Getting Fiscal With Gyms
So you’ve eaten a year’s worth of sweets in the first three weeks of 1999 and your fitness workout has consisted of walks from your front door to your car and back.
It’s OK, there’s no law that says your New Year’s resolution to get in shape has to take effect Jan. 1.
Last week, we looked into the treadmill market to assist local residents who prefer at-home, private fitness programs. This week, we checked out some local health clubs to see what is going on in the world of public fitness.
It’s always a good idea, when spending significant amounts of money, to have a set limit and to have a specific purchase in mind. This can be particularly true when the purchase is a health club membership.
Inquiring with club personnel about services and fees--whether by phone or in person--will often lead to a battery of questions for which it is best to be prepared: Are you interested in cardiovascular fitness, muscle toning, maintenance? How often do you work out now? What time today would you like to come in as our guest and meet with a fitness counselor?
It is no secret that gyms--or spas, health clubs, fitness centers and the other names they go by--have widely ranging personalities. Some are as much singles clubs as health clubs, some are devoted to the most serious of bodybuilders, others are designed for the average person struggling to stay in shape. Some are loud and crowded, others are quiet and spacious.
Some have monthly fees, some yearly fees, some initiation fees, some family discounts, some monthly specials. Most gyms offer specials from time to time, and many of them offer discounts at the beginning of a year.
It’s enough to exercise your body at a gym--we thought we’d spare you the hassle of exercising the brain as well. We took a look at a sampling of Ventura County’s health clubs, the ranks of which are growing quickly with the additions of establishments including Gymasters in Ventura and the Spectrum Club in Thousand Oaks.
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The Bryant Street Gym, an independently operated gym in Ojai, offers a range of weight machines, free weights, cardiovascular equipment and aerobics classes. The gym offers a single, six-month membership package for $269 and a single year membership package for $409. A family of three can sign up for $799 per year.
The gym currently is offering a 10-week membership special for $99 per person.
At L.A. Workout in Camarillo, the range of services includes cardiovascular machines, weights and aerobics classes. Membership is $29 a month--along with a $99 sign-up fee for month-to-month payment. If a year’s payment is made in advance, there is no registration fee.
YMCA health clubs are often among the more fully equipped gyms, and the Ventura facility is no exception. It has the usual weight and cardiovascular equipment, as well as swimming pools, children’s programs and a variety of classes.
Membership is $41 a month per person or $72 a month for the family. The initiation fee is regularly $145, knocked down to $99 through January.
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Bally Total Fitness in Simi Valley has a large supply of weight machines, free weights, cardiovascular equipment and classes. There currently is no enrollment fee, which can be as much as $150. Each new member meets with a counselor to determine a suitable payment plan, but the range is $20 to $39 per month.
The Body Focus Health Spa in Thousand Oaks offers free weights, weight machines, cardiovascular equipment, saunas, tai chi, yoga and step aerobics classes of varying degrees of difficulty.
Through January, the initiation fee is a penny. It is usually $50 and may go up in the coming months. Individual membership fees are $29.95 a month, paid on a month-to-month basis. Family membership is $29.95 apiece for the first two members, with a flat rate of $75 a month for three or more family members, providing they are immediate family and can be charged to the same credit or checking account.
Cancellation of membership requires a two-week notice.
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The new Gymasters facility on Telegraph Avenue in Ventura offers aerobics classes, cardiovascular and weight equipment and a large selection of free weights.
Through Jan. 25, the gym has a special membership package that includes a $19 initiation fee and a $29 monthly charge. The monthly payment will increase to $34 a month between Jan. 25 and the official grand opening, scheduled for mid-February, and may increase again after that date.