Gym fees: Zero! My garage is free.

I once looked into joining the Y here, and it was something like $200 a month. Seriously!

My gym membership was $19.99 per month with a front fee of $45. No pool. Very good classes which were extra - but not expensive at all - not a fancy place. This is a neighborhood gym - lots of good solid equipment, TV's everywhere that you used your radio to access sound - so it was a nice quiet place.

At the time that I belonged to the gym, I also took yoga classes (two 90 minute classes per week) at another studio for about $700 per year.

I have dropped my gym membership and the other yoga studio. I have replaced both with an unlimited yoga studio membership. Yoga, free weight, pilates classes. $35 up front fee and then I can attend as many classes as I want for $60 per month. I attend 3 free weight classes each week and a yoga class every day except Sunday. So based on a 4 week month, I am paying $1.50 per class. The pilates and free weight classes are WORK - the yoga classes are a little work but mostly piece of mind, range of motion, tone and flexibility.

Planet Fitness

1) $20 a month for the best plan, which means I can go to any location in the country, bring one guest each time without them having to pay, use the tanning bed for free, and get half off anything out of the drink coolers in case I'm too lazy to bring my own. This one does have a one-year contract, but I was willing to deal with that.

They also offer a $13 a month with no sign up fee and no contract, but it is only for that location and none of the other perks apply.

2) $49 (not positive), which was waived for a Sign-Up-Before-New Year's Special

3) Pompano Beach, Florida

4) Brand new facility. I don't believe there are any classes. No pool. I don't think there is a steam room or sauna. But I never use that crap anyway, so it's perfect for me. It's just cardio equip, weight machines, free weights, and a circuit training center. There are also tanning beds, because in Florida there isn't enough sun. I believe they have flat screen TVs. I honestly haven't been yet because I am recovering from chemo and a couple surgeries, but I can't wait to get started!

5) I didn't try to negotiate because I felt the deal was awesome. I do believe I heard the fellow signing up before me negotiate some kind of deal though.

Just for comparison for you, I used to belong to LA Fitness. I LOVED it, but not close enough and both locations near me were WAY too overcrowded even at 9 at night! I just canceled my membership. I signed up 3 years ago, paid $37.09 a month had a $149 sign-up fee, no contract. You know all the perks. I'm sure if I tried to sign up now it would be more expensive seeing as how three years have passed.

Sorry for the long post. Hope the info helped!

Keri :-)

I used to belong to GoodLife Fitness, which is the biggest chain of gyms in Canada. I paid about $13 biweekly there after paying an upfront fee (it might have been $500, although I hope my memory was wrong on that). They had seriously awesome facilities -- spinning room, squash courts, between 50 and 100 cardio machines, and EIGHTEEN TVs.

I use my school gym now that I am a student again, but previous to that, I went to a Bally's in Chicago. I could go to any Bally's, I think in the whole country, and the classes were almost all free. It was $67/month and something like $200 up front for the no-commitment package, which I found totally worth it for my usual location but I would have felt ripped off if I'd gone to any of the other Chicago ones - none were as nice as mine. They also try like hell to get you to sign up for the 3 year plan where you pay a regular rate for 3 years then it goes to something like $12 for the rest of your life. They had a juice bar, a pool, TVs with radio frequencies you could listen to them on, and tons of awesome spinning, pilates, weights and aerobics classes. (Can you tell I miss it like crazy and hate my free school gym?)

I highly recommend community gyms. I've had a great experience here and in Colorado with them. There is no contract and the start up fee was $30 each if I remember correctly. Also, no heavy sales pitch and at my current gym we got an hour with a trainer to show us the ropes and work out a routine when we first started. And we can schedule time with trainers for no extra charge if we want to learn something new.

2) $299

3)Phoenix, Arizona

4)Excellent gym: Lifetime Fitness. Flatscreens throughout. Outdoor and indoor pools with water slides, 2 lap pools, 2 spas with waterfalls, a dry sauna and wet sauna (one in the locker rooms), towel service, hair dryers and soaps and lotion provided, hundreds of cardio machines, a bikram yoga room, pilates room, 2 group exercise rooms, a spinning room, tons of classes, basketball, squash and racquetball courts, rock climbing wall etc. etc.

----------------------------------

The gym is expensive but it is worth it, the daycare is incredible with activities, computers, basketball and much more with an incredible staff.

