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Bally Total Fitness
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
Madison/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Lake (Red)
Washington (Blue, Red)
- Good for Kids:
- No
33 reviews for Bally Total Fitness
I've never joined a gym before but friends I work with all work out here and I figured I'd might as well join. The staff are all nice from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk out. The overall gym is nice but I can't help but feel super awkward going into the girls locker room and seeing full out naked women getting dressed from the moment I walk into the door. Ladies beware if you pump weights, just be prepared to have that one creeper guy watching you. There is no eye candy here so if that's what you're looking for, don't even bother. Most of the guys all have the nice bodies but the wrong faces to go with it. I go later in the evening and its always past the rush so its sometimes empty which is fine by me because I hate waiting for machines.
I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about this place. Don't expect the 5 star treatment if you are paying the 26 dollar a month for the membership. You've obviously checked out the place before you signed up, so get your ass working out and stop complaining.
I paid $27 a month for this?! I first signed up at the Rogers Park location which is beautiful and what I was looking for. Then...(dum dum duuuuum) I moved and started using this location. It was horrid.
It's in a basement. I don't feel the need to mention the facilities as many other yelpers have described it well. What caused me to quit and join a competitor was the staff.
When I am at a gym, I am there to work out. When I show up at 8 PM and you close at 9 (but kick us out 20 min early) then I am obviously trying to bust out as much cardio as I can in that little amount of time. It never failed, EVERY NIGHT a trainer would come up to me and bug me while I was working out. Then gradually, all the free space and equipment was taken over by personal training. Two whole sections are marked as 'personal training only' sections. This place does not have a ton of free space and equipment. Don't take all the frickin' 8 lb dumbbells! Some of us use them!!!!!!
The straw that finally broke my back was as I was working out on my elliptical; two trainers (in full Bally's gear) were on the stair climber behind me. They were talking quite loud saying "F. This. F. That. This client's a fat ass. This client I would F. I'm gonna' make so much money off this client. Dude, my sales are at $X and I'm going to double that be the end of the month. F. this. F. That"
Now I swear as much as the next 25 year old kid, but this was so offensive that I left. I cut my cardio off at only 15 minutes and walked right upstairs and said ' how do I cancel my membership?" One of the trainers said "why? Are you going to LA Fitness?" I wanted to say "MYOB!" but I said, no, XSport, thanks! Then no one would ask me what happened, talk to me, anything. They handed me a piece of paper and pointed to a phone number.
I'm so glad I left, and for $12 more a month, I'm at a place that is so much nicer/cleaner/less offensive.
Part 2 of 2 Bally reviews
So, I consider myself a fairly forgiving Yelp reviewer, but this place has absolutely, positively no redeeming quality to it whatsoever.
First off, the location is horrendous on basement levels 1-3 of the Loop. Its depressing, the lighting is either creepily low or blindingly fluorescent.
The men's locker room is so stank-riffic you would think dozens of sweaty football players simply marinating there for a few hours with cut off ventilation would be necessary to produce the odor. No, its more likely they just haven't cleaned the place since the Loop flood about 20 years ago. Worse yet, a solid 50% of the lockers can't be locked, and there is a "security guard" in there sitting in the only vantage point where he couldn't possibly spot a theft. And I don't even want to go into the lack of space available for changing (previously elaborated on by my friend Phil)
Next problem, everything is either broken or missing entirely. They must have had a weight room fire sale or something because machines that were there once, no longer exist. The cardio machines are routinely out of commission, the track has the layout of an F-1 road course, and the area for non-machine exercise is just a dirty floor with a few tired looking exercise balls.
The clientele is a bit odd to say the least, rumors seem to swirling around the Yelp reviews but the only notable issue with me is constantly being hit on by the frighteningly muscular woman who is there all the time asking "baby, can you help me with this?" in an unusually low voice on more than a few occasions in the weight room. I'm creeped out just thinking about it.
Finally, the man purportedly running this bush league operation is regularly hungover, surly, and has failed to cancel the memberships (a common occurrence, no doubt) of two friends of mine repeatedly.
I shudder at the thought of going there.
