Once upon a time on a very foggy day, I walked for 30 minutes to what seemed like the end of the earth in the freezing cold. All to reach this place,
What is that place? Well that’s the magical part, that my dear readers is the wonderful Athletic Club, a fitness centre of the most elite caliber reserved exclusively for dear people such as you and I. Actually, I made up that last part, but honestly I can’t imagine that a fitness club gets much better than that. AND THE PRICE! Oh my goodness let me talk to you about the prices. For between $40-50 per month (paid in bi-weekly installments) you get full-access. I’ve done some shopping around and other clubs that offer far less seem to charge around the same amounts. Honestly people, after reading this post, if you don’t get what I get, you and your club need to have a serious discussion :P.
I didn’t want to take photos inside, I thought that would be creepy. So all the photos that follow are from their website. Actually most of the pictures are 3D generated images, but trust me they are very close to what the gym itself actually looks like inside.
This is on the second level in the co-ed cardio room. All of the machines do have televisions which is awesome! I remember at my old gym there were few televisions scattered about on the walls, but they were so hard to see. I personally find that cardio can become very boring, so I appreciate the distraction. Not only that but I like that I can still watch my favourite shows while working out. I know #lazyass.
I’m very glad that they have the selection of machines that they do. I’ve never seen a gym with such variety, and also the sheer numbers. It’s clear that they pay attention to which machines are the most popular and have been sure to make sure that there are more of those types. I also noticed that even among the machines that are the same types, they have selected a few different brands. This is nice because some people might be used to different interfaces or feels. Even personally, I found one type of treadmill that I would never use because when I was trying to operate it I found the interface very difficult and frustrating. I then went to another that I found much more simple and I am sticking with it.
Now the lounge doesn’t look quite like this (never saw a fireplace), but it does have the billiards table. Members can buy smoothies and other drinks as well as some snacks. I actually think that the prices are quite good. I assumed they would be more expensive because of the convenience (finish workout, can grab smoothie right away). I found after comparing that their prices for energy drinks are actually cheaper than at regular stores and their smoothie prices are pretty standard.
The change room and shower area is quite nice. The floors are heated and it is very large and spacious. They also provide hair dryers so we don’t have to bring our own, and they aren’t like the cheap Conair ones you get from the drugstore. Overall, I feel like i am walking into the spa when I come here haha.
There are many different yoga and fitness studios and they have a nice variety of programs. The studio in the image is the sky studio which means that it has a skylight and one wall that opens to become a giant window. The focus of the classes in here are to become in touch with nature as a method of relaxation. Each of the studios is a nice size and I haven’t had issues of feeling crowded in the classes.
There is a gymnasium and they will have sports activities. Unfortunately it is still under construction so I do not know what it looks like. I hope it opens soon because I really would like to take kickboxing classes which are only offered in that facility.
And the entrance really does look like that!
So far I am definitely loving the gym. I was so nervous to enroll because I was afraid that I would feel intimidated going to a regular gym. I felt intimidated going to my university gym even though I was around people my own age, I was afraid that in this gym I would be surrounded by crazy body builders and staff who would look at me like I was a fat idiot trying to figure out all of the machines.
Luckily the staff is extremely friendly and everything there has felt so comfortable. It feels like a natural extension to my day to go there.
Now for everybody reading, don’t be wooed by the beautiful photos and my word alone. Before joining any gym you should definitely get a tour and maybe ask if you can have a trial period so that you can attend and get a feel for it yourself. Everybody needs to find the gym that suits them, makes them feel comfortable and welcome. If you don’t feel comfortable there, then you won’t want to go and in the end you might fail on your goals right?
If you have any questions about my gym or membership, please don’t hesitate to ask! And below is their official website where you can find all of the photos (except for the first) that I used in this post and more.
ChouRevolution 