I've been a member of 24 Hour Fitness, Bally, and LA Fitness and this is the only gym that I can easily spend 2 hours working out. Due to spending more there aren't any of the people there that get all dolled up to "work out".

Gym #1: The YMCA is a 45 minute drive for me. I was going there 2x per week throughout the fall because there was a class that I LOVED. And they have a kids' room and a swimming pool and because my husband said he'd love to workout there after work. Well, I haven't been going, the kid's have been swimming 3x since Novemeber and the only time my husband has worked out there was when he came with me. Once. I'm dropping the membership this month because:
Gym #2: The Tygart Valley Rehab & Fitness is MUCH closer (10 minutes), they have nicer equipment, I'm just paying for me and not the whole family, and I actually go (when I'm not working out in my basement or my office).

1. YMCA: $51/per month for the family.
TVR&F: $24/month for me. My teenage son gets a free membership because he's on the high school football team, but he's never gone there because they workout so much at school. This gym is an extension of the hospital, so it's centered around physical therapy. That's where the profit is (I think), so the monthly membership is very affordable.

2. YMCA: $30.
TVR&F: None.

3. Nowhere, West Virginia. Really. I live outside of town. My mailing address is a tiny one rural route window that's different from the gym addresses. The YMCA is in Clarksburg and the TVR&F is in Grafton.

4. The Y is like any older Y I've ever been in: the equipment is okay, but not the best. Things are clean (for the most part), but old. There are, racquetball courts (2), swimming pol, full basketball court, free weight room, cardio room combined with machine weights, group exercise class room, sauna, hot tub, and a playground outside for kids. Not to mention all the extra cool stuff that they have for kids like summer camps, etc (extra cost).
TVR&F has very new, very nice equipment. The facility is spotless. The focus is on physical therapy, so a large portion of the place is PT only. Very nice cardio equipment. Very nice weight machines. Free weights area is somewhat smaller, but everything is there. No extras and no kid's stuff.

5. No negotiating. I'm from WV originally, but recently lived in Chicago. When we moved back here a couple of years ago, these prices seemed very low and reasonable to me. I think they ARE so low that there's no room for negotiation here.

I had to sign up for a 12-month membership to get the reduced joining fee, but since I joined, they changed their opening hours on a Friday to an hour earlier, so most Fridays, I can't make it unless I skip dinner until after going to the gym.

2 - No start up fees.

3 - Jacksonville, FL

4 - It's called Super Fitness, but it Super Sucks most times. It has what I need to get a workout in. Free weights, benches, cardio equipment (cycles, treadmills, ellipticals), some group classes. But, there are no spinning classes, no hair dryers in the locker rooms, no towels, and some of the equipment needs to be repaired. You get what you pay for, really. It's a basic, dirt cheap, gym. And it's stupid close to my house.

5 - I did no negotiating whatsoever considering all of my other options were close to $40 - $59 a month.

We just moved to Chicago, and here I'm a member of the YMCA, which is the closest gym I could join:

1) 62$ for family membership (me & my husband)
2) yes, 62$
3) Chicago; in the less-expensive outskirts, but still city proper
4) The Y that's 1/2 a mile from our house is very newish and clean and nice, but not very high-tech and on the small side. Some of the displays don't work well or at all, but I never have to wait to use a machine. No pool or sauna or juice bar or any of that sort of thing. A couple of tvs and the speaker system plays salsa in the main cardio/weight room. I'm more of a class person, and though the selection at my Y is limited, there's a great weight class I attend religiously twice a week and there are 2 other Ys within driving distance with good class selections. The different locations vary as to slickness, but none of them approach the gleam of a nationwide chain. But they're cozy and friendly and get the job done.

5) no negotiations, though if I was willing to pay a year in advance, there's a 10% discount. Might do it eventually, not sure yet.

Previously, we were in central Virginia, where I had memberships at UVA where my husband was a grad student.

1) $70ish per semester, 3 semesters in the year; Extra 70ish for one semester unlimited drop-in classes, or you could buy punch cards for individual classes.
2) No. Unless you count tuition!
3) Small College Town
4) Big. New. Very Slick. UVA was recently voted "hottest for fitness" and it shows. Pool, indoor track, tons of cardio with screens, extensive dropin schedule. Reasonably priced if you're a student or married to one, especially if you skip the short summer session like I always did. I was totally spoiled.

