Thinking about joining a new gym .... thoughts?

[Torobestia]

I've always been interested in powerlifting. It was what I first started with at the gym, however my journey into powerlifting was very short lived as the members of the PL team all graduated and left about 3 months after I got into it. Since then I've pretty much been doing bodybuilding/hypertrophy workouts, but I'm at a point now where my "need" to get back to powerlifting is really strong.

I currently work out at my old university's gym, paying a little under $20/month. I get access to three gyms, two of which have all the basic stuff you'd need, and between the two have a lot of other nice things in it, like good hammer strength machines, decent dumbbells, a safety squat bar, and a glut ham raise. The down sides are horrendously bad barbells (absolutely no squat bars), the gyms close down all the time throughout the year (for football games (WHY?!), strange holidays, etc), and very few serious lifters.

I've been on the lookout for a long time for a group of powerlifters, looking into various gyms, and have had bad luck finding any. I was hoping to find some and coordinate with them to meet at a gym at a certain time to lift. In my search I found an actual powerlifting facility that has all the implements any powerlifter would ever want, and it's 24 hour access. Problem: $50/month. This price is definitely crossing the prohibitive price point line, if it hasn't already crossed it.

You guys here are powerlifters. What do you think about paying $50 to work out at a powerlifting gym that has powerlifters in it? It's hard for me to justify this, but I really want to get back into powerlifting. Should I first meet the gym owners/managers and talk them down to a different price (this gym by no means is a "well established" gym yet)? Or should I just stick it out in my other gym that's $20/month. I mean an extra $30 a month right off the bat is definitely going to add up ....

There is a reason I haven't right out said no which I've hinted at earlier in my posts: there are certain implements lacking at my current gym that they have there, like cambered bars, all sorts of bands, sleds, etc.

I hope you guys have read this far, because I'm about to throw another wrinkle into this scenario. There's even another gym in town I've been looking at. They have about 90% of the stuff the powerlifting gym has, but at $31/month. I feel comfortable with this price, but what I don't like is I've visited there about 10 times and haven't met any powerlifters. I might just see if someone would let me post a bulletin there asking about a powerlifting team that works out at that gym. Maybe that's what I'll do.

But for now, $50/month too much?

 

[asooneyeonig]

$50 to me is a great price. but then i have my own gym with most of what i need and workout at a small private gym at a guys house. we just all pitch in for anything new we want otherwise there is no price. and at times we will bring some of our own stuff from home.


i would say that i would pay to go to that private gym at least once a week. the knowledge and motivation that comes from it is priceless. so i would say pay the 50. you may just have to give up something else in your budget. like eat out less, carpool as often as you can to places, etc.

i gave up drinking, eating out except for once a week, and most of my expensive hobbies (that were really a waste now that i look back) and was able to get my house and start putting together a home gym. i am happy i did nearly 4 years later, much happier. and that private gym did not come along till last year. i kept searching for a place to train and after a while got lucky. they exist, you just have to keep searching.

there is a local powerlifting based gym and i dont like the place at all. there is no team atmosphere but there are lots of cliques. that little private gym we are all friends. we hang out outside of the gym as well. we even go to meets to support each other even if we do not compete. and yes, we even have team shirts.

so i would say try out the 50/month gym. make sure you feel good in it. get the help and motivation you need. otherwise go to the cheaper gym and start looking for guys working out in a garage to train with.

 

[Gutterpump]

$50 is a great price.

I pay much more than that for a private powerlifting gym, but then again it is in NYC. I pay between $175-$200 per month and it's very much worth it when training with elite trainers who have amazing drive and motivation - and endless knowledge... especially for a gym that tailors to your needs. I've also cut out some other expenses like some of the partying, etc. I don't go out nearly as much as I used to, while trying to focus on healthier/productive aspects of my life.

 

[Torobestia]

Thanks for your input, guys. I'll definitely take it into consideration.

$50 is a great price.

I pay much more than that for a private powerlifting gym, but then again it is in NYC. I pay between $175-$200 per month and it's very much worth it when training with elite trainers who have amazing drive and motivation - and endless knowledge... especially for a gym that tailors to your needs. I've also cut out some other expenses like some of the partying, etc. I don't go out nearly as much as I used to, while trying to focus on healthier/productive aspects of my life.

Well just to clarify, there's nothing in the price that guarantees that I'd have any sort of access to those trainers and their knowledge. That's just for gym access only (and to possibly being in the same environment as other powerlifters).

 

[Swanson52]

It was worth it for me to join a gym like you described simply for the atmosphere. There seems to be better gym etiquette, more awareness of other people training, and a more intense "feel". I'm far more focused and far less frustrated when I train at my meathead gym than when I train at 24 Hour Fitness.

I keep memberships to both simply because sometimes it's faster/easier to go to 24hr (and its always open), but I prefer not to.

 

[Gutterpump]

You'll get to know people over time though most likely, by training in the same place. I'm sure some of them won't mind chatting it up while there too. These places tend to have more of a tighter crowd training at them, kind of like a brotherhood/family.

I also keep the dual membership going when I can't make it to my main gym.

 

[Torobestia]

Damnit guys, I was enjoying my half-ass budgeting and still saving money. May see what I can come up with.

 

[Swanson52]

Damnit guys, I was enjoying my half-ass budgeting and still saving money. May see what I can come up with.

Even though I'm not in real danger of doing either, I have a better chance of getting strong than I do rich. Might as well spend that $hit!

 

[stillnatural]

I would definitely talk to the team before joining to see if you can train with them. If they are going to help you out in any positive way then I would say do it. $50 isn't bad if your going to gain knowledge and experience plus have all the equipment available to you. It's much better then paying someone to train you at $50 an hour.