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24 Hour Fitness
Rating Details »
1000 E 41st St
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 458-2424
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 458-2424
24 Hour Fitness Free 7-Day Pass
Join millions who have changed their lives through fitness.
http://bit.ly/Om0nY
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
33 reviews for 24 Hour Fitness
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
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One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
Its open all the time!!!
When I'm running on the treadmill I get really competitive with whoever looks like their in worse shape than me. It's a really great motivation tool, it's also kind of pathetic. I like this place because it's there to make people less fat, and I need that a lot of the time.
Dont go early in the morning or around 5pm, you wont find parking.
You're going to think I am crazy with what I am about to say, but I'm going to throw it out here. The treadmills at this location are rigged so that a 0 incline is actually an incline.
Okay, before you call me a big fat sissy pants, hear me out. Their new treadmills are similar to the treadmills at the William Cannon 24 Hour Fitness and my apartment gym's treadmill. The only difference is the later two have tv's attached. Monday, I ran 5 miles at 50 minutes. Today, for a change of scenery (and because I was stupid for not just going to Town Lake), I went to the 41st location.
I've run here before, sometimes I blame running in the morning on an empty stomach for my lack of performance. The last time I ran here after work, I thought maybe I was just tired and out of shape. But today? I thought I was going to die, again, before I even got to the third mile. I run 8 miles every Saturday, and you're going to tell me that for some reason at this particular location, I can barely squeak out 4 miles? Strange things are afoot at the Circle K, my friends. I sit here, in pain. In the pain only a 4 mile run up hill can give me.
That aside, I feel they have a wide variety of weights/equipment that fit my needs. I actually prefer their older ellipticals at this location. They give you a way better work out than the newish ones. I haven't tried the even newer ones. I guess there are about a dozen ways you can make an elliptical, and this location has three or four different varieties. A lot of students use this gym, and I avoid doing weights at 5pm on a weekday like the plague. I'd rather wake up at 5am. The mornings are actually fairly low key, and the day after a big UT game, the place is kind of dead.
It's an A-OK gym. In comparison, I'd give the William Cannon location 4-stars. I was spoiled by my own personal tv on cardio equipment when I lived down south. This location has a basketball court, lap pool, and group fitness room. The locker room gets the job done. And, it's half the cost of some of the other downtown gyms around me.
On my last trip to Austin, I came in earlier than I normally do so I missed out on my gym work-out in Houston. Since I have a membership that allows me to check out any 24 hour fitness I figured I might as wel check out the "Lance Armstrong" 24 Hour Fitness. There is a whole wall dedicated to him with a bike and pictures. There is also pictures of him throughout the place.
Overall I felt cramped the whole time I was working out. The spinning room was just OK. I find it funny when these celebrities put their names on 24 hour fitness gyms and the thing they are known for isn't even displayed well.
I know there's a "Shaq" 24 in Houston that doesn't even have a basketball court, REALLY?!
coming from nyc where gym memberships cost an arm and a leg (see NYSC), I'm glad that I was able to join a fitness club that was clean and well kept without all the hidden fees. I normally work out in the location by the Hancock Ctr so its conveniently located in the same plaza as an HEB. The ppl that go to this gym aren't meatheads or noobs. Just normal folks that wanna stay fit. Everyone (usually) puts the weights back in its proper place and wipes down the machines. They have a bball court and a swimming pool and a room for classes and spinning upstairs. It's very spacious (or maybe its normal for Texas but I've seen gyms where you are almost falling over the person next to you trying to work out)
Like any other gym, its got its busy times like right after everyone gets out of work but I usually go later in the evening so its relatively empty. Can't complain when you get all this from a gym open 24/7 and only have to pay $30/mo. No excuses not to get into shape
So I joined this place after I moved up north and quit Lifetime Fitness. I know it's cheaper, but you can't really beat Lifetime. So maybe that makes me bitter. But this place is always packed and is relatively small. The one thing that makes up for all of that is the exercise classes. I am sort of addicted to them. The best one (IMO) is core central on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's really hard and you get a great workout in 45 minutes. Everyone who works here is nice and they keep it relatively clean. It's really popular with students, since Gregory Gym doesn't really cut it and the price isn't bad. I'd tell you to check it out but you may not fit.
