24 Hour Fitness: Is This the Right Health Club for You?
Written: Jun 27 '00 (Updated Jun 27 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice variety of classes, lots of clubs, friendly members, easy to get a discount on joining, not as much of a "meat market" as some gyms
Cons: Enrollment fees, pushy sales people
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| WorkingMomof2's Full Review: 24 Hour Fitness |
Few things incur as much heel dragging as joining a new gym. Other than visiting the dentist, there are very few things that I put off beyond their necessary time. Joining a new gym is one of them, which is why it took me eight years to join 24 Hour Fitness. And now all I can think is, "Why did I waste so much time at Bally's?"
I have been a member of 24 Hour Fitness for one year now, and have been very pleased with them. I had previously been a member of Bally Total Fitness, and cancelled that membership after a series of problems with them. (See my review on Bally’s at http://research.epinions.com/well-review-5048-3133526-39514F7D-prod1).
Long before I actually cancelled my membership with Bally’s, I had started talking to friends about which gym they belonged to. I had visited several other gyms, and walked (and in one case, ran!) away from most of them knowing that these just didn’t “fit” my needs. I eventually developed a checklist, of sorts, which I have continued to refine over time, to evaluate gyms. Although 24 Hour Fitness did not ace my tests, they did pass (overall) with flying colors, and I have been very satisfied with my membership over the past year. I’ll go through my requirements for a gym, and how well 24 Hour Fitness stacks up here, in detail. If you want to see my whole checklist on picking a new gym, it can be found at http://research.epinions.com/well-review-943-E7908E0-394FFDBC-prod5.
Convenience
Lots of Choices of Locations
24 Hour Fitness is open 24 hours a day (hence the name). There are over 365 gyms nationwide, including 132 in California. I have my choice of 8 gyms within 20 minutes, and many more within 40 minutes. My “home gym” is only five minutes from my house, which is incredibly convenient. There are three levels of 24 Hour Fitness Clubs – basic 24 Hour clubs, Sport and Sporting Clubs (generally larger with more high-end facilities).
Available 24 Hours a Day
While I initially scoffed at the 24 Hour availability, I will admit that this has been incredibly convenient for us. Not for me, mind you – I prefer to work out during daylight hours, thank you very much. However, my husband can squeeze in a workout in the wee hours and still have time to shower and be at work by 6:30 am – which was impossible with other clubs we have gone to (Bally’s, World Gym). He says it’s not crowded at all at 4:30 am (go figure) and enjoys the peace and is able to get in his workout without any waiting at all. Evidently the parking is much easier at this hour as well. For me (during peak hours, usually at lunchtime) it can be quite a haul from the back of the parking lot to the gym itself.
Child Care
24 Hour Fitness also has a high-quality childcare facility onsite. I’ve been to several different 24 Hour Fitness facilities, and while each one offers different amenities in the child care area, the high standards and security measures seem fairly consistent from gym to gym. That is, they require that you show (and leave) id to sign in your child; you have to sign in and identify where you will be. A nametag is placed on your child, and your driver’s license (the id) is kept on file while your child is there. The facilities do vary from gym to gym, but most include basic play toys, a separate infant area, a ball-pit and/or tunnel area, a TV with movies, a Nintendo for the bigger kids, and other types of games and toys. My kids actually enjoy going to the gym!
There are always at least two staff members in there, and they are very strict about signing children in and out, as well as about checking your id when you pick up your child, etc. The childcare staff is not the same staff that works in the rest of the gym; they are dedicated child-care personnel who actually get down on their knees to play, and who will hold a fussy child if needed or even break up a confrontation between kids to keep everyone in line. I appreciate this extra security when it comes to my children’s well being…especially after seeing the childcare at Bally’s!
Fit to My Needs
In addition to the convenience factor, I evaluated whether 24 Hour Fitness would actually “fit” what I needed in a gym. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
High Quality Classes
24 Hour Fitness offers a large variety of classes. These are fairly consistent from gym to gym, and include: Step aerobics (beginning and intermediate levels), yoga, body pump (like body flex at Bally’s, a choreographed weightlifting class using a bar and free weights to work the whole body), body sculpting classes, kickboxing, stretching classes, hip hop, Pilate’s, spinning, low impact aerobics, tai chi, slide, power board, water aerobics, boot camp, senior fitness classes, turbo flex, and other specialty classes. Some classes require a fee (spinning and Pilate’s), but most are included. I was pleasantly surprised at the number and frequency of classes, especially compared to Bally’s more “limited” offerings.
