It's been a long time since I joined the gym but I am thinking about starting up again soon. I have most of the major chains in my area, and I really want someplace that's not crazy crowded and has free weights. What do you think is the best chain out there? Any other tips for joining the gym I should look into before I commit?
I really like Planet Fitness. The basic membership is only about $10 a month and they are open 24 hours. The convenience factor alone makes it worth more. I have also found that the gym has high quality machines that they seem to take care of, another thing I like is that they have enough cardio machines so there is no reason to ever wait. At my old gym they had so few treadmills that there was always a wait. I have also noticed that if a machine breaks it is usually only down for a day as they have someone come in right away to fix it. You can also upgrade to a $20 a month membership that allows you to bring guests for free, access to a few special rooms in the gym (I believe one is tanning), and you can also go to any Planet Fitness--not just your "home" gym.