I have been a Bally member before, many years ago, in another city. And it was fine. So when I received the $35 a month membership special, and was looking for a gym, I decided why not. It's close to my office and I won't feel like I'm breaking the bank. Well, you get what you pay for. I was told that it was never busy after 5, wrong! Over the course of the next few weeks and visits I couldn't get on a treadmill to save my life. And when I finally did I had no idea why they had TVs since there is no sound hook up. I also noticed that things are out of order or missing. The fans don't work, the weight equipment seems to be missing parts, there is always 1 of a certain barbell weight, not 2 - ever. And quite frankly I'm not convinced the place is cleaned very well, the locker rooms scare me. I canceled my membership after about a month.....of course they kept billing me. I had to go round and round to get the auto withdrawals to stop. They finally did. Now if only I can get the Bally spam to stop.........
Bally's...I am taking away a star. I am so tired of the personal trainers trying to lure people into "free" personal training sessions and then pushing their services on me. Now, I know this is your profession and part of your pay is through commission...I commend you on that. But, when you approach me (after seeing me do just fine on a daily basis for well over a year) and say let's work out...and I say...sure, but I can't afford personal training sessions so I don't want to waste your time. You go through with the workout anyway and you know my stance but you still push your services on me after we are done. Do you know how hard it is on ego to once again say...my budget does not allow for a personal trainer. Not cool of you at all!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/5/2009
It's not glamorous by any means but I only pay $17/month so I can not expect too much. It's a… Read more »
This gym is great for the homeless patrons and guys on the "down low". It has the basic workout equipment, free weights, machines and cardio machines. And even though it is dirty and has odor issues, it is adequate for general workouts. But don't over pay. I pay $14/month and would not pay a dollar more. The locker rooms are cramped and usually very crowded. And unfortunately, this locker room seems to be a "down low" hook up spot in the loop. They can be aggressive at times and will stare at you while changing.
The staff could do a much better job at cleaning the workout area, putting away free weights, etc.... The paper towel dispensers are often empty. You get what you pay for.
it's 15 dollars a month for me. That was enough reason for me to be a continuing member for more than a year. I also could use the gyms at the other locations (Webster and Clark--much nicer). But here is your forewarning. This is the place as you might experience it in a visit:
It's just a depressing start. You descend to the locker rooms as if you're going to a basement, the lighting makes the place even more downcast. Many of the lockers are broken, having been cut through in some way or another, and they are arranged such that you are sure to have someone's crotch in your face, or your crotch in theirs--although, reading Gary D.'s observations, this may be the point for some members.
The weights are rarely where they should be. People put the dumbbells everywhere, the weight locks rarely work, and there are far too few pieces of equipment to accommodate the regular crowd. I typically settle for doing an exercise on whatever happens to be open.
Since I started going, the equipment in fact is steadily disappearing. One day the leg press machine is there, the next day it isn't. And clearly the management is rearranging the equipment to make it seem as if we're not missing anything, kind of the way a child might spread around the peas on his plate.
That's the experience. As I said, I've been going for a while. I pay a low price, I'll readily admit. I don't go to TJ Maxx for Armani clothes. But that was your forewarning.
This is a terrible Bally location. The equipment is old. It smells. It's in a basement where cell phones don't work. That's not a big deal, but I sneak out on my lunch break and get a 20 minute workout and I'm nervous every day that some emergency will come up and I won't get the email on my Blackberry in time.
The people are friendly and this place definitely does the trick. Its the most convenient option in the Loop, I just wish that it was a bit nicer.
There aren't enough weights even at lunch time when there's not much of a rush other than the people that hang out there all day long so it's hard to make a fast workout.
Still...I get to workout a bit to break up my workday which is truly invaluable.
As I've said before, since individual locations have nothing to do with corporate mishaps (i.e. charging people of extra money or months of membership fees after cancellation, etc.), I'm strictly going to review this location itself.
The one star this place gets is for creativity in location, a basement. Good call, Bally's. From what I understand, the first-floor classroom area is nice. As a dude, I wouldn't know.
On the second floor, they have the cardio machines, four of which are broken at all times. There's a stretching area that fits five comfortably. Then there's a handful of nautilus machines, some of which are new, some of which were state-of-the-art during WWII. They have two water fountains, one near the cardio area that offers cold water, and one broken one near the nautilus machines that offers a tasty hot bacteria tea. There is one decline ab bench. The 1/8-mile track is fine, it seems to go around and connect, which is all you can ask. The pool does a superb job holding the water, offering a make-shift containment center for countless undiscovered diseases.
