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24 Hour Fitness
Category: Active Life Fitness & Instruction Gyms Gyms [Edit]
1000 E 41st StAustin, TX 78751
(512) 458-2424
1 free Pass
Get a free 24 Hour Fitness pass. Join millions who have changed their lives through fitness. http://bit.ly/oHHsHM
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
76 reviews for 24 Hour Fitness
76 reviews in English
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Review from Alexis G.
Austin, TX
8/6/2011
This location is pretty great depending on when you go. It seems to be constantly crowded, even at 11pm. Sometimes it is really hard to find parking. However, I don't understand why people bitch about parking far away when they are just about to get on a treadmill anyway. I usually amble in at incredibly random times like 2am when no one is there and I can hog all the tvs.
There are plenty of lockers if you use them, the showers and bathrooms are pretty clean, and the I usually only notice 1 or 2 "out of order" signs circulating around the club.
I don't know why one person said you have to "dress up" to come here. I show up in ratty old gym tshirts from high school and have never felt out of place. There are some people who look more kept then others. I don't really care, I just want to sweat off the reeces pieces cereal I can't stop eating.
In short... want to have a choice of equipment to work out on? They have it! Want to take a shower after? You can! Do you like watching the news and sports shows? They are probably on! Want to watch a marathon of Married with Children while on the elliptical? Come at 1am! -
Review from Jessica B.
Austin, TX
4/12/2012
This used to be a pretty good gym. It started going downhill probably about two years ago, and just keeps getting worse. It's completely overrun, it's too hot, there's nowhere to park, broken machines don't get fixed or replaced for ridiculously long periods of time, and a lot of the equipment is kind of old. They have machines taking up space that NO ONE uses, while, in the meantime, the popular machines are always full. I have contacted management about this and got a vague reply about how they will reevaluate when it comes time to replace equipment. That was about a year ago.
There's no dress code, or at least if there is, no one enforces it. You see people there "working out" in jeans, jorts, sandals, flip-flops, dress shirts, suits...I'm not making this up. It's absurd.
The paper towel and hand sanitizer dispensers don't get refilled when they are empty.
But unfortunately, the truth is, nothing is going to change because there is no real competition in the area. -
Review from Jack M.
1/24/2012 5 Check-ins Here
It's not bad, but it's not good either.
Look, I've been in gross gyms before. I've seen gyms with equipment that seems to date back to the turn of the century and bathrooms that looked like you might shanked. The best thing I could say about those gyms is that at least you can leave.
There's none of that here. No hoodlums, modern equipment, mostly clean facilities, and no broken equipment or missing weights.
But the best thing I can say about it is that I can walk to it. That's not a huge endorsement. I find that the temperature control sucks, it's always absurdly hot. It's not dirty, but it's never really clean either. The staff is there if you need them, but I wouldn't call them engaged. Then again, maybe I don't want that, I don't know. I can't really point to any one failure other than the temperature and I can't really point to anyone one feature I really like other than the fact it's close.
All I'm saying is that I'm never really disappointed with this gym, but I'm never really satisfied with it either.
Plus, I have to look at Lance Armstrong staring at me the whole time, questioning why I'm not busting my ass harder. -
Review from Josh G.
Austin, TX
1/13/2012
I go here and have for about a year and a half. Most of the staff is really friendly and nice. They remember me and my wife.
It is very clean, and priced very reasonably. By all signs it is a very popular gym.
Gripes:
1. I'd like if they could pay attention to what machines are getting used regularly and make an effort to get more of those machines, and make sure that the ones they have are in good working order.
In particular there is one great upper and lower body elliptical that both my wife and I love, but they are almost always full and there are only 6 of them (they do take up a fair amount of room, but they are in front of 8 machines (4 of each of 2 different kinds of stair climbers) that are almost never more than half utilized. They could sell 2 of each of those machines, and have more space and more money for the more popular machines
2. They recently added shower curtains to the men's locker room showers. Generally this would be considered a good thing, but no sooner had I noticed than I heard people having sex in the showers. I never heard that when there were no shower curtains.
