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East Bay Gym RatingsAlso see Gym Ratings in other cities.  Gold's Gym |  | Address | : | 600 Grand Ave | | Location | : | Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA 94610 | | Other | : | Castro, Marin, SF Soma, San Mateo, Redwood City | | Prepay | : | Inexpensive, $449 year | | Contract | : | Inexpensive to Moderate, $99 to $199 initiation | | | | plus first and last month's dues, then $29.95 per month for one year | | No Contract | : | Moderate, 0-$99 Initiation | | | | plus first and last month's dues, then $49.95 month. | | | | Requires 30 days notice prior to last prepaid month. | | Trial | : | None offered at Lake Merritt but we later received Free 7 Day Class Pass from an instructor 2 doors down at PT clinic who also happened to teach Pilates at Gold's |
Seeing Lake Merritt facility required showing ID, a few handshakes, and a visit to the sales office. Personal TV screens were on cardio equipment. Weight room included 1 power rack, 1 multi-directional smith and 2 regular smith machines, fixed barbells, and dumbbells to 100 lbs. No isolated low back or Pullover machines and 10lb plates were a bit sparse. Weight machines included Freemotion, Hammer, TechnoGym, StarTrac, Flex, Precor, and other miscellaneous manufactures. Locker room included private showers and appeared clean. Parts of the facility, both in the back cardio area and in the weight room near the calf machines reeked of unsavory orders. Free parking in a block away. Membership includes access to facilities in metro area. For Gold's gyms outside the metro area, travel passes can be use for 14 visits per location. |
| Alameda Athletic Club |  | Address | : | 126 Park St | | Location | : | Alameda, CA | | Contract | : | Inexpensive, 1 to 3 year | | | | 0 to $49 Initiation Fee plus 29.99 to $39.99 monthly | | | | $100 to $200 early cancellation fee | | No Contract | : | Moderate, month to month | | | | $99 to $149 Initiation Fee plus $41.99 to $44.99 monthly | | Trial | : | Free 7 day pass for residence | | | | 1 day $10 | | | | 1 month $99 |
This well worn home town gym (opened 1979) has a fairly well equipped old style weight room. In addition to Hammer Strength equipment, you'll also find some antique pieces here including Nautilus and Universal equipment. Basic generic equipment round out the weight room including a power rack, 2 smith machines, and a unique old squat rack. You'll also find Olympic-style training plates, but no platform; fixed barbells to 90 lbs; and dumbbells up to an impressive 145lb but unfortunately many pairs are missing beyond 100 lbs. First and last month fees due at sign-up. |
| 24 Hour Fitness |  | Locations | : | Many Locations | | Price | : | Inexpensive, Initiation varies | | one 'Active' club | : | $31.99 per month | | Area Clubs up to 'Sport' | : | $34.99 per month | | All Clubs up to 'Super Sport' | : | $59.99 per month | | Special Pricing | : | Costco Members can purchase 2 year membership for $300 ($12.50 month) | | | | Valid at all Sport, Active and Express clubs | | | | Excludes Super-Sport and Ultra-Sport clubs | | Trial | : | 7 day pass for local residents. |
First and last months dues are assessed with the first payment. No long term contracts with 30 days cancellation notice before next billing. Members of 24 Hour Fitness rated staff and cleanliness below average as reported by a Consumer Reports customer surveys.
2050 Webster St, Berkeley
One of our favorite East Bay 24 hour Fitness facilities. Good number of weight machines by Flex, Bodymaster, Hammer, Paramount, Icarian, Nautilus, Life Fitness, but no pullover machine. Upholstery on weight machines are color coded by body part. Weight equipment includes smith machine, 2 squat racks, elevated barbell rack, incline boards, fixed barbells to 110 lbs, and dumbbells to 120 lbs. They're short on flat utilities benches and barbell collars. They do have lots of Cardio equipment including Arm Ergometer, Versa Climbers, and Concept II Rowers. Areas for stretching and Technogym stretch equipment.
Addison St, Berkeley
24 Hour Fitness in Berkeley (2072 Addison St) was very crowded and not nearly as spacious as other facilities we have visited. Dumbbells to 120 lbs and no spin cycles. We also found street parking to be a problem and parked 3 blocks away. We were suggested to come after 6 PM (which we did) or pay for garage parking. Our sales rep asked us if we had ever belonged to a gym before. Do we really look that out of shape?
Salono Ave, Berkeley
Fit-lite in Berkeley (1775 Solano Ave) was a small circuit training style gym with mostly weight machines with dumbbells to 50 lbs and a few pieces of cardio equipment.
Richmond
Magic Johnson 24 Hour Fitness, Sport (2126 Hilltop Mall Road) is situated in the northwest section of the Hilltop Mall. In some regards, this facility was nicer than the other Bay Area 24 Hour facilities we had visited. The facility appeared modern and exciting. It also included a full court basketball gym, sauna, steam room, lap pool.
