Welcome to your definitive guide about Retro Fitness! We put together our wealth of knowledge right here, making sure you have a comprehensive understanding of this popular gym chain.
Welcome to your definitive guide about Retro Fitness! We put together our wealth of knowledge right here, making sure you have a comprehensive understanding of this popular gym chain.
Retro Fitness calls themselves "a hometown gym dedicated to building a strong community." We see them as a solid, value oriented franchise gym chain with a good, but not gigantic mix of amenities.
Clubs do include the standard package of gym equipment—decked out in bright yellows and reds. Eye-catching, to say the least! You can expect to workout with:
Many Retro Fitness locations also include amenities that we don't see too often:
Things you won't find at Retro Fitness gyms include pools, saunas, steam rooms or basketball courts. Same goes for hot tubs and towel service. Like we said: a value oriented gym chain—that covers all the basics.
While the exact times will differ for every location, the most common opening hours we've seen from Retro Fitness are:
The total amount of locations we're tracking from this fitness chain.
Room for activities! Average square footage of their gyms.
How much you can expect to pay for the entry-level membership every month
Old school gym vibes in a mid-priced starting package. You've got all the basics: strength and weights, plus cardio equipment.
The smoothie bar! Have you seen their menu? We count 23 different options, and you can customize your own with protein, fiber and much more.
Only a few fitness chains in the country have these tasty treats!
Retro opened up 4 clubs in Texas under their Project LIFT initiative—opening 500 health clubs in 50 black and brown communities in the next five years. 30 more locations are in development in Texas, bringing along their high-value-low-price model.
A pretty comprehensive, custom fitness app. Not only do you have at-home and quick workouts, but content on mental health and the Retro Fitness Kitchen.
Pretty sure that Retro Fitness checks off most of the needs for their members, but there are still a few things we'd like to see.
Childsitting/daycare/childcare services were still offered. As of November 30th, 2023, the amenity was removed from all clubs. Some locations turned the space into red light therapy areas, or an additional spot for stretching.
We wish that saunas were available. Not a single Retro Fitness offers it—several of their competitors do, and it's one of our most asked about amenities.
Pricing were closer to entry-level gym chains, around $9.99 and $19.99 a month. Many locations we see start at $24.99, which is usually a promotion price for a larger, big box gym chain that should offer a few more amenities.
Retro Fitness memberships are considered mid-tier, with their base monthly costs ranging from $19.99 to $39.99. We checked 5 different locations and saw a standardized membership structure, which makes it straightforward for you to compare. Let's go through each option:
Annual fee ranges from $49 to $69, and you're billed 45 days after joining. Enrollment fees are $49, but with current December 2023 promotion, down to $0.
The price ranges you see? Looking at Flex memberships only:
Big gap here, depending on the market. For this gym chain, you'll want to closely compare nearby gyms as the range is so much.
We all have different bodies, different goals and different fitness journeys. Some gyms may fit a person better than others. So who would enjoy this gym most?
Free weights, strength machines and cardio equipment.
Nothing like the hot heat to warm muscles up.
An extra early or real late workout—your choice.
Stretch, sleds, bodyweight or box jumps. The turf area is the place to be.
Relieve pain post workout or soothe sore muscles.
Gym Pricing Tiers Explained
There are 3-4 main pricing tiers that nearly all gyms across the country fall into. Generally, higher prices = more amenities and services.
$10 - $25 /month — Value
$15 - $30 /month — High Value Low Price
$25 - $65 Monthly — Mid-Tier
$65 and up — Boutique/Specialty/Luxury
"Is this gym worth it?"
Use our guides to help inform and educate what a gym can offer your fitness lifestyle. Only you can truly decide if a gym is worth it!
Retro Fitness gyms are both bold and old-school, with a throwback look and name. With three membership types to choose from, different amenities are available as you move up in monthly cost.
Like all other gym chains out there, at the start you get all the essential for a solid workout: strength free weights and machines, plus cardio equipment of different types (StairMasters, ellipticals and treadmills). You just saw the price range of this entry-level membership, and at $19.99, Retro is definitely worth it. However, some of their locations have charged $24.99 and $39.99—which is getting pricey, compared to what else is out there.
At their mid-level membership—Core—expect to see pricing at $26.99 and $49.99. Unfortunately, you don't get any real upgrades moving to this tier, besides nationwide access. Other gym chains will include a pool, sauna, steam or even basketball at this price, but not at Retro. Something like childcare would be appreciated as well, but not a single location from this chain offers that.
With their highest membership option—Ultimate—we do like the option to bring a guest, anytime. Plus, group exercise classes are now available to you. But, at $39.99 to $59.99, there's no much else you'll get. If you followed your favorite class-fitness-instructor, or trainer, then this cost may make it up. For the majority of folks, that price range with a competitor may get you premier activities like tennis, pickleball, HIIT or small group training. We're hard pressed to recommend the Ultimate option to many.
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