Mega Gyms: Do You Use One?

I've never been to a mega gym but I've been to big gyms, to medium sized, and to tiny neighborhood gyms. I have to say that in my experience, the smaller the gym, the better the service you get - from trainers, from the administration, from everyone. The big gyms have dozens of threadmills but they also have the biggest waiting lines for them and the people are least likely to follow the 30-minute limit, so you just get more annoyed. Not to mention it is more likely to be a meat market type place, and you end up feeling like Pink in the "Stupid Girls" video, you can't get any service unless you are a size 2 with a double D rack dressed in a really slutty outfit.

Lately, what I look for in a gym is: as long as there is decent equipment, and at least 2 of the most popular machines (squat cage, lat pulldown, etc.), it is good enough for me.

All the more reason to get your own gym equipment.

Nothing beats the psychological satification of being able to move at your own pace, not worrying about whether someone is "watching" you, and not having to pay a monthly fee.

--
Jim
http://www.runfatboy.net

Personally, I hate everything super-sized. These massive retailers are destroying our communities. Knocking smaller family-run stores out of business. Taking away from the community and not giving back. I refuse to step foot into a Wal-Mart and haven't in years. I personally choose to deal with smaller family owned businesses as much as I can.

Sorry, I ranted about Wal-Mart since its off topic (somewhat). I wouldn't step foot into one of these massive gyms even if my thighs depended on it.

Here is an aside: at every gym I have ever visited, without exception, people park as close as they can get to the door! (We go to gyms for exercise, right? Go figure...)

Maybe at least in these mega gym Exercise Factories, you get some extra exercise walking in from the lot.. but I, personally, hate the concept: the last thing we need is to make any part of life more impersonal and more lonely.

Jim: Agreed. Thus the post In praise of the Home Gym. In reality I use both. I enjoy the social contact at the local gym, and have a small gym at home for when time gets too tight.

Remember Cheers? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name...

I used to belong to Lifetime Fitness and I have to say it was a great, though somewhat expensive, experience. Honestly not much beats the wall of TVs tuned to networks, news and sports channels, with audio pumped on closed circuit to your walkman on the radio dial. No big issues waiting for equipment at prime times. Big clean locker rooms, health food store inside. The place rocks.

I belong to a newer Mega chain thats starting in and around the city of Chicago. They are growing regionaly and will most likely start spreading across the US. It's a little bit smaller than LIfetimefitness and has a bit more of an edge than the slick Lifetime operation. It fits somewhere in a niche between Golds Gym and Lifetime. It's called Xsport fitness. I really like it a lot.

Jim Jones, I've tried to work out at home, but it doesn't work for me. I already work at home, so essentially, trying to work out at home is trying to work out at the office. I'm not gonna let the machine pick up a call to the business phone, even if it is past work hours. And I used to be looking at the curtains and thinking I should wash them, or looking out the window and worrying about the garden instead of focusing on my workout. So I sold my home exercise equipment.

When I go to the gym, I get away from all these concerns and from the typical female guilt caused by trying to be a perfect housewife and a businesswoman all at once, all the while trying to do something "selfish" like working out (I know it is not really selfish, but it is hard to get away from the message). I play my MP3 player and relax. It counts as meditation, too.

Most of the clients I get are so sick of large gyms that they are building their own at home. Honestly, you do get MUCH better service at small gyms. Kind of like that movie "DodgeBall"...you feel like you already have to be beautiful in order to work out there.
The lines are usually really long and the equipment sometimes doesn't get wiped off (gross), not to mention they are kind of a rip off. You have to pay fees for all these classes that you may or may not take and have to drive there and park, etc. It's such a better idea to buy a couple of nice pieces of equipment and work out at home.

At my small but functional gym, we know every member not only by sight and name, but also musical preference and their dog's name :-) That, I believe, is why I don't only retain my members but also get new ones brought by the "old".
As dor supersized anything ... no thank you ! They stress me.

I've been a member of large and small gyms, and I like both -- but the advantage goes to my current one, which is Life Time. I've found that you get the personal service if you need it, the people who work there couldn't be nicer, and it's spotlessly clean, filled with fresh air and natural light. I've never had to wait for equipment, which was definitely not the case at my last gym.

I use Gold's gym and the one in our neighborhood is not "mega" per se. However, even when it is really crowded I can always get a treadmill, elliptical machines are harder. It has things I'd like to try, but haven't like spinning. Of course a gazillion weight machines. So I like the idea that if I get myself there I won't have to wait. It's a young crowd, but I'm finding everywhere is lately. They have a room with a few weights for women only, which is a nice touch. So although I have trouble getting myself there, it is a nice gym.

Luckily for me, I have a nice gym here at work. It's part of the benefits of working at my company. It has everything I need, eliliptical, treadmill, free weights, benches, gym mats, etc etc etc. It's right beside the parking lot near my building, so I have no excuse to go!

I go to one of the smaller 24 Hour Fitness outlets because that's what's closest to me. :)

I belong to LTF and love it - it has the pool, sauna, and hot tub that I want for my swimming plus extra things to keep the work out fresh like court sports and lots of different resistance equipment.

I used to belong to a small family gym - but I got bored. It didn't matter how nice everyone was to me if I didn't go because there was very little variety.

But hey - that's just me.

i cant get any equipment and i cant sign up for a gym. i have no resources! does any one know a couple workouts i can do at home without equipment? i need all the help i can get! Thank you so much.

I have lost 35 lbs. all by myself. No gyms. I have used workout videos though, such as billy bootcamp, which really kicks your butt into shape! (it's really fun too)

I live in a smaller town so having the opportunity to workout at one of these huge fitness centers has not been an option for me. I am now finishing my masters in California and I can't wait to get to workout at these huge gyms as they have so much to offer unlike a small gym.

hello, can you drop the age limit down to 11 right now please. All 11 year olds and over like gold's gym. but 11-13 year old's want to go. please drop it down to 11 for all states. I'm a worker company for gold's gym.

I only use a few pieces of equipment (free wieghts, some cardio machines). I like to use the best equipment...so why bother with the rest?

I have personal trained at big gym's and mom and pop gyms. I know from experience that these mega gyms take large polls of demographics that might not always be valid to compensate their members. Whereas the smaller home town gyms try to accomodate members on a personal level at all times. Smaller hometown gyms do not always have to be these tiny little places that can barely pay the light bill either. The ones I have worked out at and worked at are usually around 50,000 Sq. Ft. which is only half of a normal LTF but still quite large, and still a multi-million dollar business. I would rather get the personal respect and attention at a smaller gym, but I would raher work at a mega gym because they have the money and resources for better benefits and pay.

As for confused's comment. I have heard great things about Tony Horton's P90x and am currently doing it. I am very please with the results and you can finish the whole workout at home.