Larry North (Cityplace)

This place is like a cross between Equinox and Diesel. It’s feels like Diesel because it doesn’t get very crowded and it’s in an office building. It’s like Equinox because it feels very spa/posh.  For example, they have two coed hot tubs. The décor is very upscale, you have fancy sculptures in recessed wall niches.  This place is like a corporate version of Equinox. Instead of a bunch of trophy wives working out in yoga pants this place is filled with people working out on their lunch break. I can only imagine the convenience of having a gym just an elevator ride away from your office.

However, one of the issues with being in a corporate building is that this place is closed on Sundays.  I repeat, IT'S CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!!! For me, that's a deal breaker because I sometimes have to workout on Sundays to keep to my workout schedule.  But the ambiance sure is nice here.

Layout/Facilities

Did someone say hot tub???

They don’t have a pool, but they have two coed hot tubs.  Nice.  The dumbbells only go up to 100#, and most of their machines, while not the latest, are all nice.  I did see a machine out of order, but giving that I was there for only one day I have no idea how long it has been like that.  The cardio section is pretty large, especially compared to the fact that they only have one squat rack. This squat rack was being used the whole time I was there by personal trainers, so if I had wanted to squat then things would have been… complicated.  They did have like three bench racks though, so if you’re like your typical guy you’ll be fine. They have lots of personal trainers, saw like four working while it was the lunch rush

As you can see, quite the lunch crowd here.

They don’t have an Olympic platform or bumper plates, but they do have a ton of padding so one can do deadlifts and not disturb the conference rooms below (The manager told me that this is, in fact, a real issue with the building).

They have a full basketball court, and man that place is quiet. It’s has a lot of sound baffling on the walls, so sounds are swallowed up rather than echoed off the walls. It makes for a very Zen basketball experience.

They are fixing to upgrade a lot of stuff. Most of it is structural, deadening the sound from the gym to the banquet hall below, but some will also be spent on equipment.  Given though that their target client is more corporate and less athlete/meathead, I doubt they will be getting more squat racks and bumper plates.

Classes

I didn't get to take their "Chiseled" class while there, but I got to look at their schedule and the timing is perfect for someone who works at cityplace. Otherwise, you'd have to leave work early/late in order to get to a class. This all makes perfect sense, but if they want to bring in clientele from outside the building they may have to start having stuff at 630 pm.

Locker Rooms

So fly.

These locker rooms are nice. Like, super nice.  I would say the showers/lockers are better than Equinox, except that you have to bring your own lock.  The products aren’t name brand, but to be honest if you have to bring  one thing (aftershave) it’s just as much a hassle as bringing everything (shampoo, aftershave, shaving cream, etc). The stalls themselves are extremely nice. Unlike Equinox, they don't have these wooden palates with screws that can cut into your feet. It definitely feels like a spa/resort here.

Surfability

The website says there is a free 7 day trial pass. The website, it seems, lies.  When I filled out the online form I waited two days for them to contact me. After that, I called them up and asked about it. The manager didn’t know about the 7 day pass, but said I could try it out a couple of times if I wanted to.  This couple of times seems to have been compressed to one day. I imagine I could have gotten away with going there twice, but I think the second time would have resulted in a lot more sales pressure, so I bailed. 

Diesel Fitness

So I got a free workout in at Diesel Fitness, yet another uptown area gym.  It’s only got two locations, but I really wanted to try this place out. It kind of comes across as  a crossfit type gym because it seems like you enter the diesel system and come out faster, stronger, and leaner.  It is, in fact, not a crossfit gym, but more of a typical gym that focuses on personal training.  They are a small gym that values personal training, so all their trainers have 10+ years of experience.  The manager said sometimes people leave Equinox/Lifetime because Diesel offers better rates. When talking about their clients the manager dropped a lot of celebs names, some Yankee pitcher, local news reporters, Dallas cheerleaders, people like that.

A view from the Track.

