Cost of joining a gym

[BigJim520]

So I'm thinking of training to get my fat ass in shape. I stopped by the MMA gym that's really convenient to my work/home.
$90-$150/month depending on how many classes you want to take.

Not unreasonable I guess, but they want a 1 year contract. I hate that. What if I decide after 3 months that I'm sick of the shit, or if I get injured? Or I don't like the instructors? Is that standard practice?

They offer a decent selection of classes with times that work pretty well for me. It's the fucking 1 year contract that really has me turned off.

[LANCE SVRETHRVST]

i tell the chimps that run spin that i'm only paying month to month. if they don't like it, i'll just take my amazing calf muscles elsewhere.

[Crunchie]

i tell the chimps that run spin that i'm only paying month to month. if they don't like it, i'll just take my amazing calf muscles elsewhere.

[kurleedaddee]

Most of the Kickboxing gyms in the Bay Area want students to sign a one year contract. And the same prices around here. Between $90-125. Fairtex and AKA both have limited classes and the amount of classes students can take per week fro around $125.

The gym I go to is around $100 a month, but you can take unlimited classes during the week. And they offer conditioning, strength, circuit training, sparring and Jiu Jitsu classes.

You will need to buy gear as well. At the least you will need shorts, hand wraps and gloves. If you start sparring, your going to have to buy a mouthpiece, cup, shin guards and headgear. Some also make you bring your own Thai Pads.

I lost 33 lbs. and have kept most of it off training between 3-4 times a week. You will lose a lot more weight training kickboxing or MMA than you will running on a treadmill and just lifting weights in my opinion.

[BigJim520]

i tell the chimps that run spin that i'm only paying month to month. if they don't like it, i'll just take my amazing calf muscles elsewhere.

I've seriously thought about that. I'll offer to go 3-months, but signing up for a year blows. Plus they want a 1 time registration fee (which was like $100 I think).

You will need to buy gear as well. At the least you will need shorts, hand wraps and gloves. If you start sparring, your going to have to buy a mouthpiece, cup, shin guards and headgear. Some also make you bring your own Thai Pads.

Gear is not a big issue, yeah, I know it's not cheap, but at least I'll own it, and if I blow out a knee, I'm not paying $100/month for the next 9 months for nothing. I'll have some shit to put on the mantle to show what a badass motherfucker I am.

I lost 33 lbs. and have kept most of it off training between 3-4 times a week. You will lose a lot more weight training kickboxing or MMA than you will running on a treadmill and just lifting weights in my opinion.

I've lost weight before, but only by doing something that I enjoy doing. If I'm miserable doing the treadmill & stairmaster, I'll give it up quickly and put the pounds back on. If I'm enjoying sparring & rolling, I'll keep doing it. That's my real goal.

OTOH, my credit is fucked from my divorce, so I could just blow off the contract like I have the $50K+ in credit cards that I already owe, and it's really not gonna hurt me. But I am really trying to get my financial shit back together as well as my rotund-ass. I don't know what other choices I have for an MMA gym in the area, so I'll shop around and play them off of each other.

[knockkraut]

Pain. And lots of it

[BigJim520]

Pain. And lots of it

Yet another reason not to sign a 1-year contract.

[LANCE SVRETHRVST]

Most of the Kickboxing gyms in the Bay Area want students to sign a one year contract. And the same prices around here. Between $90-125. Fairtex and AKA both have limited classes and the amount of classes students can take per week fro around $125.

The gym I go to is around $100 a month, but you can take unlimited classes during the week. And they offer conditioning, strength, circuit training, sparring and Jiu Jitsu classes.

You will need to buy gear as well. At the least you will need shorts, hand wraps and gloves. If you start sparring, your going to have to buy a mouthpiece, cup, shin guards and headgear. Some also make you bring your own Thai Pads.

I lost 33 lbs. and have kept most of it off training between 3-4 times a week. You will lose a lot more weight training kickboxing or MMA than you will running on a treadmill and just lifting weights in my opinion.

...but do they offer spin at your gym??? if so, i demand the name of it at once!

[Squirrel]

These gyms make quite a bit of money on the "quitters".

Gym's usually let you go to a class or two for free to check it out. Your adrenaline is high because you're really interested in joining and they use that to suck you into a contract. In most people's minds it's like "hell yeah I'm in this for the long run!" but the reality is that only about 40-50% of them stay and the contract makes 100% of them pay.

You're approaching it with scepticism which is good. If you don't like the contract then just don't sign.

I had a contract at a gym when I was 19 and never finished paying it off. I was a good student so apparently they dropped all the fees. It was only like $300 but still...

Hopefully there's an honest gym in your area that honors month-to-month contracts.

[Squirrel]

I type a lot when I drink.

[kurleedaddee]

These gyms make quite a bit of money on the "quitters".

Gym's usually let you go to a class or two for free to check it out. Your adrenaline is high because you're really interested in joining and they use that to suck you into a contract. In most people's minds it's like "hell yeah I'm in this for the long run!" but the reality is that only about 40-50% of them stay and the contract makes 100% of them pay.

You're approaching it with scepticism which is good. If you don't like the contract then just don't sign.

I had a contract at a gym when I was 19 and never finished paying it off. I was a good student so apparently they dropped all the fees. It was only like $300 but still...

Hopefully there's an honest gym in your area that honors month-to-month contracts.

Totally. Our coach offered a month of classes for $20 on Groupon. The last Groupon he offered he got 850 new students. I would say about 25% of them sign up. And at least half of them stop coming after the first 3-4 months. But our coach puts almost all of it back into his gym. Almost all of his loaner equipment is new including the Thai Pads and punching bags. In the last year and a half I have been given 4 t-shirts to promote the gym, and also use as a uniform. The point I am trying to make is there are a lot of gyms out there just interested in making money. But if you can find a gym, like the one I go to, you will find a lot of good people who are fun to train with, and a coaching staff that actually cares about its students and their well being.

[BigJim520]

I had a contract at a gym when I was 19 and never finished paying it off. I was a good student so apparently they dropped all the fees. It was only like $300 but still...

Yeah, I think I've signed contracts 2-3 times with gyms (weights and aerobics, not MMA) and always burned out after 2-3 months. That experience has turned me off to long term contracts.

[the_rhythm]

I just signed up at an MMA gym tonight. It's $125 a month, which is a little steep, but it is close to the house. I signed an agreement, which they say is different than a contract in that I can get out of it if I get injured, have to move, etc. They are trying to implement an MMA belt system, which seems like a gimmick. We'll see how it works. I just recently lost about 40 pounds and hope between this and working out, I can get in optimum shape. Motivation is always my biggest detractor and I hope whooping ass will allow me to keep it.