"Meh. I've experienced better."
My office used to be 5 minutes away (in anytime traffic) from the Arboretum 24Hr Fitness and due to a move, I am now 30-45 minutes away in rush hour traffic and 15 minutes away in lunchtime traffic.
No more lunchtime 24Cycle with Dee Dee, post-work 24Cycle with Suz, or Everlast Shadowbox with Veronica. SAD!
I now have to leave work at 5 to just barely make it in time to squeeze into the 545 PM 24Cycle class at the Hancock/41st location. Maybe if I pay the $1 reservation fee for each class, I can still attend the 24Cycle classes at the Arboretum location so I don't have to get there 30 min before classes begin since those classes fill up so quickly...
I really liked the Arboretum location.
The lockers were large & spacious, the parking wasn't too bad at peak hours, it wasn't a meat market and the instructors are awesome.
It did get slightly annoying to see soccer moms holding Starbucks while walking side-by-side on the track though.
Anyway, parking at peak hours at the Hancock location is a nightmare. I've seen people parked up on the sidewalks and sometimes the only spots are the ones behind Sears. EHHHHH...
The restrooms are really musty and smelly and the women's locker room seems dirtier than other 24HR locker rooms I've seen. (Yet some people walk around barefoot. Gross.)
This location seems to be a big meat market.
There are a ton more Ed Hardy guys strutting around grunting post weight-lifting & mirror-checking than other locations I've been to.
There are chicks that wear regular bras under sports bras (I know what you're doing..) and "work out" while not breaking a sweat.
Bitchiness aside, I'm not totally knocking this gym. It's a good place for people wanting to meet friends - similar interests & goals. Bad if you wanna go in for a hard workout, leave looking like crap but feeling great. You don't seem to fit in with the peacock feathers & pageantry.
Here's a pro:
24Cycle classes here are still good - I went to one with Meredith & liked it. It got my heart rate up to where I wanted it and I was too pooped to stay for another 24Cycle class.
Going to try it out some more before I consider venturing up north to my old classes. So far so good in terms of instructor quality.
(I am on the $30 month-to-month - got the No Initiation Fee "deal")
[EDIT - I really love Thomas's 24Cycle class & I think a lot of other people do too...it fills up so quickly]
5 stars go directly to their instructors and classes because I absolutely love Angela (24 Set/Lift) and Shawn (Lift/Cycle). They rule and I will continue busting my ass under their direction.
But I give this gym 0 stars based on the cleanliness of their gym. No Stars for you! So we round up to 3 because I'm nice like that.
24 Hour staff/management do you read these? Then CLEAN your effing locker rooms people! I mean seriously, at any one time you have like 8 red shirts milling around and any of them could be put to better use than just catching a hang. And I've SEEN the dedicated locker presumably filled with cleaning supplies so open it up and get to scrubbin'. I'm really not a fan of a dirty locker room (and your bathrooms are gross too). Granted, ladies can be messy but it's your job to make sure the areas we have to get naked in aren't.
Blech....I never let my bare foot hit the floor and avoid taking showers at this facility. I also wash my hands like I have OCD after I'm done working out here and that makes me feel like a freak.
Lots of dudes here. Mostly people that want to bulk up come here. It's good cause I like competition. Keeps me on my toes. It frustrates me when I see someone smaller than me lift and bench more than me. But when I do see the bigger and muscular guys here, they motivate me to max out my workouts.
I have a love/hate relationship with this gym, and it's mostly my fault. See, I trained for a marathon here (thank you for making it possible 24 hour fitness!, since i worked night shift and preferred to run late at night when it was dark and scary out), so now, simply walking in and smelling that familiar smell reminds me puking in the bathroom non-stop after running 20 miles, and other similar runs that I had here... It was pretty awesome that I was able to completely train for my first marathon (really, i didn't run outside once, i was sooo lazy) thanks to their being open 24 hours a day. Also they have a whole lot of treadmills (and other cardio equipment), and I really only have to wait in line to run between 5-7:30, when people are just out of work.
Not to toot my own horn, but I did run that entire Napa Marathon, in the cold rain through the hills of the wine country, without walking once. I felt well prepared with my long treadmill runs!