This is a very not-crowded gym, even during their peak hours you’ll find it to be open. They say they are able to not have too many members because their turnover rate is so low.  I noticed they only had one squat rack, at least in their normal weight training area. They have a “leg zone” that might have another squat rack. Funny enough, they have a sign limiting people to 30 min to the squat rack. I got to use it without any waiting, but there were like 8 people in the gym at that time.

Because it is a small gym, the manager said they sometimes play loud music with curse words. So if you don't want to wear your headphones and listen to non-PC songs this is the place for you.

This gym has a small, friendly feel to it.  From the people I saw, there people of all ages and walks of life here. It feels like a neighborhood gym, but white collar instead of blue collar because we’re in Uptown.  Instead of "Hey you see Vinny’s new IROC?", it's "Did you hear how much Jenkins got in commission last month?"

Layout/Facility

Drink your heart
out, Equinox

I would have to describe this place as a mix of old school and new school. They have weight/cardio machines but they don’t have the latest and greatest and they have some old stand-bys like a rope to climb, yet the treadmills have screens that allow you to facebook on them.  They have industrial-looking metal signs, but the actual architect speaks of an older building (In fact, the building was built in the early 90’s with a gym in mind).  Like they don't have a towel service (keeps overhead low), yet the water is dispensed from clover machines (as if in response to Equinox's GE homespring setup).

They have a half-court basketball, a group exercise room, a 1/16 mile track that runs the second floor.  There is an independent massage therapist who works out of the second floor who gives discounts to members. I might have to go check her out sometime if I’ve got a few knots that won’t go away. They also have a tanning bed for members. Gotta work on that vitamin D I guess.

Emphasis is definitely more on working out than schmoozing. This is not a meat-and-greet like the LA Fitness signature club in uptown.

Surfability

Low pressure here. Like, super-low. They don’t have commissions, and they seem pretty happy with the way things are, so it's very casual.  For example, I was almost a little hurt with how nonchalant the manager was when I explained why I wasn't ready to commit. There was now sense of desperation like in Uptown Energy, and there was no real pressure sale like at some others (I'm looking at you Gold's Whiterock).  It's just a shame that they only offer one workout for free.

Days in: 83
Amount spent: $0

Uptown Energy Fitness

So I decided to check out Uptown Energy, and it was… interesting.  Before I started this little adventure, I used to think a gym’s ambiance didn’t matter. I mean, the weight stills weigh the same right? But I think, as I tour all the gyms in Dallas, I’m starting to get picky.  Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Equinox and Lifetime Athletic. But I’ve started to understand how a gym’s ambiance can affect my mood, and thus affect my workout.

Uptown Energy’s feel is kind of like the Mockingbird location of Trophy fitness, but larger.  It kind of feels a little dark, like you’re working out in your mom’s basement.  They have really cool art on the walls, mostly provided by members who workout there.  I was told noon was when the meatheads come out, and I saw some guys who take it seriously there. Though no one was as big as the dudes at Gold’s or LA Fitness. 

Facilities/Layout

Notice the art on the walls.

The guy said they all have the latest equipment, but if their rowing erg is any indication they have really old equipment. When I warmed up on the rower it felt practically medieval, with the chain clanking and it just felt… rough.  They only have one squat rack (booo) and they didn’t have bumper plates, though when I brought it up the guy said they were getting some.  The bench racks were also not the best. They are the kind that rest the bar way over your head so when you lift off your arms are in a vulnerable and awkward position.  The racks also, and I cannot overstate how much this annoys me, only have three pegs on each side

for holding weights. That means you have only three pegs for holding 5, 10, 25, 35, and 45 pound plates.  All the juggling of the plates turned out to be a workout in of itself.  The dumb bells go up to 150#, so that is really nice.

Group Classes

Very serviceable locker room. 

I was really interested in a 30 minute class the website listed as “dynamic stretching”.  Sprinting twice a week while lifting three times a week is starting to wear me down some, so I’m really interested in the regenerative/relaxing classes. Unfortunately, this was not the case. When I showed up it was explained to me that the stretching is actually just a 15 minute portion of a boot camp class.  Since I was sprinting later that day I really didn’t want to do a boot camp class. The instructor tried to get me to join, but I was a little pissed and yeah, felt like going home.

