Notes from a Former Couch Potato: Bally Total Fitness
Written: Feb 19 '02 (Updated Feb 19 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Friendly, helpful staff, variety of equipment, facility layout, varied ages and body types, atmosphere
Cons: Some facilities are nicer than others, staff experience varies a lot
The Bottom Line: I was lucky to find a great Bally's with an excellent staff and wide variety of users. From bodybuilders to exercise newbies like me, this place has something for everyone.
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| kazu's Full Review: Bally Total Fitness |
I've never considered myself an "exercise person." Instead, I've always reveled in my sedentary ways, proud to be sluggish and inactive, not like "those people" who jogged and stayed fit and wore tight spandex shorts while rollerblading and looked great doing it. I grew up thin and ate lots of chocolate in my early twenties with no adverse effect. Then I turned 26, got married, and started, as a friend once delicately termed it, "packing it on." OK, so I've never been exactly overweight, but my husband has described parts of me as being "fluffy," which just can't be good. His stomach has become exceptionally fluffy since we got married.
For years now we've been talking about getting in shape. My 65-year-old parents have even been going to the gym regularly and feeling great. So, shamed by our elders, our extra padding, and the fact that we've booked a week at a sports resort in the Caribbean this summer and don't want to be the biggest weaklings there, we decided to finally check out some health clubs in our area.
The bad, the ugly (pre-Bally's)... "Is this a health club or a used car lot?"
Our first step was to take out the phone book and call 24 Hour Fitness, which I'd seen from the street and because of that distinction was the first place which came to mind. We set up an appointment for the following Saturday to see the facility and find out more about what they offered. Little did I know that I should come prepared with a full armament of sales deflection techniques. Geez, did these guys ever put the hard sell on us! I felt uncomfortable there from the moment I walked in the door, and so did my husband. It was a big, cavernous room with lots of machines and a walled-off corner for free weights. There was an aerobics studio in another area and some tanning rooms in back. The equipment was nice but the treadmills faced straight out into the parking lot, and the idea of being on sweaty display to folks going to the Big Lots store next door didn't really appeal to me.
At the end of the tour we'd both relaxed a bit and that was when they double-teamed us and cornered us -- literally cornered us! They took us in a cubicle and one guy (we'll call him Jeff*) sat across the desk from us and the other guy, also named Jeff*, pulled up a chair which blocked the exit to the cubicle. The two Jeffs proceeded to pitch us an expensive personal training plan and membership. They used every high-pressure sales tactic in the book to close the deal, from "Which credit card would you like to put this on?" to an extended handshake with "Welcome to the club!" My husband is an easy sell and he was ready to fork over the card but I have a hard time buying anything when I'm feeling like a caged animal, much less something which is really expensive and which I'm not sure about. So we eventually escaped into the fresh air and decided to check out Bally Total Fitness, which was just a couple of blocks away.
Ah, exercise utopia!
I never thought I'd actually feel comfortable at a health club. I'd toured a few in the past and didn't feel particularly at home at any of them. Going there to exercise seemed like it would be tolerable, but certainly not enjoyable. Bally's was different. Both my husband and I immediately liked it. Maybe it was the striking contrast to the 24 Hour Fitness facility, less bright with a calming grey and red color scheme and much more compartmentalized. Bally Total Fitness was on multiple levels instead of being just one big room, and all we saw when walking through the front door was the lobby and front desk area. We didn't have an appointment but we were greeted by a nice guy named Brett* who showed us around Bally's and talked with us about what packages were available.
The equipment, the goodies, the layout
Brett took us upstairs and showed us the area with treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stair climbers. We were impressed to see the nice view of Mount Rainier through the windows in front of the treadmills. (My husband refers to the mountain as his "Mother" because he's convinced that when this dormant volcano erupts one day it will call him home... yeah, he's a little odd but I love him anyway.) Most of the machines are also upstairs and there are a good variety to choose from. Last night we became well-acquainted with three of the leg machines -- ouch! Another upstairs area contains the stationary and recumbent bikes, plus some mats and ab benches and a couple of other machines I'm not yet familiar with. There are TVs in front of the bikes and also in front of the elliptical trainers and stair climbers. I feel so much healthier watching TV while riding a bike (which just happens to tell me how many calories I've burned during the show) than while sitting on the couch eating ice cream sandwiches with my calorie count invisibly rising.
Downstairs is the lobby, the locker rooms, a good-sized pool, racquetball courts, a nice aerobics studio, and a "testosterone room" with free weights and Hammer Strength machines. OK, so color us impressed. Where do we sign?
Was it the soft sell or were we just eager enough not to warrant any pressure?