The staff is nice, but I had just an okay experience with a few personal training sessions here. The girl I trained with initially was fired midway through our 6 sessions or whatever, and the employee who took over training with me would bad mouth her. Not the most professional... All I really wanted was a written sheet showing the machines that were good for me with the weight and reps to use etc. so that I could do it all on my own. Never got that from my training sessions there.
My other dislike about this 24hr gym is that it's pretty dirty. As dirty as a typical college gym. I wish there were more staff going around and cleaning the equipment. That part is pretty much up to you. I chose not to complain about a huge dried lugey on my machine once. Apparently not everyone cleans up after themselves here...
Also, there's hardy anywhere to stretch. This place is so nice and huge, i wish they would dedicate more room to a mat area. It's like a 2 small 10 ft areas right now.
This gym is no spa, but it's really convenient for me, is cheap compared to other gyms in the area, plus you have access to other 24 hr gyms in Austin and all over the country (depending on your contract I think), it has a small pool, classes, lots of weights (more ab weight machines please!) and of course my beloved treadmills.
I've worked out here every hour of the day except 4-9:30 a.m. ("not a morning person" is an understatement) at some point in the last eight months, so I finally feel qualified to offer an opinion.
I came here as basically a gym rookie (I'd used my college's gym less than a dozen times and lifted weights for a semester in high school), but I'm hooked. I love that I can come here any time of the day and exercise for as long as I want (or as little as I want).
Here's what I think of the gym's main features:
Personal training: SKIP. Lame. Not worth the exhorbitant fees on top of membership. My trainer spent most of the sessions either (a) asking me whenwhenwhenwhenwhen I would sign up for MORE sessions, (b) taking notes on her clipboard, or (c) showing me exercises that were impractical without a trainer or workout partner.
Cost: I pay about $30 a month. Not bad, in my opinion.
Overall atmosphere: You do your thing, I'll do mine. Aside from a few hardcore regulars and the omnipresent training staff, I basically don't notice those working out around me. LANCE IS EVERYWHERE. So if you have Armstrongophobia, I suggest you work out elsewhere. Otherwise: Nothing to complain about.
Locker room: I'd never seen a naked, older woman before I joined. Now I have. It's no biggie. Showers can be a bit slimy or out of soap, but otherwise I'm perfectly happy.
Cardio machines: Unless you go between 5-7 p.m., when you'll have to wait a few minutes, you'll get a machine and be able to watch TV while you're at it. Mostly in good repair. (Repair guy is there five days a week, too.)
Free weights/weight machines: Rarely is there a wait at a machine you want to use, and there are plenty of other options while you bide your time.
Stuff I don't use: Pool, hot tub, sauna, basketball court, classes, kid drop-off -- sure it's good they're there, but I haven't used these features just yet. Probably won't. But maybe ...
This place is convenient (at non peak hours) and relatively affordable. But they really try to weasel every little dollar out of you. I only wanted a summer membership while I couldn't use my student membership at Gregory. I worked out my payment schedule when I signed the papers and when it was all over, THEY KEPT CHARGING ME! I had to keep calling for 2 or 3 months to tell them that no I still am not a member and please remove my bank info from your records.
That really pissed me off but while I was a member, I was treated very well and really enjoyed working out here. They color code the equipment according to function. I just love color coded organization. And I loved how I could go after work and watch rachael ray in the locker room while I changed. (random, I know but I never would have learned that I like her otherwise)
So, if you do become a member you will probably like it. But if you decide to leave for another gym or just leave it altogether, it will be a painful divorce.
This is where I workout every morning before going to work/work. I've worked out at one gym or another for the past 15 years, and this one's been my favorite. I've had memberships at Gold's, UT, World's and three others back in Indy, but this one has been the best overall in terms of price, building and equipment maintenance, cleanliness, music selection, classes and showers. Best of all, there's no contract. (I'll do a Gold's Gym review someday. Ending a contract with them is like shaking an ex who's stalking you).
The only real downside here is you can't own a locker. Since we live on the southeast side of town and I work central, I have to pack off all my work clothes,shoes,accessories, etc. etc. and shower stuff every day so I can get ready for work at the gym. It'd be great if I could buy a locker and just leave some of my stuff there and not have to carry it back and forth every day like a pack mule.
