- Prices/Rates – this is first on my list as this holds the most consideration. If I can’t afford it then I can’t go to it. After all, I am just an ordinary employee paying huge taxes (another article I have in mind, but I may end up just ranting about the government so I’ll think about this really well.)
- Location – Working on a graveyard shift, the gym has to be near my workplace and/or home.
- Programs – I can’t join a gym and not know what to do. They should at least have a set program for me.
- Facilities – I like the little extra amenities and sometimes when everything else is at par, the little extras would be the deciding factor.
And so my “search” begins:
Round 1: Prices/Rates
I searched the web and found out that the rates will depend on the agent you are talking to. An agent can give you discounts and make you aware of the current promos. Since most articles on the web and online forums will most likely be outdated, I asked for the regular rates instead. But I also asked for the promos as I want the best deal for my money. Here are the centers’ answers:
Slimmers World: They also offer shorter durations but for the sake of comparison, I asked for the 1yr rate. In the end, after much haggling, they are willing to give me 1yr unlimited passport membership for roughly 12k. For the sake of information, their current promo rates are as follows:
- 1month + 1month : 3500 pesos
- 3months + 3 months: 7500 pesos
- 6months + 6months: 12000 pesos
- 1year + 1 year: 21,000 pesos
According to the agent I spoke with in the Alabang location, these rates will vary everyday as they have ‘Daily promos’ . In my opinion, this is just a sales tactic to get you to sign up right away. Please note that they have the option for deferred payment of 6months for membership of 6months or higher. Note that they have an exclusive branch membership which can be significantly cheaper than the all branches type of membership rates I’ve stated above.
Fitness First: I did some research first before asking them directly. Research from various forums shows that the average is 2.5k to 3.5k. This will depend on the type of membership you choose, the platinum membership being the highest type. There are those that were able to get a membership for less than 2k but that was during the early years of Fitness First. I wanted to check it out for myself and so I called Fitness First Alabang (Platinum). Below are the rates given:
- 1 year : PhP45,600 (Upfront payment) + PhP3000 joining fee, plus PhP1,500 admin fee + PhP2,100 Bodyfirst fee (for beginners) = PhP52,200 total
- 12 months deferred : PhP3,800/month. Plus PhP3000 joining fee, plus PhP1,500 admin fee + 2,100 pesos Bodyfirst fee (for beginners) for the first payment. So that means your first month, you’ll pay 10,400 pesos and then 3,800 pesos for the succeeding months.
- 5 months: 4,130/month. Same fees as above, so first month is 10,730 pesos and 4,130 pesos for the succeeding months.
I can’t afford this. I think the only reason I would lose weight is because I can no longer afford to buy food with these rates.
Gold’s Gym: The rates are reasonable as they seem to be at the mid-range level and they have 12 months deferred payments for those using credit cards. I know people out there would say it is still too expensive and it is for some but you have to also factor in what you can save if you joined your village gym then join zumba classes, spinning, yoga etc. So I’m putting the prices at reasonable given that it is not as expensive as Fitness First.
- 1 year : 27,000 pesos Unlimited
- 1 year (144 visits): 18,500 pesos
- 1 year (120 visits): 17,500 pesos
- 1 year (96 visits): 16,500 pesos
- 6months: 14,500 pesos Unlimited
- 6months (40 visits): 10,000 pesos
- 3months: 7,800 pesos Unlimited
- 3months (20 visits): 5,500 pesos
- 1month: 3,800 pesos
- 1month(10 visits): 2,750 pesos
No promos but there is a pre-selling that can be considered a promo. There were a lot of promos before, probably when they didn’t have a lot of members yet. A friend of mine got his for 20k for 2 years, passport membership. That one is the best deal I’ve heard so far. I’ve tried several times to ask them if there is an existing promo, but alas there is none.
For this round, Slimmers win. Gold’s Gym comes second and Fitness First is last.
Round 2: Location
All three fitness centers are available everywhere! And most often than not, a city with a Slimmers World would have a Gold’s Gym nearby and a Fitness First not far from where those two are. I live in Parañaque, and so the nearest Gold’s Gym/Slimmers World/Fitness First for me is in Alabang. I can also go to Makati and all fitness centers have locations there. It seems that Gold’s Gym has more locations though than the other two.
So for this round, they are all equally matched.
Round 3: Programs
Slimmers seem to cater more to women as they both have body and skin programs.
Fitness first seem to know what they can offer and has everything organized. I was very impressed with their programs and website and the information given.
Gold’s Gym, well their website is a mess so I don’t get a lot of information there. And as I kept on insisting if they can give me any discounts on the rates (which they refuse to budge), they didn’t discuss any programs with me so I’m basing it all on their website and flyers. Based on their flyers, it seems like they offer the current exercises but not the same diversity as Fitness.
Round 3 goes to Fitness First, then Slimmers World and lastly Gold’s Gym.
Round 4: Facilities
Sad to say, but Slimmers World did not impress me. It looked like my regular run on the mill village gym, only a bit larger, with a nice reception area and without the really bad music.
Gold’s Gym (in Alabang) is way better than Slimmers World. When I saw it, I was encouraged to work out right away, but as I was wearing a dress when I did my research, I was not able to try it. But from the looks of it (in the eyes of a beginner), I want Gold’s Gym more than Slimmers World.
Fitness First made my eyes pop out. I never received a full tour, but from what I saw, it was more like an elite club rather than a gym. I loved it there. But then I might forget to workout.
Round 4 goes to Fitness First, but I’m giving Gold’s Gym the top score as well since the Fitness First in Alabang is a Platinum one. If I would compare the Gold’s Gym Alabang with a regular Fitness First, then they would be on equal footing for this category. Slimmers just failed to impress.
The verdict:
I can’t afford Fitness First. So it failed my number 1 criteria. If I can’t afford it, why would I go there? Gold’s Gym and Slimmers was a tough choice for me. In the end I chose Slimmers World. Mainly because it has the cheapest rates (12k / year). The facilities are better in other centers, the one in Alabang needs a bit of an upgrade but it has my basic needs. I am a beginner, so all the fancy equipments and machines won’t be of any use to me. Their classes are old and should be updated, but they also fit my needs more than Gold’s. Gold’s seem to have a more intense set of classes which I think might be too much for somebody who has not gone to the gym her entire life.
Slimmers was the right choice for me. I can afford it, it meets my needs and it is woman friendly. I won’t feel conscious because I won’t see hardcore gym goers there. I would see other women like me who just wanted to become fit.
I hope the tidbits I shared would also help you find your gym. If you can afford it and you want more diversity, I recommend Fitness First. It was simply awesome. If you can’t afford it and you are into serious body building, go to Gold’s. If you are like me, a beginner who needs a comfortable place to work out and a facility that can offer guidance then Slimmers World is the right choice.
Depending on my experience with Slimmers World and I promise to post my observations here, I might stay with them after my 1 year is up or join Gold’s gym next year.
If the Fitness First management can read this, please lower down your rates that way we can afford to go to your facility. You may have awesome centers, brand new equipments…. VIP treatments, but what use are they if we can’t afford them? Oh and I’ve read numerous bad feedbacks regarding their staff, I hope they improve on that too.
Which type of promo did you avail of in Slimmers World? Are those rates flexible?
ReplyDeleteNice Information
ReplyDeleteCrossFit in Tomball