Stats:  Gym whose hours vary but usually are from 5:00 am - 11:00 pm

Cost:  Varies depending on special, as low as $35.00 a month

Review:

When I try out a gym for size, I look for a few things: accessibility to classes, availability of equipment, cleanliness of facilities, and friendliness of staff.  Each gym is going to be different based on location, but typically a company will maintain the same standard of quality throughout the organization.  I have visited several Gold’s Gyms and found them to be consistent in this area. 

The accessibility of classes and the classes offered has been good.  They seem to keep the class selection updated, offering dance workouts, yoga, pilates, and of course the ever-popular cycling class.  Some of the classes get full due to popularity, but I haven’t noticed a huge problem getting in.  The instructors are also friendly and seem to know what they’re doing.  

The equipment is maintained and is fairly new.  It’s usually accessible too - there may be one or two times (during peak workout hours) that the machines are be full, but I normally don’t see a problem.  The Gold’s Gyms that I’ve visited have all been clean and relatively new.  In fact, several of them have been very modern and “funky.”  One thing I will say is that the Gold’s Gyms are popular and tend to attract a younger crowd in my experience.  That is not a bad thing, of course, but I often associate Gold’s Gyms with a certain social scene that either you enjoy or you don’t.

Pros:

• Located in 42 states
• Offers discount plans and membership rates
• Now offers a month-to-month plan for $64.99 ($79.99 enrollment fee)
• Is usually modern, clean and well maintained
• Offers new and edgy classes
• Usually has some sort of personal training program

Cons:

• Tends to draw a younger, social crowd (this could be a plus or minus, depending on what you are looking for)

Website:  www.goldsgym.com

Rating:  4 Stars

Posted by: Tracy