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With the New Year coming in, people by the droves put theirNew Year's resolutions in gear. For many health clubs, themonth of January marks the easiest time of the year to enticeand underdeliver the hopes and desires of the unsuspectingpublic.

Now, of course, that'll never happen to you........will it?

For the type of person that continually gets wrapped up in the"deal of the day," it most certainly will. Most people haveno idea what the telltale signs of a great health club operationare.

Naturally, many clubs know this and fully take advantage. Does it really make sense for all of the area clubs to offer themost "specials" in the month where the overall demand reaches its peak?

What other successful industry does this?

Not one that I can think of.

Understand that many clubs encourage you to join in themonths of January and February knowing full well that younot be frequenting the place in two months.

But your money is!

The key resides in the fact that you must find the clubsthat actually have your best interest at heart. Whichclubs are going to encourage you to get in better shape?

To give everyone a little piece of mind, I've compiled a short list of monster tips to help insure that you involveyourself with a club that will give you the most success.

(By the way, two of these tips are "underground" and industry insiders are the only ones that REALLY knowabout them.)

1. Check the cleanliness. Clubs don't care about keeping theclub clean don't care about keeping you happy. Period. Always give a good look in the locker rooms and cardio deck.

2. Gauge the pressure. The more pressure that is being put on you to join right then, the less service you are likely to get. Use your head. Today only specials are a scam. Peer pressure always puts you in a bad spot. (Important Note: monthly does not mean month-to-month. Make sure youknow the difference.)

3. Judge value, not price. Price is what you pay. Value equalswhat you get for what you pay. Generally, the higher the rates, the more value you get. Of course, make sure to judge this for yourself. Just don't get stuck in the 'low price' mindset. Always look for 'high value'

4. Ask about the management history. Clubs with a historyof better service tend to have stable management. If a club switches managers every 3 months, it's not a positive sign and usually means that ownership either continually chooses poor management or it's a sign of dissatisfied employees. Be sure to ask.

5. Always check the Better Business Bureau homepage on any clubs that you are looking to join. If a club has a bad mark, you can bet it's pretty intentional. The Bureau doesn't just hand out bad marks without just cause.

*Bonus Tip: Check out ripoffreport.com and look up the namesof clubs that you are interested in. This resource encompassesreports from many dissatisfied customers from many typesof businesses.

Take these 5 tips and apply them to your area. While they will not tell you everything about a club, they will prevent youfrom becoming a member of the worst clubs and allow youto be more comfortable working out in the New Year.