I'm blogging with my blackberry pearl while at the airport. How cool is that?

I was talking with a real estate agent yesterday who was complaining about her gym. She joined a brand new women's gym and they promised they would have ellipticals as soon as they officially opened. Guess what?

It has been about 6 months and still no ellipticals. Shocking a gym owner who lied in order to sell someone a gym membership.

Everyone has either had this happen to them or heard about something like it from a friend.

Further proof that gyms are a rip off.  ¶ 12:03 PM 0 comments

  In my search for all the horror stories I can find about gyms I came across this gem from Vanessa. She creatively describes going to the gym to one of Dante's circles of Hell.

Why Gyms Suck (a small diatribe for the those of us on the wrong side of the B.M.I)

1. Gyms Smell. I don't know why but every gym smells the same. Just like the dentist. You step into a gym and the aroma fills you with a sense of desperation and woe as you feel your upper lip curling in a derisive sneer at the glut of beautiful, shallow people. Until you catch a glimpse of your ass in the mirror in your those trackies and you slink off, head hanging low to face..

2.The Machines. What the hell are they for? Most people don't use the settings on them and apparently the recommended heart rates for cardio on them are all wrong. The gym guy told me to ignore them and just use the timer..I could use the pavement and my watch, it would be a lot cheaper..They're ugly and scary and boring as all hell!!

3. The Staff. there are two types of gym staff that I've enountered. the apathetic don't give a shit kind, who ignore you and wouldn't notice if you had a heart attack. And then there's the chipper, optimistic ones who make an effort to know your name so you won't quit. i don't mind these ones except they're usually the ones who give you advice on how to exercise. That's fine but they live in this world

click here for the rest. it's priceless.  ¶ 6:57 AM 0 comments

  This past Sunday noght we had on Al Argibay and Jason Stern to hear first hand what went down at that Planet Fitness. Quick Recap: Al was booted out of the Planet Fitness for grunting. I've ranted a lot on this subject, but you can hear Al's story directly from him here.   ¶ 6:53 AM 0 comments

  Here is an example of the power of the internet. After blogging about the guy who got booted out of Planet Fitness for grunting yesterday. I got him to agree to be a guest on my Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy radio show.

So in a few weeks I'll get to hear his side of the story.

But in the meantime you should check out his rep's website to see video and some funny reasons why you should not join Plantet Fitness.  ¶ 5:49 AM 0 comments

  This article was in today's New York Times (subscription required)

WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y., Nov. 13 — Albert Argibay, a bodybuilder and a state correction officer, was at a Planet Fitness gym with 500 pounds of weight on his shoulders one afternoon this month when the club manager walked over and told him it was time to leave. Mr. Argibay, the manager explained, had violated one of the club’s most sacred and strictly enforced rules: He was grunting.

“I said to her, ‘I’m not grunting, I’m breathing heavy,’ ” recalled Mr. Argibay, 40, an energetic man with the hulking appearance of a pro linebacker. “I guess she didn’t like the fact that I challenged her, because she said to me, ‘Meet me up front; I’m canceling your membership.’ ”

Here's my take on this. Gyms are for people who already fit, they should be allowed to grunt if they want to. But you see only about 10% of the population is fit, so gyms can't make enough money off of them so they have to target the unfit masses to make the big bucks. So gyms make it seem to the unfit types that they are fun and friendly and no heavy lifting or actual working out takes place inside their hallowed walls.

So in order to protect these pristine environment they kick out anyone who happens to be actually working out, like Mr. Argibay.

If you are not fit then do not join a gym. Get fit first inexpensively by walking or doing some stuff at home. then when you know what you're doing and you've proven to yourself that you will go regularly then by all means join a gym.  ¶ 5:17 AM 0 comments

  Here's a summary of a recent entry in Angie's List that describes a customer's experience at a Gold's Gym.

This involves the ease (or lack of ease) it is to get the gym to stop taking your money each month. The saddest part of this story is that the lady's initial membership contract had ended. She thought she was done with them...But oh no, just like Jason and Freddie Kreuger these guys are not that easy to get rid of.

This lady neglected to read the fine print of her contract...it said that if the gym does not receive written termination in the form of a letter then your contract really doesn't end it merely moves over to "month-to-month" status. That means it never ends unless you start jumping through some hoops.

READ THE FINE PRINT PEOPLE!!!. So here come the hoops...First, she had to submit written notice of her quitting 30 days in advance of the date they would end her obligation. Guess what happened next, she was still being charged, because the "accounting department" failed to properly file her request. You know how this story ends, endless calls to the gym owner management, then endless calls to the corporate office. She said that she actually spoke to at least 6 different company representatives, and STILL has not received her money back.

And guess what, she started to go online and she found out (surprise surprise) that she was not alone. there were people froma ll over the country that have had the same experience, continual charges to their bank accounts with little assistance in stopping the monthly charge or processing the appropriate refunds. Right now she is working with the Better Business Bureau and the Georgia Attorney General's Office to secure her refund.

Today's tip is to check out the Better Business Bureau or Angie's List for other horror stories, before you join any gym. Remember if you are using Angie's List for the first time be sure you expand your search to companies rated F. The default on the site is B, but you want to see the gyms you should avoid.

Also if a company only has one good report it might have been done by the gym owner. I have heard stories of gym owners forcing all its staff to go online and grade their gym an A or vote for it in a "Best of..." contest.

But most importantly PLEASE READ THE FINE PRINT. Make sure you know how to end your contract before you sign it to begin with!  ¶ 6:56 AM 0 comments

  As we continue with this site I'd like to hear your gym horror stories. Tell me about the bad customer service, the filthy bathrooms, the sneaky managers with the fine print on their contracts.

Here is a recent review of the World Gym (Uptown) in Chicago from CenterStage. Read through the reviews and you'll see all the things you should look out for if you ever want to consider joining a gym.

Here's a tip, if there are this many bad reviews, pick another gym. Or even better, buy a heart rate monitor and start a walking or running program with some friends.  ¶ 12:10 PM 0 comments

  Secret #2... 70% of gym members stop going to the gym within 90 days. Gyms prey upon your inability to stay compliant with an exercise program. So they entice you with a free first month or no sales person commission I mean no enrollment fee.

The gym owner knows that within 3 months you will not be stepping foot inside that gym again, but your bank will be having $40 sucked out of it every month for the forseeable future.

If every member of your gym actually went to the gym like they originally planned on doing, that gym would be bursting at the seams. Gyms usually have thousands of members more than can fit inside it.  ¶ 7:37 AM 0 comments

 

Secret #1... Gyms take advantage of a sedentary person's tendency to blame themselves for not having the willpower to keep going to the gym. The gym owner will keep taking the money out of your bank each month even though you haven't stepped foot into that gym for months.

So if you have never exercised regularly before then please save your money and don't join a gym.

  ¶ 7:35 AM 0 comments