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Health & Exercise
MrsZiz
member
help me decide which gym
MrsZiz
member
I have 2 choices for gyms in the area that I'm in and have no idea which one to pick so I thought you ladies mightbe able to help... here are my choices:
Gym A:
5 mins from my house
6 locations in the area each offering different things (all within about 20 mins from me if I chose to go to a different location)
Cost: 90/month
Smaller and the staff know you by name
Small child care area with very friendly staff
Basic equipment
2 free training sessions
Pool heated to 86 degrees
Not very busy
Gym B:
1 location
12 minute drive from my house
Cost:70/month
Big gym with TONS of equipment and a lot of stuff I have NO clue how to use
No free training sessions (how would I learn to use the stuff I don't know how to use??)
Childcare area is bigger and the staff was ok, not overly friendly but nice enough
A camera to see your older kids room (so I couldn't see my infant, only my DD)
Pool heated to about 83 (cooler than the pool A for sure)
very busy at all hours
I'm torn for a couple of reasons: staff at the pricier gym is much nicer and knows you and your kids by name, the cost and the location... any other things I should be looking at that I'm not? Any other input?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: help me decide which gym
Are the childcare staff CPR and first-aid certified? You might think they all are, but when I looked into it that was not the case-- total dealbreaker for me.
Also, is the child care area secured? At some gyms it's pretty much open, right by the entrance, and someone wouldn't have a difficult time nabbing a kid and just leaving. Again, dealbreaker. I wanted a place where the children were behind locked doors.
They are all CPR and first aid certified at both places.
Neither area is "secure" and by that I mean the doors aren't locked. There are staff at both places right by the door. Gym A has the child care in the back of the gym so you have to go around a loop and a special way to get there and it's not labeled so if you didn't know what it was, you'd have no clue. Gym B is right by the entrance and clearly marked child care. There is a door for the parent to go through and then there are 2 gates that the kids go through before entering into the play area.
This exactly!
Baby Boy loved for 15 weeks, 5/31/11
Baby Girl loved for 16.5 weeks. 3/1/12
DO NOT base your decision on the free training sessions. I was a personal trainer and during the "free sessions" they are usually NOTHING like actual training sessions where we kick your butt and help you get in fantastic shape. They are sessions meant to sell you on buying a package and show you some very basic ropes.
If you want to get in shape quickly--I'd probably suggest the cheaper gym, using the money you'll save over a year ($240) to buy a pack of 5 training sessions or so to get you on a start to getting your goals accomplished quickly and safely. That will also get you better aquainted with the staff, which you stated was a concern of yours.
Don't base your decision on ONE visit - I'd honestly, knowing what I know now about gyms, go with 2... Save the money and like the PP said use that amount to hire a trainer for a package deal.
I'm a "gym rat" and by toning, it really means muscle definition. Women DO NOT and CAN NOT bulk like men do! If that was the case, I'd be the buffest chick on the planet, instead I can say I'm one of the strongest(have next to nothing for definition). You'll discover after meeting a few bodybuilders, except for a rare few genetic or enhanced freaks of nature, they DO NOT look like that all the time! They look like that for the week of their latest competition (2-3/year MAX) and have photo shoots stacked on top of photo shoots that week. They also get a shortened life expectency because of what toll it takes on the body to look like that (and no, they didn't get that way by doing the workout in the fitness magazine!)...
The other thing is, from my experience, when people are coming through doing the tours, no one appears friendly at first, especially the scary look'n dudes. Those scary look'n dudes are actually really big teddy bears once you get to know them and will do more to help your training in the long term. No one really "opens up" until you've been there for a while consistently at a certain time... Once it happens they're some of the strongest friendships..