Need to quit gym, contract has lots of penalties. Help?

So I recently joined a gym and I was loving it. It was demanding and pushing me forward, etc. But three weeks in they canceled literally the only class/time that I can make it. My work has weird hours and sometimes I can find myself in the office till midnight working on a patch going live soon. Having canceled that class, all their times are at the crack of dawn or during my work. I literally joined this gym for this one specific time/class that they got rid of. Waking up the crack of dawn might be an option if I got off work way earlier and regularly so, not really an option though.

So, I'd like to break my 6 month contract with them, thinking that they changed the terms that it would be easy. Reading the contract more carefully (ha, its important!) says they don't guarantee certain classes just access to all classes. They also say you can end the contract early but its $50 per month left on the contract (for me that would be $250, which is outrageous). And they already have my CC number etc so if I tilt my hand early they could quickly "honor" the contract and hit me for that $250 regardless of my arguments.

So, options.

1. I have a friend who is a lawyer who has expressed interest in poking at the contract. Outcome: Unsure.

2. End contract and tell my credit card to deny them? Outcome: Contention between CC and company? Unsure.

3. End contract and "lose" my credit card. Outcome: New CC number, etc. Gym sends collector agency at me maybe? Or maybe they just ignore me?

4. Go in arguing my case, they changed their classes etc, mention reviewing them on Yelp or some shit. Outcome: Unsure.

5. Something magical?

Thanks in advance.