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Best National Gym Chain (USA)

Best National Gym Chain (USA)

Old Apr 13, 2015, 5:41 pm
  #1  
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Best National Gym Chain (USA)

Hey guys,

First time poster here. I fly about 100k miles a year so I spend a lot of time on the road which has been hell on my gym routine. I live in Utah and go to a local gym so that isn't exactly going to work out for me flying all over the country. In your travels, what chain(s) have you seen the most?

Additional Questions:

Of the chains you have seen which was the best in terms of value and quality?

I am also in a lot of small towns so sometimes Gold's or 24 Hour Fitness isn't an option. I've been seeing a lot of Anytime Fitness but I'm unfamiliar with them. Help? Please and thank you
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Old Apr 15, 2015, 12:50 pm
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It really depends on where you're going. Most national chains are not in every state, much less every city. Even when there is one in the city you're visiting, it doesn't necessarily mean it's close/convenient. I wouldn't drive 30 minutes from my hotel in an unfamiliar city just to visit a gym at which I have a membership.

Best bet is to visit an Anytime Fitness, as they do seem to be more common than others, and try it out. They'll give you a tour, maybe you can get a 1-2 free guest passes to try it out to see if it fits your needs.

My family has a Lifetime Fitness membership. I've used it a few times away from home, but not nearly common enough to do so with any sort of regularity. Mainly for working out when I'm home, for the pool facilities and child care (2 kids), and hot tub/sauna.
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Old Apr 16, 2015, 11:47 am
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Even though they're not really a chain, YMCA membership is another option. Each Y is locally controlled and not all allow other Y members to use their facilities, but most do. Most allow free use, but one I went to charged a $2.00 daily fee for other Y members. Some also impose restrictions such as only allowing 15 visits a year by members of another Y. The biggest advantage is that there are a lot of locations. The biggest downside is that quality is very variable. Some facilities are new and well equipped, some are in sketchy areas and are old and run down.
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Old Apr 18, 2015, 12:34 am
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I use a local gym while I am home, but keep a Planet Fitness black card membership for traveling. Not the best gym in the world, but they are everywhere and at least I can get in a workout on the road for relatively cheap.
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Old Apr 19, 2015, 7:43 pm
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Originally Posted by Mudfish
I use a local gym while I am home, but keep a Planet Fitness black card membership for traveling. Not the best gym in the world, but they are everywhere and at least I can get in a workout on the road for relatively cheap.
What are your thoughts on Planet Fitness? I'm looking at joining a gym, and the price for Planet Fitness is nice, it's close to where Mr. Kipper works, and the hours are nice.
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Old Apr 21, 2015, 5:18 am
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am also waiting here for more threads regarding the same,, Keep update tom....
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 5:07 pm
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I've been a member of 24 Hour Fitness for about 7-8 years now, mostly for the convenience of it when I'm home (there's a location 2 miles away), as well as around town (I'm guessing 5 or so locations around town).
They are primarily located in the western US...with some random locations elsewhere. I've been to locations in Portland, Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Houston, and they've all been decent.
Quality of the locations varies widely, with some fairly new and modern, while others are old and rather grimy.
If you're a member of Costco, they have a 2 year deal (you prepay, buy a certificate at Costco, bring it in to a 24 Hour Location), for $350.
They also have a, "free," pass on their website, and I think a daypass rate of $10.


LA Fitness is another popular one with locations around much of the US. I've heard similar about the quality of their locations.
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Old Apr 28, 2015, 6:55 am
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Another option could be the IHRSA passport program. My club here in Chicago belongs. I have used a few affiliated clubs in other cities that way. Because they tend to be better quality, the day use is still often around $10, so not cheap but not outrageous as long as you are not looking to use it every day for an extended period.

http://www.healthclubs.com/passport/

I also keep an LA Fitness (Bally's before they sold much of the system to LA Fitness) because they are common in much of the country.
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Old Jun 10, 2015, 11:27 pm
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I travel 100k+ miles yearly and have been using Planet Fitness black card for the past year and a half. I'm usually able to find a PF location within 5 miles of my hotel. The only exception has been Oxnard, CA. I had to buy a guest pass at the 24 hour fitness down the street. The PF locations vary by quality, but all are adequate. Don't expect an Equinox though. Most have location specific photos on the website so you can get an idea of what's in store before you go. For $20 monthly, it's tough to beat.
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Old Jun 19, 2015, 5:46 pm
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24 Hour Fitness here - it's my local gym membership and is all over the western half of the US and Hawaii. Have one of those old, pre-paid memberships so continuing with them is dirt cheap. I was surprised to see several very nice new 24 Hour facilities in NYC; not sure if they acquired a local chain there?

However, I tend to select my hotel based on the quality of the gym, to the extent I can find out. I tend to travel to big cities and stay in nicer hotels so that obviously doesn't help the OP staying in small towns.

I also have the Men's Health app that has body weight workouts for when you have to workout in your hotel room. Has come in handy a few times.

[On edit] BTW, I certainly don't mean to imply that I think 24 Hour is the "Best National Gym Chain" as in the thread title. Far, far, from it - while most locations are pretty good for equipment, they're generally horrendous for locker room cleanliness (at least for the men). However, I think the OP really meant to ask about the gym chain with the widest range of locations for a frequent traveler in the US.

Last edited by Brucemcdou; Jun 19, 2015 at 6:05 pm
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