Unfortunately the facility becomes extremely crowded between 4-9 pm with hundreds of people using the facility at one time. Also, the weight room seems to be always in total disarray, actually the worst kept facility I recall in my many years of travels to gyms all over the world. On every very visit, weights plates can be found left on machines and floors; most every dumbbell (up to 125lbs) was out of place, some on the rack, many all over the floor, and others double stacked on the racks. The moment I stepped on the weight room floor I was faced with stepping over weights strewn about the floor, hunting down matching weights, and removing plates from every plate loaded machine and barbells I encountered. Only two minutes after I first stepped onto the floor for the very first time, an older lady approached me to unload the machine she wanted to use. I soon discovered very few people bother to rerack their weights. Despite rules stating weights were to be put away, there was absolutely no supervision or enforcement of the gym rules. Gym management obviously does not take responsibility to assign staff to the floor and to teach and enforce rules and acceptable gym etiquette. Rules also state collars must be used but there are far too few collars for all the barbells in use. Many members refuse to allow other to work in between sets, parking themselves on the equipment like prison yard gym thugs with no inclination of common curtesy.
A facility like this could benefit with equipment geared toward athletic training. It also needs more benches, certain cable attachments, and additional dumbbell rack, weight tree, and squat rack. The one and only squat rack and elevated barbell rack too short for anyone over 6' 1" so you end up having to hunch over to unrack and rack the barbell. The only water fountain near the main exercise floor is just above knee height. On all accounts, it's quite ironic that Magic Johnson has his name is on this gym.
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| The Gym |  | Address | : | 614 San Pablo Ave | | Location | : | Albany, CA 94706 | | Price | : | Moderate, $10 to $159 initiation fees | | | | $69 monthly (month to month) | | | | $59 monthly (1 year contact) | | | | $588 yearly (prepay) | | Trial | : | Free 1 day pass upon request |
Small clean gym with friendly staff. Cardio equipment was situated in view of cardio theater. Boxing, TRX, and group cycling equipment can be used during or outside of classes. Weight machines include primarily Bodymaster, Icaron and Hoist equipment, with a Freemotion adjustable pulley station and other miscellaneous brands. No pullover, triceps extension and isolated low back machines. Weight equipment also includes squat rack, smith machine, dumbbells to 100lbs, and fixeb barbells to 110lbs. Spin cycles and suspension trainers. Closes earlier that most gyms.
We found a promotion box up the street at at Big Al's Burgers offer a one week trial membership after registering for a 3 month membership drawings. |
| Downtown Berkeley YMCA |  | Address | : | 2001 Allston Way | | Location | : | Berkeley, CA 94704 | | Initiation | : | Moderate, $99 plus - | | Rate | : | $744 per year or | | | | $62 per month (month to month) or | | | | $125 (no enrollment fee) | | Area Rate | : | $900 per year or | | | | $75 per month (month to month) 30 Bay Area YMCAs | | Trial | : | None offered |
Large 3 level facility with multiple pools, locker rooms, and weight rooms. Weight machines primarily consist of Cybex and Life Fitness equipment. Free weight room includes 2 squat racks, fixed barbells to 75 lbs, and dumbbells to 110 lbs. Plenty of cardio equipment, some elliptical and treadmills with personal TVs. Interactive reality cycles for the kids.
Only 7 days notice required to cancel. Parking available in Allston Way Garage with 2 hours free parking after 4PM (M-F) or between 8a-2p (S,S). |
| In-Shape City |  | Address | : | 6005 Shellmound St | | Location | : | Emeryville, CA 94608 | | Price | : | Moderate, $115 to $408 initiation plus $49.99 month (one year contract) or $54.99 (month to month contract) with cancellation 30 days before next billing cycle. | | Trial | : | Free one week trial |
2 level modern facility in attractive space. Weight equipment includes primarily Bodymaster, and some Freemotion, Hammer, and Nautilus pieces. Weight room also includes, fixed barbell to 115 lbs, dumbbells to 100 lbs, one smith machine, and one squat rack, but no squat bar with center knurlings. For all the machines they have, they lack triceps extension, lateral raise, pullover, and low back machine in contrast to their numerous abdominal and adjustable dual pulley machines. Facility has plenty of cardio equipment including spin cycles. Locker appeared clean and have built in locks. Despite being less than 800 feet from the Bay in mid winter and the 'Big Ass Fans (R)' rotating like helicopter blades on the ceiling, the facility was unusually stuffy and reeked of body odor in the downstairs workout area and the upstairs classroom. Front desk staff was very informal with foot propped on front desk by keyboard. When we asked for a class schedule flier, we were told to go on their web site and print it out ourselves. As I jotted notes during the tour, the salesperson indicated to my partner that he was suspicious that I was a spy from another club and we were wasting his time. She assured him we were actually looking for a club to join. |
| Berkeley IronWorks |  | Address | : | 800 Potter St | | Location | : | near Ashby exit on I 80 | | | | Berkeley, CA 94710 | | Other Locations | : | See below | | Annual Price | : | Moderate, $759 | | Monthly Price | : | Moderate. $100 or $50-$100 initiation plus $69 month with cancellation anytime before next charge. | | Trial | : | $12 to $18 day pass | | | | $160 ten visit pass |
45 foot high lead climbing dominates this gym. Offers 18,000 sq ft of climbing terrain, 2,000 sq ft of bouldering, and over 80 top an lead ropes. Climbing gear can be rented for $6.
