In the week since my last post, Getting motivated to exercise with 24 Hour Fitness, I’ve met with my personal trainer twice, exercised at the club by myself once and took one yoga class. That’s a lot to review in one post, so I’m going to break it into two. The first will be my review of 24 Hour Fitness online sign up process and the club facilities. Next week, I’ll post a review of my personal training sessions and the classes.
Online sign up
I joined 24 Hour Fitness online, which was fairly easy since I was told which package to get. (I was given a free 30-day unlimited pass and three 50-minute sessions with a personal trainer as part of the review process.)
There are many packages and pay plans to choose from depending on your needs. If you travel or have a long work commute, you’ll want the option of an “all-club access” plan. If you want to only work out at your local gym, you can go with a “one club access” plan. (The all-club membership isn’t much more than a one club plan. It’s worth it for the flexibility to exercise by your work place, home or to even have access to different class schedules.) There is also a corporate rate.
You can prepay in advance or pay on a monthly basis. Pricing also depends on where you live and what club you use. There’s even a 30 or 90 day option, which you’d want to consider if you’ll be spending time in another part of the country for work, school, or vacations.
Also, you can add personal training sessions on to your membership. A starter pack of three 50-minute sessions was $129 in my area. Consider it a great way to start your membership if you’re not an expert in using the machines and the facility. It’s also a great way to change up your routine or to get some advice.
After signing up, you should receive a call from the club manager within two to three business days. I didn’t get one, so I called and spoke to Dave. He scheduled my first appointment with a personal trainer and asked a few questions like if I wanted a female or male trainer. Dave also called me “darling” several times. It was a bit odd, but since he had an accent (British, I think) he could get away with such familiarity.
Online membership access
After you sign up online, you can register for an online membership account, so you can access your billing info, register for easy pay, etc. You also get helpful emails and invites to events at your club. For example, I was invited to a Mother’s Day event where I could have brought a friend for free. If my mom was in the area, I would have brought her along to have a nice soak in the whirlpool or a steam.
Other online membership benefits include:
- a free 30-day nutritional program trial
- a getting started 12-week eating plan
- suggested basic fitness exercises
- fitness workout tools – downloads like a fitness card and a daily food journal
Club facilities – Broomfield, Colorado
When I got there, I was surprised to see the parking lot so full in the middle of the morning. With the recession, maybe there were a lot of out of work people exercising along with the stay at home parents and seniors. I was a bit concerned that the club would be packed and noisy. Not to worry because the facility is huge and there is plenty of equipment – from weights to cardio machines – to go around.
Upon arrival, I was greeted warmly at the front desk. I explained that I was there for the first time to meet with a personal trainer. The front desk person printed out my membership card, and called a female manager come up to the front to give me a quick tour.
The manager said the main part of the facility is divided into two spaces – one for cardio and one for weights and machines. She told me that since there are so many cardio machines (bikes, stair climbers, treadmills, etc.) there is no time limit on any of them. I liked that. That part of the room also featured two banks of TVs hanging from the ceiling tuned to four different stations. Each bike or stair climber was equipped with audio boxes, so you could plug in your ear buds and pick which station you wanted to watch.
She pointed out the huge glassed-in room for Group X (group exercise) classes ranging from yoga to step and told me I could get the most recent schedule at the front desk or online. Then she showed me the women’s changing room, which had small, medium, large and coin operated lockers. The showers have shampoo, conditioner and soap dispensers, and you can buy a towel at the front desk if you forget yours. The women’s locker room and bathroom were very clean and even had a TV to watch while you changed.
The pool area was very nice too – just a lap pool for classes or to use by yourself, steam and sauna rooms, and a whirlpool. I also toured the stretching area, a room just for spin classes, and a full sized basketball court where people stretch, jog or do lunges when there isn’t a game going on.
I was also shown the child care facility, called the Kids’ Club, which is available for members for $2 to $3 per child per day for up to two hours of supervision. They take kids from 6 months to 12 years. I’ll probably take advantage of this in a couple of weeks when the kids are out of school and haven’t started summer camp yet.
The facility also has a pro shop where they sell exercise clothing and nutritional bars and supplements. Plus, there were two vending machines in the lobby area selling sports and energy drinks if you forgot your water bottle to fill up at the numerous water fountains.
My overall impression
I wished the club wasn’t 40 minutes away, because it’s a terrific facility. Since it’s not a rec center, there aren’t multitudes of kids running around unsupervised (a major problem in the pool area of my local center). There is so much equipment, that never have to wait. The facility is cleaned daily, well ventilated (neither too hot or too cold) and well lit.
I also liked that the members are there to seriously work out, and the staff were helpful, professional and friendly. It’s a place where you’re inspired to get fit – and I can’t wait to go back.
