L A Fitness

Friendly chat, questions, reviews, find old friends or relatives. Not limited to Sydenham only issues but keep it civil!
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Cathy
Posts: 126
Joined: 17 Aug 2005 11:20
Location: SE26

L A Fitness

Post by Cathy »

Just wondering what people's views on LA Fitness are? Would probably be going on my own and am keen to know whether there are any success stories out there? Sorry if this has been posted before, but I've just trawled back over the 8 pages in this section but couldn't find anything. Thanks. :D
leaf
Posts: 590
Joined: 6 Jul 2006 16:17
Location: Not so far away.

Post by leaf »

I joined a few years back,due to my laziness,my total experience of the place is limited to the swimming pool and spa pool!

They were very nice,the changing rooms were ok too.

I had the opportunity to have a personal fitness assessment done and would have been given an exercise plan,but like i say,im lazy!

*It was worth the money just to be able to swim in a nice pool with comfortable changing facilities,forest hill was the only local alternative,i know it has its fans,but i cant get rid of the mental images of cockroaches on the bottom of the pool and the awful changing facilities :?
Bex
Posts: 3
Joined: 1 Apr 2007 16:07
Location: Sydenham

LA Fitness

Post by Bex »

I would say overall LA Fitness is quite good, though you will be tied in for 12 months. Personally I didn't get my money's worth as I didn't go enough to justify the cost.

The facilities are generally clean and the swimming pool is nice and clean.

The only thing I would say is that towards the end of my membership last summer, if you went at peak times you did sometimes have to wait to get on a running machine though there is usually something else to use while you're waiting. I don't know if this was due to it being over subscribed. Though to be fair there's no alternative around.

Bex.
KM
Posts: 185
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 19:38
Location: Sydenham

LA FITNESS

Post by KM »

The classes are fairly good and there's a good range of them. Some of the instructors are great but others are poor. The staff are friendly and the people who attend the gym are locals and I've got to say are LOVELY (try going to the sauna on a saturday afternoon - you chat to everyone!!). Also the beauty therapist there Michelle is excellent and you don't have to be a member to go to her.

BUT I think LA Fitness as a Company is complacent; as it's the only gym in the area, they can treat us with disdain. They don't answer feedback you leave in the gym or on the website, they couldn't give a stuff about their members and the changing rooms are...minging. If there was decent gym nearby i would definately consider swapping - as would the lot in the sauna on a saturday afternoon.
Weeble
Posts: 358
Joined: 1 Nov 2004 17:56
Location: Sydenham

Post by Weeble »

I tend to treat the gym fairly functionally - get in, do some exercise, get out - so the social side doesn't really bother me and I don't go regularly enough to this one (I tend to use the gyms in town more often) to know people.

It's a perfectly reasonable gym - got some niggles, but nothing major. However, I don't think it'd be enough to motivate me to exercise on it's own though. When I first went I got a programme devised but I've never used it. Compared to the gym I used to go to there seems to be less emphasis on following a programme and people tend to do their own thing more.

I've never been to any of the classes there as there aren't enough early or late classes, most seem to be daytime which is no good for me.
nork1
Posts: 287
Joined: 9 Jul 2006 12:49
Location: Banned myself - can't be bothered with the Greg/Ulysses show anymore

Post by nork1 »

I went there for 2 years. 2 years of R'n'b, KissFM and 'urban' music to someone who hates, no DESPISES that stuff with a passion was too much. I tried, I really did.

I plan to start a gym that plays nothing but guitar music. LOUD guitar music.
DaveT
Posts: 70
Joined: 9 Nov 2004 16:10
Location: Sydenham

Gym with loud Guitar music

Post by DaveT »

hey nork1, you open that gym and I'll sign up. I get to hear enough urban rubbish (IMO) on other peoples mobile phones on the train and at stations ;-)

DaveT

another non-R&B fanboy.
Cathy
Posts: 126
Joined: 17 Aug 2005 11:20
Location: SE26

Post by Cathy »

Hi guys and girlies, thanks for all your feedback - extremely helpful and very welcome. Have actually found some great exercises to do in the comfort of my own living room (watch out cats :shock: ) cheaper too - and with my kinda music :D :D :D
Willy
Posts: 236
Joined: 22 Feb 2007 15:07
Location: Sydenham

Post by Willy »

Has LA Fitness got any better since this thread?

Also how much is it and are you tied into a 12 month contract? I need to find a gym but I'm not prepared to pay the £100+ per month that people like Virgin Active are charging.
sean
Posts: 279
Joined: 1 Aug 2007 18:26
Location: Sydenham

Gym

Post by sean »

For some reason I woke up and though I'd join a gym back in September. I went and had a look at LA Fitness and had the tour etc. I joined on-line and found out that if I had join within the gym then I would have got a lot of stuff free.

For someone that hated going to the gym I'm suprised by how much I now go there - about three times a week. I have the membership that is off-peak and find it to be very quiet when I go around 2pm. You get to know the same faces which is good. I have been on a Friday evening around 6pm and it was packed out - but I prefer the quieter times.

Within a week of being a member I realised that I didn't have a clue of what I was doing so I spoke to the gym and got a free 30 minute lesson from one of the fitness instructors - Pedro.

He was so good at taking me through everything and explaining what the excerise was doing to what part of my body that I've gained confidence being on the machines myself. I've now been training with Pedro since September (he's around £25 a session) twice a week and on the third visit I do it myself - but he's always around and puts you right if he sees you doing something that will harm you.

I've been amazed by the results I've got in a short space of time. Although now I need to go and get new clothers because I've lost so much weight and am now defined around my shoulders, chest, etc.