The third and final floor is the steroid basement, where former high school standouts loiter around one another while one guy racks up weights to do a full max set of two while screaming at the top of his lungs. They have exactly one pair of each dumbbell weight, so if you need the 30-pounders and someone just grabbed them, tough luck.
The men's locker room is small, disproportionately small to the large membership, and stinks to high hell. I realize that a gym locker room is going to have some stank, but this gross place reeks of the rotting flesh or something. Of course, it probably doesn't help that when there's a mess in the bathroom area, no one cleans it up for days.
The staff is the picture of ineptitude: incapable of breaking a five dollar bill; slow to replace toilet paper in the men's room; unable to post a sign on a machine that's broken. The trainers are aggressive and rude, but I assume since only a small percentage of them actually have any physical/sports training education, you can't expect much. There's a security guard who appears to be reading a newspaper in the corner of the men's room, but I know he's cleverly waiting for new clues in the case of my stolen wallet. Worthless.
Bottom line: Worst. Gym. Ever.
Out of all the Bally's in the city, this is the worst that I've been to.
When I first joined Bally's a couple years ago this was right around the corner from my former job, so it was convenient. Convenience was the *only* reason why I came here - this place is a sh*thole. It's a few floors below street level, so you feel like you're walking into some dungeon. They don't have the turn-styles like they do at other locations - the people working the desk have to scan your card, which is not only annoying, but the line to check in can get long if they're helping people do other things. The entire place smells, and not in a good way. Also, when you're done with your workout you get to hike up the stairs back to street level - it was always my dream to be in good enough shape to sprint up those stairs post-workout, but alas, it never happened. I don't feel bad though, because I see everyone gasping for breath when they're leaving the dungeon...
The locker rooms here are small and gross, and the people working out here are very comfortable with their bodies - which, you know, kudos to them, but this is the most naked locker room I've ever been in.
I will say that the other members who came here made me feel more comfortable than any other Bally's - there are people of all shapes and sizes working out at this location and they were there to work out and not be seen, so I never felt self conscious about myself like I did at some of the more Trixie-infested locations.
My original membership included a session with a personal trainer. I can't remember her name, but she had blonde hair. When we met we did the normal "what are your goals" talk, and the main point I made was that I wanted someone to show me how to use all the machines properly so I could get the most out of my workouts. Yeah, she didn't listen to that at all and proceeded to kick my ass - and not in a "this hurts but feels awesome" way. Two days later I could barely move, and she called me to check in and laughed about it. Yeah, because THAT is going to get me to buy sessions with you. Right.
I recently re-joined Bally's, and I came here a couple weeks ago and I will say that they made some improvements to the gym and equipment since the last time I had been there, but it's still a smelly dungeon. It's also not as convenient as it once was so there's really no reason for me to torture myself by going to this location anymore when I can visit other locations that are much nicer and where I can at least get some natural sunlight...
I don't care that they charged me $28 to cancel my supposedly "ongoing, cancel any time, no hassles" membership, I just CAN'T WAIT for it to be over.
Apart from my affection for one of the spin class instructors (she's totally awesome and always seems contentedly cranky, I love it)
....yeah... sheeeesh... apart from that -- this place really is the pits.
Literally and symbolically.
It's just one hideous, stinky, hairy groin patch, down in the dungeon below the Loop.
A note for the punters: you can't deal with your membership on a personal level--they tell you to "call management" where you talk to a machine for a long time. We all know how much fun that is.
OK OK, I didn't know how big and evil Bally was when I joined --
I was dumb, innocent and not American.... now I have learned the truth.
One other thing:
I am completely TERRIFIED of some of the personal trainers, one of whom once came up to me and said commandingly,
"Hmm." (shakes head) "We need to check how you're going with your WEIGHT."
Encouraging? Hell no. Self-hate inspiring? Absolutely.
I think I have mentally gained 50 pounds just experiencing this place. Literally, I've probably stayed exactly the same size and shape.
