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What THEY Won’t Tell You About Health Clubs

By Dale Andrew

There are more health clubs and gyms in North America now than ever. But are we in any shape than we used to be? The experts say, “NO WAY!”

How could this be? The truth is simple: Most health clubs are more concerned with their bottom line than your waistline. It’s a big scam.

Health club owners know that 97% of members will stop coming within 3 months. If a restaurant operated like that, you better believe they’d go bankrupt in a hurry.

So does the gym owner work to get more gym members sticking to a regular exercise program? Nice thought. But, it’s not a common practice.

Instead, health clubs lock you into lengthy contracts that force you to keep paying whether you come or not. As a matter of fact, when you stop coming they make even more money.

The 3% of people that show up regularly are the members that cost the gym owner the most money (wearing out equipment, using hot water, and so on). With this philosophy, is it any wonder that poor customer service is the norm at health clubs rather than the exception? Health clubs make money whether you get in shape or not. Is it right? It doesn’t matter.

It’s not about what should be. It’s about what is.

The success of a restaurant depends largely on providing quality service to 97% of its customers. It seems the same cannot be said of gyms and health clubs. I mean, does it say anything in your health club contract about them guaranteeing your results? Of course, not.

Most health clubs are not about results.

That kind of focused and personalized attention would cost time, energy, and money.

Besides, the reality is that health clubs are too busy trying to replace you with another sucker to even notice whether you come to the gym or not.

So before the newest, greatest health club in town hypnotizes you with all its fancy whiz-bang machines, you should know this - it’s not about the equipment.

When it comes to getting results and a better body, or choosing a health club, you must realize that what you need is just three things:

  1. Social Support.
    There is abundant evidence to suggest that social support is the most important factor in a successful fat loss program. This kind of support is rarely found at health clubs where you’re more likely to be treated like a number or a dollar sign than a trusted friend.

  2. Practical Knowledge.
    You must know what it’s really going to take to get the results that you want, and commit without reservation to doing whatever it takes to achieving success. Most health club memberships merely give you access to their facility, but offer you little to no help. Last I checked, most people joining a gym were paying for a service and a specific result. Are you paying full-serve prices at a health club and stuck getting self-serve? It’s an outrage!

  3. Accountability.
    You need social support and practical knowledge to achieve your fat loss goals, but they don’t matter IF you don’t get things done. If you don’t do what you need to do, don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’re doing everything you can. That said, even the most motivated of people need to be called out from time to time. When’s the last time someone at your health club called you out (or back in)? I’m guessing, never. Health clubs don’t want to risk offending you or losing your money.

If you’re planning on joining a health club, you need to think about more things than just location and price. Neither of these things will get you a better body. You need support, practical knowledge, and accountability to live your greatest possibilities. You can’t get that from fancy whiz-bang machines. You can only get it from other people.

As a fitness professional, I am a fitness educator, a psychologist, and at times a hard-ass, but I hold you accountable to your personal fitness goals. If you aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to fight for your greatest possibilities, training you will just be a waste of your money and a waste of my time. I’m not willing to do either. If health clubs had your best interest in mind, they’d demand the same out of you.

About the Author:

Dale Andrew, M.A. is a fitness professional, author, and speaker. He is the fat loss expert busy professionals worldwide turn to for advice on how to build a better body - FAST. To get your copy of his free e-book 64 Must-Have Fitness Tips, visit www.better-body-tips.com.