Aside from that, if something's broken it's never out of commission long. I see cleaning crews here on a daily basis. The showers are not scary (though they do offer industrial-issue Breck shampoo/body wash in the dispensers).
The music selection here is surprisingly good - a lot of upbeat dj mixes that are perfect for working out. I've heard a bunch of good stuff like Digitalism, Black Strobe, Joy Division, the Cure, Duffy, Joan Jett, The Jam....I leave my ipod in my backpack most days because I want to hear whatever mix they have playing.
I've never been one to use saunas (stifling and kinda creepy) or jacuzzis (filmy), but they do have both here, plus a heated pool, which I also have not used.
They offer a lot of classes that are included with your membership ($30 a month) - yoga, pilates, boot camp, spinning...all the usual group classes. I've taken the yoga and pilates classes here and some of their instructors are really helpful and fun. The studio spaces upstairs are nice and the classes I've taken have been pretty challenging - I'm not much of a group exerciser so I can't speak to their classes too much.
The clientele seems to be mostly students and professionals, but gyms can be a bizarre, frightening, confusing cross-section sample of society:
an old guy with a mustache and toupee who keeps a towel around his neck and wears sunglasses. i think he's training someone, but the towel part gets me because i've never seen him workout.
a girl who could be keira knightley's stunt double
an older guy who'll get on a machine right before you claim it. he's an ass.
this girl from yelp whose 'mouse turns into this little rainbow'
the guy who talks on his cell phone while he's lifting weights
the guy who wears flip flops in the freeweight area
the woman who walks around the locker room naked for too long
Thought I'd go ahead and kill off the last 15 minutes of my workday by posting a review of my gym. Since I signed up during a July 4th special, my rate is only $24/month, which is SICK! But I typically don't see the rates (on the home page all the time) going over $30/month, which is still pretty darn good.
The gym has a small lap pool, a sauna, a whirlpool, lockers, showers, weights, a basketball court, myriad cardio machines, and several places for stretching/ab workouts. But what I love about it are the classes! I love Double Step, Turbo Kickbox, and the yoga classes are actually really good (for a gym, as opposed to a $150/month yoga center). They also have a spinning room, and people freakin' flock to that "make your ass hurt like you just got outta prison" shit.
Oh, and the (male) trainers are scrumptious - so on those rare occasions when I decide to get on the elliptical instead of taking a class, I can wipe up my big puddle of drool along with my sweat when I'm done.
I don't actually have many complaints about it. I just wish they had my old Crunch Fitness instructor there to teach a Funk class . . . but since he lives in Atlanta, I don't think they can do much about that. And in an ideal world, they would have a yoga class every night, since I'm addicted to it, and way too po' to be gettin' a membership to a studio.
But still, highly recommended, especially for the price.
3 1/2 stars
I switched over to 24 hour fitness about a year and a half ago because I wanted a gym that was open 24 hours.
Granted, you will never see me in the gym at 2 AM, but I still like to have the option, if the mood strikes.
My previous gym (Castle Hill Fitness) catered to those with a more structured schedule, and the prices were steep, and ultimately, a waste of my money.
I needed a gym that wasn't closed when I got off work at 9pm.
So that is what initially brought me to 24 fitness.
Now for the good and the bad:
PROS:
Reasonably priced ($29/mo. but rates can vary)
Big gym, nice floor plan, room to spread out
B-Ball court (can be busy or empty depending on when you go)
Pool (which is almost always empty)
CONS:
Crowded during peak times (4:30-7:30). I always go late morning/ early afternoon, or after 8pm and it is NEVER busy. So if your schedule permits, go then.
Cars getting broken into in lot.
They should have a guard walking the lot as I have witnessed people filing police reports 3 times in my year and a half as well as young college girls crying in the lot cause their cellphones/cds/etc have gotten stolen.
I am sure these thieves are just waiting in a car for someone to go into gym and then go after the car.
There is talk of adding a guard on the roof (sniper?) but nothing yet.
The Lance thing is a little over the top for me as well. I get that this is his flagship gym or whatever, but there is a quote on the wall that says:
"I don't have bad days, I have great days and I have good days"
Or some bullshit like that. I'm all for motivation, but let's try a little realism. Lance the super machine has never had a bad day. And now i must read about it. every time I'm here.