Not a great gym, but it does the trick. A lot of the time the machines act all crazy (been on an eliptical that kept resetting every four minutes, not fun on the knees) and the place is pretty small/crammed with people after work. These are all things I expect from a Bally's though, so I can't really say I am dissapointed or anything. Convenient location, thats about it.
I didn't think my experience here could get worse, but leave it to Bally's to lower the bar.
After a few weeks with Ed, he continued to encourage me to work out waaay beyond my capabilities, and even dared to laugh at me when I told him it was too much for me. I am woman enough to say that yes, after a stressful week at work and having this guy push me too far, I burst into tears during a work out. Ed told me to take a break from our sessions, that he would arrange for them to not expire so I could come back when ready. Weeks later I received a call from Bally's that my sessions were expiring that week - I was basically out $350. I explained my situation to them, but no luck. I filed a report with the BBB, only for Ballys to deny my claim (which is a whole other story in itself). Perhaps they can't refund $350 because they filed for bankruptcy....for the SECOND time! I've joined Cheetah now and LOVE it - its more expensive but totally worth every dollar. I'll never return to Ballys ever again.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/22/2008
I hate this gym. Hate it!!!! I've been going here on/off for the past three years, and its still… Read more »
I recently joined this gym and found an amazing deal with Ken. It's $80 down and $30/month for any Bally's in Illinois. However, my friend and I joined on one plan, so it was $40 down and $22.50/month/person! How great is that! You can add up to 5 people on one plan and it's $15 additionally per person. However, the down payment is divided amongst everyone. You can do a national plan for an additonal $5/month, which would be divided among everyone as well! And the best thing is that THERE IS NO CONTRACT!!!! It's just month to month and you can cancel any time!!!! The deal goes through the end of January 08, so if you are interested, please contact Ken.
I joined because I needed a gym with workout classes and this is super close to where I live, so this gym worked best for me. However, the gym is pretty stinky and the locker rooms are totally gross to me. I always change before I come to the gym. I have never been down to the cardio/weights area so I am not sure what they are like. I know they have a pool and a track, which I have yet to see as well. It sounds weird but I have a gym at work + home, so that's why.
Anyways, I think the deal is totally worth it and I hope people join :)
Going to have to go against the crowd here. I've had nothing but good experiences with this club.
LOCATION: For being downtown, its got a lot of realestate. Across 3 floors you'll find a track, swimming pool, aerobics room, boxing ring, and a wide variety of weights and machines. Did I mention its in the loop?
GEAR: Its not the most modern equipment in the world, but its not circa 1970's chic either. Seriously, unless you eat/sleep/breathe gym class, you'll never know the difference.
STAFF: Super friendly and outgoing. I lucked out and got Clark (aka Superman) as a personal trainer and was more than satisfied with the results of the program he put me through.
*Edit - This location is Terrible: STAY AWAY - DISHONEST CHARLATANS HERE.
They made up a rule when me and my friend were canceling that you had to be charged an extra month. Then they kept charging his credit card even though they said it was canceled (we're both on his credit card). This place is very dishonest like most places and we're currently in a battle to get the card shut off. Might have to have a block from the credit card company because they are dishonest***
This colorful place consists of three floors.
1st floor) aerobic room
2nd floor) the girly weight machine room
3rd floor) the navy-seal room
Why do I group these rooms like this, well the 2nd floor is where you'll see all the girls workout and also the weight machines. It also has a really ridiculously small/crappy track and also a jacuzzi.
The third floor is hilarious, there are a bunch of guys that workout hardcore everyday there. They shout at each other and say things like "SUCK IT UP BITCH." I love working out here because I get pumped up. Testosterone fills this room and it's just a great place to hit the free-weights. BTW this place is FILTHY. They never wash the weights. After lifting twice, my gloves become so disgustingly smelly that I have to wash them. I never had to wash my lifting gloves before until I started working out at this filthy hole.
Pros: Location in the loop, Navy Seal 3rd floor is awesome if you want to gain a lot or muscle. There's even this one dude that hurt his knee that used to go around telling people to PUSH IT. This is not a woman-friendly place unless she's a fuckin' soldier like Kellen Winslow... Great place for ugly girls to feel attractive since they are surrounded by hideous beasties.