Brett concluded the tour by taking us into the office (no doubleteaming and the door was wide open) and showing us what packages they offer. We knew in advance that we wanted personal training to help us get started, and he did try to sell us on the most expensive training packages first, but hey, that's his job. He turned the page in the price book when we asked him to and he didn't pull any sleazy sales tricks. Brett was aware of the bad experience we'd just had at 24 Hour Fitness so he probably didn't want to put too much pressure on us, plus he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
We were ready to sign up, especially after seeing that Bally's rates were much lower than those we'd been shown at 24 Hour Fitness, so Brett didn't have to put too much effort into the sale. We split a 24-session package for personal training (12 sessions each) and signed up for a membership which would allow us 7-days-a-week access to any Bally's gym in Washington state. They also offer a package which allows country-wide access, but we don't travel much so it wouldn't have been of much benefit to us. We could have bought a 3-days-a-week membership but that would have been too good an excuse not to exercise as often as we should. It should be noted that they always show you the highest-priced packages first. We never even got to the 3-day-a-week package but found out about it later, not that it would have mattered since we wanted full access. We ended up signing a 1-year contract which becomes month-to-month at a lower rate after the end of the first year.
The Bally's staff members were all very nice when we signed up and have continued to be just as friendly and helpful as we could hope for.
Personal training
The first trainer we were assigned was yet another Jeff*, but not an "evil Jeff" this time. He was a young guy who was new at Bally's and seemed nice, but we weren't sure he was very experienced. We were certainly willing to give him a shot, though (everyone has to start somewhere), and after an orientation with him we were scheduled to come in for our first session a couple of days later, but Jeff had called in with some unexpected circumstances and we were assigned to a different trainer, who I'll call Steve*. Right from the start we could tell Steve was excellent! Not only was it obvious that Steve knew his stuff, but he was very personable as well and really encouraged us with whatever we were doing. Steve bodybuilds competitively and he can lift those heavy weights like they're feathers, but he makes us feel like we're really accomplishing something when we manage to eke out 12 reps with 30 pound weights.
Before we started training with Steve I was going to rate Bally's with 4 stars, but he bumps it up to 5. I can't say enough good things about him. If you get a personal trainer at Bally's or anywhere else, be sure to ask for someone with a lot of experience. We just happened to luck into getting Steve as our trainer because he was there the day Jeff couldn't make it.
Your mileage may vary!
The five-star rating I'm giving is for "my" Bally's, and your experience may be different. My husband and I happened to be very lucky not only with getting a terrific personal trainer but also with the Bally Total Fitness facility we found. As you can discern from other reviews on this site, Bally's staff, facilities, and sales pitches vary greatly from one facility to another. A friend of mine in another state signed up with 24 Hour Fitness after getting the "hard sell" from the Bally's near her. It's all kind of the luck of the draw, but I can vouch for the fact that there are "good ones" out there.
We've also visited the other Bally's across town, which is older than the one we usually use. The setup is similar, with multiple levels and similar amenities. There are fewer machines at that location but they have tennis courts (which cost extra) and also a spa area with a sauna and whirlpool, which is currently closed for repairs. One man walked in while we were there and stormed out angrily after reading the sign about the spa being closed, then came back in and started railing at the gal at the front desk who explained nicely that there wasn't anything she could do about it and that the target date for reopening that part of the facility was in a couple of weeks... apparently it's been down for quite some time now.
The staff at the older facility was just as friendly as those we'd encountered at our usual Bally's, but, as would be expected from an older gym, it wasn't as nice. The only area that was downright scary, though, was the tennis court area. The walls and ceiling were covered with a plastic or vinyl-type material which was peeling in hundreds of places and exposing the insulation underneath, and the insulation was a strange grey color in some places. My husband wasn't bothered by it but I thought it looked pretty awful. Maybe they'll fix it one day.
We haven't yet taken any of the classes they offer. Some of the more basic exercise classes are free, such as step aerobics. Others, such as pilates, "spinning," and other things we're not yet familiar with, cost extra. Class schedules for each location are available on Bally's web site, www.ballyfitness.com.
My best advice when choosing a health club is to thoroughly check out the ones available in your area, be prepared to walk out without signing up no matter how much they try to pressure you, and pick somewhere you feel comfortable. The Bally's I use has a wide variety of people of different ages, fitness levels, and body types, and isn't a "meat market" type of atmosphere at all, as I've heard some health clubs can be. Personal training is great for those who are exercise neophytes like myself and haven't the first clue how to use those machines. Getting a good personal trainer is worth the extra money you'll spend. Make it fun and you may just enjoy watching TV while burning calories instead of sitting on that well-worn sofa!
*All names changed to protect the guilty and the innocent.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kazu
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Member: Beth
Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 12 members
About Me:
Out standing in my field, chewing clover and waiting for rain.
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