Orange Theory: Preston Hollow

Layout

If you hate the color orange, don't bother checking this place out.  They adhere to the theme very strongly. Everything is orange, and in many different shades as well.  You have the front desk area,

that has all the swag you could want.  They also have cubby holes and two single, but very nice, bathrooms. I believe they also have a shower, but I only caught a glimpse of it.

After you enter through the front desk area you then, when it's your class's time, go through some glass doors into the exercise area.  The exercise area is in a L-shape (at least at this location). In the longer part of the L there is a row of treadmills lined up and facing the wall, a row of rowers behind them.  In the short leg is the strength area, a rack of dumbbells, and small mats, and TRX suspension ropes.  Very clean and very new.  I really liked the treadmills in that they were easy on my feet, very soft and had some bounce, which was nice for my shin splints.  The rowing ergs are the kind that use water for resistance, like what Frank Underwood uses.  I didn't like that I couldn't adjust the resistance.  That made it difficult to raise my heart rate (which is very important in this class), but otherwise excellent machines.

Class experience

This is really similar to Beyond 500 in that both are circuit training that put you in a group that goes from one station to the next.  Beyond 500 seemed to be a bit more focused on pilates type movements while Orange Theory (OT) is focused more on conditioning. OT's focus on making your heart stronger makes sense because the whole deal with Orangetheory, the basis for it's very name, is that the program is designed to keep your heart rate in the 85-92% max rate, aka the "orange zone".  Doing this for an hour is supposed to help burn the most calories.

So how do you know if you're in the orange zone? Well, you wear a hear rate monitor of course! To participate in an OT class, you have to wear one of their heart rate monitors.  They multiple TVs in the room that show everyone's name with their heart rate below them.  So whenever you look up you will see your name and your heart rate, with the corresponding color (grey, blue, green, orange, and red).  You actually do have anonymity in this situation, provided no one knows your name.  However, you do see how you're doing relative to the group, so that can give you that competitive edge to drive you.

The first class I attended our instructor had us divide up into two groups, the treadmill group and the strength/erg group.  For the first 30 minutes the same group is on the treadmills, while the erg group switches out with the strength group after short periods of time.  The whole time things are changing, for the treads they're changing incline and speed, same with the ergs.  The strength group cycles through various exercises, as many rounds as possible.

It was fun to push myself, to try to get my heart rate up.  It is strange, when the instructor said that "alright you're supposed to feel uncomfortable here", it really made it easy to embrace the discomfort of pushing myself.  I have to say I enjoyed the class, this program.

Surfability

This is pretty easy to surf. You sign up for your free first class.  As a bonus, if you wait a week or so they'll offer you a second class for free as well.

White Rock YMCA

So I’m getting to the point in my journey where all that’s left are YMCA’s, rec centers, and workout studios.  Here I will reviewing a YMCA.  This is the White Rock Y in Lakewood.  This is definitely a place for the community, and not really the brosefs and gym bunnies.  They have a ton of programs (none of which, unfortunately, I got to use) so if you want to do group exercise that’s definitely an option.  This building is newly built, and it’s very sleek, nice, and clean. Also they are very reasonably priced, and from what I understand if money is tight they can give scholarships to reduce the cost of membership.

Layout

They have an outdoor pool, which is very nice. I think it’s used most often for kids programs, but I think there is adult swim as well.  It’s an open an light place: high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.  There is a nice balance of weight machines, cardio machines, and free weights.  They have only one squat rack, but to be honest it’s nice that they have at least one.  I attended here on some more peak hours (like 5:30pm) and I definitely had to wait a bit for the squat rack to open up, or  for a bench to open up. But no wait was very long, I’ve had much worse at LA Fitness Signature Club.

The dumbbells actually go up to 100#, and they have plenty of weight plates for people to use. It does bug me though that they have different brands of weight plates. So if you like your weights to be symmetrical (and who doesn’t) you will sometimes have to move some plates around to access the one you want.

Locker Rooms

Very nice and clean. Has really everything you could want. Extremely adequate.

If you’re looking for a cheaper place that will offer plenty of group exercises, an outdoor pool, and facilities that will probably meet your needs, this particular YMCA is a really good place to check out.

Surfability

Get a whole week free. Really low pressure sale. Don’t think they work on commission here.

