Need some Gym Advice

[JoshuaNY]

Hey Gents and Ladies(I know there are a few of you out there),

I consider myself a lapsed athlete. I was very active throughout high school, college and afterwards. Played many sports, trained in Jiu Jitsu and worked out regularly. About 5 years ago I tore my meniscus and had it repaired. Since then I have been pretty sedintary and my eating habits have gone down hill, to the point where I have gained about 40 pounds.

I understand fitness concepts and I know what I need to do to get in shape so that is not an issue, the issue is doing it.

I have thought about just exercisisng at home, but if I havent motivated myself to do that yet, then it wont happen. I am more likely to stick with something if I am part a club or what not. So, I want to join a gym in my area, and this is where you fine folks come in.

I have narrowed it down and need help making a decision. The most important criteria for me is that it is close to my home. If it is not close then I won't go. Second is getting bang for my buck. I just want a no frills place where I can do a lot of cardio and some strength training. My main concern is losing the weight, getting healthy and then maintaining that health. I'm not looking to get huge or anything.

There is a privately owned gym that is about a 5 minute walk from my house. Its pretty big - bunch of cardio machines, resistance machines and free weights. They offer all of the usual aerobic classes and what not, which I won't use. They charge $35 a month, no enrollment fee. Everytime I drive by it at the time I would use it, it is never very crowded. I have spoken to the owner hoping to get a reduction in price since I wont be taking any classes and I am not using the childcare services to no avail. Maybe my negotiation skills just stink.

Then there is Planet Fitness which is a little farther away. It is brand new and I have not visited it. I have read many reviews of planet fitness including some here. Many saying it is not a real gym (i.e. no dead lifts, lunk alarm, dumbells only to 60lbs) and I should look elsewhere. I also understand most of the members are folks whom are either joining a gym for the first time or coming back to it after awhile. $10 a month, $10 activation

The price of the Planet Fitness is more up my alley. So my questions are: which one would you join if you were in my shoes?
Is PF good enough for someone getting back into fitness looking to lose some weight and get healthy? A starter gym if you will? Or should I just fork over the extra $25 a month for the privately owned gym where I can grunt and wear a bandana if I want too.

What say ye?

 

[dklaiman]

Does either place require a long term contract? Do they both offer you what you would want, initially, out of a gym? You'll need to visit Planet Fitness to find out. If it's like the healthclubs here, they'll probably give you a free guest pass for a week so you can check it out, too.

If the answer to the first question is no and the answer to the second one is yes, there's nothing wrong with joining Planet Fitness until you are "beyond" it and then signing up for the other place.

 

[commanderkeen]

I would honestly start off with 2-3 months of home exercise. I have been quite active all my life but have only recently realized that my physique has contributed to some imbalances in my muscles, especially posture. I am hoping to correct these with stretching (static/yoga) and bodyweight exercises. I suggest anyone trying to get back into weight training start to correct imbalances in their own form before beginning to exercise with weights.

It is amazing how sore you can get from a few sets of high-rep squats and push-ups (i would also like to do pull-ups but lack a place to hang from).

 

[Doc4]

A lapsed athlete won't need the extra-fancy high-performance bells-n-whistles that Planet Fitness doesn't have.

 

[RyanM14]

It really depends what you consider to be more important.

Remember, 95% of being healthy centres around the diet, as that is important to you for 95% of your day (including sleep). The other 5% would represent the time you spend in the gym, also having a massive impact on the rest of your day. In order to make the most of that 5%, you need an environment that allows you to maximise your effort, somewhere you would be mentally and physically comfortable working out.

From what you are saying, I gathered you wouldn't be too sold on Planet Fitness as a place to stimulate yourself into giving your all. $10 per month is a lot more tempting to pay, in comparison with $35, but the relatively low price could be representative of the quality of service you would get from that gym. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to ask the private gym owner if you could pay $10 for the first week to try out the gym. Afterwards, you would pay the remainder of the month as soon as the trial finished, if you found yourself motivated and enjoying it of course.

 

[noahpictures]

The cheaper one. If you want to lose weight, get strong and be healthy you don't need much.

OR

Buy some adjustable DBs and a pullup bar and maybe get P90x. Compound exercises (squats, presses, pullups...) and eating clean are the best way to lose weight instead of just doing cardio, IMO.

 

[PFP_Dad]

Buy some adjustable DBs and a pullup bar and maybe get P90x. Compound exercises (squats, presses, pullups...) and eating clean are the best way to lose weight instead of just doing cardio, IMO.

I would go with the $35 a month option or this. Reason being the lack of a crowd and close distance. If you go drive all the way to the cheaper version, only to find it busy, you're more likely to stop going or turn around and go home. I personally am very impatient in the gym, and not having to wait for dumbbells and equipment is well worth the extra money.

If you can commit the P90x is a great route, even at my peak I could get a killer workout from it.

 

[smalltank]

It depends on your goals....lose weight?...walk 40-60 minutes everyday...get toned or gain muscle..join a gym..lafitness.com has good prices with no contract...they also bought Balleys gyms and redid many of them nicely..some Balleys gyms still out there and even cheaper

 

[morganjg]

I am a seasoned athlete who is constantly training and I am also a member of Planet Fitness. I was tired of my old local monopoly, so right before my membership expired I did some deal shopping and stumbled on a $99 one time/ 1 year membership. I signed up before even stepping into the place! I figured for that price it would be worth it even if it was terrible. I planned on using it for off-season strength training, which I have been. They have plenty of free weights and bars. I haven't had one person wag a finger at me for loading a bar and doing dead lifts, squats, or compound movements. They just frown upon people throwing weights and doing the whole show. The only downside is the lack of group exercise classes for the person looking to develop cardiovascular wellness in a group setting. But they have plenty of elliptical machines, treadmills, and climbers. I don't regret the decision one bit, it is exactly what it advertises, and the extended hours during the week is nice.

 

[jazzguy]

Most gyms will give you a free trial of a few days or a week. I'd try one then the other and pick whichever you like better.

 

[John Von Wuggz]

If you're just wanting to lose weight you won't need lots of specialized or manimal lifting equipment. Lots of cardio, 2-3 days of basic lifting each week, and cleaning up your diet will do it.

 

[JoshuaNY]

Thanks for the input gents. I'm gonna go take a look at PF when I get home from work tonight so I can see how busy it gets in the evenings. See if I can get trial memeberships for a week or so and then make a decision.

I should have mentioned that I am working on my eating habits as well, I know that is a big factor. Its tough not eating those oreos.

I appreciate the help.