3. They replaced the soap dispensers in the men's showers (which used to dispense a liquid shower soap) to dispensers that give some weird foam. It seems like a cheap way to save money, and I prefer the old liquid soap.
4. As someone who doesn't utilize one of their personal trainers, I sometimes feel like my workout is 2nd in priority to those exercisers who do. They always get the right of way on machines, floor space, and equipment which is already pretty hard to come by between 4PM and 7PM.
I don't want to sound ungrateful. I love the gym, they are very nice, and it has definitely been a positive, healthy influence on me. Just wanted to take this opportunity to bring up these issues. -
Review from Omar Z.
12/22/2011 169 Check-ins Here
24HF is not all that expensive. Consequently, the staff, though friendly, isn't always top notch. For example: I see trainers doing things that could easily wreck a client's spine (in my opinion) to yoga instructors that don't help folks with props. However, the facility compensates for this with, simply, a lot of stuff. The equipment is at least 80% up and functioning, there is a hoops court, a pool and a mini-daycare facility. And did I mention it's not that expensive?
I've given up on working out in the evenings, it's simply too crowded. But the mornings are nice. What is most remarkable about this gym is the amount of ink on the patrons. You might expect to see more ink per capita in a bar dive downtown. Not true. It's at this gym. And in some cases it's downright impressive.
MY recommendation? Use the gym, but select one of many on-line training programs to guide your workout and just become educated in health on your own. You can learn a lot from videos. One of my favorites, if you want to save your spine, is: http://fusionperforman.... A barebones gym like 24hr fitness works well if you bring your knowledge base in with you. -
Review from Amber D.
Austin, TX
3/12/2012
I like this gym because it's close to home and work and has some friendly people. However, the equipment needs a major update. If a piece of equipment breaks, it's gone for a month or more. Half the soap dispensers do not work. Not a very well maintained club compared to the rest, which is very frustrating since I've been a member of 24 for over 3 years.
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Review from Tonya P.
Austin, TX
1/18/2012 13 Check-ins Here
This is a great gym. But it is ridiculously crowded in the evenings. After the 1st of the year, I also find it ridiculously crowded at other times throughout the day. My solution - I go to the gym at 4am. There is only 1 or 2 people there with me at that time of day, and other people don't start arriving until around 5am. The only other problem I have with this gym - people don't unrack their weights. C'mon people - I am strong, but I don't want to have to lug all of those 45 pound plates off of the equipment I want to use. I think the members here need to be reminded of some basic gym etiquette.
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Review from Jon M.
11/13/2011
Open 24-7 but only 1 power rack and 1 half rack. Incredibly packed during the day from 4:30-7:00.
Some good basketball games going on in the gym as well. -
Review from Ashley S.
Updated - 4/7/2011 68 Check-ins Here
Come early in the morning or really late at night. No I mean REALLY late at night. I tend to be a big fan of anything open 24 hours because I never know when I might be wide awake. This fits my lifestyle.
Did you know the BEST people watching it at the gym? By people watching I mean gawking in my case. Why is it that most men who frequent this gym or any gym for that matter happen to be HUGE on top and skinny legs no bigger than mine? Think proportional people. Don't get me wrong I love chesty men, but its just weird how a lot of men never work their legs. They just sit there in front of the mirrors and stare at themselves and their muscles & I find it odd, but mostly just vain.
There tends to be a lot of eye-fucking here.
The clientele here are young and attractive. I think I've already alluded to that fact.
As always, more men attend the gym than women. And more women stick to the cardio equipment than venturing into the weight area. I somehow managed to achieve a larger left bicep than my right. Damnit what the hell?! Only so much cardio I can handle, its boring and during busy times the pickins are slim on machines.
