LA Fitness (Plymouth, Apple Valley, Grant: hair salon, insurance, daycare)

[BillyB]

What's the deal with this place? I see they're popping up all over. Any good? And is it pronounced "la fitness" as in Spanish?

[K-Luv]

No, it is L A fitness-probably as in something goofy like Los Angeles. What's the deal? It's a place that gives these people who like to sit on their behinds all day a chance to go from sitting on their behinds at home to sitting on their behinds in their car and then they drive to this place where they are awarded the grand privilege to run and walk on a treadmill for a little while in front of a bay of windows while other people who are not afraid of this thing called the "outside world" stop and stare at their butts. Then they get back into their cars and drive back home only to happily resume sitting on their behinds.

It sounds like something from an Orson Wells book, I know, but apparently this type of place is a hit with the suburbanites.

[lukeache]

Are you thinking of Lifetime Fitness or LA Fitness? There is only one LA Fitness in Minnesota (Apple Valley) and there are many Lifetime Fitness all over the Twin Cities. I definitely recommend Lifetime Fitness, it is a great place to work out at and I do not agree with the previous poster. I am a runner, so I usually run 30 minutes on the threadmill every other day and I cannot think of any better high impact type of exercise that will burn 20+ calories/minute(much better than jogging outside) There are many people that go to Lifetime Fitness and either are too lazy or have no idea what they are doing but it is a great place to work out if you are serious about it.

[K-Luv]

luke,

I have no problem with fitness centers per se, I just find it amusing that so many people are willing to shell out money to do something that they could otherwise do for free. Granted, not everyone has a gym in their home, or even the room for one but unless you are taking full advantage of what a gym has to offer (weights, bikes, racket ball court, etc.) you are essentially using the gym as a social club to meet and be seen.

[bighusker]

Yea, these places do attract some lazy types, but Lifetime is really cheap for those that use is as a real gym.

With my insurance discount, I only pay around $30/month for the one in Plymouth. That gets me weights, cardio machines, basketball courts and the swimming pools. And I *do* actaully use all of that stuff. It's probably one of the few "monthly" fees I pay where I'm actually getting my money's worth..and it doesn't require a long-term contract. You basically pay on a month-to-month basis, which is refreshing...

I can only stomach going there late at night though (after 9 PM) and taking my ipod so I don't have to listen to their stupid music/commercials. Before that, there's too many people like you describe that are just doing it as a "fad" or "to be seen." The fact that it has a bunch of stupid crap like a "hair salon", "daycare center" and overpricied "nutrition store" seems a little ridiculous, but it's not like I have to use them.