Holy crap! Gym prices!

[grubman]

Now, I’m not one of those guys who constantly runs around complaining about the price of things…I realize things cost money and you make your own choices where to spend it. But I must be living under a rock!

I work out at the local rec center. The gym is a little dirty, the weights rusty, the bar knurling wore out and the paint is chipping off of the equipment (some of it fairly archaic)…but other than a standing calf raise machine, it has everything the average lifter could desire (along with a healthy dose of character!).

A few weeks back it was closed for Labor Day, so I went and worked out at one of the cities (17,000 population) other gyms for a $5 one day fee (there are 4 gyms in town, the rec center, the "glamour gym" I’m about to talk about, a Snap Fitness which is mainly cardio and machines, and a Curves for women). All the equipment in this gym is pristine, it’s spotless, the weights are all coated in plastic, and it has a good selection of modern machines.

I was a little irritated by the constant chatter of the little old ladies there, but there were also a few people who were kind of serious about their workouts as well as a few attractive women (I’ve never been sure if that is a distraction or a motivator??).

In any case, I wasn’t entirely sold on the gym…but I did think it might be fun to switch around every now and then for a change of scenery and to keep things exciting, so today (after my workout at the rec) I went over there and asked about a membership.

The Rec Center charges me a $25 membership fee per year and I pay an additional $25 for unlimited use of the weight room per quarter for a total of $125 a year.

This new gym wants $49 a month (that’s $588 a year!). This includes aerobics classes and a discount on massages and tanning. I asked if they had a different rate for people that just wanted to use the weights and was told there wasn’t one.

Call me a cheap ass but I’ll stick to the dungeon! What does everyone here pay? Is that price as crazy as it seems to me, or have I just been spoiled by the rec?

[Rhinoclan]

I live in a town of about 35,000 people(suburb of Milwaukee)...and the highschool is good sized, decent football program. I always wondered...since taxpayers pay for the school, why couldn't they open up the weight room and let the community pay a nominal fee to use it, as a way to pay for new equipment and to build more support for the whole community.

[dazlittle]

I'm in the UK and pay £25 per month, its a decent gym with good equipment with plenty of dumbells and freeweights, has a nice pool, coupla jacuzzi's and a steam room.

As far as attactive ladies in a gym go I'd say they are both a motivator and a distraction!!

Edit to say it ranges from around 15 quid to 55 quid in the city I live in and I opted for the one in the middle, Not to many cheap ass gypo's or at the other end of the scale not to many yuppie's on mobiles.

[Old_swole]

Now, I’m not one of those guys who constantly runs around complaining about the price of things…I realize things cost money and you make your own choices where to spend it. But I must be living under a rock!

I work out at the local rec center. The gym is a little dirty, the weights rusty, the bar knurling wore out and the paint is chipping off of the equipment (some of it fairly archaic)…but other than a standing calf raise machine, it has everything the average lifter could desire (along with a healthy dose of character!).

A few weeks back it was closed for Labor Day, so I went and worked out at one of the cities (17,000 population) other gyms for a $5 one day fee (there are 4 gyms in town, the rec center, the "glamour gym" I’m about to talk about, a Snap Fitness which is mainly cardio and machines, and a Curves for women). All the equipment in this gym is pristine, it’s spotless, the weights are all coated in plastic, and it has a good selection of modern machines.

I was a little irritated by the constant chatter of the little old ladies there, but there were also a few people who were kind of serious about their workouts as well as a few attractive women (I’ve never been sure if that is a distraction or a motivator??).

In any case, I wasn’t entirely sold on the gym…but I did think it might be fun to switch around every now and then for a change of scenery and to keep things exciting, so today (after my workout at the rec) I went over there and asked about a membership.

The Rec Center charges me a $25 membership fee per year and I pay an additional $25 for unlimited use of the weight room per quarter for a total of $125 a year.

This new gym wants $49 a month (that’s $588 a year!). This includes aerobics classes and a discount on massages and tanning. I asked if they had a different rate for people that just wanted to use the weights and was told there wasn’t one.

