I've been to three gyms right now, and I just feel stuck because I can't find the right one. I've been to Anytime Fitness, YMCA, and now I'm trying out Planet Fitness. I'll list the pros and cons of each.
Anytime Fitness
Pros:
Very friendly staff, friendly atmosphere
Very good equipment (treadmills, bikes, exercise programs, free weights, stretch rooms, etc)
Almost never crowded
Unisex bathrooms as well as male and female changing rooms
Showers are behind locked doors for one person to use at a time
Open 24/7
Cons:
Very expensive
YMCA
Pros:
Staff is friendly, family-oriented atmosphere
Good equipment, lots of exercise programs
Family/Unisex bathrooms
Showers are behind a locked door for one person to use at a time
Cons:
Occasionally crowded, especially at peak hours
Can be expensive
Only open during certain hours
Planet Fitness
Pros:
Staff seems friendly
Tons of aerobic equipment, never crowded
Open 24/7
Extremely cheap ($10 a month)
Cons:
Limited amount of free weight equipment (nothing over 80 pounds!? huh?)
Only men's and women's locker rooms, no unisex rooms
The showers are only protected by a thin sheet of shower liner and you have to hop out of the shower across the room to the changing stall, little to none bathroom privacy!
The atmosphere reeks of high school gym class
Their moto is "don't judge others," but their large board calling people "lunks" who grunt or make noises while exercising or judge is quite contradictory to their own moto! Not to mention they have so many rules, which any grown adult doesn't really need (dress code, no talking on cell phone, don't make noises, etc etc)
I'm tempted to cancel my contract with Planet Fitness because even though it is only $10 a month, it just doesn't seem worth it. But I'm a college student and I need to find a place where I can work out without being judged for which bathroom I use! Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm thinking of looking at my college gym, but I don't know what their bathrooms are like and they have limited hours as well.
I'm looking for:
Relatively cheap (college student on a budget!)
Good equipment (at a minimum, treadmill, stationary bikes, weight training equipment, free weights)
Open 24/7 preferred, but I'll consider other options if they fit my busy college/work schedule
Unisex bathrooms!!! And private showers!!!