Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good??

<teamworksfitness.RemoveThis@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:1192635947.372949.31690@v23g2000prn.googlegroups.com...
>I agree with Hobbes. You shouldn't pay $600 up front for a gym
> membership. machines and weights in any gym do virtually the same
> things... are you wanting to pay for a fancy screen on your cross-
> trainer? i know i wouldn't.
>
> you might also want to think about personal training. you can get a
> lot of sessions for $600 ! The personal trainer will be able to show
> you many exercises you can do using little or no equipment which are
> just as efficient at building muscle and burning fat as working out in
> a gym (that you have to pay for, and travel to each time)
>
> tim.
>
>
> --
> TeamWorks Fitness
> Personal Training in your home
> Bristol, UK
> t: 01454 853 835 (evenings)
> or 07960 844 554 (any time)
> http://teamworksfitness.googlepages.com
> teamworksfitness.RemoveThis@gmail.com
>

I agree that the $600.00 is a ludicrous amount of $ to pay for a membership,
but saying that you can get the same gains from little or no equipment as a
properly equipped gym is a bit nuts. A beginner may be able to make gains
like that for a while, but if you are someone who trains with heavier
weights is not going to be able to do too well with lifting soup cans etc.





--
Robert Schuh
"Everything that elevates an individual above the herd and
intimidates the neighbour is henceforth called evil; and
the fair, modest, submissive and conforming mentality,
the mediocrity of desires attains moral designations and honors"
- Nietzsche

http://www.hardbopdrums.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

Zen Cohen" <aturny.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4716304f$0$7444$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
> "longlostanimegal" <longlostanimegal.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1192634830.100837.239370@k35g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi peeps! I recently joined a gym with the intention being a lifetime
>> member - exercise till the day I drop dead 0_0
>>
>> anyhow, this is the gym I joined and the perks. Because I joined with
>> my two cousins I got a lower "onetime fee".
>>
>> Onetime/starter fee: $599.00
>> Monthly Membership: $20.00 forever, will never go up
>
> About a year ago, I paid $699 up front for three yrs prepaid at 24 Hour
> Fitness. After the three years, the renewal fees are $29/yr. I think it
> includes all the clubs and benefits except for their high-end ones. You
> can go online to see the benefits offered.
>
> I agree with Hobbes that it's (usually) not a good idea to pay such a high
> fee up front but it seems a strong enough chain that the risk was worth
> it. It's been a good deal for me so far.
>
>

How can these places even justify these type of WILDLY high sign up fees?
That is pure profit. I pay $24.99/month at LA Fitness and only paid a $29.99
start up fee. I wouldn't pay a $600.00 up front fee unless it came up with a
years worth of "happy ending" massages from Angelina Jolie! I live in
Central Phoenix and for some reason, we don't have any of the better chains
like World's or Gold's close. It's really odd as we are now the 5th largest
city in the US, but they only have the Gold's and World's in the outer
fringes of the city.




--
Robert Schuh
"Everything that elevates an individual above the herd and
intimidates the neighbour is henceforth called evil; and
the fair, modest, submissive and conforming mentality,
the mediocrity of desires attains moral designations and honors"
- Nietzsche

http://www.hardbopdrums.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 18, 11:49 am, "Del Cecchi" <delcecchioftheno... DeleteThis @gmail.com>
wrote:
>
>
> I didn't think I was negative. I just tried to point out a few things to
> think about. The nice gym and club here costs 70 per month. If you like
> it and are going to use it for a couple of years at least then it is up
> to you. But be sure to read the fine print in the contract.


Ack, "the fine print"...no one reads that, anyway -- you want it, you
really don't care; it's not like you can go somewhere else, exactly
(or why would you have gone so far with the current one, as to get to
the contractual stage)...you need to think like a lawyer to really
read that fine print meaningfully, anyway...besides, they always put
in a "terms subject to change without notice" clause...and they can't
make you agree to something that's against the law to begin with,
so...most folks just sign and hand over the money.
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 17, 7:24 pm, "Lonnie Gold" <lonnie g....TakeThisOut@yahoe.com> wrote:
> "Zen Cohen" <it's (usually) not a good idea to pay such a high fee up front
> but it seems a strong enough chain that the risk was worth it.
>
> You're deal was $699 for 3 years. This guy is getting nothing for $600. All
> he gets is the right to pay $240 a year for the rest of his life.
>
> My gym is open 24 hours, 7 days and has 4 locations and the fee is $225 per
> year.

