Living in such a fast paced world requires a workout facility that can mold to that pace. Health is becoming more important to the general population, but with such demanding, and sometimes odd, work schedules it can be tough to find a good solution.
LA Fitness claims to be that solution. They say that they are a state of the art workout facility chain that is focused on not only physical health, but customers overall well being. Offering amenities such as Juice Bar, Kids Klub, Yoga, and Tai Chi classes are a few ways they claim to do this.
LA Fitness- Setting The Standard
LA Fitness was created in 1984 in Southern California in just one location. Founders Cin Yi and Louis Wiech have kept it a private company even to this day. To start, they slowly acquired under performing fitness centers that were about to go out of business. Eventually, they were able to buy and develop new properties. This lead them to create a building that was to become their lasting business model.
A multipurpose sports and fitness club that could offer a wider variety of workout options and group fitness classes was just the start. La fitness states that they strive to create a healthy society starting with the wellbeing of all those who make up the local communities they serve. They aim to make their locations an integral part of the community instead of just a business.
How Does Membership Work?
There are a variety of options for experiencing what LA Fitness has to offer. For more of a trial run there is a weekly membership for $9.95. However, it is required to pay upfront for the first and second week dues. This type of membership does not include access to racquetball, Personal Training, Juice Bar, or Kids Klub. Yet, it does allow enough of a feel to determine if a full membership is desired.
There is also the option of registering for a guest pass online. The pass must be activated within 30 days of registration. Once activated, there are 3 consecutive days available for one person and a friend to use the facilities free of charge.
For a full membership, the prices vary slightly per facility. On the main website they advertise that there is an initial $168.98 start up cost. Each month after costs $34.99 to remain a member.
What Are The Benefits Of LA Fitness?
Since they are an established chain, a customer knows what to expect when walking into any LA Fitness. Another benefit is the extra amenities they have to offer which are:
- Saunas
- Basketball and Racquetball (with leagues and tournaments available)
- Personal Trainers
- open 7 days a week
- some locations are open 24 hours
- Kids Klub for babysitting customers children
- swim school
- Juice Bar
LA Fitness also claims they make it a standard to highly train all of their employees. They put an extra emphasis on making sure their Personal Trainers are knowledgeable and more importantly compassionate. In reviews many customers said this was why they were so successful at sticking to their training and diet plans in order to reach their fitness goals.
What Makes LA Fitness Different?
One major thing that LA Fitness says makes them different from their competitors is the wide variety of options for how their clients can work out. From weights, cardio, pools, and clubs they try to cover all the bases. Another thing that they claim makes them unique is the range of types of group fitness they offer. Here are some classes to give an idea:
- Aqua Fit, a workout in the pool
- Belly Dancing
- Boot Camp Conditioning
- Cycling Classes
- Hip Hop
- Kickbox Cardio
- Senior Fit
- Tai Chi
- Yoga
- Zumba
Membership Made Easy
LA Fitness gives the option of signing up for a membership at the physical location or online. By going to their website and typing in a state or city, it is very easy to find a local location. With over 800 gyms in the Unites States alone, LA Fitness claims to be one of the most convenient fitness centers that will not be a long commute for most customers.
If the membership turns out to not be satisfactory, there is a way to cancel it. This can be done in a few ways. There is an address that can have a written notice sent to. Another option is to go into the nearest location, but the Operations Manager is the only one who can do this and will be available to do so from 9 am to 5 pm. The most convenient option is to go online and cancel.
There is also an option to suspend membership for anyone excluding the weekly dues members. This allows for medical issues, traveling, etc. Membership can also be suspended while moving, and then be picked back up at the location nearest the new home.
Customer Complaints About LA Fitness Hidden Policies
There were numerous customers that complained in reviews about the cancellation policies. Apparently, when they decided to end their membership they were hit with paying for the last months dues. A part of the starting cost of joining is paying upfront for the first and last month of the membership. Yet, these customers claimed they were forced to pay for the last month in order to be able to cancel.
Another complaint was about the difficulty in canceling the membership. While members are supposed to be able to go into a location and cancel with an Operations Manager between 9 am and 5 pm, many spoke how difficult this proved to be. These customers spoke about going in numerous days in a row to attempt to cancel. Every time they were told that the Operations Manager was out of the building, even if they came back at different times of the day.
LA Fitness Review – The Bottom Line
LA Fitness has a lot of variety to offer in terms of facilities and classes. They claim to have the best quality staffing and up to date equipment. While they do offer flexible membership plans, it is worthwhile to ask about just how their cancellation works to be properly informed.
They are moderately priced, but also have a good amount of extra amenities. Customers who work late have spoken of the benefits of the 24 hour locations making life much easier in their reviews. When it comes down to it, research and comparison will lead to the best solution for each person.
