Fitness Centers/Gyms

[Corey]

What do you all think of Fitness Centers and Gyms? Are they worth the money? What are the good ones and what are the bad ones?

I'm turning into a big fat tub of shit and am developing as strong gravitational field. I'd like to change that. So learn me some knowledge about this stuff please.

[Ninjakel]

we belong to LA fitness. I like it, it has a pool, racquetball courts, basketball courts, spinning room, and other stuff.

Pretty inexpensive too

[Lucky3623]

Wife and I belong to Lifetime Fitness... depending on what level you are (or if you got granfathered in like we did) it's not bad. I use almost everything there (pool, spa, sauna, gym, classrooms, locker rooms) so I get my $'s worth.

[smileyman]

It is all about the amenities for me. If it has indoor pool, sauna, clean changing rooms/showers, maybe a whirlpool it could draw my attention. I get all the excercise I have time for from home though with bicycle, treadmill, weight machine so they really have to offer me something extra to see a benefit. Besides I like outdoor excercise much more. If only I could get more involvement with softball, football, and basketball leagues from membership that would be a draw.

[CrazyKell]

I'm at the local YMCA.

It's okay and for the money (lowest in town) it's amazing!

I use weights and cardio machines, take a few classes, and use the courts. There's also an indoor track, gym, pool, spinning room, and lots of course offerings (yoga, etc.).

I'd recommend coming up with a game plan of how you're going to achieve what you'd like to achieve. :dthumb:

Set specific goals and decide what you need and want out of a gym/fitness center. Then go shopping for one that you like and is in your area and budget.

Good luck! :luck:

[Rider]

I use the YMCA. It's brand new and it's fucking HUGE. The free weight area could be a little bigger but it's good enough. Tons of cardio equipment, 2 full size indoor basket ball couts, climbing wall, indoor skate board park, Batting cage, indoor and out door track, indoor Olympic swimming pool, another big area for Nautilus, Free Motion, and Stride equipment, and a huge hot tub.

It's totally worth the money.

I've used Balley's in the past and they suck. Small, old equipment, and no amenities really.

[azoomm]

I've been entertaining the idea of joining Lifetime fitness - for the price of my Krav Maga membership my entire family could join. I think it would be worth it, especially since I'm training for Tri's.

[lauralynne]

avoid 24 hour fitness....rip OFF!! at least around here

we joined Bally's - and I love it there. No pool but I'm on a master's swim team so I have access to a pool.

Find a gym close to you. Or at least convinient. Otherwise, likely, you won't go. Pay whatever they ask. it's a matter of how much you use it. Pay $40/month and use it once or pay $60/month and use it 20 times - which is a better value?

[Rider]

avoid 24 hour fitness....rip OFF!! at least around here

we joined Bally's - and I love it there. No pool but I'm on a master's swim team so I have access to a pool.

Find a gym close to you. Or at least convinient. Otherwise, likely, you won't go. Pay whatever they ask. it's a matter of how much you use it. Pay $40/month and use it once or pay $60/month and use it 20 times - which is a better value?

I belonged to the Bally's in Lynnwood, when I lived in Washington You probably know the one, on the south side of 196th. That place blows goats.

[marko138]

I go to Planet Fitness. They are cheap, free in fact, through my work. But they don't have a pool, or raquet ball, bball. Just cardio gear and weights.

[lauralynne]

I belonged to the Bally's in Lynnwood, when I lived in Washington You probably know the one, on the south side of 196th. That place blows goats.

I'm in Everett - I'll have to take a run down to the one you're talking about and see if it still sucks :)

[jtemple]

We go to the YMCA. My wife gets free family membership there as a perk from her job. We use our membership multiple times a day. For the price, you can't beat it. There's tons of stuff to do!

[AquaPython]

LA fitness ftw. about a 1 dolla / day.

[Corey]

avoid 24 hour fitness....rip OFF!! at least around here

we joined Bally's - and I love it there. No pool but I'm on a master's swim team so I have access to a pool.

Find a gym close to you. Or at least convinient. Otherwise, likely, you won't go. Pay whatever they ask. it's a matter of how much you use it. Pay $40/month and use it once or pay $60/month and use it 20 times - which is a better value?

If you don't mind me asking, what was wrong with 24 Hour Fitness? There's one within walking distance of me, which is incredibly convenient, and They've got a special going on that makes it pretty affordable compared to the other ones around here. Was it a monetary rip off or something else?

[lauralynne]

If you don't mind me asking, what was wrong with 24 Hour Fitness? There's one within walking distance of me, which is incredibly convenient, and They've got a special going on that makes it pretty affordable compared to the other ones around here. Was it a monetary rip off or something else?

