How to get on to a popular gym class??

[AliceRR]

I’m a member of a well known gym chain. I have been to various classes in the past but currently I am not quite up to some of the more vigorous classes. I keep trying to get on to pilates or yoga but even pilates or yoga class this week is full with 7-12 people on the waitlist. It is the same every time I use the app to check.

You can book a class for 8 days so e.g. today is Sunday so you can book on classes for today up to a week today. I can only assume people know what time the booking goes live for each class and then do it straight away or that the classes are just wildly oversubscribed and there are too many people for not enough classes.

WWYD? I am wondering whether to call the them and at least feedback the issue as there may be a demand for more classes.

I pay for gym membership and so don’t really want to pay extra to do yoga elsewhere but there has to be a limit to classes and some people are clearly more on the ball at booking on.

Maybe it’s as simply as getting up early to book on each class 8 days before 🤷‍♀️

Yes, it means getting up early on the day the classes are released.

At the gym I go to, classes are released at 6.30am. I set my alarm, book my class and go back to sleep for an hour. That.

Yes, it means getting up early on the day the classes are released.

OK thanks

I need to work out what time the classes are available to book in that case

My old gym used to do this, booking opened a week in advance at gym opening time (6.30) so a Wednesday evening spin class at 17:30 would be bookable at 6:30 the Wednesday before. Popular classes would get booked up instantly so you may have to suck it up and try and get up early!

Also be prepared to have people glare at you and talk loudly that someone has ‘stolen’ Sharon’s space in the class. At least I had that!

Its v annoying but usually if I look the night before the class someone has cancelled so I book then.

But definitely feedback to gym, I don’t understand why they don’t just run more of the popular classes - at mine they run a fully booked /over subscribed class followed by a different one that only ever has 2-3 attending ..... these are virtual so not about particular trainer etc ....

At my gym it's 9pm they are released, I ha e reminders set on my phone for 8.55pm

Just ask at the gym what time the classes go live.

@MotherOfDragons90 I had that, too! Turns out it was a very cliquey Pilates class () Very odd and a bit awkward.

Yeah, it’s the body pump classes in the evening that book up at my commercial gym via the app. I find if I book for next week’s class at the time of this week’s class I can usually get a place.

But have word at their reception or talk to the gym classes manager.

There may also be a workaround - instructors at my gym often comment that people book and then don’t go, but don’t cancel their booking, so there may be a way of getting in anyway.

Depending on what gym it is, some members might have priority booking. I know my gym does. It’s 7 or 8 days for normal members but the top tier option lets you book 14 days in advance.

Our booking goes live at 10pm 8 days before so you do have to be on the app at that time or you don't get a space.

Previously it went live at midnight so I used to set an alarm to wake up at 5am to book then. It's stupid. There's clearly a demand so don't know why they can't just add another class.

Mine is 10pm 2 weeks before. You do just need to figure out when booking opens, and then set a reminder to go on and book at that time.

If it's the same gym chain I use the system works well as you can just set a reminder each week to sign up 8 days before rather than the old way of turning up at least an hour before and putting your name on a paper list at reception. Total waste of a journey if you turn up and no space.
This way, even when there are umpteen people on the list by the time the week comes around enough people have usually cancelled to free up for others on the list. If you don't cancel and don't turn up you go on the naughty list, 3 strikes and you can't book any classes for a month.

Also be prepared to have people glare at you and talk loudly that someone has ‘stolen’ Sharon’s space in the class. At least I had that!

Oh gosh! It did occur to me that it’s the same people who get in every week...

Its v annoying but usually if I look the night before the class someone has cancelled so I book then.

This doesn’t seem to happen. They are always full. I have managed to get on some other classes from being in the waitlist so people obviously do cancel.

I think I will call to (a) feedback the classes are always busy and I have had difficulty getting on so maybe there are others (probably if there are 13 people on waitlist) and (b) ask when they go live

My gym chain begins with an “N” by the way 🤓

I called and apparently bookings go live from 7am, 8 days in advance...

I mentioned I’d had trouble getting on as there are always lots of people already in the waitlist when I look but she didn’t sound interested so I left it 😬

I go to the Nuffield, and have given up on doing their Bodybalance classes for this very reason.

There's no hope of me EVER getting the late Thursday morning aqua!

I also got glared at in a spin class once for taking a regular's space never went back

I cancelled my David Lloyd membership because of this - I could never get the classes, even when setting my alarm to make sure I booked the instant they were available.

All too much bother

I'm a member of pure gym and pay £3.99 bolt on a month to be able to book 14 days in advance.

I have problems with this too. And worse than that, a lot of people book every single class for the entire week as soon as they are released and then only come to the ones they feel like on the day. I wish they would suspend their membership for misusing the booking system...

I’m at a virgin gym and find the system works well. I often get in off the wait list.
They have a policy where if you don’t turn up for 3 classes in 30 days then you are suspended from booking any classes for 7 days.

At my gym, classes are released on midnight so I just book on then

Never had any problems with "stealing" a regular's spot though - there are the regulars and some changing people each week

I just left the gym and went to the local sports centre instead due to this. Still need to book but much bigger and more classes / spaces. I was with Fitness first and it used to be OK but became a nightmare. It was due to them cutting classes as well, and paying the instructors less so lots left. I used to swim though and that was in a way better, but so far I'm happier with the sports centre.

At Virgin I have been in off 12th place on the wait list. Go on it!

This used to drive me mad , I used to go to spin class on a Saturday morning, you could book 1 week in advance at midnight. So people would book at midnight, no way am I doing that it's silly . Anyway if I booked in I'd turn up a few minutes before but the clique were there early and some hadn't booked so we're waiting to see if anyone wasn't going to turn up and take the place . It annoyed me someone on your bike not booked in to see if you had booked was going to turn up or not . It just seemed like a lot of hassle and I stopped going .

Yes, you need to book via the app as soon as the classes are released. Spaces often come up the evening before or even right before the class. If wait listed you could head for the gym for the time of the class, then use other facilities if you can’t get in.