One of the ways I've saved money is by signing up with someone. That can reduce your down payment.

Good luck in your search!

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much? I paid $65 up front, then $58 over the next 2 months to make it easier on the purse.

3) What city do you live in? Atlanta, GA

4) What is the gym like? I'm at LA Fitness, as well! it's a newer club and I LURVE it!

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How? Nope, I had a number in my head and he came in way below that. I think he saw the shock on my face when I said really? Month to month? Yep? And when I want to cancel, I have to give a 60 day notice? 30, he said. SOLD! I said.

LA Fitness was the LAST gym I went to, cause I was sure they were gonna scam me. Turned out to be the newest most reasonable club in the area. Besides the fact that they always have a broken treadmill or two, it's a great club!

Ok, some more info. My husband was the Director of Operations for what I like to call a she-she-poo-poo Fitness Spa in Downtown Baltimore (Federal Hill - www.fhfitness.com) for a year. I got a deal there b/c of him, but normally people were paying a $150 sign up fee, $60 a month. INSANE. I was TINY, had good classes and never a lot of people in there, but still. You were paying for location and that feel. The only thing I liked about it was that there were individual TV's on each of the cardio equip.

PQ - I used to live in Greenwood, but I live farther north now. I bet you're talking about the YMCA that got hit by a tornado 5 years ago, aren't you? I know exactly where that is!

This is a no frills (pool, sauna, classes) gym that has a lot of serious body builders. But there are also a lot of people like me who just want to work out and push myself a little bit further. There are a couple of great trainers there also. I really like that the owner is on-site every day.

My husband and I had free Bally memberships during the 2003 Body Challenge. It was pricey for a family membership and towards the end of the challenge we felt pressured to join each time we went in.

1) $50 + $10 for a permanent locker
2) None.
3) Brooklyn, New York.
4) I joined because it has a pool, but of course I've never actually used it. It also has probably three dozen cardio machines, nearly all with TVs mounted on them; spinning room; sauna; basketball court; weight room; some sort of childcare service; and classes, some free and some costing extra.
5) No, but because I joined before the gym opened, I have a "charter membership." This means my monthly rate is locked in at $50, supposedly forever, as long as I don't cancel or put it on hold.

I could recoup more than half of the annual cost if I could manage to go 50 times in 6 months (which is not a lot, I know, I know): my health insurer (Oxford) will reimburse me $200 each time. I've only done it once, though.

1) For a dual membership (hubby and me) $52 a month.
2) We got in on a deal of three free months membership and free tanning when we joined. Didn't use the tanning but the free part was great!
3) Central Iowa
4) There are three locations in town. The one I go to has a big room with the exercise mats, treadmills, weights, cycles etc. Next to that are several exercise studios. They also have a 4-lane swimming pool (my hangout), and wet and dry saunas in the locker rooms. There is a beauty shop attached with tanning beds and they offer nutrition classes and personal trainers. One of the other locations has tennis courts.
5) The deal we got was so good that we didn't think to negotiate a lower price.

1. $9.99 a month
2. 39.99 set up fee. The contract is month to month, so I just have to give 30 days notice to leave.
3. I'm in Arlington VA (suburb of Washington DC)
4. Basic gym--lots of cardio equipment, weight machines, and then a huge free weights section--we have a lot of body builders in there. I think it was supposed to be more of a body builders gym initially, because the free weights area is enormous compared to any other gym I've been to. It does have free tanning beds for members (again pointing to the body building) and a sauna in each locker room but that's about it. No towel service, classes or pool. It's very clean and nice for a basic gym--but no frills.
5. No negotiating--the deal was fantastic as is.

$74/month - normally a sign-up fee but I joined during a promotion and it was waived. There are discounts for paying the entire year upfront.

The gym is wonderful: loads of new cardio machines, an indoor track (12 laps/mile), 2 pools (one regular and one therapy pool with a higher temp.), whirlpool, steam and sauna rooms, clean locker room, free cardio and strength classes,large weight machine area, free weight area, many tv's with plug-ins on the cardio machines, often hold free seminars on nutrition (gym is associated with a hospital), some specialty for-fee classes (I'm currently in a 6-week 3 day/week Boot Camp class that cost extra), friendly helpful staff, and they often run 'challenges' where you can sign up and if you complete a series of workouts you win something like a fleece jacket or t-shirt.

