Any Gym membership offers?

pixelchick10

Jennie small world as you say! I used to use the Arches, the one in Eltham and the Waterfront. But they were new then ... sounds like they're not so clean now. Anyway, best of luck in your hunt for a good gym!

Firefox that's a really useful list of tips ... so December's a quiet month -- do you think people will be flocking to join gyms in January -- despite the credit crunch? What is the usual policy for gyms if you can't train for a couple of months or so for health reasons and have been signed off by the doc?

Cheers for all your insights!

Mariss

In my borough they have reductions for people who are living inside the borough. People on low income can get a special leisure pass, so they will get reductions on gym use (or usage of tennis courts and swimming pool). So, you might want to check the leisure centres of your borough; they are probably much cheaper than the private clubs.

blue_monkey_2

Mariss, around here they are the same price as the private ones but they are dirty and use of the pool is limited to around times the kids are not in school, they have classes, or anything else going on in the pool. This is why the private one appealed to me but that I could take the kids for set times in the day if I wanted, they just section the pool off. It also meant that I was getting 'free swimming' for the kids.

My daughter has swimming lessons there and the teacher is fab. DD spent a year in armbands at the coulcil run pool and still did not get past level 2 where as within a week at the private gym she was out of armbands and has been moved up a level. They are around £1 more a lesson. Well worth it in my opinion, and the classes are smaller too, she had 1 some days in the other class - here she has just 4! I'd pay the membership fee just to get her swimming at a decent level.

Also, the changing rooms at the council gym are, how shall we say, a little grim! Plus you have to pay to use the lockers and then lose your money at the end of the day. The equipment in a private gym is far superior in my opinion, there is more equipment and more facilities, I have used both and in my opinion the private club is better. However, I do understand that there is a difference in pricing especially when you get into London but I would not have signed up for a year, I think Gyms would get more members in if they got rid of this silly rule, as who knows how circumstances will change.

Also to add they have lovely fast, hot and private showers, the little extras like free shower gel and lots of free hairdryers are a bonus too.

littlebird22

pixelchick10 wrote: »

so December's a quiet month -- do you think people will be flocking to join gyms in January -- despite the credit crunch? What is the usual policy for gyms if you can't train for a couple of months or so for health reasons and have been signed off by the doc?

I used to work in a gym and if you were signed off by a doctor for so many months we would freeze membership and just charge a £5 admin fee per month.

We also did not run January offers since we got plenty of people wanting to join anyway. I'm not sure what will happen this year with the credit crunch as I don't work there any more. We used to have a 12 day membership in December that could be bought as a Xmas present and that then had offers tied into it if you went on to join. There's nothing stopping you from buying one of these for yourself though. It's always a good way to check the gym out as well before committing although most gyms should give you a one day trial anyway. Also check the small print on offers; we often had one where it was no joining fee, however, the small print stated that was only for the first 15 people joining, everyone else had to pay a £15 admin fee. The staff can be quite embarassed about this as it is very very small print on the poster but, in my gym anyway, there was nothing I could do about it, only a supervisor could waive it so it may be worth asking to speak to one of those in the first instance. Even if it appears easier to bully the young part timers they are exactly the people who have no power to do what you want!

Have you looked into university gyms? My university gym is much nicer, bigger and better equipped than the private gym I used to work at and considerably cheaper. I know someone who uses UCL as a non student member and that has a pool (I have no idea if that is anywhere near Greenwich though!). I know that at my university gym non students have to pay slightly more than students but it is still considerably cheaper than anything private.

Someone mentioned about dirty changing rooms in gyms. If the men's changing room is dirty have you told the staff? Where I used to work there were far more female staff and so sometimes there would be no male staff in all day. We obviously still cleaned the men's changing rooms at night but during the day sometimes we can't always get in to check and rely upon regular members telling us if soemthing is wrong in there.

jenniewb

littlebird22 wrote: »

pixelchick10 wrote: »

Have you looked into university gyms? My university gym is much nicer, bigger and better equipped than the private gym I used to work at and considerably cheaper. I know someone who uses UCL as a non student member and that has a pool (I have no idea if that is anywhere near Greenwich though!). I know that at my university gym non students have to pay slightly more than students but it is still considerably cheaper than anything private.

Someone mentioned about dirty changing rooms in gyms. If the men's changing room is dirty have you told the staff? Where I used to work there were far more female staff and so sometimes there would be no male staff in all day. We obviously still cleaned the men's changing rooms at night but during the day sometimes we can't always get in to check and rely upon regular members telling us if soemthing is wrong in there.

LOL! The sheer volume of people I have spoken to at my local gym who say they have left complaints with the staff about changing rooms- children under 10 included!!! you think they would get thier act together- even just clean the black mould off the showers would be a start...but nope, day in day out, bins are emptied but floors are never swept....

Unfortunatly that is the university gym- the uni near me have no gym, the gym insted give all the uni students half price membership (the rest of us have to pay full price).

I am hard pushed to find somewhere as luxurious as my last gym- It was so spangly clean it was like a spa centre! (not that I have ever been to a spa, but I have seen the pictures!) free everything: towels, hair straighteners, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, moisturisers, cotten buds, shower caps, cotton wool, combs, driers, swimming costume driers, sauna, UV filtered swimming pool, hundreds of machines, 3 stretching areas, yoga suite.......I could go on all day here! it was/is well worth the money they ask for it, one day perhaps I will be able to afford it- seriously, I did not have a gym addiction until I joined this gym!!:rotfl:

My week trial of LA fitness starts monday:T then I may well sign up for the year: £47 per month for 12 months, can go to any LA fitness in the UK! is half the price I am currently paying out between the two gyms I am at at the moment so a big saving for me.

jenniewb

Mariss wrote: »

In my borough they have reductions for people who are living inside the borough. People on low income can get a special leisure pass, so they will get reductions on gym use (or usage of tennis courts and swimming pool). So, you might want to check the leisure centres of your borough; they are probably much cheaper than the private clubs.

Yup, thats one of the ones I go to already- with showers that used to be lovely and hot, only to be replaced with waht feels like a mini spray of lukewarm water, changing rooms that never get cleaned properly (seriously, the mould actually makes me throw up- not good!) and gym is tiny! the other users are on the majority quite friendly though- though get one or two who are otherwise.

I go to one posh sports club for £53 a month, but can only use it friday afternoon to sunday inclusive and the one in my borough is £40 and can be used anytime (though I dont find it as nice to use so not worth it if it does not make me feel good) wish wish wish they would clean my gym! Thanks for idea though

sKiTz-0

Hi,
I have a question:
I have just been looking on the Total Fitness website at the joining fees - to join the Wilmslow branch the yearly membership is £499, but if you put your prefferred branch as Wigan it drops to £440.
Does this make any difference? As if you join one gym, you can use the facilities at them all!!
Was just wondering if anyone else had spotted this/done this?
Well worth it to save £60 I reckon.

jenniewb

I don't live in that area so cannot comment, but I would ask the cheaper gym what the difference is as well as the more expensive one (may sound like going back on yourself but could be in your benefit). You may find there are hidden extras included in one gym that otherwise were unknown, or you may find you get a lower quote from the more expensive gym as a way to get you to sign with them rather then elsewhere.

sellingmysoul666

this is my gym there are only a few branches but they only have a 3 month notice period if you want to quit - but why would you !
a plus for me is they dont allow childen in
they have reduced all memberships to £34.99 a month ( classes free) - i am now saving £4 a month :j

http://www.carrefour.uk.com/

a lot of people quit when a total fitness opened around the corner but some have since come back

pixelchick10

Is it linked to the French supermarket chain?