Gold's Gym - White Rock

I tried using a friends 5 day guest pass. Basically the guy took and and tore it up and said we could work out today. I guess the deal had expired or something. Who knows, so this take is based off of only one day of working out here.

This place caters to a lot of different people, but I notice a lot more bodybuilders/powerlifters in this joint. If you're a dude and want to wear a string tank top, you won't feel out of place. Not that there are enough of them here to intimidate us lesser mortals, like I said this is a mixed group. This gym is just the first gym I've been to where I've seen a couple of body builders.

Layout/Facilities

This is a really big gym, they have pretty much everything. Even a pool. They have the traditional gym with the free weights and machines and cardio equipment. They also have a nice indoor track. In order to compete with the crossfit craze, they basically have built a box in a section of the gym as well. By this I mean that they have a room with a rubber floor and the rouge cage on the side, barbells and bumper plates for all. So while they don't have Oly platforms for the purist, one can do the Olympic lifts on the rubberized floor.

I was actually disappointed at the number of squat racks this place has. This second floor, where all the free weights/machines are, only has one really shitty squat rack. I call it shitty because the guards are so high you can't squat to depth, and you can't adjust them either. You can go down to the crossfit section in a pinch but it just seems strange to me that as bodybuilder friendly a place this is that they don't cater to more squatting (could always use more squatting).

Surfability

This place is the first I've been to that tries the high-pressure sale tactic. I didn't like it at all, felt like I was trying to buy a car. They use the ol' "have to sign up today and you'll save buttloads of $$$" to time pressure you, but I have the feeling that if you were to try to sign up later they would offer up something else for you.

Every other gym I've been to has tried to let the gym/experience speak for itself. Here they sit you down and try to get you to sign up on the spot. I really didn't appreciate that and to be honest if I was seriously interested in joining before the sales pitch I would be seriously not interested after.

Days in: 28
Amount paid: $0

A Tribe Called Sprinters

I must preface this review with the fact that I am now a full-blown member, pay my dues and everything. I figure this is a testament to the product that they are able to provide this cheapskate.
So I've been interested in getting into sprinting for a while now. I want to feel fast, but I don't like running more than the straight section of a high school track (however long that is). I was looking through crossfit gym websites to find out when they offer a free class and I stumbled upon the fact that some coaches have their own sprinting group: A Tribe Called Sprinters. And more importantly, they offer a free class on Sundays!

I can personally attest that you don't need any track experience to join. The only kind of running I've tried is long distance like a 5k or 40 minutes on the treadmill. This experience, however, was much more enjoyable and entertaining. Running for 10+ minutes is boring, but doing a different drill ever few minutes or so is very entertaining.

Prepping for the day's workout.

The coaches are very knowledgable, and extremely friendly. There is no bootcamp vibe to this at all. The coaches view it as playing, and I think it really comes off that way. They will usually have hip hop music blaring throughout the class so it also feels a little bit like a party. Be careful of Crystal though, she will hug you.

This class will focus on "fast-twitch training" which means you won't be doing anything close to jogging. They will be working on explosiveness, and explosiveness is what makes a person athletic. This training feels more focused than a crossfit program, where you kind of try to be decent at everything. I much rather prefer this focused approach. Become explosive, become athletic, worry about your 40m time, not your 5k time.

To summarize an average Sunday class, they start with warming up with various drills that are brief but sometimes intense. First they usually have you do some exercises with a band around your knees in order to activate the glutes. After that, they usually do some type of technique drills. For example, they'll have you do the A-skip, B-skip, and the like for 20 meters. None of this lasts long, it only takes a couple seconds to cross 20 meters, but as the exercises get more intense you definitely get more winded. After doing 50 minutes of warm up, it usually ends with either a relay race or actual sprinting like 50 meters. And then you're done.
Recognizing that the Sunday class is open to all, they usually refrain from doing drills that are too technical.

The Sunday class usually takes place on the SMU track (though my free class was at Hillcrest Highschool), and in the summer time running outdoors in Dallas can get really hot. But they usually provide a cooler of water/gatorade so if you forget to bring water you won't have heat stroke. This class is nice in that you just need a pair of running shoes. Track spikes are usually not asked for and are never needed. The Sunday class, since its focus is more on mobility/conditioning work, never asks for spikes to be worn.  

This is a very friendly group and the coaches really do their best to be kind of silly/goofy so to help you feel relaxed. At the end of the class, they have this circle cheer/chant that helps build camaraderie, and really helps you feel like a part of a team.

I think everyone should try this one out, it's pretty awesome.

Days in: 19
Amount paid: $0

Tom Landry Fitness Center

I got another week-long trial membership, this time at Tom Landry Fitness. It's a little old school, little classic. Here you have doctors getting their workout in between shifts. The decor is a little dated, but they are about to undergo a big renovation. I've been told when this happens the membership fee will go from $60/mo to $120/mo. So if you're interested, you better act fast.

This place is huge. It's three floors of pools, squash courts, yoga/Pilates rooms, indoor track, outdoor

This place is very intimate.
*Echos* intimate.

track, weightlifting machines and racks, and many other things I can't remember. I was super excited to see that they not only have bumper plates they have an Olympic lifting platform!!! The outside track is very scenic, but it can get soooo hot outside that running can lose it's appeal. However, they have a nice indoor track, so you always have an option.
Since the weights are on the second floor, I decided to test the staff to see if I could drop the bumper plates from overhead. I tried it with 135, and felt a little weak just dropping such a light weight so I "guided" it down. Then I really dropped the barbell with some heavier weight and although I think some people started laughing at talking about me the staff never told me to stop, so I was pleasantly please that this place won't kick you out like a planet fitness.

A view from the outdoor track.

I tried out a yoga class and a Pilates class, and was pleasantly reminded of how out of shape and inflexible I am. The instructors seemed very knowledgable and did a great job of pushing without being too difficult. ...I should mention that the classes consisted mostly of older women, so perhaps the instructors scaled accordingly.


I also get the impression that the trainers here have quite the accreditation since it's associated with a hospital. I used to workout at a similar-type of gym in the Chicago area and the trainer I worked with there was pretty damned amazing at coming up with a physical therapy routine for me to recover from some significant injuries. The sales rep didn't actually say any of this, so perhaps the standards are lower here, it's just the impression that I get.

This is a very large gym, and since it's associated with a hospital it makes it seem more.... professional, and slightly more therapy-oriented than meathead oriented. They have a gigantic hot tub, and I think the reason for that is its therapeutic value.

I was very impressed with all they had to offer. This place is a great value with all the resources and classes available. It was very next experience to try this gym out. Just a walkthrough and explanation. They did a follow up call but no pressure whatsoever. This is now my frontrunner of where I will go when I'm done with all of this.

Days in: 17
Amount paid: $0