Two level traditional gym can be found in back. Weight machines on first level include old Flex, Cybex, Atlantis equipment. Several Cardio machines and free weights can be found on second level. Weight equipment include 2 squat racks, Olympic-style training plates, safety squat bar, fixed barbells, and dumbbells to 140lbs. Also offers free WiFi.
Membership includes access to other facilities:
- Mission Cliffs, San Fransisco
- GWPC, Oakland
- Sacromento, Pipeworks
- Class 5, Marin
- Diablo Rock Gym, Concord
- Metalmark, Fresno
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| The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa |  | Address | : | 41 Tunnel Rd | | Location | : | Berkeley, CA 94705 | | Member Price | : | extremely expensive | | | | $1400 initiation and $430 per month | | Guest Price | : | Mandatory $24 per night usage fee with hotel stay | | Parking fee | : | $24 per night | | Trial | : | None offered |
Full line of Technogym equipment with free weight room. Locker rooms with saunas, stream rooms, whirlpools and showers. Cardio equipment include Technogym and Precor equipment: treadmills, ellipticals, upright cycles, stair climbers, wave machines, stairmill, and rower. 25 meter lap pool and tenis courts also on premises. Voted "Best Bay Area Spa" by Diablo Magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle. Also Michelin Guide Recommended. |
| Team Tufunga Training |  | Address | : | 1601 B 63rd St | | Location | : | Emeryville, CA 94608 | | Price | : | Inexpensive, 1 month $49 | | | | 3 month $105 | | | | 6 month $198 | | | | 1 year $360 | | Trial | : | Free day pass |
No initiation fee and cheap. Small 3000 sq ft personal training studio / gym with hardcore yet friendly hometown atmosphere. Weight equipment includes 2 Olympic weightlifting platforms with training plates, 2 squat racks, 1 Smith machine, fixed barbells to 60lbs, and dumbbells to 100lbs. Cardio equipment includes 3 treadmills, 3 elliptical trainers, stairmill, and recumbent and upright cycles. Limitations include limited equipment, cramped facility, limited changing areas, very few lockers, no showers, very limited group exercise class schedule, and closes a bit earlier than other gyms. Owned by Simi & Rachel Tufunga. |
| Inside Outside Fitness |  | Address | : | 4444 Piedmont Ave | | Location | : | Oakland, CA 94611 | | Price | : | 3 months ($275) | | | | One Year ($800) | | Trial | : | Single session pass ($15) | | | | Ten Session Pass ($90) expires in 3 months |
This felt like working out in a closet with equipment crammed into such a tight space. Weight equipment consisted of 8 machines included StarTrac Human Sport line and a few other apparatuses. Dumbbells to 50 lbs and a few weight plates of each size for the barbell on the bench press. Cardio equipment included 2 treadmill, 3 elliptical, 1 stair climber, and group spin cycles. Aerobics floor was crocked and large hole was in dry wall. Women's showers and and sink was dirty. Men's shower was in same small room as washing machine. |
| Albany YMCA |  | Address | : | 921 Kains Avenue | | Location | : | Albany, CA 94706 | | Price | : | Moderate, $75 initiation fee plus $47 per month (month to month) or $75 per month for family membership. | | Trial | : | None offered |
Small local YMCA with old Cybex weight machines, dumbbells to 50lbs, and cardio equipment. Exercise classes held in Basketball Court. Front desk staff did not know prices for sure and told us they were actually fitness staff and where told to fill in at front desk for the day. The girl also told us the computer was on the fritz and the whole thing was a mess.
Bay area YMCA members can use any YMCA in area. Whereas Albany YMCA members can use any YMCA in Bay area for $5. |
| Flex |  | Address | : | 3925 Piedmont Avenue | | Location | : | Oakland, CA 94611 | | Price | : | Unknown | | Trial | : | None offered |
Circuit Training facility in long narrow room. Fine for those looking for a quick circuit training facility but not for the serious fitness enthusiast. |
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| Copyright © 2008-12. All rights reserved. | Thursday, May 03, 2012 |
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