Bally Total Fitness Files for Bankruptcy

amish

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
4,295
6
81
:frown: are they going to start hiking up my membership?
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,582
6,424
126
their memberships are declining because their contracts are just freaking ridiculous and that place is just a flatout mess.

if my membership wasn't so damn cheap at ballys and wasn't 1/2 mile from where I live I would never be a member there.
 

LegendKiller

Lifer
Mar 5, 2001
18,256
68
86
Asinine contracts, crappy facilities, one of the industry's poorest re-up ratios, and rampant fraud. Whoda thunk that they were going to go under?
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Originally posted by: LegendKiller
Asinine contracts, crappy facilities, one of the industry's poorest re-up ratios, and rampant fraud. Whoda thunk that they were going to go under?

Yeh, the only thing that makes me sad about this is how well the smaller clubs could handle the displaced members. Part of the appeal of the non big-box gyms is the smaller crowds.

 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
I, for one, will not cry if they go out of business entirely. Ballys business model, top to bottom, is way behind the times. They've become the fitness place that most people consider a mistake for joining and they are justing waiting for their contracts to expire so they can go someplace else, like 24 Hour Fitness.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,422
14,337
136
Originally posted by: Xavier434
Fat America++


I remember when Bally's used to have quality gyms many years ago.

This has nothing to do with "Fat America." The fitness industry has actually been undergoing a boom. Ballys just hasn't kept up with the times and changing trends, and instead stuck to a bottom-feeder business model of screwing over unsuspecting fitness n00bs.
 

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
Dang, drove by their offices in my city a few times. Guess that 20 foot sign on the 30th floor will have to come down.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,916
3,896
136
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Never had to experience the mess that is Ballys...been a 24 member for 5+ years.

Close to that here. I couldn't be happier.
 

Xavier434

Lifer
Oct 14, 2002
10,373
1
0
Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Xavier434
Fat America++


I remember when Bally's used to have quality gyms many years ago.

This has nothing to do with "Fat America." The fitness industry has actually been undergoing a boom. Ballys just hasn't kept up with the times and changing trends, and instead stuck to a bottom-feeder business model of screwing over unsuspecting fitness n00bs.

I get jokes too ;)
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Interesting, because they just opened up a brand-new facility her on the West side of Houston.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Oh, I just realized it's Chapter 11. Not that big of a deal yet. Hell, Trump has filed that more than once.
 

gabby

Junior Member
Jul 26, 2007
12
0
0
It's just like Fitness First, they really have ridiculous contracts and a lot of small print that hassles the members in the long run
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
0
When I read that news, it brought a huge smile to my face. I just wish it were Chapter 7. Bally's is crap.
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
7,098
0
76
My only gripe with the 24 Hour Fitness here is that they use polygon-shaped plates, which makes deadlifting impossible.

Gold's Gym and round plates FTW.

Honestly, whoever came up with the idea of plates in any shape other than round needs to DIAF ;)
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
Originally posted by: AndrewR
When I read that news, it brought a huge smile to my face. I just wish it were Chapter 7. Bally's is crap.

yea, sucks though for all of the innocent employees that are involved...
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
0
0
Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Originally posted by: AndrewR
When I read that news, it brought a huge smile to my face. I just wish it were Chapter 7. Bally's is crap.

yea, sucks though for all of the innocent employees that are involved...

In this case, the employees are probably ok. However, since the management employees are directly involved with fleecing customers on a daily basis, I have a hard time feeling any sympathy for their "plight" since the reputation and actions of the company fall directly on their shoulders.
 

dbot

Senior member
Jan 28, 2004
280
0
0
Originally posted by: TechBoyJK
Originally posted by: AndrewR
When I read that news, it brought a huge smile to my face. I just wish it were Chapter 7. Bally's is crap.

yea, sucks though for all of the innocent employees that are involved...

There aren't many of them at Bally's. I'll never go to another one again.