Call me a cheap ass but I’ll stick to the dungeon! What does everyone here pay? Is that price as crazy as it seems to me, or have I just been spoiled by the rec?

Now that your out from under your rock, wait till ya see the price of gas these days. Your "new" gym rate is pretty standard from what I have seen over the last 30 yrs

[camau71]

You might want to price out a couple of pieces of equipment the new gym provides. On the other hand, a big gym is big business these days, and they will charge whatever the market will bear. I train in my basement which is very affordable but there aren't any pretty women to distract me..

I will be going back into a commercial gym here in the near future and I will pay 35 - 50 dollars a month. Since I train 5-6 days a week, it comes out something over a dollar a day. When you look at it like that, it's not so bad. I prefer the old school type of gym you speak of but even that gym in the town I live in will cost me 35 bucks.

You are pretty fortunate to have such a resource.

[TouaregV8]

You're getting a good deal at the rec center, Grubman. I have found it's best to stay away from the new "mega clubs" as they often offer services/features that I will never use. I work out at home now, but when I used to work out in the gyms I made it a point to never pay the "one time" membership fees that many gyms charge. IIRC I used to pay about $30/month at Gold's, $35/month at Lifestyle Family Fitness, and my most recent gym, 24 Hour Fitness, I paid a flat $200 for the year.

[Getsum]

Now, I’m not one of those guys who constantly runs around complaining about the price of things…I realize things cost money and you make your own choices where to spend it. But I must be living under a rock!

I work out at the local rec center. The gym is a little dirty, the weights rusty, the bar knurling wore out and the paint is chipping off of the equipment (some of it fairly archaic)…but other than a standing calf raise machine, it has everything the average lifter could desire (along with a healthy dose of character!).

A few weeks back it was closed for Labor Day, so I went and worked out at one of the cities (17,000 population) other gyms for a $5 one day fee (there are 4 gyms in town, the rec center, the "glamour gym" I’m about to talk about, a Snap Fitness which is mainly cardio and machines, and a Curves for women). All the equipment in this gym is pristine, it’s spotless, the weights are all coated in plastic, and it has a good selection of modern machines.

I was a little irritated by the constant chatter of the little old ladies there, but there were also a few people who were kind of serious about their workouts as well as a few attractive women (I’ve never been sure if that is a distraction or a motivator??).

In any case, I wasn’t entirely sold on the gym…but I did think it might be fun to switch around every now and then for a change of scenery and to keep things exciting, so today (after my workout at the rec) I went over there and asked about a membership.

The Rec Center charges me a $25 membership fee per year and I pay an additional $25 for unlimited use of the weight room per quarter for a total of $125 a year.

This new gym wants $49 a month (that’s $588 a year!). This includes aerobics classes and a discount on massages and tanning. I asked if they had a different rate for people that just wanted to use the weights and was told there wasn’t one.

Call me a cheap ass but I’ll stick to the dungeon! What does everyone here pay? Is that price as crazy as it seems to me, or have I just been spoiled by the rec?

That seems really high IMHO.

My wife and I have been members at 24hr for years and we pay $150 ea for all club access across the country. A new gym just opened up in El Cajon mall and they're charging $10 a month.

[KeithTheSnake]

Sadly, the neighborhood hardcore gym seems to be a thing of the past. You're left with these choices: Train at the recreation center for a nominal price on basic equipment, go to a commercial fitness center where you'll pay a king's ransom for things you don't want, or train at home with equipment that you choose. Over the span of years, it's cheaper to train at home.

I got sticker shock recently, as well. I'll stick with the home gym. There's nothing like a gym with character.

[DerAlta]

There are people that live in a different world than we do. Due to my part time job, I've seen small glimpses into it.

One of which is Bosse Sports club in Natick, Mass.

Monthly membership, per member is $600 a month. Yes, Six Hundred. Annual Fee is $50,000 per member. That's not a typo. Fifty Thousand. I didn't bother finding out what the family plan cost.