Machines and Weights
There are a large selection of free weights, machines, and cardiovascular-oriented equipment (stairclimbers, bikes, and elliptical trainers). Although I’m not brand-knowledgeable, they offer BodyMasters, Flex, Hammer Strength and Icarian in the free weight area, and BodyMasters, Cybex, Flex, Hammer Strength, Icarian, Keiser, Life-Fitness, Nautilus and Sprint in the equipment areas. (I admit I had to look on the website, I had no idea what brands these were!) There are also specialty training tools like fitness balls and special bars for those who want to use them. In most of the gyms I’ve seen the free weights and equipment are in separate areas, and there is plenty of room to move around as needed. The equipment is very well maintained, and it’s rare to see a piece of equipment out of commission for more than a day or so.
Other Classes and Offerings
Most gyms offer basketball, some offer racquetball, or a pool; this varies from club to club. As I said above, specialty classes like Pilates and Spinning are offered for an additional fee; as are specialty classes like Kids Exercise programs and Specialty conditioning classes. Some of the gyms have tracks for running, but not all, so if this is important to you I’d check at each location. Some gyms also have saunas, whirlpools, tanning, pro shops, juice bars, restaurants, massages, and more.
A Note on Evaluating the 24 Hour Fitness & Their Classes
I was shocked when I first visited 24 Hour Fitness at their evaluation policy. I believe that I encountered two of the rudest employees at the gym (and wrote a subsequent note to the website) who actually refused to let me evaluate the gym. Shortly thereafter, I was contacted by a corporate manager apologizing for the problem, and offering me a 2 week pass to try the gym. Although my nose was still slightly out of joint from the rude initial contact I had there, I did evaluate the classes and facilities and was very impressed. However – there are a couple things you should know when you go in to evaluate 24 Hour Fitness clubs.
1. You can get a 10 day pass for free online. Click on the 24 Hour Fitness link above and go to their website, where they have free 10 day passes you can print out and take in! There’s also a club finder to help you find the club(s) closest to you.
2. You have to have an appointment for your first visit. Say what, I said? Surely you jest. Nope, and that evidently was one of my problems initially – I just walked in off the street with a free trial pass, but there wasn’t a sales rep available to help me – hence I couldn’t come in. So save yourself this headache, and visit at a time when you aren’t eager to take a specific class. If possible, call ahead and say you are coming in and want to evaluate the gym, and make a specific appointment.
3. You are supposed to make an appointment for every subsequent “evaluation” visit. I found them to be a little more lenient here, but basically they want your assigned sales rep to know you are coming in each time (I guess in case you have questions). The story I got was that there had been thefts by persons who came in as visitors, and then just broke into the lockers – so this is a security precaution. Since they didn’t follow me around once I entered, I’m not sure how much of a deterrent it actually is. I’m big on personal privacy, and checking in each time bugged me; however, since it was a free evaluation period, I complied. Nonetheless, I have to say I thought it was a stupid rule.
4. Prepare for a High-powered Sales Pitch. Each and every visit I got hit with “So are you ready to join yet?” Since I had made it clear (as in, crystal clear) that my decision to join was going to be heavily weighted by my evaluation of not just one but several aerobics classes, I was annoyed by the pushy sales tactics. I gracefully (I thought) dodged this and postponed my decision until the end of my evaluation period.
The 24 Hour Fitness Staff
This is where I had my biggest disappointment with 24 Hour Fitness, and it almost prevented me from joining. If they could do one thing better, it would be to hire better staff members. I don’t mean the class instructors, who I have been very impressed with overall. The staff that I have found to be off-putting is the general management and the front desk staff (although my “home gym” has made great improvements in this area in the last year).
Front Desk Staff
These are the people who meet you at the front. They are generally courteous, friendly and polite. All of the staff members wear bright purple polo shirts, making them easy to identify and find when you need help. The front desk staff has improved greatly from when I first joined; however, there is still the occasional rude desk clerk who snaps their gum at you, glares at you when you dare to interrupt their personal phone call with a question, or just sits, sullenly, playing with their nose rings while one clerk helps a customer (and all the rest of us wait to get our cards scanned, so we can go workout).
