Find Your Fit (The Steps for Choosing a Gym)

(Photo Credit: greatist.com-Blink Gym-New York)

For the last month and a half, I’ve been trying out different gyms to see which one fits me best. It was fun not being committed to a particular gym, but, I decided to joined not one but two gyms.

These are the steps I took into choosing a gym membership:

1. The cost: Your health is important. Saving money is even more important especially when you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck.
2. The atmosphere: You have to feel comfortable where you workout at. The staff should be friendly (greeting you when you enter the gym) and courteous (answering any questions you may have about the gym and/or its equipment)
3. Free Trial: When you begin looking for a gym to join, make sure that you can try the gym for free. (I had a free trial at a particular gym. The sales rep actually tried to get me to buy a membership even before starting my FREE 7-Day Trial.
4. The classes: Whichever gym you choose should have a nice selection of classes for you to take and various times for you to take those classes.
5. The initiatives: This can be joining the gym for $0, $20, or $40 compared to the initial fee of $99 at some gyms. Also, look for freebies (maybe one month free, free personal training session besides the one you’ll receive when your first join, etc.). Important: Make sure that they are no strings attached.

Which gyms did I chose? Before I reveal this, here are my pros and cons for each gym I tried out.

LifeTime Fitness

Pros: The facility is amazing, big, and clean.  The staff was awesome. It has the best selection for classes. I love that it had a salon and restaurant too. It also has a pool (which I love). This gym is always open 24 hours instead on selected holidays. No contract.

*7-Day Free Trial

Cons: The price. It would have cost me $88  for a nation-wide membership plus the $84 initiation fee to join

LA Fitness

Pros: The class selection. The staff. The pool. clean and big facility. Half the cost of LifeTime Fitness. There are three locations near me.

*3-Day Free Trial

Cons: None.

Golds Gym

Pros: The Cinema Cardio room (I watched Lucy and Godzilla while on the treadmill). Personal training included in the membership. 24 hours 5 days a week. Great selection of classes.

*7-Day Free Trial

Cons: Not honoring the free-trial. The initiation fee was way expensive for me ($200). The atmosphere was very uncomfortable for me. Under contract for either 18 or 24 months.

Anytime Fitness

Pros: small and intimate gym. newest equipment with satellite TV (watched Cake Wars and House Hunters). It’s open 24 hours. Private bathroom with a shower (which I liked a lot)

*7-Day Free Trial when you sign up by email.

*14-Day Free Trial when you sign up using a social media account.

Cons: The free trial had lots of restrictions (I was able to come in only during staffed hours. I could only go to one class). There wasn’t a great selection for classes. The cost for me didn’t match the services it offered. Under contract for 18 Months.

Lucille Roberts

Pros: The cost. The vibe. The selection and various times for classes. The convenience. The distance from my home. The staff. (I love that it’s a women’s only gym. )

*3-Day Free Trial

Cons: None.

YouFit

Pros: The cost. The vibrant colors (purple and green). The cleanliness of the facility. The staff overall except for the director/head trainer (he ended up being a jerk).

*3-Day Free Trial

Cons:  The head trainer trying to get me to pay him $180 for his services and pretty much downplaying my work thus far. Not a great selection for classes. Under contract for 18 Months.

So, which ones did I end up choosing? LA Fitness and Lucille Roberts

I chose LA Fitness because it’s comparable to LifeTime but half the cost. Plus, I was able to join for $0 but had to paid first and last month. I love the fact that I’m not under contract.

I chose Lucille Roberts because of the unique classes it offers. I took Chick Kickboxing Saturday during their one-year anniversary party and I absolutely loved it. Also, I was able to join for $0 and only pay for my first month ($20).  I’m not under contract with this gym either.

Here’s my swag bag from Saturday’s event: I did end up winning a ticket to Medieval Times, a chef to come to my home to cook my family and I a 3-course meal, and a month of free chiropractic visits.