BOTTOM LINE:
Best/most reasonably priced gym in my area (I live just east of downtown)
Need security in lot.
Feel the burn.
This is not the best 24 H Fitness facility in Austin. The one in the Arborertum boasts more classrooms for free group x classes, a bigger locker room and an indoor track.
However, this one is the one that I have come to love. I trained at this one this past summer and my trainer kicked my ass, but in a good way. He helped me make m y work outs optimal and what do I have to show for it? Almost washboard abs, toned shoulders, a bad ass kadunkadunk, and toned legs. I stopped training with him over 2 months ago but he still contacts me occasionally to make sure I'm eating right and keeping up with cardio. That in itself is pretty nifty.
Oh yes, and I like the location especially because most of the clientele is young like me, probably and most likely UT students. I ABHOR going to gyms where it's old men that stare at me. *Shudder* I just leave in those situations, but here it's all young ones that don't really stare/gawk and if they do it's okay because they are most likely cute anyway. :)
And then, HEB is just right next door. So what better than to go work out and then do your grocery shopping? It's like killing 2 birds with one stone off your long ass to-do chore list.
I can't give this gym more than two stars for three reasons. 1) it isn't very clean...at all 2) the parking can be horrendous and 3) They don't have any morning classes other than 6:00 and 10:00. Come on! What about those of us who want to go to a spinning or any sort of other class at around 7 or 8 am? Am I asking too much?!?
By far this location @ Hancock center is the awesome. Facility is clean (minus the drain hair that nasty girls leave behind; BARF) & the staff is genuinely friendly. Also all machines are well working & oiled, constant working sauna, & delicious eye candy. =)
Other locations I've notice have very impatience ppl waiting for machines. I mean Come'on HELLO- staring with evil eyes will not hurry the person up; pretty much just annoy.
At first I did feel uneasy looking sweaty & not your 'normal' self you let ppl see. I soon got over it the 2nd day & pop in ear phones to watch the any of the hanging 8 TVs. This definitley helps in distraction & the time goes just like that. Favorite channel to turn to is FOOD NETWORK of course. Surprising enough I don't crave the food just look & DROOL.
-Improvements to be made:
1. Get Elliptical machines with individual Tvs (like Brodie location)
2. Clean women's Shower drains 24/7
Lance effing Armstrong is NOT the way to motivate my white Irish arse.
Don't get me wrong, in the areas of health, sports, overcoming adversity, etc, I have TON'S of respect for the yellow-wearing stud from A-town. (not so much in the area of relationships... but I digress). And I do see him as the poster child for people overcoming cancer. I get that. The man's a hero.
But most of us in the gym are trying to overcome queso and "4th meal" (those taco bell bastards)... and there's no way in hell that we'll be able to get anywhere close to Lance's shape. I mean give me a break... the 2nd best biker in the world wasn't even close for 7 freakin' years. That's like trying to motivate me to jump higher because Neil Armstrong went all the way to the moon. Sorry... I'll never jump to the moon, I'll never ride my bike up mountains (much less lead the pack) and I'll probably never be able to say "no" to the damn restaurant chips 'n salsa that I eat til I'm sick and then throw away most of the meal I paid for.
Hell... Chris Farley has a better chance of winning a game of "pick up sticks" with his butt cheeks than I do of even carrying Lance's jock (which by the way, is on display in the locker room behind glass... thanks for that).
If you want to motivate us, ditch Lance "the impossible" and try this:
1. Have videos running that scare the hell outta us. Have John Belushi doing his "Little Chocolate Donuts" skit (http://www.nbc.com/Sat...) on one tv and Chris Farley doing his "Chippendales" dance on another (http://www.evtv1.com/p...).
2. Have Morgan Spurlock or Michael Moore or one of those shock jerks do a movie about a guy that only eats supersized amounts of queso for a month. Offer that movie while we run on the tread climber (which I'm SURE mangles several lives a month).
3. a. For guys, have videos of the hot chick of our choice dressed in almost nothing telling us she wants us (by name... it's the 2000's, figure it out) as long as we burn 1000 calories every day (and read her mind)
b. For girls, have the same thing but substitute tattooed guys who don't give a damn about the girl saying they "might" give the girl a chance if she runs on the treadmill for 2 hours. And when she gets done the guy blows her off anyway.
