In Need of GYM Advice
So tomorrow is the last day of my gym membership. I am soooo sad to leave! I absolutely love my gym because it’s convenient to work, all women, spa-like, many classes are available, clean, towel service, personal tvs on the machines, HUGE, etc.
I canceled my membership because it was pretty expensive and my job will be moving to another office in the summer so it wouldn’t be convenient anymore for me.
So now I’m left with the decision of what to do…where to go.
I was going to just work out at my college’s gym, but that will be out of my way on the weekends and I will be only be on campus 2x or 3x at the most. No classes either (would have to pay extra for that).
I’m trying to join another gym, but I don’t know which one to choose. What would you do?
Choice #1: Boston Sports Club
Pros:
- convenient to my house
- HUGE (3 floors)
- clean
- my boyfriend goes there so we could work out together
- classes available
- frills: towel service, personal TVs on machines, pool, juice bar, basketball court
Cons:
- $39 initiation fee / $59 a month
- have to sign a one year membership
- might be moving August 1st so it won’t be convenient anymore
- co-ed & I’m more hesitant to workout in the weights area because of that; I need to get over that!
Choice #2: Gold’s Gym
Pros:
- on May 1st is having a One Day Sale of $69 for the whole summer
- no contract
- classes availble (but limited times)
- still close to home, but not as close as BSC (next town over)
- has an all women’s section
Cons:
- still no workout buddy
- I might’ve been spoiled at my current gym so it won’t be as nice to me, but then it’s like I don’t need all the frills!
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I’d definitely go with Gold’s because of the membership fee! That’s a winner for me! IMO, as long as you have access to some equipment, that’s all that matters! Make the most of what you have, and you save money at thee same time! If having a workout buddy to you is worth an additional few hundreds, then go with the first option! All of my gyms are expensive around here, so I opted to not even go with a gym membership and instead used a year’s worth of membership and bought my own exercise equipment to work-out in the privacy of my own home! Therefore, it’s hard to say because I’m not in your position but unless you have money flowing and you don’t know what to do with it LOL… I’d opt for the luxury option. You’re right though, you don’t need frills. Losing weight isn’t fancy, it’s hard work… a gym shouldn’t be a hotel. LOL You’re there to kick butt. Good luck with your choice!
I’d definitely go with Gold’s because of the membership fee! That’s a winner for me! IMO, as long as you have access to some equipment, that’s all that matters! Make the most of what you have, and you save money at thee same time! If having a workout buddy to you is worth an additional few hundreds, then go with the first option! All of my gyms are expensive around here, so I opted to not even go with a gym membership and instead used a year’s worth of membership and bought my own exercise equipment to work-out in the privacy of my own home! Therefore, it’s hard to say because I’m not in your position but unless you have money flowing and you don’t know what to do with it LOL… I’d opt for the luxury option. You’re right though, you don’t need frills. Losing weight isn’t fancy, it’s hard work… a gym shouldn’t be a hotel. LOL You’re there to kick butt. Good luck with your choice!
Yeah, it’d be the Golds Gym for me too. Just for the membership and the fact they have women’s sections.
And say you are not moving in August, you can still sign up for the other gym. I thnk the Golds one is totally worth it for now, especially if you want to save some money.
wow that’s hard!
It really just comes down to money, and the contract. I wouldn’t worry about the whole co-ed thing. And plus you’ll have your boyfriend to work out with at the BSC gym. Lol.. But then if you two break up you’ll still have a year contract, and that wouldn’t be good. Plus it’s less expensive at Gold’s Gym and no contract.
The BSC gym sounds best to me in the long run, but make sure that’s what you REALLY want before you go for it. If you are REALLY serious about it then why not… (unless it’s to expensive)
My boyfriend and I have a Lifetime Fitness gym membership. It’s hard to go back to something with less frills when you’re use to the “good stuff”. We have a month to month membership, and pay about $117 a month for both of us. We joined when they were having a great deal. So we really didn’t pay an initiation fee. So that was good… Our gym is co-ed, but I like it that way so my boyfriend and I can work out together!
Our lease is up on our apartment complex in 4 months, and we’ve decided to move. But everything in this area is SO expensive! We kind of live in the “rich” part of town. So everything is expensive here. We literally have Million dollar houses across the street from us. But where we are right now is 3 miles away from Billy’s work, and 4 miles away from our gym. We’ve found cheaper nice apartments, but they are about 20 minutes away from our gym. It sucks SO bad. So I know how you feel about the whole moving and convenience thing….
I hope you figure out what to do…
I think I would go with Gold’s Gym too. It sounds like you might not be able to go to the other gym all year? But you would end up paying them for the whole year…
Maybe go for Gold’s gym over the summer, then campus gym during the semester? My campus is so far away…it would be a waste of gas money to go there on days I don’t have classes.
Also, what are your goals? How would you use the gym…like you mentioned The Boston gym having more classes or the Gold’s gym having classes at limited time. What gym would you use classes more if you were a member? Like if Boston has tons of classes, but you would never go…then that they have classes does not help…and same with Gold’s.
Lucky gyms with classes…lol
GO with Golds Steph. In the long run this will work out for you. I like the Sports one but not if it won’t be convenient.
I wish you have a wider selection of gyms like the do out here. There’s as many 24HR as there are Starbucks! LOL
I don’t go to the gym, Stephanie, but my best friend has been to probably every gym in the Boston area, so I emailed him just now to get his opinion.
I didn’t give him the pro/con details of your blog, I only said: “Gym question: Female, athletic type, looking for advice about BSC vs. Gold’s, any input?” Here’s his reply in its entirety:
“BSC is probably slightly nicer (better group of people, newer equipment) but will be more expensive. Golds won’t have the state-of-the art equipment like it was purchased yesterday, but it’ll probably have more to choose from and it’s not like their equipment sucks either……and it will definitely be cheaper…..
“Depends also on what she’s into….a lot of BSC’s have other amenities depending on its location (some that they offer are tennis, squash, a pool, racquetball, hoops, etc..) and I’m 99.9% Golds never has anything other than the standard (cardio, weights, and classes).
“I think you get more bang for your buck at Gold’s - but if the BSC location she’s looking at has those other amenities it’s worth a little extra to me b/c I like those things. Keep in mind too - this is just my impression as I’ve worked out at 10 different Golds and 10 different BSC’s…there’s a Gold’s in the Fenway area that is a complete shithole and floods and has an old carpet and tons of sketchy people… the one in Southie is actually cheaper, newer everything, tons of equipment, bigger space, very clean, and has all normal people…..so it should be looked at on a case by case basis also….. ”
Hope this helps
I’d go with Gold’s too, but do tour the gym to make sure it’s good for you.. that you don’t feel awkward or too self consious. Good luck to ya! (P.S. you have to find a good gym that let’s you bring guests, so when I get around to going out there for a visit, I can hit the gym with you!!) hehe
I would go golds gym and once you start going you will see the same people more n more and eventually maybe make a buddy or something!
Go for the Gold…..most important is that its close to the house….and then next with me would be the bucks…..Part of losing weight is to get out of comfort zones….why would you want to work out with women only?