Dallas Strength & Conditioning

Well, I felt right at home here.  This is a strength gym. This is a place where you won’t find any treadmills or ellipticals. This is a place where you learn how to move weight around. This is a place where you go to learn just how strong you can actually be, both mentally and physically.  This is a place where you go to make friends who also want to better themselves through the hardship that is known as strength training.  This is a place that offers more than just barbells, you have prowlers and sandbags and all other kinds of toys to play with.  I feel that once I get my body recovered from a couple joint sprains and muscle tears, I can see myself becoming a member here.

The Layout

This place is simply an open room with racks and weights and platforms.  There was a PA blasting Nirvana and fans blowing the air around.  This place was clean and fresh, the owner takes good care of the facilities. It’s a simple layout, because with this place it’s what you do in the space, not what the space does to you.

The Experience

They have at least two different teams here: a powerlifting team and a weightlifting team.  I could have sworn they also had a strongman program (I believe they have atlas stones) but upon looking at their website that doesn’t seem to exist. They also have kettlebells, fitness, and a strength and conditioning programs.   I attended the powerlifting program, as my body isn’t ready yet for work on explosive strength. The day me and my friend attended happened to be bench day.

The owner/coach Chris is a beefy, likable dude.  He was able to help out me and a friend of mine with our bench press technique. …Barbell lifts really are technique intense, and it’s amazing how much better you feel when you lift with correct form.  I can only imagine how much Chris could help me with my deadlift.  The template seemed to kind of follow Wendler’s 5/3/1 program a bit, and I mean that in a good way. I could sense a purpose with everything, and that this day was part of a master plan, not some random thrown together workout designed to make you puke.  I wish all gyms were like this.

Surfability

This place lets your try out one class for free. Fair warning: you will feel like crap for not signing up and coming back.

Studio 6

The wife and I got to try out Studio 6 for free, and I have to say that Pilates can be really helpful. For example, before I went in to the studio my left knee hurt some (seemed like the pain was stemming from right above where my Sartorius inserts into the tibia).  On one of the exercises I felt the muscle freak out a little bit, and then when I walked out of the studio I didn’t have that pain anymore. I still don’t have that pain. So whatever exercise it was, Pilates corrected a malfunctioning muscle. Pretty cool.  Being that it was lunch time I was (again) the only guy in the room.  Not really a bad thing, but I thought it was noteworthy nonetheless. 

One of the ways studio 6 tries to separate itself from the pack is the equipment it uses. Instead of the regular reformer or Cadillac (both I’ve used before) they use the MEGAFORMER!!! They don’t use all caps but I think with a name like that it deserves the distinction. The MEGAFORMER is a variation on the reformer. Essentially it’s a sled on rails with spring tension.  It’s creator, Sebastien Lagree, designed it so that “It brings to Pilates what Pilates was lacking”.  Namely, it allows more strength training.

The class room is pretty intimate, I think they had ten MEGAFORMERS (ß not getting old for me) in all.  The class was pretty interesting. The instructor was very good, although sometimes with the audio setup/music it was hard for me to understand her commands so I was left to try to imitate what the person in front of me was doing. Although I typically follow a powerlifting routine, this was a good class for me to take because it worked strength moving laterally as well as work on endurance.  After all, it did fix my Sartorius that had gone haywire.

Afterwards I definitely felt worn out. Sometimes I will leave a Pilates workout feeling a bit energized, like I just went through a great warm-up, and now I’m ready to hit the gym.  This was not the case for me and the MEGAFORMER (ok last time I promise), I felt like I had done a taxing lower body workout.  I say lower body because there were not many exercises focusing on the upper body.  Perhaps that is because the clientele are mostly women, I don’t know.

One thing that bothered me was that they require you wear grippy socks. I don’t begrudge the requirement because the pads on the MEGAFORMER (I lied) are a bit slippery, but what bothers me is that if you don’t own a pair you have to rent out a pair for like $3.  I thought that was a bit steep and a bit sneaky.  Also, judging by the prices on Amazon the socks that they sell here are a bit overpriced. Guess that’s the convenience fee.

Overall I think if I had to choose a Pilates studio this place may be the frontrunner. However, I would need to compare the prices between an unlimited monthly pass here vs Classic Pilates and Equinox.  I also still really like Classic Pilates for offering a men’s only class that is tailored for guys with tight hammies.

Surfability:

If you have a free pass it’s pretty straightforward, but unless you own a pair they will charge you $3 for socks.

