Which are the REPUTED fitness/gym centers in USA?

[Salil]

Hello friends,
I would like to know which are the reputed fitness/gym centers in USA? This is the first time I would be going to a gym in USA so I need your advice. I have two things in mind:
1. the gym must have a trained personal trainer who could advice me on the exercises I need to do? I am into body building and not just into losing weight or being trim.
2. I am a software consultant and I will have to travel throughout USA. So I need to join a gym that would be widespread throughout USA, so that I could take up a long term plan.

I know bally's total fitness is one such chain that I could join. Please name some more.

 

[musclepump]

Are you moving to the States or just visiting?

 

[Salil]

I am moving to the States and will be here for quite some time.

 

[musclepump]

Then a big chain is good. Though if you're traveling a lot, just about every club has a guest pass that's only $5 a day or so. Lots of colleges do, too.

 

[Salil]

Could you tell me the names of some big chains?

 

[Dale Mabry]

LA Fitness, World Gym, Gold's Gym, Powerhouse Gym, that is all I can remember.

 

[garethhe]

My guess is that Gold's Gym has the most locations in the USA. I know I've seen them all over the place while travelling the country. Although, I've never stepped foot inside one.

This is from their website:

"Gold???s Gym has become the largest co-ed gym chain in the world with more than 600 facilities in 43 states and 25 countries."

 

[Salil]

I guess Ballys is the only one present in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where my next assignment is. So thats what I shall go with and I believe it has a large no. of chains too.

 

[Squaggleboggin]

Just so you know, it may be very difficult for each personal trainer to train you properly. If I were you, I would - at the very least - write down everything you do: sets, reps, weights, exercises, RIs, tempos, and anything else you keep track of. This will make it much easier for a trainer to help you since you'll be going to different gyms - and thus different trainers - all the time. If you have the time, use it to educate yourself as much as possible. It helps.

 

[Steele20]

Hello friends,
I would like to know which are the reputed fitness/gym centers in USA? This is the first time I would be going to a gym in USA so I need your advice. I have two things in mind:
1. the gym must have a trained personal trainer who could advice me on the exercises I need to do? I am into body building and not just into losing weight or being trim.
2. I am a software consultant and I will have to travel throughout USA. So I need to join a gym that would be widespread throughout USA, so that I could take up a long term plan.

I know bally's total fitness is one such chain that I could join. Please name some more.

The Ymca is a Great gym.

 

[Salil]

But does every YMCA have a gym/fitness centers? Would they have a personal trainer. No doubt they are spread out throughout USA.

 

[fufu]

I go to the Y gyms and they have no personal trainers. Although I think they may claim to. Like Squaggle said it is good to educate yourself. I like to train to my accord, not to other's. Noone knows your own body as good as you do...and your proctologist but that is a different story.

 

[Squaggleboggin]

I go to the Y gyms and they have no personal trainers. Although I think they may claim to. Like Squaggle said it is good to educate yourself. I like to train to my accord, not to other's. Noone knows your own body as good as you do...and your proctologist but that is a different story.

Hahaha. So wrong... yet so true...

 

[Tier]

YMCA is regional, one membership at one location does not span over states.

YMCA in VA will not work in CA for instance.

 

[kicka19]

The Ymca is a Great gym.

i goto a Y, its decent and cheap as hell, 13$ a month to college students, but we dont have a squat rack!!!!

 

[cappo5150]

Check out the gym called Curves. Theres tons of hot babes there.

 

[CowPimp]

I guess Ballys is the only one present in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where my next assignment is. So thats what I shall go with and I believe it has a large no. of chains too.

I think Bally's is about the worst chain gym out there. I swear to God there is more talking than exercising going on there. Find a better one if at all possible.

Also, Bally's trainers are garbage. You don't have to be certified in any way to be a trainer at Bally's. Lots of certified trainers don't know dick, but uncertified trainers are just scary. I work with a fella who was hired as a trainer at Bally's. I'm appalled at what he doesn't know.