I've been reading your blog for a while and think you are fabulous! What a great woman. Anyway, to answer your questions....
1. I pay $21 a month for Gold's Gym
2. I joined during a $0 down special years ago
3. I live in Salt Lake City, UT
4. I have two words for you, CARDIO CINEMA. My gym has all the normal amenities, pool, sauna, free weights, cardio machines, weight machines, aerobic/yoga/kick boxing room, and they have free classes. However, my favorite amenity is this theatre-esk room that has cardio machines in it. They have a large screen and show such classics as Braveheart and Mission Impossible while you work out. I LOVE it! I'll hop on a treadmill and before Anakin has turned to the dark side, I've put in a 3 mile run.

Villa Sport-- new gym here in Colorado Springs. But I got a job working as swimming instructor/lifeguard a couple hours a week, so it's free for me. Otherwise I think its $75 month for a single person, and like $150 or $200 start up fee. It's the lexus of gyms though--spinning, tons of cardio (each machine has its own flat screen tv on it!), rooms with weird stuff in it for some kind of crazy yoga, two indoor pools, two outdoor pools, sauna, full service spa, steam room, hot tub, etc.

My other membership is at 24 hour fitness. I pay about $43/month, for the all inclusive (i.e. all clubs) membership. I tried to get a better deal last night, telling them that I had a free membership elsewhere, but they didn't bite. I keep this membership because they have a gym close to work, and I've fallen head over heels for the spinning classes and gotten to know the instructors and some of the other people at the gym well.

1) $37.44/month. When I started going three years ago, it was $34.99 but those sneaky bastards have upped the price without so much as a warning. And if I wasn't so obssessive compulsive about the debits in my checking account, I probably wouldn't have even noticed.
2) I think it was a $149.99 initiation fee.
3) Piscataway, NJ (which is right in the heart of the most densely populated state in the nation)
4) Flat screen TV's (but NOT personal TV's on each elliptical and treadmill like at the New York Sports Club that I used to frequent. But is way overpriced IMHO at almost $80 something/month), pool, whirlpool, snack/smoothie bar, spinning room, basketball court, aerobics studio.
5) No I didn't really negotiate. But I introduced my entire famly (like 9 people) to LA Fitness, and since they all joined around the same time, ALL their initiation fees were waived AND they scored a lower rate. Yeah, I definitely got the short end of that stick.

I'm thinking about joining the YMCA downtown which has much nicer facilities and is around 40 a month with a joining fee around 80. Their site is down so I can't look it up. I will be job searching soon so if I work downtown I'll go to the y and if I work around where I live I'll have to keep going to the crummy gym, or just use the weights and cardio machines in my basement.

I think I would prefer going to the Y as I would be more comfortable there, and they have a pool.

No monthly fee. I paid $600 in full for 42 months (3.5 years) membership.

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much?
no additional charges

3) What city do you live in?
Big city in Texas

4) What is the gym like?
Ha! Read my posts! Actually, they have a really good reputation. It's a large, well-established chain.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How?

Yep. Because I was willing to pay upfront, I got a much better deal. The gym is betting on the fact that I will stop working out after a while, after the novelty of it all wears off. So they're hoping they got $600 for 6 months or a year, tops. It's up to me to make it a good deal.

Here at Nike, employees pay $40 a month for unlimited access to both the Lance Armstrong and Bo Jackson centers. in addition, we are eligible to participate in intramural sports (softball, basketball, volleyball, flag football, etc.) for no additional fee. it's lots of fun!

2) I don't remember that clearly, but I think it was $99.

3) Chicago suburbs--I can Walk to chicago, but still the suburbs.

4) It's a Fitness Formula Club, which is a local Chicago chain. It just opened about a year ago, so it's still pretty new and shiny. It has a rock climbing wall, towels, a pool, personal TVs for cardio, juice bar, etc.

5) I signed up before the gym actually opened, so I got a promotional price, but I didn't negotiate it lower.

I've done Women's Workout World in the past, which is a bare-bones, 20 bucks a month for some treadmill, some weights and some classes, and it worked out ok at the time (mostly because it was a block from my house) but now that I've had a taste of the fancy gym, I don't know if I could go back. :)

1. $69 /monthly for family
2. $118 up front fee
3. North East Houston area
4. Very nice (large pool and weight room) classes and child care (plus for me).
5. I'm sure my husband tried.

