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

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.