Since you have to pass the front desk to enter (they scan your card when you go in), and this is where the guest passes and babysitting cards are purchased, you are going to encounter the front desk staff often. Bear in mind that they are generally young and untrained (this is what I tell myself when they are rude) and if you do get a particularly helpful or courteous one it’s nice to pass along that information to the management! (My “Positive Reinforcement” theory…)
Personal Trainers
I will be right upfront and say that I have never used a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness. Like Bally’s, you are not supposed to bring your own trainer to the gym (so if you do, make it discrete). They employ a staff of paid personal trainers, whose services can be contracted for a pretty penny. I spoke with two members who had belonged for years that had used the personal trainers. Both thought they were “fine” – they walked around with them, helped them set up a routine, and helped them with their form. The cost was approximately $25-30 per hour.
Apparently these were slightly better than the Bally Total Fitness trainers were – they discussed diet with their clients, actually spotted them on the free weights, and were generally on time. Like the Bally’s trainers, though, they were heavy on pushing supplements and didn’t do much beyond taking the client through their routine each week. If you need help in setting up a routine and getting some initial motivation, this might be good for you. If you want some true “training” and personalized focus on overall health & fitness, you might want to explore using a private (non-gym) personal trainer.
Class Instructors
The instructors at 24 Hour Fitness are good, overall. I have had some wonderful instructors in specific classes, who were full of energy and enthusiasm, which is helpful when you’re running out of wind! In general, the instructors are extremely competent in their specific areas (step aerobics, spinning, kickboxing, etc.) and they are pretty good about helping new folks out and still challenging the more experienced members. One area that I have not seen as much focus on is in personal coaching – at some clubs, the instructors will come around and work with you on form to make sure each attendee is maximizing their workout. This is not common in the classes I’ve taken; although a few of the exceptional instructors do it, it isn’t the norm.
Nonetheless if you are just looking for fun, enthusiastic and competent instructors, you’ll enjoy the classes. I am impressed that unlike the Bally’s instructors (who turned over almost monthly, and were all under 25 and perfectly fit) the 24 Hour Fitness instructors come in all shapes and sizes. Don’t get me wrong – they’re almost uniformly very fit – but not necessarily a size 2, and not all female, young or cheerleader-perky. I think the variety is great, and I’ve been impressed at the incredibly low turnover of instructors at all of the 24 Hour Fitness gyms I frequent! One of the instructors is a law student, another is pre-med. They’re fun and interesting to talk to…. And they can teach aerobics like nobody’s business!
General Workout Guidance
24 Hour Fitness has less staff members on the floor than any of the other gyms I’ve visited. In the weight rooms and equipment areas, as well as in the cardiovascular equipment areas, I usually have to look around and really flag someone down if I need help. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of purple shirts floating around – there are. They are, however, typically personal trainers who are being paid to help a client for an hour, and not to come offer unpaid assistance to those of us who can’t figure out how to adjust the seat on a lat pulldown, etc. Fortunately, the members are usually incredibly helpful and once I get over the ego problem and just ask for help, I have always received friendly advice and assistance from the other members.
General Comfort Level or “Fit”
The last criteria I use to evaluate a gym is how comfortable I feel there. Do I feel like I would fit in? Am I going to feel like I can dress and act in my normal fashion (or lack there-of) and not be self-conscious? Is this more of a pick-up joint/social club or a serious gym? And is it too serious, as in big ripped muscle guys that intimidate me when I try to work out on the free weights?
Condition and Size of Facilities
Most of the 24 Hour Fitness facilities are fairly large. I have visited several different gyms, besides the few that I normally frequent. Unlike the Bally’s I used to visit, there is enough room to wait (when necessary) without standing in someone else’s way. All of the gyms I’ve seen have large and open weight rooms, equipment areas and cardiovascular equipment areas, plus separate aerobic floor(s), and clean locker rooms.
The bathrooms and showers are clean and well-maintained, a must in my book. The equipment is well-maintained and there is a constant effort to update the facilities (painting, new equipment, new flooring, upgraded stereo systems, etc.). Since the gym is open 24 hours a day one has to wonder when they have time to do all this; however, it all gets done. It’s nice to workout somewhere that feels clean and up-to-date.
Motivated Members
Like the instructors, 24 Hour Fitness has a wide range of members. They offer Senior Fitness classes, and attract a fairly large senior attendance during the day. There is a greater diversity (in my opinion) of members versus Bally’s, even in the same corporate areas. There are still a lot of muscle-bound hunks there (it’s horrible, really… I’ll just watch them for a few more minutes…) but there are also men and women of all ages, races, sexual preferences, etc. No major stereotypes could be applied to the members I’ve seen at 24 Hour Fitness, unless you count “Motivated”.
