My 24 Hour Fitness Review: Is This The Gym For You?

Should you’re reading this, you then’re considering joining a 24 Hour Fitness but have not been to 1 quite yet. Let me provide you with somewhat backstory on 24HF. Initially began by Mark Mastrov as a 24-Hour Nautilus rehab gym in 1983, the gym merged with one other gym named Family Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness was born in 1996.

Since then, 24 Hour Fitness has grown right into a national chain with 287 locations in 11 states. For probably the most part, their clubs offer 24/7 access (a certain pandemic caused some locations to shorten hours, they usually have not reverted back yet). In line with their website, “24 Hour Fitness is the right gym for individuals who want all of it: one of the best fitness classes, premium gym amenities, and far more.”

Just how accurate is that statement, though? I desired to see the 24 Hour Fitness workout experience for myself. Without further ado, here’s my honest review of 24 Hour Fitness.

My Experience with 24 Hour Fitness

I will be honest; I’m not from the realm where this gym is. The closest 24 Hour Fitness to where I live is about 90 miles away; luckily, I needed to do somewhat traveling and could be near the 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport in East Northport, NY (I’ll get into the Super Sport thing later). The gym itself was super easy to search out, and never knowing the realm, I had some reservations about parking. The gym shared a car parking zone with several other businesses, but there was no shortage of parking spaces. I wasn’t there at peak hours, but it surely looked like there was ample parking, even for the busy times.

The primary thought I had when walking in was, Checking in on the front desk was easy, even on a one-day pass. There’s somewhat area next to the front where you may buy all kinds of supplements (creatine, protein, pre-workout, etc). I brought my very own, but knowing there’s an option is good. Like I discussed before, I didn’t go during peak hours, so the gym wasn’t super packed, but there still was an energy within the air.

The gym’s layout was pretty much done. The seemingly never-ending rows of cardio machines at this one were mainly on ground level with the weights. It did appear to be that they had a small cardio balcony, but I didn’t trouble going to envision it out (let’s be honest, I wasn’t there to check out the cardio equipment). Together with the treadmills and ellipticals, there was a small turf area for functional training and a TRX suspension training area with a small dumbbell rack near it.

Now, you might be wondering in regards to the essential weight and machine area. There was an excellent amount of machines, not probably the most I’ve seen in a gym, but a good amount. I could see some issues during peak hours with people wanting to make use of the identical machine, but it surely looked like there was enough variety to pivot and use a unique machine. I didn’t notice any machines that were out of order, which is an excellent sign. My only “machine” criticism is that they only have three cable towers. They’re multi-station cable towers, but I do not see how you can ever do cable flys during a semi-busy time.

Okay, I used to be pretty glad with the free weight section. There have been a minimum of five bench press/incline press stations, a decline press bench, and about ten (I can not remember the precise number) adjustable benches in front of the several dumbbell racks.

There have been a few Smith machines and 4 platforms with squat racks and bumper plates. Once I was there, all of them were in use, so good luck attempting to get one without working with someone.

I walked around to envision out all of the amenities besides the weights they offered and was impressed by how much stuff they might cram into the space. There was a reasonably good-sized basketball court, a three-lane lap pool and whirlpool (which unfortunately was out of order), a spin studio, and one other large room for group classes.

The toilet/locker room was well maintained, as were the showers.

I got an important workout in, didn’t must wait long for any particular piece of apparatus (), and took a shower before leaving. All in all, I might definitely work out at a 24 Hour Fitness again and, if I lived closer to 1, would consider making it my home base.

24 Hour Fitness Staff

The staff was friendly and helpful. The trainers would provide you with a slight side-eye if you happen to were on a bit of apparatus they wanted to make use of, but nobody was overly rude about it. I actually appreciated them not attempting to hard sell me on a membership after I first got there, which shouldn’t be the experience I’ve had somewhere else.

