Have been a member of Fitness First Bukit Tinggi Klang since they open their doors 6 years ago and like many of you here, have also received a very polite email from them informing me of membership fees increase effective 1st May 2014.

I think since I started with them, they have increased my membership fees 3x and this would be the 4th time if I'm not mistaken.

In general, I don't have much to complain about FF. The service I receive usually meets my expectations and the facilities provided are more or less comparable to the price I pay. The energy in the GX class is amazing and I've even become good friends with a few of the instructors. Being a Passport member, I've also enjoyed perks like being able to workout in their branches during work trips or holidays in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia.

But their latest fee adjustment announcement really bugs me. Am already paying close to RM200 per month and now with this adjustment, it's definitely gonna be above RM200 monthly. Their timing couldn't be worse. Everything else has gotten more expensive and everyone is struggling to make ends meet, so much so gym membership can be deemed as a luxury item, depending on how you see it. Also, when I first joined them, I was a bachelor with additional disposal income to spend. I am now married with a kid - and raising a kid is not cheap these days...

Also, I find that their boast of what improvements they made for their clubs in general over the years a little bit unnecessary as some of the so called improvements doesn't apply to members who only visit their Home Club..

Take for example Bukit Tinggi Klang, a supposedly Platinum Club. The free weights area is soooo small and it's unlikely you'll have comfortable space to work out during peak hours. There aren't enough water coolers and the water cooler available doesn't dispense cold water and hasn't for months. Most of the time there are only 2 working hair dryers in the men's locker room, and if they can have a mini RPM area for Paradigm and Setia City Mall why can't they do it in Bukit Tinggi Klang?

So I've started scouting and hunting for other gyms since I received their email but unfortunately every other gym also has it's fair share of negatives, and there's not too many options in Klang. I've written an email feedback to Fitness First asking them if there are any changes coming to the Bukit Tinggi gym this year - pending their reply, I'll decide if it's still worth to keep the membership.

This post has been edited by attw: Apr 16 2014, 03:55 PM

Ya, my options in Klang/Shah Alam area is now limited to Gorgeous Fitness at Bukit Tinggi Klang and Celebrity Fitness at AEON Big Bukit Rimau. Visited one already and need to visit the other one to make comparison.

Fully agree that outdoor exercise is much better but I lack the discipline. When you see your credit card statement monthly with an auto debit for gym membership, you kinda feel the pinch and motivate yourself to make full use of what you are paying for. It's not really the right kind of motivation, but it works for me

To be honest RM7 per month is not that much of an increase, but it is more of the reasons they gave for the increase when I feel my home club hasn't been given the necessary upgrades even though it is a Platinum club. Although I am a passport holder, I recently switched jobs to be nearer to home so I only go to FF Klang Bkt Tinggi these days...

That said I concur with you that you get what you pay for and you pay for what you're comfortable with

Yup, I also think the layout of GF takrs a bit of getting used to and I'm sure I won't enjoy their GX classes as much as I do the ones at FF based on various feedback I received, haha...

I checked with some newer FF members and some didn't receive emails on the revision. Am wondering if FF just targeting some of us older members that joined last time when fees was cheaper...

This post has been edited by attw: Apr 17 2014, 08:50 PM

Actually for me, anything above RM150 per month makes it unattractive to switch from FF...

Coz I think they saw how Gung Ho you are promoting FF, haha...



I think it's the same video presentation they used 2 years ago when they had a round of fees adjustment, of course now they have added more new stuffs inside, e.g. Setia Mall, Paradigm Mall, etc.



I think at 17x or 19x, I'll just bite the bullet and stay with FF, ha ha ha. Anyways, they won't reveal their fees structure over the phone, keep insisting I go over there, ha ha. Do they really think they can convince me more if I go over and view their facilities? From the outside looking in, they do look kinda small (CF, AEON BIG, Bukit Rimau).

So I've checked out both GF Bukit Tinggi and CF Bukit Rimau. And now I have to compare it to FF Klang Bukit Tinggi as these were the only 3 clubs that I would frequent more now given my current working/living arrangements. My conclusions are as follows (1 for first and 3 for last): -

Price : 1. GF 2. CF 3. FF (Big gap between GF and the others, between CF passport and FF passport, not so much gap)

No. of available equipment: 1. GF 2. FF 3. CF

Newness of equipment: 1. CF 2. GF 3. FF

Cardio equipment availability: 1. GF 2. FF 3. CF

Free weights area: 1. GF 2. FF 3. CF

Member Lounge: 1. FF 2. GF 3. CF

Locker and Shower: 1. FF 2. CF 3. GF (CF also uses electronic card system, no need to bring own padlock)

GX class (Les Mills) and schedule: 1. FF 2. CF 3. GF (Although CF and GF have RPM Studios, FF doesn't)

Parking : 1. CF (Free) 2. FF (RM1 for first 4 hours on weekdays) 3. GF (RM2 per entry)


Special mentions:

GF has a cool rooftop TRX and Muay Thai studio and jacuzzi

FF is the only club that offers free flow of soft drinks and coffee

This particular CF is a very small club and has no steam room

Actually my conclusion is FF is better, but I'm craving for a change - something to get me motivated again after a mini rut... Can call it my seven year itch coz this is my seventh years with FF ha ha ha...