If you want to lose weight or have legs strong enough to hover over nasty toilet seat port-a-pottys when in dire need, then I highly suggest going to the spin classes. Seriously, its the best hour of the day for me. Now I just need a real bike : / I got bored with yoga & pilates but thats just me. The instructors are great and work you til you want to die. The staff there are friendly and trainers really seem to know how to kick their client's ass. Its $38 (thats including tax) for a monthly membership, but that means I can go to any 24 HR I want. 5 stars for convenience!Listed in: Hyde Park, An Insomniac's Paradise
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/21/2011
I'm going to jump around here about 24 hr. First my general experience with the company and then… Read more »
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Review from Richard T.
Austin, TX
1/13/2012
The steam room often smells like death, but otherwise an okay gym.
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Review from Cameron C.
Austin, TX
10/4/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The spin classes are my reason for going-great instructors (Thomas, Melinda) and it will make you sweat. I credit these sessions with helping my MS150 training for the past two years (and now, gearing up for my third).
I usually work out there in the mornings-afternoons/evenings were so insane and there was no parking (which made my already antsy self even more antsy). -
Review from Kiki M.
3/21/2011
My intention was to use this gym everyday while I was in Austin but I ended up getting my exercise other ways. I took the Body Pump class with a bit of excitement because I had yet to take it at the 24 Hour Fitness back home.
This 24 Hour Fitness is much bigger than my usual gym. There are two floors, a basketball court, multiple rooms for class, and I believe there is a pool. It was clean and on a Sunday afternoon wasn't packed.
I climbed up the stairs to the second floor and entered a bright room for the Body Pump class. I gathered new weights and a barbell (it takes forever for my gym to get new equipment) and got ready to get pumped up. That class definitely hit capacity and I was thankful I got there early to get a prime spot. The instructor was motivating albeit overly cheerful but she lead the class easily through an hour of moderate weight lifting.
Whenever I am back in Austin I will visit this gym again.Listed in: Austin: Big Little City, Check out the guns
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Review from Tina P.
7/12/2011
Good central location in Austin. This place is hiding behind the HEB and Sears. Good to know since I got lost the first time I tried finding it!
This place seems more crowded that the other locations I've been to. Even during peak times, I was able to find at least 1 treadmill open though. This location looks a bit older but everything works just fine!!! There's also a pool and basketball court but I've never used it. -
Review from Diana L.
San Francisco, CA
3/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Thank god for 24 hour fitness, or else I would have blown up like a balloon with eating so damn much in Austin.
But this gym has little people, it's clean, all the weights are always back in its proper place - that already is a 4 star alone. -
Review from Jaime P.
Austin, TX
5/23/2011
I belonged here for a year and hated every minute of it. The gym was intolerably busy at rush hour, if you could even find a parking spot. It struck me as a see-and-be-seen type of place, where lots of UT fratties and sorrostitutes went to impress one another and find dates. Wearing sweat pants and old tee-shirts was literally frowned upon.
If you're a lady (I am), good luck sweating without getting looked at like you're a total slob. Chicks wore fully made-up faces on the treadmills. I never felt comfortable lifting free weights here, either, b/c of all the meat-heads.
The staff were pushy with sales of training sessions and such, especially if you took the two free sessions they give you upon signing. It seemed like once they realized they couldn't make any money out of you (and/or you weren't stereotypically hot), they didn't bother acknowledging you at all.
That said, the equipment was brand new and well maintained and it had a pool. And the location is conveniently central. And it's open 24 hours.
When I finally admitted to myself that my discomfort with the place was interfering with my workout routine, I called 24-Hour to cancel and they bamboozled me into staying with a cheaper rate, twice, before I finally terminated my contract.
I went to Gold's and I've never looked back. -
Review from Sabrina W.
Austin, TX
10/3/2011
Personal trainer gave me mixed information about the membership plan, rates and what the membership did and/or did not include. He was more interested in making a sale instead of just giving me the basic info about the gym that I was looking for. I was clear that I was just there to get info, pricing and take a tour.