So it seems all their classes are the high intensity stuff.  It’s not my cup of tea, but if you’re into that kind of thing then they have that option here.

Locker rooms

Real basic, but they had nice shower stalls.  Nothing really else was noteworthy, everything was clean.  I liked the TVs, that was a nice touch.

Surfability

They were prepared to give me a free tour and a free workout, but then I busted out with the 3day trial pass and they seemed a little disappointed that they had to give me more free workouts.  They let me go workout and when I was finished they then talked to me about membership. I hesitated because they didn’t have bumper plates and a platform, and they told me they were working on it. It was kind of funny because the saleslady had no idea what Olympic weightlifting is and kept calling it super power lifting and other funny names.  They weren’t as friendly as some, kind of felt a bit of pressure to buy, but that also could have simply been their eagerness to have another member. I guess you could say I smelled a bit of desperation in the air.

Days in: 52

Amount paid: $0

Gold's Gym - Uptown

Trying out the Gold's gym uptown.  This place is in some prime real estate, right next to the crescent hotel. I was able to just go online and print out a 7-day VIP pass.  I don't think my previous workout at the other Gold's nixed my ability to surf here because I didn't go through the online procedure with the white rock lake location.  Who knows.

For the location, they have some nice parking, three parking lots in total, but I only used the one right next to the facilities.  Almost entered through the emergency fire exit. Oops.  There are some huge guys here, I think that's the kind of guy that's a part of the Gold's gym army.  They really try to promote a strong culture here with the clothing, the whole label of the Gold’s Nation. This place seems a lot like the LA fitness Signature, although the clientele seem a little more focused on lifting than showing off. Perhaps it’s because I never came in during peak lifting hours, I don’t know. But you will find a lot of large dudes wearing tanks here, but probably not as many tattoo sleeves.  There were 1 or 2 gym bunnies lifting. Most of the women seemed to be in the group exercise classes. I guess that is the usual way of things, never noticed until I started this thing and took notice of my surroundings.

Layout/Facilities

View of the weight area.

This place is surprisingly large. The entrance is a small, one story space filled to the brim with stairmasters, treadmills, and ellipticals. However, it opens up to an expansive, two story space filled with skylights, making it feel very open.  They have their own wod area.  That’s not what they called it, but it’s a space where you can go HAM with kettle bells and box jumps and the like. Unlike the Whiterock lake area there is no rouge cage, so that’s unfortunate if you’re looking to do pull ups or need a squat rack in a pinch.

They only have two squat racks here, and every time I got to lift here I had to wait on someone else. It seems people like to use the squat rack for really heavy shrugs.  They do have two smith machines, but I don’t like smith machines at all.  This place is definitely for guys who are ridiculously strong. The dumbbells they have here go all the way up to 150#!!!

They have a yoga room for yoga and mat Pilates, as well as a cardio theatre room. The theatre room is basically you watch a movie while on a bike or a treadmill.  This will help greatly with the boring, tedious nature of long, slow distance cardio. While I was there the theatre room was actually out of order (projector light needed replacing), so I didn’t get to try it out.

They have bumper plates!  Granted, it’s with a ghetto platform that is just a slightly elevated platform that’s entirely covered in padding.  There is no wood stripe in the middle.  This kind of matters for weightlifters because you want to try to remove as much springiness between your body and the floor as possible. Springiness equates to less energy being directed up so you can’t move as much weight.  This is why weightlifting shoes usually have a wooden heel (at least mine do).  Anyways it doesn’t really matter unless you’re competing but I do prefer the firmness of lifting off of wood.

Group Classes

Again, I’m sorry to report that I didn’t go to any of the group classes. Right now my schedule is getting pretty hectic and I’m only finding time to do my normal strength training routine and it is hard to supplement that with some yoga.  Also, this gym doesn’t really seem to offer the nice, slow, relaxing yoga I prefer. Most of these classes are the kind that ramp you up, like a boxing class or a power yoga. There’s one that’s called “RPM”. So this gym seems more tailored to the uptown crowd who likes their group classes to be… aggressive. They also seem to have a lot of them, though nothing really seemed appealing to me. Again, this is all just personal preference.