I did see a staff member attempting to tidy up plates that some inconsiderate jackasses hadn’t reracked, which is at all times lovely to see.

24 Hour Fitness Equipment

So far as the condition of the equipment, all the pieces looked pretty good. There have been signs of normal wear and tear, but nothing too worrying, which apparently shouldn’t be the case in every 24 Hour Fitness. I touched on what was available, but here’s somewhat deeper look.

• Cardio Machines – Treadmills, rowers, stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, Arc trainers, ellipticals.
• Weight Machines – I noticed mostly Hoist branded machines, which, if you happen to have not used them, give a really different lifting experience. The leg extension really is value trying out.
• Free Weights – Large dumbbell rack with weights over 100lbs, bumper plates, EZ curl bars, straight bars.
• Specialty Equipment – TRX suspension station, limitless rope climber, tractor tire, medicine balls, BOSU balls, 15-yard turf field

24 Hour Fitness Amenities and Services

I will be completely transparent: I’m not a gaggle fitness sort of guy. I do know they’re improbable, and I actually have enjoyed the few I’ve participated in, but I are inclined to stay in the load room. The variety of group classes offered did impress me, though. There appears to be an excellent amount of variation in classes, but I can not speak to the standard of the instructors.

The spin studio looked up thus far, together with the mood lighting often present in them.

Personal training can also be available, with prices various based on what number of sessions you wish and the length of the contract. Once more, I didn’t use the service, but it surely’s there.

The basketball court is on the small side, but it surely looked well-kept.

The pool area left rather a lot to be desired. The pool water itself looked just like the chemicals needed to be adjusted, and the whirlpool was out of service. I didn’t bring a showering suit, so this didn’t really affect me, but it surely did get me wondering how long it had been out of commission.

24 Hour Fitness Reddit Reviews

Reasonably than simply my personal opinion on this particular 24 Hour Fitness, I wanted to provide you a have a look at what other individuals are saying about their local clubs, including the great and bad.

Let’s start with the bad…

One other not so glowing review…

Time for the great…

As you may see, my experience has not been the identical for many of those people. The negative review is from nine years ago before they were bought out after the pandemic. So far as positives I’ve seen in other people’s opinions, they’re mostly the worth and Buddy pass.

Coincidently, the Buddy Pass can also be a gripe from people complaining that the gym is simply too crowded. Unfortunately, much of what I’ve seen online has not been positive. Common complaints are:

• Dirty bathrooms/showers
• Weights not cleaned up (although this really falls on people figuring out, but I’ve seen it mentioned several times)
• Rude staff
• Difficulty canceling memberships
• Broken machinery
• Overcrowding

I’m glad my experience wasn’t like this, but it surely’s a buyer-beware situation. Make sure that to envision out your local club before deciding to commit to anything. It also ought to be mentioned that the corporate has a C- rating on the Higher Business Bureau website.

24 Hour Fitness Pricing and Membership Options

24 Hour Fitness has a (mostly) three-tier system. What I mean by that is just some clubs support one among the tiers (silver). So, let’s take a look at each tier and see what it gets you:

Silver: $9.99 – $29.99 

Access to:

• Free Weights
• Cardio Equipment
• Functional Training and Turf Zone
• TRX Suspension Machine
• Strength Training Machines
• Olympic Training Rigs
• Locker Rooms
• Wi-Fi
• FitPerks Rewards

That is the essential package without access to any amenities that 24 Hour Fitness is understood for.

Gold: $21.99 – $49.99 

Access to:

• Silver Tier
• 24GO® Fitness App
• GX24® Studio Classes
• GX24® Cycle Classes
• Basketball Court
• Racquetball Court
• Lap Pool
• Sauna
• Steam Room
• Whirlpool

Platinum: $35.99 – $65.99 

*Location and Payment Plan Dependent

Access to:

• Silver Tier
• Gold Tier
• 24GO® Premium Digital
• GX24® Virtual Classes
• Includes Buddy Pass

The entire kit and kaboodle.