Cons: disgusting cesspool, dirty equipment, hideous girls - by hideous I mean I will see ONE hot girl every 2 times I'm here.
Random fact: Place where I first got hit on by a gay dude.
I love this gym so much. Yeah the building may not be the greatest since it is in the basement...but come on you are on a treadmill not running through the Swiss alps. The equipment is still wonderful and up to date.
However, The reason I go is for the people that work there. I absolutely love all the trainers. I have never felt so comfortable in a place I usually hate to go to. They all say HI to me by name and help me with workouts. Not to mention they are all really cute ;-).
The location is convenient and the people are nice.... also another plus the people that workout there are not all super in shape and beautiful. That is a totally a deterrent to me.
I love this gym and how comfortable I feel there!!
This place is the pits and smells like it too. The manager will most likely give you a one week pass, so use it to go a couple times and check out how busy they are, whether they have your equipment, etc. The equipment selection is actually pretty thorough, it's the condition of the place and multi-floor set-up that annoys me...
The bottom floor with the free weights is like prison. You gotta watch your stuff in case someone tries to jack it, walk with your back to the wall, make use of the mirrors to track people and try not to look anyone in the eye, but if you catch someone maddogging you, you can't back down, or else everyone will punk you. You even got the same types of people, you got lifers (they're obvious, they act as if they're in their living room and this is the only home they'll know), those doing 30-45, and those in solitary...
I am not an avid fan of this gym, but it is in a good location especially since I work in downtown it prevents me from going home first (where I eventually get lazy and end up staying home). I pretty much do an express workout and I am out of there under an hour and a half. Being that this is pretty much the only Bally in the loop, it does get pretty packed especially on Mondays and Tuesdays. I always find myself rushing to get there and get into my workout clothes and get to a machine as fast as I could. For this to be a gym in downtown I just wish it was much larger
A few weeks ago I would have given 1 or 2 stars, but they've just recently starting upgrading some of their machines - thus, an extra star :)
Why I won't give more stars:
1 - The escalators are ALWAYS broken, which is annoying because in addition to that flight of stairs, the locker rooms are another 4 flights of stairs down - no big deal on the way down, but the way up is a bit rough after a tough workout (or maybe I'm lazy... it's still annoying)
2 - The equipment isn't that great - but it's getting better
3 - I don't feel like the gym is all that clean - maybe it's just the outdated feel, it just seems a bit dingy
4 - I like to swim. The pool is GROSS and when it's not grossing me out, it's not working.
5 - Class schedule isn't very accomodating for someone who likes to be at work by 8 and doesn't leave until after 5. There was one spinning class on Wed early morning, but they've canceled it.
Why I go:
1 - Convenience to the loop
2 - Nice staff
I had a membership at Bally's when I first moved to Chicago. I thought it was a great idea since it was right near my office and I could easily sneak in a workout before/after work.
OK. This place gets three stars for the staff. The trainers were the nicest people imaginable. However, the facilities were old & outdated and the gym felt more like a dungeon. Is that really supposed to motivate me to go to the gym? Also, they are only open Mon-Fri, which is a bit of a pain. The clientele is a good mix of ages, but there are definitely your usual gym stereotypes.
I've had a membership at Bally's since April and never used it until this month. The only reason why I started using it now is because I switched locations. I have a personal trainer who makes sure to kick my ass twice a week, and the staff are always pretty rad.
Things I dislike-I'm one of those people that hates doing things alone at the gym. I wish they would install the tv units above the cardio machines so we don't all have to look at why California is burning everyday. Second...you have to go down 3 flights of stairs to get to the locker room and then another one to get back up to the cardio area. I hate this, but then again, I love how my butt looks today. Got to go and work out now.
The only reason I hit this gym is b/c I work on the same block. It's a pretty gross, out-dated facility. I hate having to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get from the lockers to the exit....my thighs are tired after the spinning class! The staff is pretty friendly.
I think this is the address for that deep, deep, deep down underground Bally's that nobody would ever know exists except for the dupes that pay so much money to descend into its chlorine-steched depths. I used to stop through here when I lived in Lakeview, and while it had the usual array of machines, it was grossly overcrowded and bizzarely subterranian to the point I wondered if I was going to succomb to some canary killing fumes. Maybe a touch cleaner than the usual Bally's bathrooms, but nothing make up for this place where you have to sign up on the wall to use the aerobics machines and people can to this a day in advance.
