Which Health Club?

[Stinkyfish97]

Planet Fitness or LA Fitness? 

We are looking to join a club, these two are the closest to our house. 

[Ukase]

I can only suggest that you give us more information, other than proximity to your house. 

Are you wanting to lift weights or just do cardio, or both?

What hours will you be using the gym? Randomly or by routine?

Can you pay for the whole year up front with Planet Fitness? It's the ONLY way I would join them. They have no security at their front desk sometimes. Anyone could come in and get your checking information and all they could do would be to apologize. And, once they have that information, I have heard horror stories about how they keep charging you "For your convenience", even if you'd cancelled in writing in advance. That's not to say all PF's keep their info insecure or treat your poorly when you try to quit - but that kind of aggravation, I'd pay up front when possible and not join if I can't pay one price up front. 

Does LA Fitness require a contract? We don't have them down here, so not familiar with them. 

Go online and check the average reviews for each place that's near your house. And do not sign a contract! Either pay up front in full, or pay monthly, but do not sign a contract. 

[emili]

if you are looking for trainers and classes than LA is for you. If you are looking to do your own thing without hassle than Planet is for you.

[Stinkyfish97 · Accepted solution]

We ended up doing LA Fitness. They waived the $100 Registration fee. We debated it for a while though. I kept asking are we really going to use all of this gym, sure it has more equipment than Planet but are we really going to put it all to good use? LA was $30 a month + $100 Reg fee (waived) compared to Planet which was $20 a month + $40 Reg fee. There is no contract for either club cancel anytime. 

What attracted me more to LA was the classes and more specifically the class schedule. I do believe the extra $10 a month is worth it because I was looking for classes and a pool something that Planet does not have. I want to work on my core, flexibility and endurance/cardio. So most likely Row Machine, Treadmill, Bikes, Stairs, and for flexibility probably swimming, yoga, and maybe even a zumba class. 

I have never really been to many gyms other than back in college the Rec center which was included with tuition. And still then I only went maybe 5 times. 

Although they were far more pushy at LA Fitness with their trying to sell you on the gym membership I wasnt joining for them I was joining for me. So I had to look past the used car salesman like sales pitching when debating my choices. I must admit though it is kind of a turn off the pushy way they sell you a gym membership at LA but whatever. 

I wont know whether I made the right choice until I start working out and setting up a schedule for myself. I hope to get there the first time today this evening. Probably just do light cardio maybe a 30 minute bike or hour on the treadmill. This is a change from what I have been doing. The last 3 months I have lost 40 lbs by dieting, walking 5-7 miles a day, 40-60 pushups a day, 200 crunches crunches. I think I considered the gym because I wanted to get my wife envolved number one reason, and to break up the mundane regiment I had set for myself. Its not that I was getting bored of the same walk everyday, its my body was growing accustomed to it. It felt like it was for some reason not quite as effective as when I started. 

[cindynelson]

LA Fitness has a serious management problem. Today I went to workout and they claimed the power was out at the location I normally go to workout. They had no way of notifying anyone including the members who showed up to workout. They just locked the door and made some half a...ed effort to get a guy to keep opening and closing the door with some half baked excuse. Bottom line instead of working out, I spent an hour driving to another location because it was rush hour. By that time I had no time to work out so I just went home. I am seriously reconsidering keeping my membership.