Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gyms

Why is the Y so expensive?

tristeza — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:53:09 -0800

Why is the Y so expensive? And if you joined anyway, do you find it worth the $ compared to other gyms? I'm thinking about joining my local Y (Meredith Matthews for folks in Seattle), and it is surprisingly expensive! Like, 100% more expensive than 24 Hour Fitness, for example.

The joining fee is $100, and monthly fee for me would be $55. 24 Hr. has a $50 joining fee and is $27/month. No contract for the Y is surely a bonus, I suppose.

I understand that the facilities at 24 Hr are bigger and they have more machines, too, so I'm a little baffled by this.

Did you find that the benefits of the Y outweighed the cost in general? Is there some amazing hidden thing I don't know about that makes it so expensive?

I wish someone would do something about how fat I am.

hazelshade — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:45:23 -0800

[DC Gym filter] For downtown D.C. Washington Sports club members specifically. Which location do you belong to: K street or Connecticut Ave? Pros/cons of your location? And if you've been to both, would you recommend one over the other?

Are there any decent Chicago gyms without yearly contracts?

korpios — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:24:48 -0800

I'm being a very bad transhumanist by letting my body get so unhealthy over the last few years. I'd like to fix that; having just moved to the Chicago area, I'd like to find a decent gym to start working out in. My fear, however, is that I'll run into the same issue I've encountered before: signing a year contract only to let my attendance taper off (ultimately never visiting at all in the last six months). I'd like to find a gym that allowed month-by-month, no-contract billing; I'm perfectly willing to pay a higher monthly rate than I would with a contract. Once I find myself attending for at least six solid months straight, I'd look into signing up for a year.

My ideal gym would also have multiple locations; I live in Oak Park and commute into the Near North Side, and I'd love to have the option of going immediately before or after work.

So, Chicago submodule of the hivemind: any suggestions?

Fun places/ways to get a workout in NYC?

toomuchkatherine — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:25:27 -0800

I'm a young woman in New York City, looking for a way to get in shape. (I'm not grossly out of shape now, but a year at a sedentary office job has taken a toll.) Running got boring. I've done the gym thing before and it's fine, but I'd like to find something new to get into: yoga, a martial art, a form of dance, kick-boxing. I'm open. I'd like to find a good place (a really homey yoga or martial arts studio, for example), in lower Manhattan (within the ambit of Union Square would be great) or possibly Williamsburg. Any suggestions on activities and/or places?

Where can I work up a sweat in Chicago?

FlamingBore — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:31:26 -0800

Next month I'll be ready to take on the gym again. What gym (in Chicago) might be best for me? Years ago (before I had any commitment to being in better shape) I belonged to Cheetah in Andersonville and rarely went. In Albuquerque I found a great little gym (Liberty on Cutler) that I attended consistently 4-6x a week for the duration I was a member. I tried switching to another gym and found that I only went twice. It was right down the block from Liberty, but I hated going there.

So, clearly there's something to the notion that you have to like the place you workout in. So where in Chicago (prefer the Wicker Park/Bucktown area) might I find a gym that:

- isn't overly dedicated to the temple of the pretty
- isn't insanely expensive (prefer under $50 - possible?)
- doesn't require a long term contract
- has basic cardio/circuit training/free weight equipment

Curves and Bally's are both out of the question. Thanks!

What gym would you recommend in Manhattan or Brooklyn?

huskerdont — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:09:36 -0800

NYC Filter: Gym recommendations? What have been the experiences of MeFites with gyms in Manhattan and Brooklyn?

My old gym membership just expired and I would like to find a new place to work out. I live in Williamsburg; somewhere in the area or along the L train would be ideal.

Specifically - What gyms stand out for you in terms of equipment/classes/facilities? What gyms are the must-avoids? Which offer the most bang for the buck?

Health Clubs / Personal Trainers

mischief — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 08:44:49 -0800

After consulting with my cardiologist, I have the green light to push myself to my limits so long as I use a heartrate monitor and follow a graph. He suggested that I hire a personal trainer. However, except for my 12-week vacation at Parris Island when I was 20, I have no experience whatsoever with health clubs/gyms or hiring such a fitness expert. How do I start? And, what should I watch out for? I get too much conflicting information from Googling, so links to trustworthy websites would also be helpful.

Do gyms deliberately set their scales to underweigh?

Duck_Lips — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 15:35:37 -0800

Do gyms deliberately set their scales to underweigh?

Tell me everything about going to the gym

zeoslap — Tue, 01 Jun 2004 06:34:53 -0800

Okay here's a question. The other day I stepped on the bathroom scales and the number displayed was a tad on the high side, by about 15-20lbs, so my first thought was 'Yeesh, I should join a gym'. However on further reflection, having never set foot in a gym since my traumatizing school days joining one seems like quite a scary prospect. So my question is.. What's the deal with gyms? What's the ettiquette, what do you need, will all these fit gym types be chuckling at my pathetic flabby assed efforts, are the showers still those bloody communal type affairs I shudder to remember back in school?