I don't have the 24/7 availability, however the fee for Planet Fitness
is only $120 per year for the one location or there's an option to pay
$240 per year and avail yourself of all four locations within a
"rock's throw" basically or six locations if you count Lancaster and
York - both areas I visit frequently enough. Oh, and free tanning (not
my thing) and unlimited gym guests as well.

Iirc, I paid $180 cash and they waived the initiation fee. Our PF is a
former World Gym and has a comparable set up to the Gold's in Carlisle
where I used to train.

Recently visited the local Gold's - paying a $5 visitor fee - for some
cardio and ab work. Saw a Gold's patron there and mentioned PF. She
said she pays $38 per month, but has been slacking off. She pointed
out the new fitness equipment the owner purchased recently as well as
their newly created "Cardio Theater" where people can do treadmill and
watch a DVD. She said they even lend you a tiny flashlight to adjust
the settings on the machines in the dark. I could be doing cardio and
watching my newest DVD - Training with Juliette Bergmann - while doing
my cardio.

Today's aerobic exercise was at Planet Fitness and in the form of Life
Cycle treadmill:

12 minutes @ 3.8 speed
3 @ 7.0
8 @ 3.8
3 @ 7.0
10 @ 3.8
5-minute cool down

Totals: 41:01 time and 1.26 distance

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 18, 2:40 am, Kaz Kylheku <kkylh....TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote:
[...]

re onetime/starter fee: $599.00, etc.

> You must love throwing money away.

D'OH! ) Couldn't have said it better myself.

[...]

> The client who takes advantage of every single one of the perks does
> so at the expense of everyone else.
>
> When faced with free perks, ask them to put a dollar value on all of
> them, and have the ones you aren not interested in discounted from
> your fees.

[...]

> With a little cunning, you can join a gym anywhere for a small fee.

This is exactly what I did at Gold's the last time I renewed. The
sales rep wanted to increase my fee substantially and I balked.
Purchased a birthday card for the owner and had the sales rep pass it
on. Got a call from the owner stating that my request had been granted
and I kept my previous year's fee.

What I said within the text of the greeting card was that I
a) never showered at their gym (maybe 5 minutes from Gold's)
b) always purchased a Gatorade
c) alway replaced my weights, cleaned up after myself
d) frequented the juice bar (and never disturbed the ferns)
e) purchased Gold's gear/workout clothes

Um, etc.

Plus I said that I would pay CASH. I think there are lots of reasons
to prefer cash up front.

[...]

re "Freeze benefits - $9.99 a month"

> Completely ridiculous!

Ha! I pay one penny over the OP's "Freeze" fee and actually get to use
my gym!

> Let's see, this means you don't go to the gym, and they charge
> you anyway. For what, keeping a few bytes of record on a hard
> drive and backup media?

Hey, that's complicated stuff.

(rolls eyes)

> What a racket!

Racquetball? Sorry, there's a fee for that! ;o)

[...]

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 18, 4:07 pm, longlostanimegal <longlostanime... DeleteThis @yahoo.com>
wrote:
> > I'm with the others: you got raped. I'm curious - if you're interested in
> > other people's opinions, why didn't you get them *before* you signed on
> > the dotted line?

An excellent question, however...

> Even though I signed up already I still wanted to know what people
> thought. Obviously its a done deal already but oh well!

Lemon laws? Or what's that "I was effing NUTSO and shouldn't be held
responsible for my monumental stupidity" clause I thought I'd heard
something about? Don't they (who, i dunno) give you three days to
realize you took it up the whateverouch&ishouldn'aoughtadonethat?

Best of luck.