Almost everyone I meet there is upbeat and friendly, and if you want to chat there are always plenty of people willing to gab. If you’re in a rush (or a bad mood, like I was last week, no comments please!) you can get plenty of space as well. And to my great delight, I haven’t seen the same “meat market” environment here that I found (and hated) at Bally’s – even in the locations that are more corporate-dominated. It’s not heavily segmented – there are gym rats, body builders and aerobics fanatics. There are the people who are on the treadmill what seems like 24 Hours a day (“Are they still there? Did they ever leave?” I wonder…) And there are the young moms, trying to get back into shape after baby, their little ones filling the child-care area. There are seniors, middle aged and some students. It’s a clean and upbeat environment where it’s easy to feel like you fit in.
Signing Up: Getting a Good Deal
There are an infinite number of packages to join 24 Hour Fitness. Like the weather in Michigan, if you don’t like the choices, wait a few minutes and they’ll change. Seriously, though, there are so many different membership plans available that the sales staff can’t even keep them straight. They have binders with pages and pages of the current programs, including restrictions and deadlines. And the deadlines appear to be pretty solid – no fudging on dates or playing games like Bally’s tried to do. I asked one of the sales reps what the current (June 2000) promotions are, and here is what she said:
• Online Special – 90 days for $90 – a great trial membership. Click on the 24 Hour Fitness link above to check this out.
• Single Club membership - $0 enrollment $19 month for 4 days a week, or $99 enrollment $24 month for 7 days a week.
• All Clubs (except Sporting Clubs) - $114 to enroll, plus $69 processing fee, plus $29/month
• All Clubs (including Sporting Clubs) -$124 to enroll, plus $69 processing fee, plus $39/month
• Prepaid Membership – if you prepay your first 3 years, of an all-clubs (excluding Sporting club) membership, for $826 (including enrollment and processing fee) you also get 6 free personal training sessions and it’s $99 a year to renew after that.
There are also other promotions and offers available, and these all vary by location as well. If you have a family member who is a member (and can provide documentation that you live in the same house, such as a phone bill in your name at that address) you can add onto their membership for a significant discount. The current add-on price is $75, plus the ever-present $69 processing fee, plus $15/month. I have seen $49 add-on promotions several times in the last month, as well as $49 upgrade promotions for folks who belong to only one gym and want to be able to use more. These are worth watching for, if you’re interested.
Finally, if you are affiliated with a large corporation (I know they have an agreement with Boeing and several others) or have health insurance such as Blue Cross or almost any HMO, you can get a significant discount as well. I would ask about almost everything you are affiliated with and see what kindof discount you can get, starting with your work (if applicable) and health insurance carrier.
Term of Contracts
One thing I was impressed with after my Bally’s fiasco was how clear the end-term was. You are joining basically forever, so the rate you are quoted is your rate. It doesn’t sneak up on you by $50 a year, without you noticing – it is what it is. Remember if you aren’t sure what you’re going to use, you can also try to get a trial membership (currently $49 for one month, or $75 for students for June – August only). This is only a good deal if you are really undecided; otherwise the cost would be better put toward a single-club membership that you could cancel after a few months if you were unhappy.
Longevity
My concerns about longevity and location longevity were alleviated by both the solidity of 24 Hour Fitness overall (in a huge growth mode) and by the constant upgrading of their facilities. I didn’t want to join a gym that would be out of business (or swallowed up and closed) within a few months. Fortunately, in the unlikely event that this might happen, there are several other 24 Hour Fitness facilities within a few minutes that I could go to instead.
Overall Impressions
Overall I have been very pleased with 24 Hour Fitness. I enjoy the classes, I enjoy the people and I enjoy the overall environment. The staff (for the most part, except a couple rude front-desk clerks) are friendly and helpful, and the members are always ready to help out when I’m baffled by a piece of equipment in the weight room. Even the muscle-bound hunks that leave 100 lb. weights on each side of the leg press will cheerfully re-rack their weights (as they were supposed to in the first place) when asked (I can’t lift ‘em!). At Bally’s, I had trouble working in and when I did, got rude comments if I asked someone to put away their own weights.
The variety of clubs, the variety of classes and the variety of members has been a nice change for me. I feel like I fit in, and could recommend this to my friends without reservation. 24 Hour Fitness may not be for everyone, but I know that I have found a home there…. As have several of my friends (of varying ages and fitness levels). And feeling good about my gym is what will keep me coming back, improving my health, my outlook and my body over time.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
WorkingMomof2
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Member: Amy
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 313
Trusted by: 539 members
About Me:
Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the windows.
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