 

[fufu]

Check out the gym called Curves. Theres tons of hot babes there.

there are like 3 of those in a town over from mine alone. and the town isn't even that big.

 

[MillerMan]

Curves is for girls, you cant get big at curves in my city, they have nothing but resistence circuit machines

 

[fufu]

Curves is for girls, you cant get big at curves in my city, they have nothing but resistence circuit machines

Yeah that is what I thought. If I'm not mistaken I think they actually serve food in there. I could be wrong but I thought someone told me that.

 

[cappo5150]

I was just kidding about curves. Was trying to be a smart ass. Since that place caters to huge women.

 

[musclepump]

I think Bally's is about the worst chain gym out there. I swear to God there is more talking than exercising going on there. Find a better one if at all possible.

Also, Bally's trainers are garbage. You don't have to be certified in any way to be a trainer at Bally's. Lots of certified trainers don't know dick, but uncertified trainers are just scary. I work with a fella who was hired as a trainer at Bally's. I'm appalled at what he doesn't know.

You actually have to have two separate certs at the Bally's I work out at. I don't work for them though because I can't stand the amount of MuscleTech products you have to sell to keep your job. My studio does just fine without selling supplements.

 

[CowPimp]

You actually have to have two separate certs at the Bally's I work out at. I don't work for them though because I can't stand the amount of MuscleTech products you have to sell to keep your job. My studio does just fine without selling supplements.

Oh, I see. Well, I guess it varies. I based my information off the fact that one of my co-workers used to work at a Bally's in Atlanta, GA.

 

[Salil]

Hello Friends,
I did join at Bally's at Milwaukee. I think it's a great gym. It has 8-10 rooms each with a different set of exercises. Each room has a variety of machines. The gym even has a swimming pool and jogging track. But again, I come from India where such gyms were only available to the very rich, so I guess you guys must be wondering what's the big deal.
However, I found out that the personal training there is damn expensive. Over $50 an hour. So I am disappointed with that. Anyway I think I shall put up all my questions on this board hope you guys will answer them.

 

[Darkkmind]

Dude forget about the personal trainer. Just search this forum which has loads of kickass info. If your not sure how a machine works and it doesn't have instuctions on it just ask somebody at the gym they'll be happy to help you out. Good choice I was gonna say to go with either Bally's or 24 hour fitness. I've lived in 4 major cities and they all seem to have an abundance of those gyms.

 

[Salil]

Ya most of the machines do have instructions on them and they also have warnings that if you do the exercise wrong it could result in injury. But I was wondering whether some fine details might be helpful in doing the exercise correctly. For eg. for most machines you have to adjust the seat height so that your arms are at a correct position and this gives you optimum results. I was wondering how I will know the correct posture and techniques to do the exercises. I don't even know the names of most of the machines so I don't even know how to post questions on them. I guess I will ask some Bally members to help me out there.

 

[JerseyDevil]

Salil, your innocence is refreshing

Like Darkkmind said, don't worry about the trainer. Read this site and ask a lot of questions. Does the Bally's have free weights? If so, try to use those. Don't get too complicated with all those shiny, looking glitzy machines.

 

[ironman512]

your innocnece is refreshing

ahahha, that sounds like somtin a child malestor would say to a young boy lol ahahahha

 

[PTYP]

Curves is only for women.

Golds is everywhere.

 

[min0 lee]

I think Bally's is about the worst chain gym out there. I swear to God there is more talking than exercising going on there. Find a better one if at all possible.

That's so true, I had to buy a MP3 player just to avoid them.

Also, Bally's trainers are garbage. You don't have to be certified in any way to be a trainer at Bally's. Lots of certified trainers don't know dick, but uncertified trainers are just scary. I work with a fella who was hired as a trainer at Bally's. I'm appalled at what he doesn't know.

It's funny you say that because while I training there I made a friend and showed her the ropes, taught her the basics and then she disapeared.....next you know she became a trainer at Bally's. I still know more than her and that's sad considering the amount of classes she's been to.