There was no sign up fee.

I live in NYC.

I belong to Crunch, which has several conveniently located gyms throughout the city, and I can use any of them I like. In the heirarchy of gyms and gym quality, I'd put them at the top of the second tier gyms. I refuse to fork out the dough for a top-tier one. Crunch has lots of classes, clean spaces, new equipment, towel service, cable t.v. screens on most cardio machines. I'm pretty happy with them.

Washington, DC (highest COLA before NYC)
Option 1: I use an employee gym, on-site but closed weekends and after 7 m-f and holidays.
Cost: $12/ month,
no-signup
no commitment
mid-day classes including a great yoga class.

Option 2:
I have another employee gym I use sometimes, like weekends, which is further away and FREE. No classes, no staff, often empty.

Option 3:
A third employee gym is $25/month, there may be a 6-month minimum but I assume that gets waived if you stop working there.
Facilities are much nicer, including a pool, open weekends and evenings; classes are an additional $15-$20 depending on what you buy.

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much? Initiation fees are $75 now, but if you sign up the day you take a tour, it's reduced to $25 (again, much lower than comparable gyms, which run from $100-$300).

3) What city do you live in? Chicago - city

4) What is the gym like? It's high-end, but not luxury. The equipment is top of the line. Individual TVs on each cardio machine. We have a basketball court, spinning room, group exercise room and yoga room. We are building a pool. Offers towel service. The locker rooms have sauna and steam rooms. Individual showers. Shampoo, conditioner, soap and hair dryers. Plenty of lockers. Kids Club babysitting services while you workout. It's a local club, but there are 4 locations in the city.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How? No - my membership is free. I don't think most people negotiate at my facility because it's relatively new and the costs are relatively low. They already know they're getting a deal.

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much? No, joined when there was a special last year.

3) What city do you live in? Evansville, Indiana

4) What is the gym like? It's the best in the city--full sized pool that is covered in the winter, tons of tennis courts, TV's on every piece of cardio equipment, lots of aerobics classes, Pilates Reformer classes, excellent child care, big dressing rooms, big indoor track.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? No.

I love our gym. It costs a fortune, but so does heart surgery. I figure we're investing not just in our future health, but in our children's. My daughter takes swim lessons there and sometimes runs with me on the track after I workout. Also, the pool in the summer is never crowded and it's very nice for families, and we go at least once a week in summer time.

$24/month. Mine is at work. Boston area

I don't know if someone mentioned this already but at the risk of being redundant, some insurance companies will reimburse you for a portion of the cost as an incentive to stay healthy

2) Was there an upfront fee? Yes, somewhere between $100 & $200

3) What city do you live in? Madison, N.J.

4) What is the gym like? It's a really nice YMCA and I have to be a member for my child to go to the associated school that's ($660 a month)

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? No.

I love this YMCA, it's really nice (it is in a fancy area where a pro footballer came from and donated to make it spectacular). Of course I need to use the gym more. I do take a pilates class and my daughter takes dance classes, etc. But I question whether it's worth it or not.

1. what do you pay per month? i signed up for a 3 years up front plan for $600. (so just under $17/ month) this included 6 sessions of personal training and since the gym (24 hour fitness) is nationwide, i can use the membership at their locations nationwide.

2. there was no upfront fee, or if there was, it was included in the price i listed above.

3. omaha, ne. there are 4 of these located in my metro area and i can use any of them. or when traveling to a location with one, i can use it there, too.

4. what is it like? all the locations have a pool, sauna, large cardio rooms with tv's and plugs on the machines to listen to the tv's, large weight rooms, basketball court (sometimes set up for volleyball, yay) spinning room, and exercise classroom (sep. from basketball ct.) the classes at any location are included in the membership, there are no additional fees or charges. they replace the equipment fairly regularly and take good care of their pools/ etc.

5. this just happened to be the deal that they were running when i went in, but it was an off time of year, and they were in a lull (late summer, early fall). in the contract it was supposed to say that after the 3 years is up the membership would be 25/ month, but they reduced that to $11/month for me simply by me asking if they would be willing to make that less. and they have a cap of 3% increase per year after that... if you can get something like that written in, bonus.