For that, you get a Concierge Services, Airport Limo Service, Auto Detailing, Dry cleaning, On-duty Chef, Personal Nutritional Grocery Shopping, Shoe Shine, and Valet Service. Also five indoor tennis courts, four indoor/outdoor courts, an aquatics center, a 25,000-square-foot indoor golf learning center, a Brazilian teak fitness floor with high-end strength and cardiovascular equipment, two training studios and a two-story climbing wall, plus Massage therapy. The dumbbells only went up to 75lbs, and they didn't have any bars.

The tennis court surface was identical to the Courts at the Australian open.

The parking lot often looked like a Range Rover dealership.

[2BLAZERS]

$ 55 per month for this: http://www.fitfx.com/

It's a locally owned gym chain that has pretty good weight lifting equipment, indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, hot tub, tanning, full ''fitness'' classes, racqet ball courts, etc...things like childcare you pay extra for. But for a family guy that wants to be kick ass its a great workout gym. We have squat racks, can deadlift, can grunt, etc...

I don't use everything but the Keizer one is 2 blocks from my house and I've been going for ten'ish years or so. Lot's of friends at the gym. It's been great for me! $ 55 a month is only 1/3 of our monthly cable/internet bill.

[Vaudeville]

I am paying 135 a month for my family of 4 which includes the kid camp for my little buddy when I am hanging and banging
This gym is open 24/7 has indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, hottubs and steam room.
It also has Bball courts, raquetball, tennis, spa treatments and all the weights and equipment you could think of (100 pound dumbells)
This also pays for the staff to keep the place clean and the stuff working.
My bride and I go about 6 days a week which works out to be under 3.00 a visit not including my other daughters useage.
Of course we live near a big city (Detroit) so compition is king

[grubman]

I work out at home now

Tangent: Good Lord! Those legs!! You're the first person I've seen with the same basic thigh muscle structure as my legs...except, you know, a million times more developed and simply huge! Any secrets you'd like to share?

[mark74]

$27 a month with a two-year contract (billed monthly). Anytime Fitness in Southern Arizona. My place has a weight area with machines, a separate small aerobics place, and a separate small treadmill area. 6K square foot total. It's kinda surprising the amount of crap you can put in such a small space.

[bbsitum]

LA fitness cost me 25$ per moth. Golds gym pressured from La fitness where I am charge 10$ per moth. It is nothing at this planet cheaper then USA gyms when considered price - what you get for.

[TouaregV8]

Tangent: Good Lord! Those legs!! You're the first person I've seen with the same basic thigh muscle structure as my legs...except, you know, a million times more developed and simply huge! Any secrets you'd like to share?

Thanks man! I've always been a big advocate of basic, heavy movements in the 6-10 rep range. Typically, I start with a few lights sets of leg extensions to get the knees warmed up, then go right into squats (4-5 sets), then leg presses (4-5 sets shoulder width stance, 3-4 sets narrow stance). That's about it...

[grubman]

Thanks man! I've always been a big advocate of basic, heavy movements in the 6-10 rep range. Typically, I start with a few lights sets of leg extensions to get the knees warmed up, then go right into squats (4-5 sets), then leg presses (4-5 sets shoulder width stance, 3-4 sets narrow stance). That's about it...

I've been using a 12.10,8 rep scheme doing 3 sets squats , 3 sets leg press, just started Roman Deadlifts for 3 sets (although I don't seem to feel anything from these despite trying a number of different techniques), and 3 sets of 1 leg curls (I've moved calves to a different day).

I've been debating dropping to a 10,8,6 rep scheme like I do for my upper body with a slightly heavier weight...maybe I should give it a go.

[Marius_Ursus]

Srsly, if you have the space, you come out way ahead putting aside what a gym membership would cost every month and then buying your own equipment when you have enough saved up.

[nvrstopworking]

Most chain gyms here (Goodlife or Premiere) are running around $40/mth or so.

How I wish I had been more into working out when I was at univ. and it was all free.

[grubman]

Srsly, if you have the space, you come out way ahead putting aside what a gym membership would cost every month and then buying your own equipment when you have enough saved up.