4. Require all members to be photographed in almost nothing once a month and randomly post life-size pics of us on the wall. Fear of everyone seeing us naked will get us in shape faster than someone who left his wife and kids to date Sheryl Crow for a week.
5. Require all members to do the Outlook Dot Com Wolf event once a month. For those of you who don't know, this event basically involves locking us in a room (the basketball gym) and releasing a pack of ravenous wolves. http://www.jibjab.com/...
I'm proud of Lance, but if you're trying to motivate us... meet us where we are, not where Lance is.
Pass the queso, please.
if you get annoyed by fake-Christian snake oil hucksters shaking you down for your last ten bucks, then don't join this gym. Maybe they should call it "24-hour 700 CLUB"... Every day in the locker room I have to listen to these blood-sucking zombies on CBN broadcast their phony baloney while I'm trying to get my mind right to pump some iron. If 24-Hour Lance Armstrong is getting kick-backs from the Christian Broadcast Network, I would like a kick-back on my membership fees for being subjected to it.
I re-joined this gym because it has a hot tub, pool, steam room etc. and plenty of machines and free weights, plus convenient parking by the HEB. I went in and told the salesman exactly what I wanted, and without wasting my time he gave me a deal I could live with. The vibe is not too corporate compared to some other gyms. BUT the new BIG BROTHER LANCE ARMSTRONG looming over me everywhere I look is absurdly overbearing... as is the CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT-MEDIA LOBOTOMY: there is no escape from the bombardment of trash TV and "easy listening pop" music that makes me want to go POSTAL. Come on, this is Austin Texas, Live Music Capital of the Blah Blah! Let's have some culture and some taste. Besides, when I do my work-out I want to hear some upbeat punk rock like the Ramones or some post-moderny dance music like you'd get at a gay bar. Not frikkin CELTIC WOMAN!!! That is all.
Cons:
* Too much Lance! Holy lord, make it stop! And Neal Pollack agrees with me, because this is *the gym* he wrote about:
http://www.slate.com/i...
* When I was about to join, they really try to sell you on the urgency of their specials. "If you join today, we'll waive the initiation fee" and so forth. It turns out that every day they have some sort of deal going on, but the way they present it, it gives the false sense of urgency.
* I got four free training sessions as part of my membership package. The fitness goal at the end was to lose three pounds of fat and gain three pounds of muscle. OK, I didn't get a fancy, uppity technical degree from "college" (ok, I did), but your net gain is ZERO pounds. Hmmmm. This makes it a little hard to verify progress, even with calipers.
Pros:
* It's fairly new and clean.
* It's 24 hours.
* Their equipment is in pretty good condition, and they rarely have a treadmill that's down. This is important, as I found the treadmills at Gold's to be older and often in disrepair.
* They have lots of mirrors. This not only makes the gym look bigger, but it gives you more opportunity to drop your weights and start flexing your guns. It happens.
* The staff is friendly.
* I once left my MP3 player in the locker room, and someone returned it to the front desk. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe that says something good about the clientele.
* They have a pool, basketball court, hot tub, sauna, and dance room.
* They have some interesting equipment, like a tread climber and the stair climbers that are like the escalators.
I visited 24 hour fitness a handful of times last year as a guest. Thus a few quick thoughts...
Yoga classes - Pretty good power yoga class. Although the teacher at one time slot changed a couple times over the course of a month and its nicer to have the same instructor from week to week.
Pool - The pool is very shallow in one end. Making it diifcult for me to swim laps normally and do flip-turns. I was literally dragging my knuckles on the bottom. On the plus side they do at least have a pool and they offer water aerobics or something like that. They also have a steam room and hot tub to wind down after your workout.
As mentioned - VERY Crowded between 5-7pm. Sometimes hard to find parking even with thier huge lot.
So, never having been a member of a gym, I didn't know what to expect. I went with a friend of mine a couple of times on her VIP membership before joining. My main motivation? The pool! My apartment complex has a fitness room, but those machines scare me and I need some more structure (like classes) to my workout. And I love to swim!
This place is HUGE! There are all sorts of intimidating machines (which all seem busy whenever I stop by after work), a basketball court, a "class" room, and the pool...complete with hot tub, steam room, and dry sauna.
