Shopping for a Gym in B/CS

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I've been asked how it is I can enjoy food so very much and yet stay healthy.  I love to work out - it's a reward for a hard day's work, not punishment for anything.

Anyways, with graduation quickly approaching I'm shopping for a new gym.  Requirements: must be within a reasonable distance of home, have reasonable rates, and have the equipment I need.  Mostly I need a power rack or squat rack with spotting arms. Here's what I've learned from free 7 day trial memberships to the ones that fit that description.

Aggieland Fitness Dome

Pros: perfect location, not too busy, and the clientele involve very few of that species I refer to as "dudebro". Very clean and well-maintained. Nice locker room with free lockers. Unlimited use of most fitness classes come with the membership. Nice and professional staff. Generally supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere.

Cons: a bit expensive and bench press racks do not have spotting arms.

$55 initiation fee (for the no-personal-trainer option) and $40, $45, or $50 per month depending on 2 year, 1 year or month-to-month memberships.

Anytime Fitness

Pros: good location, never overly busy, very nice staff, 24/7 access, everything is brand new, very clean. 2 power cages and an olympic platform, as well as bumper plates.  The other clients are nice enough. No need for lockers because of close proximity to car.

Cons: direct sunlight if you workout during the busy time of ~5-8 pm.  It's very bright and consistently gave me a headache.  Additionally since they very recently opened they only have 2 barbells for the entire facility. The power cages are used for bench press (no bench press racks), squats, and deadlifts and people cannot work in because there are only 2 barbells. I was there on Monday and there was a log jam in the gym...with only a handful of people there.

$100 initiation fee (currently waived as part of a special) + $49 for an electronic key + $35 or $40 per month depending on 18-month or 12-month membership + $25 annual improvement fee. They plan on purchasing more equipment as time goes on.  And they have only been open since January 2013. I'm sure the facility will improve with time.

Gold's Gym

Pros: large, established gym with a wide variety of equipment.  Clean locker room. Lots of classes. Just installed some new equipment.

Cons: gets quite busy at the times when I want to work out. Only one shaky power cage. Sometimes the equipment is not well maintained, particularly cardio. Some of the members have a problem of not wiping up after themselves.  No one wants to bench after you've left a puddle of sweat and hair gel, brah.

Rates range depending on a number of different promotional offers. Average rates I've seen are $0-60 initiation and $30-45 a month.

TAMU Rec Center

Pros: the best equipment and facility in town. Inexpensive.

Cons: extremely crowded. I haven't been able to find a time of day when classes are in session that doesn't involve a wait to use equipment. I've waited as long as 10-20 minutes between exercises when classes have been in session.  Limited hours, especially during academic breaks.  Closes for two weeks to a month every December. Membership is limited to students, faculty, staff, and their families. Parking is a challenge.  Parts of the gym are often inaccessible due to various events.

$150 a semester, $375 a year, or $32 a month. Classes cost an extra $2 each.

How is any of this relevant to a foodie blog? You can't lift well if you don't eat well.
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