I was talking with my good friend Katie today about working out and why we like our gyms so much.
I work out at the YMCA here in Gig Harbor. It is probably one of the nicest YMCA facilities I have been in. It's huge. It has all the stuff that a typical YMCA has: weight room, pools, track, cardio, courts, blah, blah...
Katie likes her gym because it's clean, the staff is nice and it's close to her house.
The one thing we both like about our gyms is that the staff is very attentive and polite. They are not always hounding you to upgrade your membership or sell you supplements every time you walk in the door.
I used to work at a 24 Hour Fitness. I started there back in 1997 until I couldn't take what I called the "membership mill." You see, big corporate chain gyms are some of the worst places to join UNLESS it's the only place available to you which is usually the case. At any given time there could be as many as 10,000 members in one 24 Hour Fitness but only 2,000 members actually show up to workout. Guess what? They are counting on that. They know that 3/4 of the people who buy a membership will never go to the gym. They also know that those people have a monthly gym payment being debited from their bank account each month and they will forget about it. That is free money to the gym. They get money from you and you will never come and take up space in their gym.
The sales people at these gyms get paid on commission. They don't give a rat's ass about your injuries or your weight loss goals. They care that you buy a membership as quickly as possible. I've even seen sales people walk poor people to the bank up the street who don't have an account, help them open one, and then immediately start a debit on that account. It's very unethical.
FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP
This is a scam. The gym is going to give you a free 1 week or 1 month membership in order to get your body into the gym. Every day you come in they know you are a trial member. It is their job to hound you every day to make that sale. They will wheel and deal you to join before the end of you trial membership. You should always try to avoid the trial membership.
HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE...
In the state of Washington it's against the law for a gym NOT to give you a price sheet when you ask for one on your first visit into a gym. Usually if you go into a gym and ask how much it costs to join, the receptionist will call up a sales person and they will start selling you a deal. They will ask you how often will you workout. They will ask you what you would like to spend. It's as if you are buying a car.
Tell them you want a price sheet with all the prices or you are contacting the state Attorney General's office and the Better Business Bureau. That usually works.
PISSING YOUR MONEY AWAY
In my opinion one of the biggest scams is supplements or "supps" as the industry calls them. When you go to your gym and they have a huge display case full of supplements, walk away from the case. For one thing the sales people get commission on sales of supps. The other thing, in my opinion, is you don't need supps. All you need to do is eat better. You can get all the protein and nutrients you need from your food. Yes, some supps are good if you are a bodybuilder or a professional athlete. That's because those people need that extra help to get to their goals faster. If you are just an average joe who wants to look good and be healthy, eat clean, drink water and take a One-a-Day vitamin. If you go and buy tons of supps and vitamins you will just piss them out. You have just invested in very expensive urine.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
The chain gyms will offer a number of packages. The more money you put down the lower your monthly dues will be. The best deal usually is to just pay yearly. It's always the cheaper deal. Once again they are hoping you never show up to workout. They don't want you taking up space.
WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME.
Find a gym that you like. Easy huh? Not always. Find one that is convenient but is not pushy. Find one that is clean. Find one where the staff is like the one on CHEERS. You want to go where everybody knows your name.
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE KNOW
My YMCA is wonderful. The staff and instructors are so nice and professional. They care about you and listen to your suggestions or complaints. Some people don't know that YMCA stands for "Young Men's Christian Association." Last year they dropped the "MCA" and now they are just the "Y." I was very leery of some christian organizations because they tend to discriminate against certain minority groups. So far this Y seems to be very diverse and welcoming.
GIRL'S JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
I have another friend who hates working out in co-ed gyms because she is self-conscience. I used to find this ridiculous because in reality everyone is there to work out and no one really cares about what you look like. Now I just want women to exercise no matter what. If it takes going to an all female gym than more power to ya!
AMERICAN PIE
Finding a gym is the first and hardest step. Look at is as an investment. It's an investment in YOU. It's money well spent if it keeps you healthy, fit and out of the doctor's office. Also, think of it as your duty as an American. The more healthy you are, the less likely you will be a drain on medical resources, your family and you can tell the insurance companies to "f-off."
Find a health club, eat better, drink water and live longer. Isn't that the way it should be?
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