David Lloyd gyms - cheaper?

[G]

My new company is pretty much right next to a David Lloyd gym, but unfortunately don't have an 'agreement' with the gym as some of the other companies in the business park do for cheaper rates.

So, any ideas on other ways to blag a discount? At over £70 it's really starting to push the bounds of what I'd be willing to pay, pay rise or not.
Tried the obvious googling etc.

[Keir]

stroll in and ask if they do corporate discount for **** company over the road there.
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[tatters]

Blagging worked for me, l got a £20 per month platinum deal with fitness first because l told them l worked for JP Morgan stupid buggers took a service engineer door card l found as proof l worked for them.
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[G]

Unfortunately I suspect that'll ask for proof of working for the companies that do; get a feeling they'll actually talk to HR.

I read somewhere else that you could get some deal if you have a friend on the list - maybe you have to say you're living in the same house or something. Be interested to hear if anyone knows about this?

[garth]

Seventy bloody quid? My gym membership including swimming pool etc, albeit maybe not up to the same standard as David Lloyd, is £32 p/m.
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[G]

I can certainly get a fair bit cheaper gym memberships around here - there's a 'fitness first' down the road and a local council run/subsidised one.
However, sadly by paying a reasonable chunk for a decent gym I am actually more likely to use it; also there tends to be a higher proportion of, ahem 'fit' women to encourage me to go to tarty places.
However, more importantly why I really want this one is that being right next to work will make it a lot harder for me to avoid going - hopefully I can get up a regime of going in lunch times at least.

[trevoriv]

Fook me, my gym is used by a premiership football team and its only £24 a month!

could you not get a few people from you place of work interested and go along and say any discount if 5 of us join at the same time. That's what we did.
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[The Shaggy D.A.]

£70?!?!?

I'd want a full massage with happy ending after every workout for that.
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[G]

This business park has the HQ of Microsoft and Oracle in the UK, so there's plenty of 'big hitters' around for them to justify silly prices .

Unfortunately I suspect the company actually has to pay for it's staff to get discount rates, so doubt they'll do much.

[GhostRider]

[nc30 chick]

I work for one of the 'big hitters' in TVP and I pay £29.50 a month. This has gradually increased from free access to what we pay now over the past 6 years.
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Lee taken on 31-7-06
Scott taken on 13-4-07

[map]

Have you tried just walking in and asking what is the best price they can offer you? Mention things like trial membership and ask what payment terms they offer (at some gyms it's cheaper to pay a lump sum, 3/6/12 months, as opposed to monthly).

It's rarely done in this country but you can generally barter and ask for discount. I've found that if they want your money, and let's face it with all the financial bad news, what company doesn't, they'll bend.

If it was my father he'd probably walk in and ask when their buy one, get one free offer was starting and go on from there.
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[G]

I've tried that on the phone and they weren't budging... will try it again when I go in there on Monday lunchtime.

However, these places are horribly corporate, so I doubt I'll get much.

[G]

[map]

I take it you've read the obvious moneysavingexpert.com Gym Membership Cost Cutting page.
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[GhostRider]

[G]

I haven't read that specific page, but I think I've got most of it covered.
Was using the Canons deal until now. David Lloyd are offering a '12 day trial' (which you have to pay for) at the moment, so think I'll take that and see what offers they have in the new year... wouldn't be using much over the actual Christmas time either.

If I look at it from a money factor, I'm probably going to be getting something like £15ph after tax (more if you discount holidays etc)... so if we say that that's about what my time is 'worth' (I'd actually value spare time higher, personally ) then consider a few hours saved here and there from going in at lunch time rather than after work and it can be considered to make economic sense to use a stupidly expensive gym closer to work. But, yes, I really don't like the idea of paying such ridiculous amounts.

[nc30 chick]

I dont know about how to get cheaper rates. I get vouchers from them saying take a guest but they still want £10 to do that.

Apart from that though the gym itself is quite good. There is a good range of lunchtime classes which I go to and they have just had a load of new weight machines and free weights put in.
____________________
R.I.P our fallen friends
Lee taken on 31-7-06
Scott taken on 13-4-07

[FreshAL]

That David Lloyd is more of a pick-up bar than a gym.

Get yourself to a spinning class there. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Going there was just about the only good thing about working for Oracle.

[trevoriv]

£70, id want my balls washed for that.
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Mudskipper wrote: Someone just has to sig that...

[iooi]

[G]

Have been to a few spinning classes at current gym I go to - not sure I make a very attractive proposition during or after them!

A run at lunch time would be a bad idea - running does my back in. Also, I'm wanting some upper-body stuff for 'cardio' (ie rowing) for various bike racing (off and on road) where it's useful. (Did wonder if there's any canoe clubs around there in the summer, though ).

Lunch times was an example of where it would save time over going to a different gym; where I'd be paying something still. May well be able to get a flexible lunch hour for gym days - will see when I'm settled in.
Generally save time if I wanted to go after work too (though undoubtedly be packed straight after.)

I am planning to have a word, but being a new and small company, I doubt they'll be able or willing to get a decent deal.

I'm set on this place as I know how I work and reckon it'll end up with me being a fair bit fitter than other options - just want to try and achieve that as cheaply as possible .

Ta for the thoughts all .

[nc30 chick]

[G]

They weren't budging at all on the price and from what I've heard, yes they do check with HR departments so didn't try blagging working for a different company .

Can take an extended lunch hour from my place if required and work later; so an hour and a half exercise at the gym is fairly reasonable.

Also, no showers at work, so it'd be useful with the intention of push-biking in, in the future (whether I'd get up early enough to do some gym stuff before showers is another matter!)

[steppen22]

This post illustrates nicely how completely daft gym goers are.

A) get a pushbike
B) go for a run
c) jump in a river. Swim.
d) go climb a mountain.
e) cross country through a forest
f) sunday afternoon walk.
g) Get the gear from Argos and kit out a home gym for a few thou. Much better investment.

I'm flabergasted that someone is seriously considering these fees. It's utter madness. There's a whole world out there - it's free! - where you can get super fit climbing, descending, running, exploring, rolling, meandering.

I can't think of anything duller than being stuck in a poxy gym with lots of corporate smoos (from Microsoft no less). Jesus, a lunch break is about getting away from all that bullshit.

Gym going is, in general, lazy and unimaginative. To get arse raped just short a ton each month is not only lazy and unimaginative, it's moronic.

Seriously man, surely you can do better with a payrise than that?
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