people like me who work out at 4:15 am. Go see what they have going on, what the vibe is like, ask to meet the owner/manager and you'll know if it's a good fit or not.

Reading all your posts I realize just how blessed I am. My little rural town had a 24 hour gym, the kind where there's never any staff there...you are just issued a key. That always scared me and I never joined. Well, the "big city" (sarcasm there if you caught it.) hospital opened a clinic in my town and a small gym along with it. The little 24 hour gym couldn't compete and didn't renew their lease. They called my ambulance squad and said they were shutting down, their lease was up at the end of that month, and that if we wanted anything we could come take it...it being whatever was left in the building. We took EVERYTHING. (even the toilet paper they had left hanging in the bathroom! lol What can I say? We are a vollie unit and a non-profit.) Our ambulance squad now has the most awesome'est gym of any fire department/ambulance squad anywhere! The extra blessing is that I live right across the street from my ambulance hall and as a member I get to use the gym anytime I want/can for FREE!!! Woot! Now I just need to find a personal trainer-type to come give me some advice on what exactly to do with all that equipment. Right now I am doing some stretching, ball/core work, T25 video, treadmill C25K, elliptical and easy weights. (Inclined squat, bicep curl, triceps pull down, and bench press.) All the other stuff is too intimidating to this "underinitiated in gym stuff" girl.

Anytime Fitness opened up in my small hometown in March 2013. I joined at that time with a 1 yr contract billed at $45/mo. Last February, my company insurance adopted a wellness program and I converted my membership to the wellness program and now I pay $25/mo.

I enjoy the gym, new, clean, the machine weight area is a bit crowded, but I use the free weight section. I am usually there early morning and am one of maybe 3-4 ppl there.

I love, love, love my AF!!!! The owners are super involved, tons of personal trainers, group fitness classes (like Zumba, cardio kickboxing, etc), groups that trains for Tough Mudders ... You get the idea! My friend goes to one in another town and rarely sees an employee, no classes, nothing.

So, I guess just utilize the 7 day free trial they offer and see what yours is like.

Thank you all!! I will definitely have to go check it out in person! It sounds like any other chain it's good or it's bad! I got spoiled at my last gym. Large private gym 24/7 with only a $17 a month fee. the annual fee was small as well. I guess it's worth checking out, it's right around the block which takes away half of my excuses not to go haha. Thank you all for the feedback!!!

No annual fee w/ Anytime Fitness

1 - I don't do contracts period...so ATF would never even be on my radar. I have done contracts with a couple different gyms in the past and always ended up getting the short end of the stick.

2 - I hate corporate gyms in general. I much prefer locally established gyms where I can go in and talk to the actual owner, etc. The gym I go to is locally owned and operated and has two locations in town...the owner is awesome...the owner's wife is awesome...all of their employees are awesome...it's a 24/7 facility and rarely if ever crowded and one of the cleanest and well maintained gyms I've ever had the pleasure of working out in. It's also month to month with no start up fee...just an initial $10 fee for my 24/7 key pass.

1 - I don't do contracts period...so ATF would never even be on my radar. I have done contracts with a couple different gyms in the past and always ended up getting the short end of the stick.

2 - I hate corporate gyms in general. I much prefer locally established gyms where I can go in and talk to the actual owner, etc. The gym I go to is locally owned and operated and has two locations in town...the owner is awesome...the owner's wife is awesome...all of their employees are awesome...it's a 24/7 facility and rarely if ever crowded and one of the cleanest and well maintained gyms I've ever had the pleasure of working out in. It's also month to month with no start up fee...just an initial $10 fee for my 24/7 key pass.

I agree on the contracts issue, and the gym you describe sounds great (although the monthly fee is conspicuously absent, which is a consideration for some).

I don't eschew "corporate" gyms per se. My current gym is a nationwide chain. There was no comparison with the other gyms I looked into (one of which was Anytime Fitness) when it came to amenities and sheer volume of equipment, and $25/month isn't bad, even with the nominal start-up fee (unless you only decide to be a member for a few months, of course, since there's no contract). There's also no annual "beautification fee" (or whatever they like to call it).

My particular gym is also relatively new (< 2 years), so that's a plus. It's certainly clean enough for me, but I'm not very fastidious.

Of course, mom & pop operations are great. I have no idea how "awesome" anyone at my gym is. I've been going there for a few months and haven't yet needed to talk to any of the employees. *shrug*