New York 'Influencers' Are Paying $900 A Month To Keep You Out Of Their Gym

"The plan is to cap membership at 500, creating a place where fitness bloggers don’t have to worry about a rabid fan on the spin bike next to them."

New York 'Influencers' Are Paying $900 A Month To Keep You Out Of Their Gym

In the age of fitness bloggers and exorbitant gym prices, the latest development in New York’s ‘wellness’ scene shouldn’t come as a surprise. But seriously: $900 per month? If I joined it would work out to be about $100 per sit up (10 sit ups per month is a good PB, right?).

But Performix House is not your typical gym. Most places will entice you with a free trial, then call you more often than a clingy ex until you agree to sign up. At Performix you have to convince them you’re good enough to be a member.

As reported by the New York Post, “After filling out the online form—and providing an Instagram handle, of course—applicants must undergo a phone interview with their director of membership, followed by an in-person consultation with a trainer.”

Whether this is exclusive or snobby is irrelevant: it’s a marketer’s wet dream: “In a fitness-obsessed age where hoards of boutique studios offer to curate the perfect workout experience—from the design of the locker room to an instructor’s playlist—Performix is taking it a step further, promising to make sure your fellow gymgoers are also top-notch.” This involves a review of each applicant’s Instagram.

“We simply want to see, from a real-life feed, how they live their life… [We want] people who want to live a fitness-driven lifestyle. It’s as much a mentality as it is physical,” (The Post).

Since opening its doors in February, the gym has accepted about 240 out of 1,000 applicants. According to founder Matt Hesse, the plan now is to cap membership at 500, creating a place where fitness bloggers and celebrities like Mark Consuelos, Hannah Bronfman and Nina Agdal,  “Don’t have to worry about a rabid fan on the spin bike next to them” (NYP).

Although this sounds elitist, the idea isn’t to bar the door to non-famous peasants. It’s to attract a mix of celebrities and non-creepy “normal” people with exceptional attitude. Now who knows how the selection process really works—for all we know there’s a 16 year old intern going through applications and picking the best looking people he can—but according to the gym’s website, having a six pack and Kim K’s glutes/implants isn’t what gets you in, it’s your desire for (and insta-proof of) self improvement.

If you get in your reward will be:

  • 8,000-square-foot gym, with a clandestine back entrance.
  • Slushie machine serving leucine-, isoleucine- and valine-infused “pre-training energizer” (and recovery) drinks.
  • An AstroTurf area for pushing sleds.
  • Weights suitable for Olympic weight lifters.
  • A 3-D-imaging machine that shows where all of the fat on your body is.
  • Like minded #ballers.

Further highlights include the locker rooms, which have private massage rooms, infrared saunas with big-screen TVs that stream Netflix and cryotherapy chambers. And that’s not to mention the “content studio,” which has lights and four cameras set up for fitness influencers to use at their leisure.

There are three types of membership, at $250, $400 and $900 per month. The lower two tiers are allowed to use a base amount of amenities—then must pay for extras a la carte. Interest piqued? Better go clean up your Insta story then…

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