Gyms and Massage question

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

1. What gyms are available in the Davis and Porter areas? I am not interested in Healthworks (not a fan of their gender-specific facilities, reverse sexism is sooo fifteen years ago), but I'm otherwise open to any suggestions.

2. I also need somewhere to get a decently priced professional massage in the area. Suggestions?

Thank you!

Comments

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm also looking for a gym. There's Bally's in the Porter Exchange building. I used to go there, hated the place.

I loved Healthworks, other than it being too crowded frequently, and it was pricey.

There's a new "Curves" that opened on Cedar Street (near Broadway) but that's also women-only. I phoned them and their recording was ALL about weight loss, every word of it. Made me really angry.

And that's all I know about. I'm considering rejoining Healthworks. *sigh* :(

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

This is so frustrating! I haven't heard anything good about Bally's... why did you hate it so much?

Bally's

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

1. Their marketing tactics. They insist you MUST sign a three year contract. The smallest amount of time you can sign up for is a year (they don't tell you this, you have to ask and be insistent) and to get that year you have to pay for it up front all in advance. That's what I did and I'm so glad I wasn't suckered into 3 years.

2. Machines in frequent disrepair.

3. Frequent announcements over the PA system telling us about all the great nutritional products we could buy in their store. ("Attention K-Mart Customers!" Yeah, kind of like that!)

4. Freezing cold locker room.

5. Cold hallway from locker room to pool/hottub/sauna area.

6. Boiling hot hottub and the staff didn't give a damn that the hot tub was too hot for anything but boiling lobsters.

7. Sauna is made of metal (ugh!) and it's in the mixed gender area so you have to wear a bathing suit in it.

One time I was so cold there (yes I chill easily, I'm very thin) that I hopped into the sauna fully clothed, to give myself a minute to warm up. And someone on the staff yelled at me and made me get out!

Re: Bally's

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Aye aye aye. My health insurance allows me a really cheap rate on the pay-as-you-go setup, so I wouldn't be as concerned with what I've heard are ridiculously stringent membership obligations. I toured the facility last night. It's really unfortunate that there aren't any co-ed independently owned gyms in the area, I would much rather support one of them than Bally's.

Re: Bally's

[blowtorch-betty.livejournal.com]

I agree with all the comments about their marketing strategies, there's even a web site devoted to all the lawsuits agains Bally, I think it's ballysucks.com or something similar.

If you can handle the hard sell and not cave in it's actually not a horrible place. They've got some new equipment and the facilities though a little old are kept very clean. As for the constant PA announcements I've noticed a distinct drop off in the last year or so.

I'm quite happy there, it's very basic but when I go I go to work out, not be pampered. Working out is a tough, sweaty business and as long as they have the equipment I need one place is as good as the next.

Often I'm the only female in the free weights area but this doesn't bother me at all, I've never had a problem with the guys, they've always been polite and courteous and for the most part leave me alone.

We did the three year deal because we knew we'd be here that long and the plus side is that after it's over you pay a pittance for basically the rest of your life. I think we pay either $7 or $9 a month each now that the three years are up.

As I said elsewhere it's the Kmart of gyms, it does what it's supposed to do and nothing more.

I do wish they had a towel service though, it's really my only gripe.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

i wouldn't give curves the time of day let alone a single penny.

further fatphobia + being part of the diet industry = not good.

[tikva.livejournal.com]

Actually, the Curves on Cedar Street doesn't push the diet plan at all. They like you to show up three times a week, and that's it. If you really want to, you can get the diet books or whatever through them, but they've never even mentioned the eating plan to me. And most of the women there are fairly Rubenesque soccer moms. :)

This particular franchise (and the new one by Assy Square) is owned by two rather nice, supportive women, at least one of whom is a bit curvy herself.

When I had the entrance interview, they asked me for two reasons why I wanted to join BESIDES losing weight and getting in shape. I thought that was pretty cool. It wasn't all about the weight loss.

They do weigh and measure you, but only once a month, and they also check your body fat percentage, so if you gain muscle, that's cool with them.

I go there specifically because it doesn't get into the whole skinny gym bunny thing. You don't have to be a body builder or an athlete. It's just these regular women. I lack athletic talent or inclination completely, so it works very well for me.

YMMV, of course.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

They do weigh and measure you

that alone completey repulses me.

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Tthey need to do something about their PR, which was ENTIRELY about weight loss. It really upset me, and did not make me feel like I would be at all welcome there, as a thin woman. Do any thin women go there? Am I likely to be harrassed by the clientele? (It wouldn't be the first time, believe me...) I'd still consider this because it's a five minute walk from my home, and the idea of a half-hour program really appeals to me.