I once purchased an olympic weight set, bench and squat rack…and all it did was take up space for about a year until I sold it. While it’s a bigger pain to pay for the gym, travel to the gym before work, carry all my crap to the gym, and get ready for work in the locker room…for some reason its way better for my consistence and motivation. I guess it’s because it becomes part of a very structured routine.

[nvrstopworking]

Oh yeah... one other thing that I will NEVER understand is why most gyms are so against daily (or weekly) drop-ins.

I remember going to a couple of gyms and looking at the price for just ONE DAY and they wanted $20! Are you fakking kidding me??

Why not charge people $5 or $10 for one day and maybe $25-30 for a week. Give you some time to try it out.... would also give people on vacay and business travellers a decent option too.

[ninjad00d]

There are bunch of gym's in my area so, obviously there is big completion. So far gold's gym (24 hrs) is working just fine for me and I pay $20/month .

[BillReilly]

When I decided to get back to training, I did a tour of the local gyms here in Baltimore. They ranged from social club to female-focused stuff. I'm not opposed to that sort of thing, but it was not what I wanted. The social club end had the latest machines, lots of planned activities, "trainers" to walk you through your routines and so forth. The female-focused places focused on the cardio stuff like Zumba. The price is minimum $50 per month and it is justified, given the costs.

I don't know about anyone else, but I like the relative solitude of training. When I was into cycling and running, I always went solo. That's what I have found great about weight training. I get 90 minutes of solitude. The clubs seem to bombard you with other stimuli that is not what I'm after. I went for the home gym. Shop eBay, craigslist and the local yard sales and you can get everything you need for a song.

[JeepCreeper]

would also give people on vacay and business travellers a decent option too.

I traveled on buisness to Cali a few years ago. Staying there for 2-3 weeks. My co-worker and I went to a local gym and negotiated a price during our stay. I'm sure most gyms would be willing to setup a temporary deal for travelers. I can't see them turning away money.

[Old_swole]

I once purchased an olympic weight set, bench and squat rack…and all it did was take up space for about a year until I sold it. While it’s a bigger pain to pay for the gym, travel to the gym before work, carry all my crap to the gym, and get ready for work in the locker room…for some reason its way better for my consistence and motivation. I guess it’s because it becomes part of a very structured routine.

^^^this^^^I cant stay motivated at home either.

[tangoromeo]

I was paying $45.00 a month for a fitness place. I am not going to name names, but it is a cities initials on the west coast with 'Fitness' thrown in there at the end. All I used was the weights, but they had aerobic machines, classes, kickboxing, basketball, swimming pool, showers, locker room, racketball, and trainers. They even had a cafe that sold over-priced energy drinks. I cancelled my membership and used the money I was spending on the monthly dues and bought my own gym equipment.

[cyberxen]

$15 a month at Global Fitness - squat rack, dumbbells well over 100 lbs., lots of equipment. $35 if you want that with the classes and tanning.

Once a Planet Fitness comes into an area, the prices drop dramatically.

[chodan9]

mine is 29 monthly with 1 year contract.
its about to be purchased by someone else so that may change next contract time.
I get the most out of it though
I use the steam room, locker, shower, cardio equipment, weight machines, free weights etc 5 days per week.
I figure that's a good deal.

[Whiskeyjack]

Cheap for me: I train in a military base gym. For a gov't employee (me) and ex-military (me) it's only $125/annum. For current military members it's free. The locker was $25/annum, and you can put your own lock on it. The gym lacks a hack squat and 1-2 other items, but is otherwise fully stocked with hardcore gear and there are plenty of chalk-belt type lifters and hard asses. The "cardio theatre" and its TVs is in another room altogether. Works well for me.

Now, the gym I was in before this was also hard core, but was charging over $450/annum with no better gear than the military base one.

[canadiancoops]

Mine is $60 per month but what gets me is the $100 per hour charge for personal training

[KDHunter]

Been paying 22 a month for years at 24 hour fitness. That includes all club nationwide access.