There's a fair amount of variety as far as classes are concerned, the times can be slightly inconvenient for me, though because of my incredibly long work days ending at 6pm or later. I got a good workout in the couple that I have been able to make it to, and I'm going to try to accommodate my schedule a bit more. I also purchased the all clubs membership, so I may peruse the other clubs for more convenient scheduling.
It'll do for now.
I finished my 27 personal training sessions. Result: I lost almost 12 lbs. this summer--while studying for the bar exam (nominally)--almost all of it from my fat mass (as opposed to lean body mass). I couldn'tve done it without Mikelle's help and the Nike+ Challenge. I recommend both.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/7/2008
I spent a long time with the body of a 40-something-year-old-des k-jockey (to match my hairline, I… Read more »
By far the best 24 hour in town. The clientele are all young and attractive and the set up is perfect. Just wish I still lived in this area so it would be practical to go here.
decent gym. actually pretty nice. they have a little lap pool and hot tub. lots of weights and a b-ball court. the last time i was there, manager was pretty rude when i had an issue/concern. anyways the management was such a jerk and i actually have a lifetime ban on this shady business. the special offers arent as special as they seem. where is the option for zero stars???
Once upon a time, there was a woman who would declare stubbornly, "Why would I EVER pay money to join a gym when the outdoors can be my treadmill?"
I'm such a hypocrite. (But I swear...it's just because of the weather!) After my first official week as a member of the ever-popular 24 Fitness on Red River & 41st, I think I'll go with four stars. The gym is incredibly close to home, which is a personal perk, but Red River is a decent locale for all north-east-central Austinites. They've got plenty of equipment, a bball court (which I've never used), a two-lane pool, hot tub, smallish locker rooms, an upstairs room for classes, and the obligatory retail space for workout gear and Lance Armstrong goodies.
Although the initial fee is steep, monthly membership rates are reasonable. For the money, you get all-access to the gym (duh), unlimited classes, and a consultation with a personal trainer for workout tips and nutritional information. Nice.
24 Hour has a strong vibe that feels like tenacity and motivation with a dash of tension and excitement. And there's a gigantic pic of open-armed Lance that's occasionally inspiring. Unlike Alex, I felt everyone was concentrating on themselves, rather than staring at others. But maybe I'm not as hot as he is. My one gripe: they don't clean the machines frequently enough. Oh well. For the newcomer: don't go between 5 and 7 on weekday evenings. And yes, it's open 24 hours.
24 Hour Fitness is worth a guest pass, if not a membership.
I'll start with the cons:
-this place is rather crowded at certain hours.
-the parking lot is freaking crowded too! but there was a Lotus in the parking lot once and that made me feel better on the inside
-they only have 2 of each type of bench, which isn't too bad until you have a bunch of guys who really want to "go to the max"
-only one gym area
-only one small pool
Pros!
-lots and lots of machines (treadmills, bummasters, etc)
-lotsa tvs for you to view while treadmilling
-staff is nice
-hot people to stare at like me (flexes)
Summary:
not bad, it's crowded but I haven't been to a gym that isn't crowded at the rushhour time, including the UT gym.
I'm a serious saver, so the thought of actually shelling out 25 bucks a month for a gym membership sends chills down my spine. Like Sarah, I favor the outdoor treadmill, but I must say, this expense is well worth it.
I joined a few months ago, and have dabbled in lots of different areas of the gym... the treadmills, the elliptical, the free weights, the resistance machines. The yoga classes are where I've found the best bang for my buck.
As Steven points out, the classes are often taught by various individuals, but I've grown to love the power yoga work out that differs each time. At a traditional yoga place you're going to get all the different types, but I find that each instructor here brings in a little piece of their style and makes for a nice mix. I can go every day of the week for my monthly fee! That to me is a good deal.
Yes initial fees are high, but get them on a "deal" day (almost any day) and you won't pay for something. Oh yes, and word to the wise--they WILL try to sell you some sort of training package. I mean, I can't blame them, it's their lively hood. But they make you sign up for this intro session which is really just a "let me sell you on personal training" session. Lame-o.
