Hey guys thinking about joining a gym. I finally left my day job and am going to have a lot more time to focus on getting back in shape after spending the last two years working 16 and 18 hour days.

I've been a member of maybe one or two gyms in the past but have always been more into working out at home.

Anyhow, I'm set to join a gym. I'm debating between xsport and 24/7. Xsport obviously has the social scene as well as bball courts, pool, hottubs, sauna, etc.

24/7 on the ohter hand is a smaller gym, you have a keyfob and can go in 24/7. The one near me is pretty clean and nice all be it a bit small but seems empty most of the time.

Both are around the same price. I know alot of you guys have travleed around, joined different gyms in different areas. I'm sure alot has to do with a particular location but was just wondering between the big names like la fitness, xsport, planet fitness, 24/7, lifetime, etc which you would recommend?

The best gym is the one you can consistently go to. That means something as close as possible to your home or your office/place where you work.

That said, I like equinox.

The most convenient.

When I was in LA I had both Planet Fitness and Spectrum (one was by work the other by home)

YMCA. It's $34 a month and nearest branch is a 1 minute walk from my house.

Full of high school kids whenever I'm there, so gaming the chicks is a little risky. I just ignore and pay attention to my workout, let them stare...

I go to a 24/7 facility but I mostly just use their free weights. That said, some machines have come in handy for rehab work.

They also teach Crossfit there but it's too expensive for my taste. I feel like I can accomplish my goals with lifting, walking, biking, and occasional sprinting.

LA Fitness. They're convenient in that there are lots of them in the areas that I've lived. I'm lucky to live in an area where there are 2 LAFitness gyms, both relatively under-used, so I get fast access to all the weights.

The ladies love me here... I constantly catch them looking at me funny and calling me a hunk... although they pronounce "Hunk" more like "Lunk" here.

Hate to say it, but if there was a PF around here I'd go to it, the cheapskate in me can't turn down $10 a month. I've seen pictures, they got weights, based on other stories around here they gather dust.

Fit4less. Just opened up in an old clothing store near my house. Small as shit, only 4 benches and it's mostly just treadmills and shit. No showers, but at 8.99 a month how could I resist? I go at 4am before school when it is literally empty (no staff either) and take a whores bath in the restroom sink when I'm finished.

If your main focus is tha gainz then I suggest you go look for a gym in a warehouse that only a couple of people know about, all they care about is lifting and not matching their Nike headband with their shoes

24 Hour Fitness

This ones isn't near a main freeway, so it's empty always older guys, no teens like when I was at LA Fitness.

I'd go to the UFC gym near my house but fighting the traffic isn't worth it.

UFC shits on pretty much any gym I've seen out there.

I used to go to Goodlife Fitness in Canada until I got a rack, barbell, and dumbbells for my basement.

PF not to be confused with PF Chang's...although some of the girls in there....ok as you were gentleman...

I go to 24 hour fitness, it gets the job done though i wish i lived in SoCal near a real gym like Metroflex Longbeach or Barbell Brigade

I go to a local gym close to my place that has several squat racks and benches. Perfect.

Military gym. Its free, and blessedly free of Planet Princess types. Most of the women there could kick my ass.

Equinox, it's on the pricier side but I don't mind splurging when it comes to my health

NYSC. $40/month.

I belong to LA Fitness. The one I go to has a great freeweight section. It has dumbbells up to 130 lbs, three squat racks, and a dragging sled. It also has some very advanced lifters. $30 per month, and I think $40 for the premium LA Fitnesses that have complimentary towels and that yuppie shit.

Nothing can beat the environment of an old school hardcore gym, though. If you can find one near you it is 100% worth to make a trek there at least once per month. The environment keeps you on edge and exposes you to true intensity.

Snap Fitness in Edmonton, 24/7 but I think its kind of like Planet Fitness in the US because when the guy was giving me my into tour, he explained that we don't have dumbbells in here over 70 Lbs as we don't want to have big guys come in here and intimidate anyone. On the plus side, I went in there today and explained to them that before I left six months ago, I forgot to cancel my membership a couple of days after the month began, so had to pay a full month that I didn't go to the gym. I asked them if they'd give me credit for it and they gave me two free weeks, which isn't too bad, saved my self about $50.

Quote: (04-06-2015 06:29 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Snap Fitness in Edmonton, 24/7 but I think its kind of like Planet Fitness in the US because when the guy was giving me my into tour, he explained that we don't have dumbbells in here over 70 Lbs as we don't want to have big guys come in here and intimidate anyone. On the plus side, I went in there today and explained to them that before I left six months ago, I forgot to cancel my membership a couple of days after the month began, so had to pay a full month that I didn't go to the gym. I asked them if they'd give me credit for it and they gave me two free weeks, which isn't too bad, saved my self about $50.

We have a lot of Snap fitness gyms in the US.

They're not terrible, some of them are even retrofitting storage rooms into "Crossfit rooms" that have bumper plates, barbells, oly rings, and that sort of shit.

Edit: I usually go to Anytime Fitness but I don't get much lifting done due to how many bad bitches are there doing walking lunges and back squats.

I highly suggest buying your own squat/power rack, a bench, a barbell and about 300 pounds in weights. Also pick up some dumb bells off amazon for $20.
It was the best fitness investment i've ever made.
I work out in my basement 6 days a week. There is no excuse.

Lifetime if you can afford it.

A Golds Gym right next to my job. It cost 50 dollars a month.

local MMA gym. Has weights/cardio machines in addition to jiu-jitsu, boxing, MMA etc so no reason to go anywhere else.

I paid in full for a year's membership at like $70/mo for unlimited everything.