So, are they well worth the price? It depends. Is it value paying $30 a month for probably the most basic level of membership when you may get a membership at Planet Fitness for $15 a month for using free weights? That is a matter you’d must answer yourself. When you rise up to the Gold and Platinum tiers, using all of the amenities (in the event that they’re in usable condition) is a big plus. Other gyms that supply similar amenities often have higher prices than what you see here, which is a degree for twenty-four Hour Fitness. In theory, if you will have a gym buddy, one among you can get a Platinum membership and utilize the Buddy Pass every workout, then split the price. In case your local 24 Hour Fitness is on the lower end of the spectrum price-wise, that might be an important investment. Be forewarned, though, that whoever has the membership of their name could have to be there each time.

There are monthly and yearly membership options, with the annual subscription being cheaper per thirty days. Many individuals have written that attempting to cancel your membership generally is a nightmare. Actually, 24 Hour Fitness was the topic of a category motion suit in 2010 for billing members after that they had requested to cancel their monthly memberships. That was 14 years ago, but it surely remains to be something to pay attention to.

24 Hour Fitness Locations and Accessibility

While there are 240 clubs across the US, they only fall into 11 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Recent Jersey, Recent York, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Virginia. Should you live in rural parts of those states, you are probably out of luck since they have a tendency to group around major cities.

That typically makes them fairly easy to get to, with most having large parking lots to accommodate gym-goers. Nevertheless, I actually have seen complaints about parking lots being full during peak hours, so finding parking could also be hit and miss depending on where you might be.

Overall Pros and Cons

Pros

Final Verdict

It looks like my experience with 24 Hour Fitness was different from many other people’s that I’ve seen. I didn’t go throughout the busiest time, so I could have felt in another way if I went later within the day. People whoplanning on going right after work should visit the gym at the moment to see the conditions they might be figuring out in. Based on the equipment I saw, the classes offered, the extras just like the steam room and basketball court, the unfortunately out of order whirlpool, and the not actual 24 hour business hours, I might rate this particular gym a 3 out of 5 stars. If I were to rate it based on what I’ve seen others complain about online, it will be more like a 1 or 2 out of 5.

You are going to have to visit your local gym. Make sure that to take mental notes on whether equipment is broken, what time classes are (if you happen to’re planning on taking any), the parking situation while you visit, and the way swamped it’s. Should you cannot see yourself wanting to work on the market, keep trying to find that perfect gym for you.

FAQs

Are you able to wear jeans at 24 Hour Fitness?

No, you can not. Appropriate clothing is required at 24 Hour Fitness, similar to athletic shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, and sneakers. Per their official policy, they don’t allow street clothes or shoes while figuring out.

Is it hard to cancel 24 Hour Fitness?

Yes and no. You’ll want to jump through certain hoops to cancel your membership, but if you happen to plan out while you’re going to cancel, you may avoid headaches similar to paying for an additional month after you desire to to stop going. Some former 24 Hour Fitness members have said it was a straightforward process, and others have said it was an absolute nightmare.

What’s one of the best time to go to a 24 Hour Fitness?

Often, one of the best times (least busy) are very early within the morning or late at night. There could be an influx of individuals during lunchtime for people attempting to get a fast pump throughout the work day. The time to avoid, if possible, is from about 4pm to 7pm when everyone seems to be getting out of labor.

Wrap-Up

The 24 Hour Fitness experience will heavily depend upon your local branch. While the policies and general design might be similar, the execution can differ greatly. I had a very good experience after I went to lift, but that may not be the case for somebody who went to the identical gym a couple of hours after me. Before committing to anything, see what it’s like along with your own eyes. And for individuals who have had an encounter with 24 Hour Fitness, tell us what it was like for you within the comments.

Should you aren’t sold on 24 Hour Fitness then ensure that to envision out our Crunch Review to see if it is likely to be a greater fit.