I understand that selling memberships is part of his job at the gym, but this was all wrong. All of the sudden I felt like I was being pressured into buying a membership that was not even fully explained. The trainer guy got pissed when I told him no to signing up right that second, snatched up the printed calender he was going to give me off of the desk and proceeded to leave, with me still seated in the chair. I jokingly asked "So what, I don't get to keep that piece of paper because I didn't sign up?" Trainer guy looked at me and said " No. No you don't." And walked away from the desk with the regular printer paper calendar... WFT!? What if i was waiting until tomorrow to think it over damn?!!
Between this guy, the girl ignoring me at the front desk when I was standing right in front of her (she was having a really important conversation about something NOT important with a girl across the room), the gym not being that nice inside (it was kind of dark inside and seems a little dated), and being packed with in the 20 min of me being there with tons of college students (all running like they were running for their lives on treadmills). No thanks, this fattie will sign up for her 1st gym elsewhere. *blows raspberry* -
Review from Garreth W.
Austin, TX
2/17/2011 10 Check-ins Here
It's a big box full of mostly working equipment and it's five minutes from my house. It's about 7 gazillion times cleaner than the other alternative - Gold's Gym at Lincoln Village, and you can get a 2 year membership from Costco for $300.
That's why I go to 24 Hr Fitness, plain and simple. Oh, and it has a hot tub.
Katie's yoga classes are the other big reason. Truly inspiring - a woman who can talk calmly to you with one leg behind her head.
Jordan Johnson has been my personal trainer there and does a great job of getting me more muscular and less fat. Of course, I now avoid his gaze on the way to yoga classes with a Snickers wrapper in my back pocket. But if I did want to get a trainer again, it would be him. He doesn't eat Snickers. -
Review from Lesley H.
1/14/2011
I've been to a lot of 24 hour fitnesses in the Dallas and Houston area, and I have to say that Austin has the best group exercise classes. After doing the classes from the Austin instructors, all the other classes in the other cities were pretty easy. At some gyms I even thought I was better than the instructor.
This gym is renowned for their cycling classes, after all it is the lance armstrong gym. I've taken classes from a couple different instructors and have liked them all. The cycling classes here are really popular. You have to get there like 30 min before the class to secure a spot. It's kind of like how cycling classes get in the beginning of the year when everyone makes their new years resolution to get in shape, and the gym is ridiculously crowded and classes fill up really quick, but here it lasts all year round for the cycling classes.
I also love kickboxing and everlast. Ashley has the best everlast class I have ever been to. She actually knows what she's doing. As for kickboxing all the teachers are great but the hardest instructor has got to be Shar. She teaches on thursdays and it will kick your butt. The more you go, the more she'll expect from you. -
Review from James H.
Austin, TX
6/23/2011
This is my favorite 24 hour fitness club in Austin. Central location, equipments in good standing, pretty clean, has swimming pool, hot tub and sauna, basketball court, kids club, friendly staff. For my annual dues, I really can't ask for more.
Only con I can think of is parking during peak hours (Monday-Wednesday between 5:00 and 6:30PM). This gym actually has a "security" guard watching over the parking lot, not sure if that's a good or bad thing. -
Review from Ian R.
Austin, TX
9/19/2011
The only way this would possibly be worth it is if you bought the 3 years for $300 from Costco.
Otherwise, this gym (and company in general) is pretty bad. They have guards in the parking lot because its kind of ghetto. Its overly crowded both before and after work, and there are too many waist-up meatheads hogging the bench press (try some leg exercise, dick)
Locker rooms are overly basic and there aren't any towels etc. -
Review from Jaime M.
Austin, TX
2/9/2009 ROTD 8/7/2009
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 ...Listed in: Review of the Day? More like…
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Review from Don P.
Austin, TX
8/3/2007
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. -
Review from Rose C.
Austin, TX
12/8/2010
My exercise plan is pretty simple. I'm training for a marathon (eek) and I like to do most of my running at Town Lake. At night or in bad weather, though, I need a treadmill, so that's why I go here. For $30/mo, it's OK.
