74 bucks a month to join spectrum (a health club)

[z0mb13]

I went to a spectrum club in socal last night, and the facility is pretty nice: it has a basketball court, mini olympic pool (big plus!), squash, racketball, and a good gym.

They charge 74 per month with no contract. only first and last month payment is required.
Is this a good price?

 

[IceBergSLiM]

that seems quite high.

 

[Heisenberg]

The gym I used to belong to was $30 a month, no contract, and didn't require any kind of deposit.

 

[z0mb13]

will I look like a dumbass if I try to bargain with the sales person?

 

[jpeyton]

How much do you value your own health and fitness?

My roommate pays about $80/month for his health club membership. It's true he could go to a regular gym like 24 Hour Fitness or the YMCA for a lot less. But he likes playing basketball, and this particular gym has the best and most consistent competition on the courts (including an occasional NBA or former NBA player). It's worth the extra cost to him to get some good games in after work.

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
will I look like a dumbass if I try to bargain with the sales person?

If its a chain yes.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
The gym I used to belong to was $30 a month, no contract, and didn't require any kind of deposit.

with a swimming pool ??

 

[jlbenedict]

health clubs are for pu$$ies
Go to a gym.. a dungeon

*flame away*

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: Tom

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
The gym I used to belong to was $30 a month, no contract, and didn't require any kind of deposit.

with a swimming pool ??

No, it was just a gym, not a "health club" I guess. Still, $74/month seems high to me unless you really value a pool/basketball court/etc.

 

[toekramp]

i pay 59.99 a month for my club, worth every penny

 

[ViviTheMage]

local community center charges just that much for a year....and they have all you said, if not more.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
local community center charges just that much for a year....and they have all you said, if not more.

there is a 2 year waitlist to join my local community center

another one charges 45 a month, but there is no pool.

The pool is a big plus for me

 

[iotone]

the spectrum clubs are nice... i went to the one here in el segundo one day to check it out, but that one didn't have any racquetball courts (as far as i could see), but their big sell is that it's the "Home of the Clippers". nice club, but i need to spend that 80 bucks in gas right now

 

[vi edit]

You are certainly paying a premium for the pool and "no obligation" month to month contract.

As far as value goes, it's almost $2.50 a day when you break it down. Is it worth a full $1.00-$1.50 more a day than a typical gym that only charges $30 a month?

If you use the pool daily then probably. If only a few times a month, then probably not.

Plus be sure to factor in setup fees and contract obligations that some of the cheaper places charge.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
You are certainly paying a premium for the pool and "no obligation" month to month contract.

As far as value goes, it's almost $2.50 a day when you break it down. Is it worth a full $1.00-$1.50 more a day than a typical gym that only charges $30 a month?

If you use the pool daily then probably. If only a few times a month, then probably not.

Plus be sure to factor in setup fees and contract obligations that some of the cheaper places charge.

this place usually has $199 initiation fee, but they waived it until the end of this month

 

[yobarman]

Go to a gym man and pay under $30 a month. There's no point in those fancy heatlh clubs unless you want some soft hands.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: vi_edit
You are certainly paying a premium for the pool and "no obligation" month to month contract.

As far as value goes, it's almost $2.50 a day when you break it down. Is it worth a full $1.00-$1.50 more a day than a typical gym that only charges $30 a month?

If you use the pool daily then probably. If only a few times a month, then probably not.

Plus be sure to factor in setup fees and contract obligations that some of the cheaper places charge.

this place usually has $199 initiation fee, but they waived it until the end of this month

Wow, that sure was generous of them. Did they offer to use the good lube too?

 

[vi edit]

Another thing to take into consideration is the business of the place. It sucks having to wait around forever to get access to a station or a machine. Visit it a couple times at the time of the day that you'd be going there and see how backed up things are.

 

[JS80]

they will negotiate, i know this for sure, especially if you push for some prepay type of deal.

Pros:
1) elite clubs not as crowded at peak hours as the cheaper chains. 24 hour fitness and bally's will be jam packed and it's like an hour wait for anything in the 2 hour period before and after work (6am-8am and 5pm-7pm).
2) network value; most of the people there are high income and if you're interested in expanding your network, it's a great opportunity to meet people of "value"
3) better equipment, basketball court
4) hot chicks.

Cons:
1) expensive, if you don't use it a lot, it's money down the drain (obviously)
2) i think weekend hours are not favorable

 

[foghorn67]

Some of the 30 dollar and month gyms get too crowded. And you get what you pay for when it comes to people that sign up there. I go to 24 fitness, and I am surrounded by the dumbest people ever. They never enforce rules at 24 hour fitness. I went to several locations. People still carry bags with them, flip flops, drop weights to look cool, and some people work out sick and coughing everywhere. Faucets and drinking fountains are too sparse. 2 drinking fountains in 1 gym???
Equipment breaks, take days to fix. Faucets can be broken for weeks. And soap in the dispensers are more often then not, out.
I visited a nice fitness club and spa, not Spectrum, but it was loads better.
What is it with people that don't towel off when walking from the showers and pools? I don't want your fungus.

 

[DurocShark]

I really liked the Spectrum club I was going to. I had won a 1 year membership a few years ago. But for $74 a month, there should be a guy doing my workouts for me.

 

[z0mb13]

well I will try to negotiate with the sales person to get it to like 50 bucks a month

if thats not possible then I will try it out for a couple of months

 

[BoldAsLove]

Originally posted by: iotone
the spectrum clubs are nice... i went to the one here in el segundo one day to check it out, but that one didn't have any racquetball courts (as far as i could see), but their big sell is that it's the "Home of the Clippers". nice club, but i need to spend that 80 bucks in gas right now

I used to go there

 

[TheCanuck]

Seems like too much for me...but I'm only paying $8 a month a Ballys and p!ssed they're increasing it to $13 / month next year!

 

[Rumpltzer]

My friend in Woodland Hills got stupid and got herself into a 2 year contract with either Spectrum or 24 Hours Fitness (I don't remember which). I'm not sure if she had an initiation fee. I think she's going to try to transfer the membership in Craig's List. I see other people are doing it, and I guess it's allowed.

I'm with LA Fitness. I bargained my way out of the initiation fee (it was easy, I asked and they said okay), it's $35 a month, and there's no contract.


I'm in the South Bay of Los Angeles, and this place turns into hot Asian girl central on most weeknights.

I will never, ever, ever leave this gym.

Never.


Edit: Oh yeah, and it has a 25m pool.