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 18, 5:49 pm, Tom Anderson <t... RemoveThis @urchin.earth.li> wrote:
[...]

> Well, if it's soothing she was after, she came to the wrong place!

Oh, come on, Tom! MFW is like a cup of hot cocoa served up with a
rainbow and a smile.

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

"Curt" <curtjames DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1192757781.293152.177580@i38g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Oct 18, 4:07 pm, longlostanimegal <longlostanime... DeleteThis @yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>> > I'm with the others: you got raped. I'm curious - if you're interested
>> > in
>> > other people's opinions, why didn't you get them *before* you signed on
>> > the dotted line?
>
> An excellent question, however...
>
>> Even though I signed up already I still wanted to know what people
>> thought. Obviously its a done deal already but oh well!
>
> Lemon laws? Or what's that "I was effing NUTSO and shouldn't be held
> responsible for my monumental stupidity" clause I thought I'd heard
> something about? Don't they (who, i dunno) give you three days to
> realize you took it up the whateverouch&ishouldn'aoughtadonethat?

They have to give three days to rescind a health-club contract in Texas, and
I suspect that's the law in a number of other states. Lotsa people seem to
think most/all contracts are like that, but that's one of the very few
scenarios where a person can get out of an otherwise binding contract once
he's signed it.
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Oct 18, 3:30 pm, Tom Anderson <t....TakeThisOut@urchin.earth.li> wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Curt wrote:
> > Initially, Lancaster Health Spa had separate days for men and women, so
> > it was something like M W F for men
>
> Whereas now, it's mfw for men! Lolol!

heh )

You crack you up.

(okay, OKAY, you crack ME up, too!)


> tom
>
>
> 3364147 Complete space vehicles (excluding propulsion systems)

Lyrics to a song? Snip from a movie quote? Cartoon text? What? WHAT!?

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

Holy freak, you guys are so cruel! 0_0 Just say yes, you saved or No,
you paid too much instead of all the insults and sarcastic remarks!
Stop trying to be funny for your internet audience or something. Good
grief.. another reason why other countries hate the United States.
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

"longlostanimegal" <longlostanimegal.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1192761658.908680.102710@i38g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Holy freak, you guys are so cruel! 0_0 Just say yes, you saved or No,
> you paid too much instead of all the insults and sarcastic remarks!
> Stop trying to be funny for your internet audience or something. Good
> grief.. another reason why other countries hate the United States.
>

Just think of it as tough love. Like what we're doing in Iraq.
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Thu, 18 Oct 2007, Curt wrote:

> Initially, Lancaster Health Spa had separate days for men and women, so
> it was something like M W F for men

Whereas now, it's mfw for men! Lolol!

tom

--
3364147 Complete space vehicles (excluding propulsion systems)
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good?? 

On Wed, 17 Oct 2007, longlostanimegal wrote:

> Onetime/starter fee: $599.00
> Monthly Membership: $20.00 forever, will never go up

I assumed you'd misplaced a decimal point in the joining fee, but i guess
not.

> Perks:
> Free Parking
> Unlimited Guest Member Priveleges - I can bring anyone I want (no max
> # of people) and they can join the gym/classes. It can be the same
> person only once a month
> Free babysitting - I can bring my kids 6 months to 10 years old while
> I exercise
> Other gyms - (in other states) if I am away from my location/maybe
> vacation, I can join a gym in selected locations for a small fee
> Freeze benefits - $9.99 a month

What does that mean?

> Free classes - no signups, etc. I love the classes, to name a few,
> cardiobox, bootcamp, pilates, yoga, sexy dance class, etc.
> Sauna available
>
> I think I pretty much stated all the benefits I can think of. What do
> you guys think? Right now, I will be exercising about 4 or 5 times a
> week.

I'm with the others: you got raped. I'm curious - if you're interested in
other people's opinions, why didn't you get them *before* you signed on
the dotted line?

tom

--
3364147 Complete space vehicles (excluding propulsion systems)
 >> Stay informed about: Gym Membership Comparisons - is my plan good??