1) I paid $38/month, which was a student rate. I think it was $45/mo for non-students.
2) I joined on a promo, so not for me, but I think regularly it was $200-250ish
3) Vancouver, BC - I went to the 8th@Hemlock location of FC4W, which is in a pricey retail neighbourhood.
4) Frickin' awesome. Lots of cardio and weight machines, a big free weight area. A good variety of classes, though their timing was shitty (5-9am, 3-7pm M-F, and random hours S-S). A bunch of TVs in the cardio area. Tanning, showers, clean bathrooms, big changerooms. A free session with one of their staff monthly, and a free body composition test every 12weeks.
5) I got the student discount. Also, when I wanted out of my 2-yr contract after 1yr, they let me transfer the remainder to someone else for $50.

1. $62 a month for a family membership, paid by my employer. I think a single membership is about $50 a month.

2. I know there is generally a joiner's fee, but it was paid by my employer, so I don't know how much it is. I think it is waived during January.

3. I live in the Detroit area.

4. My Y has a cardio room with treadmills, rowers, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and the like. It has 3 TVs. My Y also has about 20 weight machines and a free weight room. There is a pool and sauna, and free on-site day care. There are racquetball and basketball courts. They also recently acquired a bunch of new machines that are similar to Bow-Flexes but do a TON of different exercises and set those up in the previous community room. There are a ton of classes offered, some of which are an additional fee (my yoga/pilates class is $30 for an 10-week session).

5. No, I didn't negotiate, since my employer pays for it. Lucky me!

Good luck for your quest to find the perfect gym for you. I recommend the Y if you're not looking for a gym where people go to see and be seen, and if you don't have the hottest, newest, most up-to-date workout clothes. No one cares what you look like at the Y, and I've been told the same is not true for other places.

1) $30/Monthly - After 12/08, goes down to $20
2) $30 Upfront Fee Only
3) Everett, MA (One of the many suburbs of Boston)
4) I belong to the same gym as Candy - Super Fitness. They have a few locations around my area but I usually go to the one in Boston where I work and the equipment is much nicer and the bathroom is clean. No pool or spinning classes. The aerobics room is tiny. Sometimes I go to their location in Malden and it literally smells of ass. The roof leaks, the equipment is old, but the weights are your back to basics and everyone is more laid back.

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much?
no

3) What city do you live in?
New York, NY

4) What is the gym like?
mid-range in niceness - personal TVs at every machine. I have access to 65 gyms in my city and several in DC, Philly, and Boston, too.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How?
My employer subsidizes the membership and I didn't try to get it reduced further.

2) Yes, there was a sign-up fee, but I got most of it waived because of insurance and a special promotion that was going on.

3) Minneapolis, MN

4) I go to a chain and the location that I go to is pretty nice. Flat screen televisions, whirlpool, sauna, nice equipment (including some fancy treadmills with televisions on them that are pretty much my favorite things ever), and so on. Some locations of the chain are significantly nicer than others. Mine is middle of the road (though it recently did get a face lift and some newer equipment), I'd say, but I like it.

5) I did not negotiate a lower price, but my insurance is finally going to start covering for a frequent fitness program, and I'll get $20 reimbursed as long as I can go 8 times/month, which is pretty easy peasy to do.

$27/a month.
No signup fee.
The gym is in my building.

Has 1 workout room, tread mills, bikes, ellipticals and every type of weight station. It's kind of small but it gets the job done. I think it feels like it's a gym where I can go to and talk to one of the workers and they will give me advise. In fact today I joined the biggest loser competition there and the owner told me if I didn't lose weight next Friday she would look at my food journal to see what I could change.

The instructors there are actually motivating too!

I do get a little bit of a discount because we are in the same building.

Thanks for your blog - it's always enjoyable and entertaining.

Gail

I think it's about £43 per month though (it was £40 when I signed up, and it hasn't gone up more than about £1 per time). There was no upfront fee, but there was a minimum 1 year term (long gone).

It's a hotel gym in Leeds city centre (UK). There's a pool, sauna, steam room, spa and smallish fitness room - a few weights machines, some free weights, 5 treadmills, 5 bikes, 3 cross trainers, 2 rowing machines and some mats and gym balls. They do cross training sessions once a week, and a weight loss clinic twice a week. I think they also do group runs on a Sunday, not that I've ever been on one.