Apparently the place is a gay hookup hotspot (it's all over Craigslist Missed Connections), which I think is funny considering the name of this shopping center, but that's fine by me. For a while I went to yoga class on both Monday and Friday nights, but the new Friday night instructor's personality is too intense for me. Both yoga classes are scheduled at the end of spin class, so it's always kind of funny trying to focus on relaxing new-age yoga music while listening to shouts of "PUSH it! work it!" and pumping rock music next door.
This gym just installed a fingerprint reader so you don't have to bring your ID card to check-in. -
Review from Elliot C.
Austin, TX
12/15/2009
24 fitness, we were once so close. I loved the special deal we brokered, as I leveraged my indecision into getting a $15 a month part-time bargain. It seemed we were made for each other: I the frugal gym rat, you the always-open venue. It was perfect. Storybook, even.
But I think we need to work on our relationship.
It's not that I don't care about you anymore. I do. It's just that you aren't the same gym anymore. You've changed. And - though I hate saying this - you've really let yourself go. Really, 24 hour, did you think that I wouldn't notice the dustballs roaming around the corners of your rooms? Or that I would overlook your bumpy, malformed basketballs? Or your small "price increase" that I got in the mail this month?
No. I'm afraid I saw all of that. What happened to you?
Maybe it's my fault. Sometimes I come in to say hello, but you are so jam-packed that I can hardly find a treadmill to run on. And I'm not a fan of your locker room, so I'm sorry for not visiting there more often.
But I think we can fix this. I think we can still be together. After all, your weights are still in good shape, and your classes aren't bad. So let's work on this, 24-hour! Let's get me in shape by getting you back in shape! Sound good, darling? We need to work this out. After all, I signed a contract.
Love,
E -
Review from Jason S.
Austin, TX
8/23/2010
You want a trainer? Get Dan Steele. He will transform you into a sleeker, stronger, sexier version of yourself. Don't get me wrong, he's not my trainer. He's my wife's trainer. And well done, Dan, well done.
Really love the Group X weightlifting classes. The kid care is really only for smaller kids. My 9-year-old couldn't be more bored. -
Review from carolyn v.
Austin, TX
Updated - 4/26/2010
Got a notice in the mail today...evidently, there is a class action lawsuit against 24 Hr Fitness that got settled. The class action lawsuit was filed due to 24 Hr Fitness continuing to charge people after they canceled their memberships.
I'd like to follow this with a Nelson rendition of "HA haaaaaaaa!"
The class action lawsuit entitles my boyfriend to either $20 or 3 months access to any 24 Hr Fitness gym, a value they claim is $149.99 to $199.99. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAH
Oh, what to do with all this mad money...all $20 of it...2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/16/2010
I checked my debit card statement.
Yup.
The fuckers kept charging me, as suspected. Le sigh.
Called up… Read more »
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Review from Phil P.
Austin, TX
7/18/2007 ROTD 9/20/2007
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. -
Review from stephanie s.
Austin, TX
8/26/2008
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. -
Review from Bek S.
Austin, TX
1/13/2008
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. -
Review from Eliot W.
Dallas, TX
11/15/2010
Honestly, this is a very good gym for the price. I signed up for a $30/month plan -- with national access to 24 Fitness gyms and the initiation fee waived -- a couple years ago and I've been making use of it ever since. I think it's important to emphasize that this gym is very effective if your needs are limited.
What I want:
Flexible hours
Full set of equipment (both weights and cardio)
Lively/motivating atmosphere (but hopefully not TOO crowded)
Convenient location
Bonus: Pool / sauna / steam room
This 24 Hour Fitness has all of these, for cheap (see note at bottom though). Plus I used to work out with trainer Matt Grube, who was excellent (he recently moved to Houston, so he's no longer available though).
