Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi all! I hope everyone's day is going well.

My question is this. I recently graduated from college and my access to the university gym membership has been cut off, so I am looking for a place to exercise. I would really only need the basics (pullup bar, DB's, BB's, treadmill, etc.) but I can't seem to find a reasonably priced gym around. The city rec center is more expensive than the gym (go figure) so at this point I am really feeling in trouble. Does everyone here fork out lots of cash every month for gym memberships?

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I go to a place called RetroFitness- I pay around $20 a month. nothing fancy, but everything works. You may also want to see if your college offers memberships, I know mine does (but the gym is crap and nothing works which is why I don't go there). I'll be looking for something closer now that I'm done with school and thought about checking out a university that is within biking distance from where I live now.

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I shell out for a gym that is within jogging distance from my apartment because, well, that's awesome. My University offers memberships to alums for pretty cheap, but it's pretty out of the way for me, so I don't bother, even though it's the most awesome gym I've ever been to. Olympic size pool, whirlpools, sauna, whole floor devoted to weight lifting, another floor to resistance machines, 45 foot rock wall and bouldering gym, indoor track, multiple basketball courts (the list keeps going but you get the point). I miss that thing so much!
Depending on your strength, I know you can pick up those interchangeable dumbbell sets (one handle with a bunch of different clip-on weights) on craigslist for cheap. Treadmills can be simulated with good 'ol fashioned outside running. I got a pull-up bar from my local sports store for $20. Barbells would be a bit harder, but if you have room and a few months to save you could probably score something cool on craigslist.

Not sure if you have a Cardinal Fitness chain in your area, but out here, that's as low-cost as they come. $19.99 to join and only $19.99 per month. Not the most awesome place I've trained, but they usually have all the essentials and you can't do much better on the cost to be a member there!

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Hmm guess I just gotta shop around some more. My university doesn't offer discounts anywhere and I don't have either of those fitness chains. Thanks guys!

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Learning how to be compassionate, gain wisdom, and love life.

We get spoiled rotten at the weightlifting club. You pay £10 for the year, and £1 everytime you go. For me, that's about £13/month. Average gym membership here is prob about £25-30.

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We had the same pricing scheme at the gym I used to run. Must be a Scottish thing. Lefty socialists at work most likely.

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Strength Table:
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Without knowing how you define reasonable,

24 hour fitness in Denver will run you around $35 a month, maybe less if you get some kind of "deal", which I think is pretty reasonable.

There is also a Fitness Anytime, which will probably be $20-$30ish, but won't have as many amenities (no sauna, pool, basketball courts, etc)

Both will get you access to other clubs in the US... helpful if you travel.

Hey thanks for the suggestion. The Anytime Fitness near me has a 14-day trial so I think I will try it out and see what it offers!

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Learning how to be compassionate, gain wisdom, and love life.

I'm currently paying to use my old University's gym. It's actually not super cheap but my lifting buddy still works there so it's cheaper for me to pay to use it than for both of us to pay for the next cheapest in the area, Retro Fitness at $20/mo.

I hear Planet Fitness is super cheap, but you're not actually allowed to work out there.

When you do check out local gyms, take notice if they have an area to do deadlifts or cleans, if you're into those. A lot of places don't have any space to put a barbell on the ground.

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I just canceled my Anytime Fitness membership, rates are hovering around $42-50 for my area these days, so it's not really any cheaper than most other gyms. The 24 hour access is nice, but there are many versions of Anytime Fitness, some clubs are decent, some outright suck (usually their "express" facilities that rarely have DBs over 50 lbs., power racks, benches or any barbells whatsoever). Worth checking out, but probably won't be low-cost.

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"A 'hardgainer' is merely someone who hasn't bothered to try enough different training methods to learn what is actually right for their own damned body." - anonymous

Good call. OP, do post back when you find out how much they want for membership.

Home. Buy a barbell and you can do nearly every kind of lift with it.