Around here, they're super expensive - we were paying $104 a month for 3 of us. (compared to $73 for Bally's). And they pissed me off - when i joined last Feb, they were all excited about moving - they were building a new club and ensured me that my membership would transfer directly (I even had a membership that dind't limit clubs - any 24 hour fitness). Well, they built the new building and 1 month before it was time to switch over clubs they announced that they "FOUND" extra square footage in the new place and it now qualified as some "super" club and we had to pay more. $25 more a month PER PERSON. WTF???? I bitched. the new club had more machines but that was never an issue for me - what they didn't have anymore was a running track which is one of the huge features for me at the old club. So I bitched and bitched - less of what I wanted for almost double the price??? The offered to lower the difference to $15 per person per month. Now my dues were going to be $149/month for 3 people - DOUBLE what most other clubs were charging.

It was the principle. I asked them to tear up my contract (they'd conviniently printed out a new one for me to sign) and I walked out. I gave my notice ONE DAY too late (the day they announced the price increase) and they still billed me for the following 2 months because not enough notice was given.

I'll never step foot in one again. Ever.

[fasternyou929]

Bally's in FL is disgusting. They stink, machines are always broken, weights scattered all over the place, half the lights burned out. All that for only $45/mo. for 3 years! :lol:

LA Fitness is one of the best options in FL, but I love my new gym in NC. No pool, no courts, just a sprawling weight room, tons of hammer strength, weight machines, and cardio machines. All for freakin' $8/month.

My better half joined a fitness club up here called O2. More like a 5-star resort than a club, but it had the classes she wanted. And it's NOT $8/month. :lol:

[Texmex1]

avoid 24 hour fitness....rip OFF!! at least around here

we joined Bally's - and I love it there. No pool but I'm on a master's swim team so I have access to a pool.

Find a gym close to you. Or at least convinient. Otherwise, likely, you won't go. Pay whatever they ask. it's a matter of how much you use it. Pay $40/month and use it once or pay $60/month and use it 20 times - which is a better value?

Its just the opposite here, Ballys is the joke and 24 hr is ok...:idk:

[Porkchop]

I use the YMCA. It's brand new and it's fucking HUGE. The free weight area could be a little bigger but it's good enough. Tons of cardio equipment, 2 full size indoor basket ball couts, climbing wall, indoor skate board park, Batting cage, indoor and out door track, indoor Olympic swimming pool, another big area for Nautilus, Free Motion, and Stride equipment, and a huge hot tub.

It's totally worth the money.

I've used Balley's in the past and they suck. Small, old equipment, and no amenities really.

Same here. We have a new Y in Grove City and its big. Great equiptment, nice indoor pool, courts. It really laid back too, for those of you who are self conscious or dont like alot of pressure. WTF, a batting cage and skate park tho? Ours just has the rock wall...

I've also been to Urban Active fitness in Hilliard... now that is HUGE. Multi levels, thousands of pieces of equiptment. More classes than the Y.

But I like the Y wayy more...

[z06boy]

My wife and I joined a gym near the house and like it alot. It's sort of small but has all that we need to get/stay in shape. It's open 24 hours so we can go anytime we fill like it. All of the equipment is brand new and it's not a meat market.

When I was single I liked the "meat market" gyms...but not now. :idk:

[MILK]

I met my husband at the gym! :lol:

Although not a member of a gym anymore I was for 15 years or so. I attended regularly and loved it. The idea that I had to pay made me want to get my money's worth!

I suggest asking the various gyms in your area to give you a 30 day pass. Try them all out and then decide which one you like.

[JoJoYZF]

I just work out at our city rec center. Indoor track, cardio machines, weights, pool, sauna and steam room for about $22 a month.

[Quick281]

we belong to LA fitness. I like it, it has a pool, racquetball courts, basketball courts, spinning room, and other stuff.

Pretty inexpensive too


Ditto. I just joined on my birthday in December and I have been very happy. They have an initially big registration fee of like 150 bucks but when the dude saw the whites of my eyes he knocked it all the way down to almost nothing. They can be very flexible if you negotiate.

So far, I love the place. Very crowded and always full of people who are improving their lives. :D

[Homeslice]

24 Hour Fitness here........and it rocks, because for me it's only $49 a year, for life. Of course that's only for the "Active" clubs and not the "Sport" clubs, but I don't need basketball courts or pools.

[racedoll]

I use the gym at work, it's small but free. I do alot of running so I do that outside mostly.

From the gyms we have here, I'd say the smaller/local owned are the better ones for the money.

[Cutty72]

I use the one in the NG armory here.
It's free, in fact, 3 days a week I get PAID to use it :lol:
(full time guard personel are authorized 1 hour a day for 3 days a week for PT)
It's small but has some free weights and some machines. I'm not hard core person to work out anyway, so it's good enough for my needs.

Check out your local Military establishment (if you have one) some are open to the general public if you ask. Prob is that the hours kind of suck.

[marko138]

I really hate working out and exercising. Problem is I dont wanna be fat either. :lol: My wife started going to the gym with me around Xmas. We dont work out together...but she's motivated me to go more regularly.

I'm getting to the point now where I actually want to go...and I'm staring to see some results.