By comparison, my wife tried out a $60/month + initiation fee membership downtown at Pure Austin. What she gets at Pure Austin: (1) smoothie bar (for a price of course); (2) wifi; (3) smaller gym but somewhat newer equipment; (4) older crowd. She loses the flexible hours though, as Pure Austin has limited hours.
Personally I don't really care about the amenities at Pure Austin (other than MAYBE the wifi for streaming Pandora). And its hours are worse, and it's twice the price.
So... add it up. 24 Hr. Fitness is nothing special, it won't blow you away. But it serves its purpose very well (if what you want is to work out), it's very convenient, and it's cheap.
One caveat to all this: It's true it can get crowded at "rush hour," which is the after-work crowd coming in between 6-8pm. In my opinion it's rarely a problem (I get what equipment I want 9/10 times), but yeah, the locals do like to show up after work. -
Review from Steven N.
2/2/2007
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. -
Review from Amy C.
Austin, TX
4/20/2010
So...
I'm making some changes in my life, and one of the biggest ones is a concerted effort to get fitter. One of the things I have decided to do to facilitate that goal is an hour of cardio a day (sometimes interval, sometimes light, sometimes just random). The place I am doing this cardio is 24 Hour Fitness.
The main things I like about this place are the price and the large amount of equipment. I don't go during peak times, usually, so I usually get to use the machines I want with no problem at all. At the time I was signing up, they had a deal where you could go month to month at a pretty reasonable price with no contract, which was also pretty cool.
Usually it's pretty clean and smells OK.
Also, I think the proximity to UT leads to a high concentration of tasty young folks. But try not to gawk, it's creepy.Listed in: Closer to beeyooteeful
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Review from alex e.
Austin, TX
3/1/2009
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. -
Review from CAROL L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/18/2009
"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] -
Review from David N.
10/10/2009
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?!Listed in: Austin: Day Activities
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Review from vivian w.
Houston, TX
11/6/2008 1 Check-in Here
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. -
Review from Quani C.
4/23/2007
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. -
Review from JoAnne M.
Austin, TX
10/27/2011
I started going to this gym in 2006 and basically rode the bike and didn't interact with anyone. Being 150 lbs overweight I was nervous and insecure about being in a place w/ a ton of fit people... I was very habitual for a few years then fell of the wagon, paid monthly for a membership and didn't use it, like everyone, I'm sure. I decided I really needed the accountability of meeting someone there. I talked to one of the trainers and put her through the ringer about what I wanted, my fears, my nervousness, etc. She was a doll and the PERFECT cheerleader and confidence builder to get me back in the swing of things. That was Feb. 2011. I hadn't been inside but 1 time in the past 2+ years (and that was to use the shower when my bathroom was being remodeled.) :) I confided in her that I wanted to do the Danksin Triathlon in June and we put together a plan. She even helped me reduce my monthly costs! She had to move away pretty quickly after I started back up, and I was convinced that she was the "only one" and I didn't go back for another 6 months. I did actually do the triathlon and 3 others. I was motivated by watching the Biggest Loser and decided to drag myself, once again, into the gym. I read every single trainer bio online, then met w/ a staff member, got recommendations, and "interviewed" one... plus got a few people's impressions on how he interacted with his clients. I now have the most wonderful trainer (Jordan Johnson) and have lost about 30lbs this year @ 24hr. Since I started here I've lost about 100lbs... I have gone from thinking "everyone is looking at me b/c I'm not in shape" to realizing there are ALL KINDS of people at this location. There are little old ladies, super-buff hot guys, cute pony-tailed sorority girls, middle-aged business people, athletes, hippies, rockers, dabblers, and ME! It's a choice to feel like you "fit in" or not... and there is no reason you can't come inside, and CHOOSE to look for a place to help you get healthy. (Plus, the gal at the front desk always seems like she's in a good mood!) That's MY experience! :)
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Review from Priscilla W.
San Antonio, TX
3/23/2009
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. -
Review from David Y.
Austin, TX
8/30/2009
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
