How to avoid additional expenses in fitness clubs?

Author: Tikhon Kosykh - founder of the fitness club network Raketa.
2016-12-12

The latest study by RBC showed:

31% of potential fitness club visitors are only willing to pay for low-cost club memberships up to 15,000 rubles.

45% can allocate up to 30,000 rubles per year from their family budget for sports activities.

Meanwhile, the average cost of an annual membership at fitness centers is 36,000 rubles. Potential clients are bewildered by such prices and do not always understand what they are paying this substantial amount for. Tikhon Kosykh, the founder of the new generation fitness club network Raketa, explained to the website “Your Trainer” which services included in the annual membership fee are not in demand among clients and what doesn't justify the extra costs.

Opaque Pricing

The traditional payment system for fitness club sessions is the purchase of an annual membership. To obtain a club card, you must pay a significant sum upfront. The cost of annual membership depends on many factors, such as equipment, quality of repairs, and location. Sometimes, an annual membership in clubs of the same network located in different parts of Moscow costs differently. Price can be affected by anything from the availability of convenient parking to the proximity of a large business center from where the majority of clients come to the club.

However, despite the opacity of the pricing, there are factors that can be analyzed independently to determine whether it's worth paying extra. The fact is that a significant portion of the membership fee is determined by the presence of additional costly services, which everyone has to pay for, while only a few actually use them.

The Pool as Bait

One of the most expensive items in the maintenance of any large fitness center is the pool and sauna. It is believed that the presence of a pool attracts more clients and enhances the club's status. On one hand, this is indeed true. However, studies show that only 7% of fitness club members regularly use the pool. Think about whether you belong to this group. Of course, there are people for whom the presence of a pool is a decisive factor in choosing one club over another. But even among those who are fond of water workouts, only 30% of those who bought a membership solely for the pool actually use it regularly. As a result, the pool significantly increases the cost of an annual membership, while the overwhelming majority of gym-goers don't even set foot in it.

Unwanted Training for Most

The cost of an annual membership usually includes group classes, but not all of them are equally popular among members. For example, only about 25% of fitness club members attend dance workouts, and mostly this is women, as men rarely find dancing interesting. At the same time, classes are open to all club members, meaning that the work of trainers is paid for by everyone.

A slightly larger number, about 30%, participate in group classes for yoga and Pilates. However, if you do not plan to attend group classes, you cannot exclude their cost from the annual membership fee.

About 60% of club visitors regularly participate in group functional and aerobic training sessions and also sign up for boxing or martial arts classes. There are many options for such activities: core strengthening, indoor cycling, and intensive strength exercises that involve additional weights. It is quite evident that one person cannot constantly attend every type of training listed in the schedule; for that, you would literally need to live in the fitness club.

In many clubs, there is an additional fee for training in sections, such as boxing. It turns out that a club member buys an annual membership and then pays extra to engage in their favorite sport. Ultimately, if you only use the gym, you significantly overpay for the services that are “included” in the membership fee but that do not interest you.

Helpers for an Additional Fee

Additional income for the club comes from individual sessions with a trainer. About 10% of visitors regularly pay for these. This constitutes a significant source of income, and clubs use every means to sell this service. For example, when purchasing a membership, free workouts are often offered, and a program is created that is difficult to follow without the trainer's assistance. In reality, the club member only uses the gym equipment unless, of course, they have a particular fondness for the pool and sauna.

Moreover, some clubs arrange their equipment in such a way that it is challenging to navigate without a trainer's help. A complete workout involving constant movement around the gym becomes impossible without the presence of a qualified assistant. By the way, it is precisely for the equipment that 85% of fitness club clients purchase memberships, meaning that only 15% utilize additional services.

Absentees Are in Demand

There is also a special category of clubs where it is essential to sell as many memberships as possible while making it inconvenient for visitors to work out. However, this marketing approach has become less common recently. Now, it's more important for a person to consistently train at the club. Many gym managers understand that after a year, when it’s time to renew the membership, the person remembers that they haven’t attended, there are no results, and thus it makes no sense to renew the membership. Such clubs ultimately lose clients and then struggle to attract new ones.

Payment Based on Needs

Gradually, new formats are emerging to replace traditional fitness centers with annual memberships. More and more private studios are opening, offering classes in specific fitness directions with popular trainers. There are also new generation fitness clubs with large gyms and a small monthly fee. This is the system that the Raketa network operates under.

Club members only use what they pay for. The basic membership costs 1500 rubles a month. It includes unlimited access to all network gyms, equipped with premium-level equipment, ample lockers in spacious changing rooms, and comfortable showers. If a person wants to attend group classes, they can pay for them additionally within the club and focus only on what is interesting and effective for them.

The main rule of saving when choosing a fitness club is to pay only for the services you will actually use. Therefore, everyone must decide for themselves whether they are willing to train independently or if they need a mentor to push them to stick to a routine and attend workouts. In the first case, there is no point in overpaying; one can train in clubs with good gym facilities for minimal costs. In the second case, it is more advantageous to go to a specialized studio than to pay for individual sessions with a trainer.