Help! Which gym membership should I choose?

Which one's closer to where you live or work?

sugamonstaa wrote:

I could join my sister's plan and pay $29 initiation fee and $30/month.
Other option is $149 initiation fee but $19.95/month.

$29 + 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 = 209
$149 + 20 + 20 + 20 = 209

So... 6 months at the higher rate & lower initiation = 3 months at the lower rate & higher initiation.

6 mo / 209 + 30 = 239 / 7 mo
269 / 8 mo
299 / 9 mo
329 / 10 mo
359 / 11 mo
389 / 12 mo
419 / 13 mo
449 / 14 mo
479 / 15 mo
509 / 16 mo
539 / 17 mo
569 / 18 mo

3 mo / 209 + 20 = 259 / 4 mo
279 / 5 mo
289 / 6 mo
319 / 7 mo
339 / 8 mo
359 / 9 mo
379 / 10 mo
399 / 11 mo
419 / 12 mo
439 / 13 mo
459 / 14 mo
479 / 15 mo
499 / 16 mo
519 / 17 mo
539 / 18 mo


Will you stay with the chain more than 15 months (if you choose the higher initiation fee, which in
the long run is cheaper), even if you don't go to that location any more because you lose that
temp job (could you transfer to another location)?

And is spending so much more money worth it, compared to whatever gym you currently have
(and have presumably already paid the 'initiation fee', etc.)?

I go to planet fitness, it's $10.80 a month including tax, and it's a lot cheaper

sugamonstaa wrote: »

Actually never mind. The plan Isn't the issue. I don't know which gym I should stick with.

My current gym:
5 min drive from where I live
$10/month
Has everything i need
Cons:
Not fancy
Not as much squat racks just 1
I don't have to wait for it much...it's usually only horrible during new years resolution
No classes but no big deal
La fitness
Average $32/month if you include initiation fees
5 min drive from work but weekends would be 15 min drive
Big and spacious with 2 squat racks
Classes for free if I want to do it
Con:
Expensive
Squat rack turns me off it seems harder to lift off like I could drop it
A lot more "look how hot I am" people
Would drive 15 minutes if I had to drive from home vs. my current gym of 5 min.

Do you go to Planet Fitness? I don't mean to say anything bad about them, BUT it is definitely crowded around New years!

Classes sound really cool, but you wouldnt have as much motivation to go to the gym if you have to drive farther. I do most of my exercises outside this time of year and I go to the gym maybe once a week, sometimes twice. I do Planet Fitness and I wanted to switch but I knew that I don't use the gym as often during spring, summer and fall due to marathon training.

It is a tough decision. If you do not get hired permanently staying with your cheaper and closer gym is probably the best. But if you do get hired for good and you want a change, it may not be a bad idea. Does it have a free trial you can try out?

Can your sister or the new gym get you a few day passes to check it out? See if you like the classes. I love classes so to me it's worth paying more for them. To me classes make me get there at a certain time and stay the whole hour plus i don't have to think about what moves i should do. I just follow instructions.

A gym that you'll go to consistently 4-6 times a week is priceless in my opinion. For me that would include a number of factors such as:

1. Having all the equiptment/options I need
2. Not so busy that it's impossible to get a rack/piece of equiptment when I need it
3. A location that's easy to get to from work and home
4. A non-hostile environment

Cost is secondary to these factors but I have enough disposable income for that to be the case.

I vote in favour of doing a free trial at both gyms so you can check out the equiptment and also what the place is like at the times you usually go.

I also think that there may be scope to negotiate the joining fees so definitely give this a go. Ask if they have any promotions available or coming up

In Mn Lafitness is the best deal and atmosphere. Stay away from planet fitness it's a joke it's not even a real gym