DECIDING WHICH GYM you join can be a big decision.
It can become a significant part of your life and choosing the right one is as important as deciding to join one in the first place.
There are a number of key criteria you must consider before parting with your money because if you don’t find a gym which fits your needs then you could end up making a significant investment for something you never use.
With a wealth of options available to us, it can be difficult to differentiate one gym from the next and resist the persuasive membership packages being dangled before us.
As the co-author of Men’s Health Magazine, Myatt Murphy, once said: “Walking into a gym is like walking onto a car lot. You’re the center of attention until the ink is signed.”
So it’s important to step back and consider what you want from your gym. Location and price are two of the obvious factors in any decision but other considerations such as opening hours, facilities, staff and classes are equally important.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to take a closer look at as many gyms around the country as we can – what they offer, what makes them different and ultimately whether you should consider joining or not.
To get the ball rolling, FlyeFit are first up.
Over the last decade, we’ve seen the emergence of gym chains in Ireland and FlyeFit are the first low cost chain to open 24/7.
With four gyms in Dublin, FlyeFit have quickly become a leading player in the market and have tapped into the blossoming fitness industry in this country.
FlyeFit base their model on making the gym ‘experience’ as easy as possible for their members, primarily with a low cost pricing structure and central and convenient locations.
Price is invariably the first criteria anyone will look for when considering a gym and there’s little surprise FlyeFit are as popular with a number of attractive memberships options.
“We’re the only Irish gym to offer a fully automated online self service gym membership,” Jackie Skelly, Media & Marketing Director, explained to The42.
“You can join, pause your membership, cancel your membership, book programmes, classes and personal training all online.
“Our monthly rate of €29 gives us a competitive advantage while our annual package is just €254 and that includes all gym classes.”
What also differentiates Flyefit from their competitors is the roaming membership offer. For an extra €3 a month, you can use any of their gyms across the capital and the latest addition to the group opens its doors on Georges Street in a couple of weeks.
There are also big plans for 2016.
Although FlyeFit entered the market just four years ago with a flagship gym in Ranelagh, they are set to add three more locations in the first quarter of next year.
But what do you actually get for your money?
“Our gyms are stuffed to the rafters with the latest cardio equipment, strength training machines, huge free weights areas, functional training zones, astro turf, rigs, racks and Olympic lifting platforms.
“Each gym has a dedicated Real Ryder studio with spinning bikes that tilt and bank like real bikes and a fitness class “arena” where you can participate in free indoor bootcamp style classes like X-fit, boxercise, pump’n sculpt classes, kettlebells, TRX and trampolines.”
All you need to know:
Locations: Ranelagh, Baggot Street, Macken Street, Swords, Georges Street
Annual membership: €254
Day passes: €9
Free classes: Yes
Personal training: Yes, extra charge
Locker room and showers: Yes
Swimming pool, sauna etc: No
Free parking: No
For more information on FlyeFit gyms, their locations and memberships packages, click here.
If you think your gym would like to feature in our weekly series, you can email ryan@the42.ie.
