Finding The Right Gym Membership For You!
- Safira Halani
- Feb 15, 2022
- 1 min read
Picking a gym to join can be a daunting task. There are so many different gyms, memberships, perks and benefits. Below you will find a chart/matrix of various gyms in the GTA which might make it easier for you to decide which gym best suits your needs and wish list. Below the chart you will see small blurbs about my experience and research about the options in the chart.
| GoodLife Fitness | LA Fitness | Fit4Less | F45 | Orange Theory |
Single Club | $26.99 bi-weekly | N/A | $6.99 bi-weekly | Various Options | Various Options |
Multi-Club | $36.99 or $54.99 bi-weekly | $39.99 or $49.99 (to waive joining fee) Monthly | $11.99 bi-weekly | X | X |
Joining Fee | $49.99 | $99.00 | $44.00 | N/A | N/A |
Annual Fees | X | $49.00 | $44.00 | N/A | N/A |
Workouts/Equipment | Strength Cardio TRX Turf Kettlebells Weighted Balls | Strength Cardio Punching Bags | Strength Cardio | Strength Cardio | Strength Cardio |
Hours | 24 hours at some locations | Mon-Fri 5am-11pm Sat-Sun 8am-5pm | 24 hours at some locations | Class Timings | Class Timings |
Travel | 24 Hour Fitness (U.S) | U.S Locations | Canada | International | International |
Sauna | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X |
Classes | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | ✓ |
Pool | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X |
Squash | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | X |
Basketball | ✓ | X | X | X | X |
Yoga | ✓ | X | X | X | X |
Tanning | ✓ | X | X | X | X |
Add-Ons | Family Rewards at various retail stores | Bring 2 friends with you | Allow friends and family to use the gym when you’re not (with multi club membership only) | X | X |
1. GoodLife Fitness
Pros: I personally chose to go with GoodLife because:
They have 24 hour options
Multi-Club memberships available
Partnership with 24 hour Fitness in the U.S which has more locations than LA Fitness in the US
They allow me to do classes and my own workout routines
Most locations have the equipment I need for any type of workout (strength, cardio, HIIT, CrossFit, swimming, squash, basketball, etc)
Very clean and follow COVID regulations
Can add a family member for cheaper and they can go to the gym whenever they wish.
Many locations also have various studios which makes it good to work on dance routines
Personal Training - 60 minute sessions
Beneficial Amenities: tanning, swimming, massage chair, tanning, sauna/steam, showers.
Cons:
Equipment varies location to location
Some locations have better facilities than others
No Punching bags
2. LA Fitness
Pros:
Allow you to bring 2 people with you
Multi-club membership + US availability for travel
Amenities: squash court, pool, studio, Sauna, showers
Personal Training
Cons:
2 guests need to be accompanied by you
No 24 hour locations
No basketball courts
No Turf or CrossFit equipment
Personal Training is only 30 minute sessions
3. Fit4Less
Pros:
Cheaper affiliate of GoodLife Fitness
Strength & Cardio machines
24 hour locations
Multi-Club memberships available
Cons:
Locations only in Canada
No CrossFit or Turf
No extra amenities like tanning, swimming, squash, basketball,
4. F45
Pros:
Great for sense of community and group fitness
structured workouts with instructors
they provide custom catered programs for your nutrition and recommended classes to take
Cheaper than Orange Theory
Cons:
Scheduled classes / Not 24 hours
No option for free/individual workouts
no added amenities
Single location options only
5. Orange Theory
Pros:
Great for sense of community and group fitness
structured workouts with instructors
they provide custom catered programs for your nutrition and recommended classes to take
Cons:
A bit more expensive than F45
Scheduled classes / Not 24 hours
No option for free/individual workouts
no added amenities
Single location options only
At the end of the day, sometimes you prefer free-range workouts to do your thing and sometimes you're more of a group fitness/class oriented person.
Whether you need a workout buddy or a scheduled workout to keep you accountable there is a facility and option that is available to you. Going to GoodLife I struggle to find people that also go to GoodLife that I can workout with. But with the competitive landscape currently, sometimes you will find special promos.
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