This little gem lies 2-5 stories below ground level. If ever nuclear war were to break out, I'm hitting the treadmill. It's painfully obvious Bally's Co. won't put a dime into this place, and I've been told as much by an employee there. It is always dirty (weights, weight machines, bikes, floors, you know-surfaces), it is poorly laid out, though I don't know how to change that, a good number of machines are broken at any given time. I have had to go from one bike, to another, to another, to the treadmill before finding something that works. Oh, yeah, and the HEAT is permenantly ON until May 1, per the landlord. This means, with limited ventilation, it's about 85 degrees inside if it gets close to 70 outside.If it weren't for the convenient location, I would give it 1 star.
A bit on the small side and you practically feel like you're on top of each other but it's a good getaway for a lunch workout in the Loop.
This Bally's is located at Washington and Wabash in the Loop. It is not my favorite one, but it has a convenient location for me. It levels are buried bunker-like below the street level, which was a significant problem during the infamous Loop flood a few years ago. The stairs seem really steep, but this is probably a plus if you are an avid stairs climber. This place can be annoyingly busy during peak hours, so pick a good time for a workout without being run over by idiots on the running track.
Their showers don't work (they're disgusting and there's no hot water), they don't offer lockers for rent (so I have to bring all my workout clothes with me every time I go), and they don't have any kind of towel service (I think you can buy them though).
When I tried to cancel, I was told I need 30 days notice and I was charged a $25 cancellation fee.
In total, I paid $75 to sign up, $30 for the two times I went, $30 because I had to pay for another month in order to abide by the 30 days notice, and $25 to cancel.
Stay Away!!!!!
Yes, it is a bottomless pit, but still one of my favorite places to workout. If you're a guy who just likes to get down to business with nothing fancy, then you'll like the free weight dungeon. This place isn't as busy as some of the other Bally's I frequent and I've rarely ever had to wait for a machine or bench, which is important to me. I can see it being a little more intimidating for the ladies, but If you like to just put on your headphones and not worry about anything but getting a good workout, then this place will be great for you.
This place deserves zero stars. It is disgusting! Do not waste your money. It is easily the worst gym in Chicago. They claim that you can cancel your membership after 60 days, but it is a lie. Read the contract VERY carefully because they will lie to you. Avoid this gym at all cost. I am stuck paying sixty dollars a month for a gym that makes me worry every time that I touch something I may be getting a disease. Disgusting.
I'm mostly a free weight user. The part of this maze of a gym where the free weights are is located several stories underground. I hate this. It actually takes up some time just to get all the way down to the bottom of the dungeon. The men's locker room is old and rusty, smelly, much like the rest of the place and complete with odd characters that sort of all seem to know each other somehow. Walking into the weight room area is much like walking onto the set of the movie Pumping Iron. The free weights are at least a decade or so old and the benches are shorter and not as wide as modern ones. The odd mix of dudes working out down there seem to have been trapped there for about 10 or 15 years as well. I've seen some mullets and some of those big, baggy weight lifters pants with fluorescent colored tank tops. There's a lot of construction worker talk to be overheard along with shouts of , "come on! push it! push it! no pain!" Along with bad lighting, grey colored walls and the constant thought of having to walk back up 19 flights of stairs, the whole experience of working out there just depresses me and creeps me out. I only go to this gym on days when I happen to be working at my downtown version of an office. That's the only reason. Otherwise I avoid it. 2 stars for location.
one of the smallest bally's and outdated ive ever been to. the only upside is how you can fit in a quick workout during your lunch break., and how its broken down into three levels - you have to take the stairs and not the elevator! unfortunately, the treadmills are outdated and can fall apart at any time, there isnt much lighting, and no windows. i bet it gets crowded, so pick a good time.
Unfortunately the only positive thing I have to say about this place is that it's in a good location. Besides that, this place is pretty nasty. The gym equipment must be the leftovers from my old gym which gave it up 7 years ago. It's dirty, it's dark, but it's the only club by my office.