Texas Gym

They also have punching bags, but
you have to look for them in
what was probably a closet

Do you like to workout without a shirt? Do you like your gym to have carpet underneath all the rubber mats? Do you like hunting around for plates because no one gives a shit about putting them back? Then Texas Gym is the place for you!  Some friends of mine came here to deadlift heavy and they described it as like a prison yard.  I thought I should check this place out and I was not disappointed.  It’s in a strip mall and this gym takes up the space of one storefront. Meaning, it’s about 25’ wide.  Walking in, me and my friend were greeted by a lady who gave us a “WTF do you want” gaze. We explained we wanted a visitors pass (that’s not really the right name, it’s more like a cover charge to get into the gym), paid our $5, and were then welcomed to the gym.  There was no tour, no paperwork to fill out. Just go in and get your lift on.  This place doesn’t have any cardio machines, just cable cages, weight racks, and barbells.  I don’t recall a PA system, so bring your own music if that’s what you need.

There were only a few guys lifting here, some without shirts showing off their tats.  The place reminded my friend of a high school gym, in a good way.  This place doesn’t give a shit about impressing you or making you feel less intimidated. This place is about embracing the pain you have to suffer under the iron in order to get stronger.  I can tell that when this place gets bumpin’ you will have to wait because there’s only one squat rack and only one barbell equipped with bumper plates.

I actually really liked this place. It’s no-nonsense and allows someone visiting to get in, lift, and get out.  No pressure sales, no tours. You’re a big boy, you can figure out how to work a squat rack.  I might actually come back here when friends come to visit.

Locker rooms

None. But they do have a restroom and water fountain.

Surfability

None. Pay the $5, or get a drink, or get out.

Hanging it up, of sorts

Hey guys,

After all this time, I've just run out of motivation to keep surfing after finding a gym that charges only $10/month and has everything I need (Youfit).

I think I will keep checking out gyms every once in a while.  I'm going to now see how long one could THEORETICALLY go without paying.  There are so many gyms out there, I want to try them all.

185 days.  26.5 weeks.  Half a year.  It's been a really fun ride.  But man I am tired of having to hear sales pitches before my workout.

Youfit

I went in to youfit thinking that I would hate it. I thought it would be a planet fitness wannabe. I figured they would just have machines and no barbells. It turns out I was pretty much wrong on all accounts.  I actually liked it quite a bit. Sure there is a strong, strong emphasis on machines and cardio, but there were actually two squat racks.  TWO SQUAT RACKS!??!!?!  This place actually caters to “Lunks” like me.  However, it definitely feels corporate with their bright lime green and purple paint.  I guess they figure bright colors makes the gym less intimidating, but it feels more like a ChuckECheese in all the wrong ways. The gym is a place to struggle, to make yourself better. It’s not a kid’s 9^th birthday party.  And the colors are everywhere, on the machines, on the racks, everywhere. It’s like two huge paint cans just threw up everywhere.  It’s a big space, and it’s not crowded, especially because it’s new. 

Layout

Lots of new machines, both cardio and weight machines. They have the dumbells and barbells off to the side, near the mirrors.  They also have a set up for some circuit training.  They have a bunch of different exercises all in a little area, and it’s overlooked by this traffic light looking thing.  When the light is green you perform the exercise at the station you’re currently at. When its red you move on and wait for the light to turn back to green.  Everything is new and clean, I saw a couple of staffers cleaning various areas so this place takes pride in its cleanliness.

They have some rooms for group classes. I didn't get to attend any so I can't say anything as to the quality of the classes.

Locker rooms 

So I went in to the men’s room, changed, put my bag into a locker, took some pictures (as you can see here), and then went to workout.  Wanting to change out of my squatting shoes, I approached the locker rooms and suddenly stopped.

Wasn’t the men’s room on the left side?

Why is it now on the right side???

The ladies locker room...

…I had accidentally gone into the wrong locker room.  I had changed and taken pictures of the facilities in there. I took a picture of the showers for God’s sake!!!! I can only imagine how awful that would have been if there was a woman in there or if someone came in while I was changing.  So I had to walk over to the staff and sheepishly ask for the girl to go and retrieve my gym bag.  Pretty funny.

But seriously, with this being a new facility the locker rooms are pretty nice, the showers and everything is very clean. Thankfully the color scheme doesn’t follow into the locker room, everything stems from a nice neutral color palette.

Surfability

Very easy, just walk in and ask for your trial workout. It’s only one workout, and the sales is minimal pressure. They will want to go over prices with you, but by no means do they try to pressure you into joining.

Days in: 185

Amount spent: $10