Are you a member of a gym? Are you trying to pay off debt and kill that gut at the same time?
Since my semester is finally over it means that my gym membership has expired as well. I didn’t hesitate to join a new gym either. As mentioned in an earlier article I had my eye on a specific gym for a few months but the price was to high. Lucky for me the month of April featured a 2 for 1 sale and I joined with a friend. As a result of all of the gym membership discussion on mind I felt that today would be the perfect day to analyze the monthly price of 4 different types of gym memberships: MMA training, full amenities, niche gyms, and gyms that are open 24 hours a day.
Mixed Martial Arts Training.
This type of gym can be worth every single last penny if you actually fully use the services. There are usually classes 7 days a week so you have no excuse to not attend any classes. There really is no point to join this type of gym unless you plan on getting serious about mixed martial arts (kick box, BJJ, wrestling, etc.). At this gym you will find many knowledgeable trainers along with full equipment needed to learn any activity of your choice. The monthly cost will usually start at a minimum of $50 and go in excess of a couple hundred dollars. Once again do not join unless you absolutely plan to fully use the services and take the training seriously.
Full Amenities.
You girls know what I’m talking about when I say full amenities. These types of gyms tend to have a steam room, sauna, spa, swimming pool, and pretty much anything else that makes working out fun. The very first gym that I joined had everything you could ask for but as you may have guessed- it was simply too expensive for a high school student. These gyms are never cheap and you are looking at paying at least $60 a month. My take on this type of gym is that it is only worth it if you are earning a high income and could afford such a steep monthly rate. On top of being able to afford the monthly gym rate you should ensure that you actually plan on using all of the additional services. A pool is nice but is it worth the extra $10 a month? Is there no free pools in your area?
Niche Gyms.
Every area has at least one niche gym and what mean by niche gym is those gyms that cater to a very specific group of the population. One of the most common niche gyms that come to mind is Curves, the gym that is all female. There are niche gyms for pregnant women, hardcore body builders, teens, and so on. These might cost a little bit more per month than a standard gym but are not usually too expensive. The added benefit of these gyms is that you have the opportunity to work out with other people that have similar goals to yours. Many of these gyms offer classes and personal training in case you need that extra bit of motivation. The obvious problem is that you may eventually out grow your niche and feel that you no longer should be a member of this gym. Therefore, it is ideal that you sign short term deals only with this type of gym so that you are not stuck there for years.
Open 24 Hours a Day Gyms.
The last gym I was apart of was opened 24/7 and believe me I used the gym facilities at most random times. I would find myself in the gym at 2 in the morning sometimes pumping iron while most normal people were fast asleep. These gyms tend to cost over $50 a month and are honestly only worth the price if your schedule dictates that you need flexible hours. The thing with this type of gym is that it is usually pretty basic with your gym equipment and really nothing else. It is usually aimed at people that take working out seriously and don’t care much for a swimming pool and all of that fancy stuff.
The reason creating a home gym is not on the list because I was running under the impression that as a college student/twenty something you either live in a tiny space or you share your home (family, friends, etc.) and you are not in the position where you have a lot of space available.
What type of gym are you a member of and why? How do you save money on the gym?
I belong to a gym and use it 4-5 days a week and get all the value out of it and think exercising is important in general. Not to say you can’t exercise without a gym membership, but it helps. I would love a full gym that has all amenities, but those are very costly and not really worth it. I love raquetball but the juice is not worth the squeeze in this case.
It usually isn’t worth it for most people.
I say get into a routine of working out for a few months before signing up for a gym.
After a few months if you are still working out then you have made a lifestyle change…