The membership includes towels and toiletries in the showers. There are 3 tvs, and headphone sockets on most of the cardio equipment to listen to it, the radio plays in the background.

PQ - I think you're talking about racquetball.

2) Was there an upfront fee? How much?
Yes, $90 one time joining fee...which I paid like 2+ years ago. There is no contract, you can cancel anytime and not need to pay the one time fee again to join.

3) What city do you live in?
Greater toronto area in Canada

4) What is the gym like?
Pool (BIG PLUS)
individual flat screen TV's on most of the treadmills, elliptical, bikes. (I LOVE THAT)
spinning classes
yoga classes
weights and weight machine circuit
table tennis
basketball court
indoor running/walking track (Love this too)

For $66 a month you can get membership plus that has lounge, drinks, steam room and whirlpool.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How? Nope...charity orgs don't really give discounts. Though if you can't afford to pay the full fee they will do an assessment to see what you can afford to pay. No one is turned away.

2) For Bally's, it was $135, if I remember correctly (I've spent alot of money in 8 years...). Ladie's super fitness was just a month's rate.

3) Lakewood, Ohio (suburb of Cleveland)

4) Bally's was big, and had a sauna, swimming pool, a seperate weight room, a room in which they taught yoga and tai chi, and a small cafe on top of their normal gym equipment (which they did have plenty of different stuff. However, it was FILTHY. Ladies' Super Fitness on the other hand had just your standard treadmills, elipticals, and weight machines, but it was pretty well taken care of and not dirty and stinky like Bally's.

5) No, I was too naive to realize that I could do that. I was 19 when I joined Bally's and 23 when I joined LSF.

2) Was there an upfront fee? Yes. I believe it ended up being $300.00 total, so $150.00 per person

3) What city do you live in? Houston Texas

4) What is the gym like? (The LA Fitness near here has flat-screen TVs, a pool, a sauna, a spinning room, and a smoothie bar. It's understandable that it costs more than the Cardinal Fitness which is essentially a treadmill warehouse.)My gym is LA Fitness. They have all that you mentioned minus the smoothie bar which has not been built yet but IS being done. They have free work out classes (spinning, kickboxing for example) and a basket ball court.

5) Did you negotiate a lower price? Yes, on the upfront part we did. (yes the $300.00 is at a discount) We told them that what they were asking for (which I believe was almost double what we paid) was unreasonable, and walked. They called us the next day and we settled on $300.00. I think the key to negotiating is that you have to be ready to walk.

2. We got a promotion . . . I think it was $200ish.

3. Austin, TX

4. We go to a brand-new Lifetime Fitness. It has a bazillion cardio machines, lots of weight machines and free weights, 2 dance-type and 1 spinning studo with free classes, basketball, racketball and squash courts, rock-climbing wall, lap and family pools (with water slide!) and hot tubs inside and out, co-ed and single-sex dry sauna, wet sauna, free towel service, soap and hair dryers in the locker rooms. I'm in love with our gym and we go regularly. For us, knowing that we can sit in the hot tub and sauna 3x/week is worth $50/month.

5. Yeah, we got the pricing info and then walked away. We came back later to sign up and payed a lower starting fee.

I don't belong to a gym, but here are my costs:

1. Stairmaster (no frills/no fault) $450 (approximately). Its lasted since the 1990s so I'm very happy with it (except during the last five minutes or so, lol).
2. Dumbell Weights (11 pounds each). $22.50 at Wal Mart.
3. Good running shoes every six months - app $70-95. (And the luck to be in a neighborhood that is safe for running.)

However... my old gym up north....

1) How much do you pay a month? Usually around $40/month
2) Was there an upfront fee? How much? Most were about $100 though you could join for free during promotions
3) What city do you live in? North Bay
4) What is the gym like? These ones were swankier, no towel service (which is fine, I want my own towel where I know it has been!)
5) Did you negotiate a lower price? How? If you can achieve student status, can usually get a little bit of a discount both with sign-up and with monthly fees

2 more things! Beware of Fly-by-night gyms... ones that open, look fabulous and ask for insane amounts of money and then close after 2 months after bilking people with their sign-up fees. This happened up north. They look legit, have tons of equipment but - they go from place to place. Lesson learned. Thankfully I only lost 1/2 of my money, my employer lost half too...

Also, racquetball and squash are two different games :)