This McGym is the kind of place people go to say they work out so that they can feel better about themselves without ever doing any hard work and never getting any real results. The dumbbells were out of order, the plates scattered, and the types of equipment one would use to get strong and lean were in short supply. 24 Hour Fitness is the Wal-Mart of gyms.
I've never belonged to a gym before in my life. Most of that time was spent avoiding exercise like the plague. When it became clear in recent years that I wasn't going to be able to maintain my foodie lifestyle without adding *some* form of regular exercise in the mix, I bought an old treadmill from a friend and supplemented that with the "outdoor treadmill" and trips to the tiny workout room in the building where I work.
So, when my husband announced to me this year that he was going to join 24 Hour Fitness AND that his membership would include an unlimited free guest pass, I was intrigued.
As a result, I've been to this location of 24 Hr Fitness quite a few times in the last couple of months. I like it. There's a lot of equipment jammed into the space, but that sort of gives it an energy all its own - the swarm of workout activity that greets the eye everywhere you look is inspiring and energizing. OK, yes. There's a lot of Lance. But I think his story and achievements are inspiring, so it doesn't bother me. The giant Live Strong halo above the check-in desk might be a little much, but whatever. I'd just as soon look at Lance and his inspirational messages and his giant rubber bracelet than stock footage of random people working out.
As many have mentioned, this place gets PACKED in the early evening, from 5-7. I often have to troll for a spot in the large parking lot, and it's not unusual to have to wait for a cardio machine - even if you're not picky about which cardio machine you're going to use.
The locker room is not at ALL fancy, and it's kind of small. It's pretty much a standard issue locker room. I'm not here to feel pampered, so it's fine for me, but if you're looking for a gym with lavender lotion on the counters, go elsewhere.
Things they have that I like:
1. That endless staircase machine. NOTHING kicks my ass better than that thing - I have never sweated as much in my life as while I was using that machine - unless you count the years I lived in a house in Austin with no A/C, and there was no cardio involved in that sweating.
2. Lots of TV's. Plug your earphones into the gadget on each cardio machine to hear the sound.
3. Assisted pull-up machine. I've got lame upper body strength and can't do a real pull-up. This allows me to pretend that I'm a bad-ass and get a good upper body workout in the process.
4. Super convenient location in Hancock Center. When you're finished with your workout, you can decide whether you're going to be good or bad. If the former, you can trundle over to HEB and buy some fixings for a good, healthy, home-cooked meal. If the latter, you can zip over to Pei Wei, Freebirds, Wendy's, Poke Jo's, or even Marble Slab (hey, you just worked out - you deserve it!).
Things they have that I've never used: a basketball court, a pool, and a pretty good selection of classes that are included in your membership (I wish they had more of these on the weekends, though), free day care for up to I think two hours a day. Oh, and open 24 hrs! I guess I've technically used some of those 24 hrs; just not the unusual ones.
Things I wish they had:
1. Fans. I can push myself harder, for longer, if I've got a little breeze working for me.
2. Better spaces for floor exercises. There are two TINY areas where you can do floor exercises, but they're both kind of smack in the middle of things, and people are either always walking right on top of you or you're in full, obvious view of everyone on the cardio machines. I don't need an audience of 50 while I work my abs, thanks.
All in all, this location of 24 Hour Fitness is a decent, totally functional place to work out. And really, that's all I need it to be.
When I lived downtown last year this was where you could find me on most mornings. Its a bit on the smallish side but to be honest that's why I liked it so much. It was easy to get to, and to get in and out of. If you go later in the day you'll probably find every machine full, which was an occasional bummer. I moved south now and go to the William Cannon location which is much larger and has a totally different vibe. Either way for where it is, its the best gym.
I don't know what y'all are complaining about. Lance Armstrong turns me on.
i joined online to avoid having to deal with any sales pitches... when i signed up, there was no initiation fee or signup fees or whatnot, just the first and last months dues at $34 apiece. the place looked like it had a good amount of equipment available when i went (to a yoga class) at noon, and when i was leaving an hour later there was still plenty available. the instructor was very nice, did a good job teaching the class, and was willing to answer a question after the class was over. i don't know if it was that there was a 20-5 ratio of women-men... but i had a nagging thought in the back of my mind that after these people went home, there would be plenty of missed connections floating around from this place. but who knows.
