When it comes to choosing a gym, the right fit really depends on your personality, goals, and what kind of environment helps you stay consistent. For some, a low-cost gym like Planet Fitness or Snap Fitness can be a great choice. These gyms typically offer basic equipment, flexible hours, and affordable membership options that make working out accessible to almost anyone. If you’re comfortable programming your own workouts, know how to use the equipment properly, and can stay motivated without external accountability, then these kinds of gyms can serve you very well.

For others, premium training options like group HIIT, CrossFit, or any of the other group class options is the better play. The programs above remove nearly all the mental barriers that tend to derail fitness goals. You don’t have to design your own workouts, guess which exercises to do, or worry about what’s taken on the gym floor. Every class is planned for you, coached from start to finish, and scaled to your fitness level. You just show up, give your best effort for 60 minutes, and leave knowing you’ve completed an effective, balanced workout.

Which Option is Best?

It’s really up to you and what you want out of your experience! It’s a measure of value and that alone makes the decision unique from person to person. Like anything in life, if you don’t want to spend the extra money then you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Or, if you are ok with spending the extra cash, then there’s someone there who can do it for you. And of course the coach isn’t going to workout for you if you choose one of the higher valued options mentioned above…you still need to saddle up and put in the work…but the stage will be set for you to walk in and hit your workout. You should even get more of a push and quicker results if the trainers are doing their job.

I Am Not A Hater of Budget Gyms

Budget gyms often have everything you truly need to build strength, improve endurance, or lose weight — dumbbells, resistance machines, treadmills, bikes, and sometimes even a few squat racks or cable stations. I utilized these types of open gym concepts for nearly a decade and literally built my foundation for strength and fitness! The trade-off is that you’ll likely have to share space, adjust your training to what’s available, and occasionally modify exercises when equipment is occupied or limited. For self-sufficient exercisers, that’s not a problem. They can walk in, execute a plan, and adapt on the fly. I loved the open gyms when I was younger. I’m a frugal person, so the low price point was extremely attractive to me and it worked for a long time.

But Eventually I Wanted Something More

For some, like myself, that lack of structure or variety can eventually lead to burnout, boredom, or inconsistent progress. If you are a competitive person or maybe just ran into the plateau that so many run into after working out for years, then you might find yourself wanting something more. Something that resembles targeted, goal-oriented training rather than getting a good pump and calling it a day. Working out is working out. Any form of working out is great. I just found that after time, I needed quantifiable goals and efforts to find the next level in my fitness journey. 

One thing that unquestionably sticks out between the two, is the community and accountability you get when you are a part of a class atmosphere. Some low budget open gyms out there have a special sense of community and it is awesome when you run into one, but more times than not the nature of an open gym is headphones in and nothing more than that polite not pushy whatsoever question — “hey, how many sets do you have left?” When you train in a coached group setting, you’re surrounded by people who encourage you to push harder and celebrate your wins. You have a coach watching your form, keeping you safe, and ensuring that each movement serves a purpose. That layer of guidance is what helps many people progress faster and avoid injury, especially those who are newer to fitness or want more structure in their training.

So…

In short, the difference between a $20-a-month gym and a $150-a-month membership isn’t just about the price — it’s about the level of support and structure you’re investing in, but you need to decide if the value you put on price outweighs some of these other factors. And there’s no shame if the price is your main concern! A place like Planet Fitness or Snap Fitness can absolutely work if you’re disciplined, independent, and enjoy creating your own plan. But for those who want provided programming, motivation, and a focused hour without distractions or guesswork, group training options like HIIT, CrossFit, F45, Orange Theory, you name it, are probably the better option. If you are in the Canton area and want to check out my place, it falls into the higher value category and you can check out our class times, member benefits, photo gallery and more at Everhard Fitness.

written by: Jonathan Atkinson