Veggie Blog

The old version of this post called 24 Hour Fitness the Walmart of the fitness world, said it had around three hundred clubs open around the clock, and promised there was no long-term contract. The company has changed a great deal since that was written, so this rewrite keeps the useful idea (a big chain can be a one-stop gym) and replaces the details with what the company says today. Check the current facts for your own club before you sign anything.

How big is 24 Hour Fitness now?

Smaller than it was. A June 2020 bankruptcy filing, made when the company entered Chapter 11, said that as of March 31, 2020 it served about 3.4 million members at 445 locations. According to its own membership page, it now offers access to over 235 clubs at the top tier, and an August 2026 trade-press report put the total at roughly 240 clubs in nine states, most of them in California. So the old figure of more than three hundred clubs is out of date, and you should look at a map before assuming there is one near you.

What do the club tiers and membership levels mean?

The company currently lists three club tiers: Sport, Super-Sport and Ultra-Sport. The higher the tier you pay for, the more clubs you can use, and Ultra-Sport covers every location. It also lists three membership levels, called GetFit, KeepFit and KeepFit+. According to the company, GetFit covers the basics (cardio, weights and functional training areas) at your home club only, KeepFit adds classes, pools, saunas and courts where a club has them, and KeepFit+ adds recovery rooms and extras such as body scans. The old post described four club types with amenities such as heated pools, whirlpools, steam rooms and spa services. The company says that exact amenities vary from location to location, so use its club finder to check the specific club you have in mind rather than relying on a tier name.

Is every club open 24 hours?

No. The company says that “many” of its gyms are open 24 hours, which is not the same as all of them. The old post said every club was open around the clock. If late-night or early-morning access is the reason you are considering this chain, check the posted hours for your own club.

Is there really no contract?

I could not confirm that. The old post said you could pay monthly and that there was no long-term contract, but the company’s page says that each member’s access and benefits are governed by the terms of their individual membership agreement. That is a reason to read the agreement. The Federal Trade Commission’s advice on free trials and auto-renewals is a useful checklist: find the terms, know how and when you can cancel, put the cancellation date in your calendar, and watch your card statements. If a company keeps charging you after you cancel, the FTC suggests disputing the charge with your card issuer.

What about personal training and a nutrition plan?

The old post described a sports-performance program, a resistance-training program and a metabolic rate test at the end of a workout. I could not verify that any of these are offered today, so ask the club exactly what is included in a trainer package and what costs extra. A sensible plan, wherever you train, matches national guidelines: adults should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days. Our guide to group fitness classes and how to stay consistent explains how to fit classes around that.

Do you need vitamins to go with a gym plan?

The old post said that vitamins and supplements are a necessity unless you are sure you get enough iron, calcium and vitamins C, D and E. That goes too far. The NIH says, for example, that most people in the United States get enough iron, and that most get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat, although some groups (women under 50 and pregnant women for iron, older adults for B12) are more likely to fall short, and some supplements carry risks. Our post on vitamins and your health explains who may benefit. A better use of your time is a plan you will follow: read moderate exercise for fitness for easy ways to get started if you are not sure what to do first in a large gym.