Article about how much health clubs suck

[Jean-Paul]

Obviously I don't agree. I happen to like fitness centers. The author of this article was actually pretty stupid though, focusing on big box chain gyms. Of course they all suck!

On Fitness: Among Health Clubs, Big Isn't Better
By Katherine Hobson
Posted January 4, 2008

For many people, the idea of a health club is totally unappealing; they hear the phrase and think of overcrowded facilities, sweaty equipment, sleight-of-hand membership sales techniques, and the grunting of weight room fanatics. But a new survey by Consumer Reports finds that those folks are overlooking some less flashy, but wonderful workout options: local independent facilities like work and school gyms, yoga studios, and the Y.

The big health club chains, with the exception of Life Time Fitness, fell to the bottom of the ratings, which were based on survey responses from more than 10,000 subscribers to ConsumerReports.org. (The magazine also sent in secret shoppers to gauge how easy it was to join a particular facility.) Tops in overall satisfaction were independent yoga/dance/Pilates studios, followed by Life Time, the gym at work, community centers, the Jewish Community Center, school gyms, and the YM or YWCA. Chains such as Curves, Gold's Gym, and LA Fitness were in the bottom half. At the way bottom was Bally Total Fitness, which emerged from bankruptcy in the fall. (A Bally spokeswoman, in an E-mailed statement, said that Bally has "many satisfied and loyal long-term members" and has invested almost $30 million in upgrades since the survey was conducted.)

I've always approached my health club memberships strategically, calculating exactly what I want to get out of them and what I'm willing to pay for that. (I joined the YMCA up the block as well as taking classes at a dance studio a few subway stops away.) Here's how I—based on my own experience and what the experts say—would approach joining a gym.

Figure out your budget. In New York, where I live, monthly dues for a bells-and-whistles chain like Equinox can exceed $140. But if you find a pricey place you absolutely love, ask if there are reduced rates for using it less frequently, maybe every other day or during off-peak hours, suggests Jamie Hirsh, associate editor at Consumer Reports and author of the health club article.

Be brutally honest with yourself about what facilities you will actually use. I'm a regular swimmer, so finding a facility with a pool was a priority for me. And I knew I'd use the weights and, on occasion, the treadmill. I figured out how much I was willing to pay for that and landed at the Y, where the aerobics and other classes cost extra (i.e. I'm not paying for classes I don't use—instead I pay per-class at the dance studio I attend).

Initiation fees are for suckers. This is my personal rule; at some places, a fee may well be nonnegotiable. But it never hurts to try, and I've never met a gym that wouldn't waive the fee during certain times of the year—say, right after New Year's.
[jp says, this obviously shows what an idiot this author is. I do actually incur significant costs in getting a new member, and the joining fee generally covers it. Typical naivetee of a non-gym owner. Everyone thinks that we just rake in the money. What a laugh!]

Look for discounts through other groups. My local triathlon club negotiated a 20 percent discount from the Y, and the $144 a year that saves me is many multiples of the triathlon club's annual dues.

Understand the contract you're signing. One of the reasons I love the Y is that I can quit anytime I want with only a month's notice. Other places aren't so generous; understand what you're getting into. (CR's article has a great rundown of the fine print of contracts).

It's no bargain if you never go. Some people are fine with a bare-bones gym; others want daycare, a juice bar, and nice-smelling soap or they won't ever make it there in the first place. Know thyself and buy accordingly.

[sharsell119]

I just did a search here on Life Time Fitness since there is a new one opening by me and I was considering joining. It looks like it rocks, so I was going to ask here if anyone else is a member of another one.

In general - any hints about joining a club before they're even open? I haven't talked to them yet but I'm assuming they'll offer some pretty aggressive rates to get membership ramped up.

[Aoife]

The lifetime here had many specials going, the closer it came to opening the more the membership cost.

We love ours, tho the last time we were there was over a month ago, I think. (also have home gym, so...)

I actually don't have a bad thing to say about them except that they opened months late and only offered a small gift card as consolation. It's no contract, month-to-month with a signup fee. The dude here, and I believe him to be at least partially accurate, said they have a huge retention rate and therefore don't need to bother with fees. I think he said over 80%. Yeah, it's that good.

The first few months were absolutely packed, even late at night. we started going at 11 or 12 it was pretty bad. After that though it's been rather good. I would definitely recommend it. Ours has 2 power cages, a squat rack, a couple of smith machines (great for incline pushups/reverse pushups), something that I have no idea what it is so I use it as a great place for RDLs, 2 ginormous sets of dumbbells, etc. Then there's the machine area. And only a few times do I see a trainer with a person standing on a ball doing squats-to-press (it was impressive) and I'm pretty sure she was a cheerleader.

There's still your standard fare of idiots, but the cardio area is away from the weight area, and the machine area is not terribly close to the free weight area, so you don't really have to look at them much.

I'm still, however, the only girl I've seen in the squat rack. But there are a few that do some brutal workouts nearby.

If you're thinking about it, go ahead and do it before the price goes up. You should have time after they open, like 30 days, to get your money back if you decide it's not for you.

[sharsell119]

Sweet, Aoife, thanks! What attracts me the most is the amenities for kids. I have two preschoolers (one will be in KG next year) and it looks like they'll have a BLAST! We have outdoor pools in the 'hood, but I love to swim and it would be nice to have access to a lap pool year 'round. I think this is the only one within 10 miles of my hosue that will have that.

Anyway... thanks!

[GqArtguy]

Originally Posted by sharsell119

In general - any hints about joining a club before they're even open? I haven't talked to them yet but I'm assuming they'll offer some pretty aggressive rates to get membership ramped up.

Yeah dont join until its actually constructed. Theres a lifetime fitness opening up in Bethesda and that thing is no where near completion.

What theyre doing with advertising it is called pre-sales. You try to get a member base to ensure the first few months of success to the greedy corporate heads. In the case of Golds, there was a new one opening at the Rockville Town Center and it was delayed a year and a half after it was scheduled to open.