Am leaning more to CF Bukit Rimau now coz it's very convenient for me to drop by there and workout after work before heading home... Also, I like the RPM Studio... Big and many bikes available. The GX schedule seems a bit better than GF and quite suites my timing. I may just take the home membership and may upgrade to passport later if I think I will utilize the other branches...

Also, I spoke to some FF GX trainers before, they told me FF is the lowest paying one in the industry, ha ha ha. But they still stay on as their training and development program for trainers is better than elsewhere.

Ok la, not too bad, as long as they have BodyPump and RPM, enough for me, coz that's about the only 2 classes that I regularly attend.

They say because FF training and development for GX trainers particularly for lesmills is top notch, miles ahead of other clubs coz they put more emphasis on those programs.

If I do sign for CF then my dilemma is whether I should cancel FF or just freeze it in case one year later I have regrets, ha ha ha...

This post has been edited by attw: Apr 21 2014, 12:06 AM

There's a one-time admin fee that they can't waive I think. Not sure already, been too long...


I don't remember FF ever having a family package, but if you have 3 people joining at one go can probably try to negotiate with them. Not sure if you can get it cheaper though.

Yes, this I agree 100%. I don't profess to have excellent command of the English language, but some of the trainers, seriously, their English is sooooo bad it makes it very hard for me to focus in the class coz I'm nitpicking on their language skills, ha ha ha. And like you said, not all of them can motivate members.

I think that Groupon package expired di coz I can't find it. Anyway, got my free 7-day visit pass to CF di so I'll try it anyway.

No bro, I meant the FF I frequent, Klang Bukit Tinggi, no RPM studio Years ago, some members and I petitioned for a RPM studio to the management but never got a reply from them. Now that I see the new malls like Setia Alam and Paradigm got that open area RPM studio concept, I keep thinking it's not fair for them to deny KBT Platinum members the option for RPM class when they can obviously do it for the newer Blue clubs.

If go FF KBT cannot even see aunties doing bodyjam

They doing line dancing...

Ya, some rearrangement or removal of equipment would be required, so I doubt we'll ever get the RPM studio

So I went to FF KBT over the weekend, determined to cancel my membership coz I was gonna try out other fitness clubs, as a protest to their recent announcement of price increase. Instead when I reached there, I felt some nostalgic sentimental feeling coz I've been with that club since it first opened, ha ha ha...

In the end decided to freeze my membership for 6 monnths first while I try out other clubs (already calculated that the new club fees+current membership freeze fees still equal less to what I would be paying if I continued with FF).

They told me some changes will come by the end of this year. Will wait and see.

1XX + admin fees + new monthly fees which will be still higher than what I am paying... nvm la, donate first, ha ha...

Well, after a month or so at CF, here are my thoughts from being an ex-FF member (well not really ex-FF, just froze my membership and still have the option of joining back): -

Previous FF club: Aeon KBT
Current CF club: Aeon BIG Bkt Rimau

CF over FF:
1. Fees is cheaper. Home membership 149.
2. Equipment newer than FF.
3. Crowd is younger.
4. The water dispenser dispenses cold water. (If you've been to FF KBT you will know that the water dispenser there hasn't been dispensing cold water for ages)
5. Parking is FREE
6. RPM Studio (main reason why I jumped ship)

FF over CF:
1. Locker and Shower facilities much bigger and has better ventilation (the CF one will get smelly once a while and the cleaner will have to spray air freshner, haha)
2. The GX attendees are more hardcore - they make more noise during the class, hence give you more semangat. The CF crowd all looks like newbies and very quiet. Maybe takes time.
3. Towel is better quality
4. Water pressure at the shower is excellent. Can't say the same of CF Bkt Rimau

So I still have mix feelings about the whole thing, but I suppose the CF is pretty new so see how it goes in the coming couple of months or so

Well my FF "freeze" is active till October. If I decide I wanna go back then I will freeze CF for 6 months till contract over. Ya, I know I'm wasting money (already kena lecture from wife) but what to do, I think it's very important to like your workout venue

Ask me in October