I can't recommend LA Fitness highly enough and especially the one-on-one fitness sessions with Pedro (T: 07951-423-597).

I noticed in there this week they were putting up posters about discount on membership - think they are getting ready for the January rush!!
pocketpip
Posts: 38
Joined: 2 Nov 2007 16:01
Location: Sydenham

Post by pocketpip »

I joined about 3 weeks ago- at the moment you can get a Group Peak Short term membership, and it is 2 months for the price of one (this is actually slightly misleading as it still costs £70 cos they charge a joining fee). But it's great if you just want to try out the gym and see if you can make it a habit without commiting to 12 months. The short-term membership is for 2 months. So far i have managed to go...ermm... twice, but really trying to get motivated to get it into my daily routine!
DigitalFX

La Fitness

Post by DigitalFX »

I am a member of the Beckenham Spa and it great. Nice big pool and spa, no contract to sign up to, and great gym.

They also have a training pool woth movable floor for all aqua sports and fitness. The staff are also on the ball and very helpfull. When I joined La fitness it was the worst place on this planet. You should never have to sign for a membership as you don't know for how long you will be going. Please stay clear of it and go to Beckenham.

Might be out of your way, but well worth it I can tell you.

Gaz
Nickerbockers
Posts: 228
Joined: 31 Oct 2007 13:04
Location: Sydenham

Post by Nickerbockers »

I hated LA Fitness, it was a while back I was a member, but I found that the gym is too small and everyone seems to use it as a hang out, so while you're sweating and puffing away, people are just chilling out and having a look around (quite embarrassing), whilst chatting and laughing loudly leaning all over the equipment making you have to come back later if you don't want to address them to move out of hte way. I would never join again! Also, the membership is pricey for what you get.

I did like the pool however, warm, tiny and when you've done 15 lengths you think you're great - and conveniently forget that a length in that pool is equivalent to a width in a normal pool! :wink:

I mean it though, I wouldn't join again...
randomv
Posts: 99
Joined: 5 Aug 2006 08:33
Location: sydenham

Post by randomv »

I was put off LA Fitness for ages just by the appearance and cos it seemed to be a bit cheesy. But I did join them over the other options because it was the most convenient place for me to get to - in my experience it has to be as easy as possible or I don't bother!
Anyway, once I started going regularly, I found it to be an extremely friendly place - staff and fellow gym bunnies alike. The pool isn't massive but it's a decent size, and to be honest not many gyms do have a big pool these days.
Not that LA fitness isn't without its faults, but in my case I found the positives outweigh the negatives.
Suzee
Posts: 196
Joined: 7 Jul 2006 12:42
Location: Sydenham

Post by Suzee »

LA Fitness in Sydenham has changed a lot in the last year. They have sorted out the poor layout and added an extra stretching area by using some of the space by reception. I quite enjoy going there now.
Top tip - St Pauls LA Fitness are offering membership to all clubs for £40 per month but Sydenham charge £70 for access to more than one club (strange i know) so maybe sign up there instead.
Fuzzylilley
Posts: 11
Joined: 2 Oct 2007 12:52
Location: Sydenham

Post by Fuzzylilley »

I have never been to a dirtier, worse equiped gym in my life. None of the machines had heart rate monitors so are useless when trying to exercise to a target. I found the staff less than helpful, they seemed more interested in talking to their friends than actually staffing the gym. i had a days free pass to the gym, after getting changed, looking round i then changed back into my normal clothes and left. Since then i have had at least 3 calls a week from their sales team pressuring me to join.


I now dont like LA Fitness
Willy
Posts: 236
Joined: 22 Feb 2007 15:07
Location: Sydenham

Post by Willy »

Well, I joined a couple of weeks ago and have no problem with it at all. I have been going 3 times a week and haven't had to wait for any machines or noticed any hygiene issues (in fact I thought they were a bit over the top with people spraying the machines with disenfectant all the time!). I have found the staff perfectly friendly, however I thought it was a bit weird when I booked an induction session expecting to have an exercise plan worked out for me only to be shown round the club again :!: :?:

It's not the best gym in the world but it is cheap and it's very convenient (1 minute from the station) so there's more chance I'll go.

For some reason though it is cheaper to get access to all clubs than to join just this one (the difference is minimal).
Jules
Posts: 146
Joined: 19 Sep 2006 09:14
Location: sydenham

Post by Jules »

I have been a member of LA Fitness for about 7 years. I have the LA Wide membership which enables me to go to any of their clubs. I used to get up at the crack of dawn to use one in the city, close to my work, but the standard has deteriorated very badly and that's all down to management. Nearly all the headphone sockets on the cardio machines are broken. The place is full of Personal Trainers trying to get you to part with even more money. There have even been occasions (in the winter) when there has been no hot water and you have no choice but to stick your head under a freezing cold shower. Plus it's so over subscribed that you're hard pushed to get a locker and onto any of the machines. I could go on and mention the pool constantly being out of action and the dirty thread bare towels your given on arrival, but I think you get the picture. I don't go there anymore, unless I feel desperate and then only at lunch time to do a spin class.

Anyway, My point
I now use Sydenham in the morning. It's heaven compared to the other. There's hardly anyone in there, so never have to queue for machines. The locker room has plenty of room and is clean. So far I haven't come across a cardio machine that's faulty or doesn't have a working headphone socket. The staff are very pleasant, even wishing me happy birthday at 7am! It's so close to the station too, it's perfect.

I think some people do seem to expect a bit much !
It may not be Cannon's or Virgin, but then neither is the price.
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