Showers

Really non-descript. Basic gym shower, clean and not fancy. I don’t like that I have to bring my own lock, but I guess I’m spoiled from Equinox and Lifetime Athletic.

Surfability.

Again you have to sign up online and take the tour after signing a waiver, fairly easy.  However, I really didn’t like part of the… accessing. Part of the sales pitch is where they take your height and then you stand on a scale to get your weight and using bioelectrical impedance (BIA) to determine your bodyfat %.  First of all, BIA is not accurate at all. It has a give or take of 8%.  So if it says you’re at 20% bodyfat (like what it said with me) than I could be 14% to 26%. That’s a pretty big swing.  Second, this whole weight and height thing is silly to me.  This method doesn’t look at the fact I can ATG squat 250#, or run 100 meters in about 11.5 seconds. There are no real functional parameters here, and it bothers me.  The system said my physical age is older than my chronological age, and if I use their program/ training I can lower my physical age. 

I don’t like this. I feel like the process is designed to try to make you feel bad about yourself and that they are the only ones who can help you.  Granted, all of consumerism is based on the idea that you’re inadequate and you need X to make yourself better, but when it comes to being physically fit it really grinds my gears.

I mentioned, like I always do, that I am recovering from an injury and the salesman, like they always do, tried to sell me on the trainers. I really need to stop saying I'm recovering from injury.

Days in: 48

Amount paid: $0

LA Fitness - Signature Club

Tried out a big chain this week with LA fitness. They only offer a three day pass, but that's enough for me to lift two days with a yoga class in between.

I think this encapsulates the
crowd here on a Saturday nicely.

This is mostly a young professional crowd, which makes sense given its uptown location.  I happened to come in during meat head hour.  There were tons of guys wearing tank tops to show off their guns and full sleeve tattoos.  The guy to girl ratio was like 20:1, which is nothing really atypical. The gym bunnies I saw were dressed more to work out than to been seen. This was different from the trophy wives I saw at Equinox. 

I actually saw a douche doing dips without his shirt on. He wasn't even facing the mirror so it was for pure show.  Not my cup of tea.  There are also some older bodybuilders here. I would imagine they enjoy showing off to the young crowd and feed off the young energy.  I know I would if I were in their shoes.

When the sales rep was giving me the tour I commented on how nicely laid out the hundred of dumbells were.  He smiled and nodded his head, saying he was OCD.  I almost responded with "You'd love lifetime athletic then". Thankfully I caught myself.  I have to be careful now, don't want them to realize I'm up to something.

Layout/Facilities

The gym is a signature series club, which is their upscale club.  What this means is they offer fancier equipment. The guy told me they have the latest models in machines.  Honestly I don't see how one chest press machine is different from another but whatever.  The actual gym is also twice as big as a normal LA fitness.  For example, they have 50 spin machines and three TRX suspension cages.

The rowing machine and the Squash
courts and the cardio machines.

They also have the fanciest rowing erg I've ever used, the thing was very... different in the cable's tension; it felt more realistic. I want to take this opportunity to apologize for the poor photography. I don't feel comfortable with taking pictures in a gym. I mean, people are self-conscious as it is, and I don't want to make it worse.

 The gym also has a saltwater pool, which is only rivaled by Equinox.  There is also a nice large hot tub, but when I was there it was unavailable as it awaited repair.

I was also impressed with the number of squat racks they had (5!!!!).  When I showed up in prime lifting time (12:30 on a Saturday) I was able to find an abandoned rack.  The douche who used it before couldn't have been bothered to re-rack his weights.  I get the feeling this is a common occurrence in this gym. They also have five bench racks, but they were being used, causing me to wait for over four minutes for one to clear up.

Cheap(er) protein.

I was a little sad to see they did not have any bumper plates, but this very much feels like your typical globo gym that focuses more on isolation exercises than compound lifts.  Nothing wrong with that, it's just not what I personally am looking for in a gym.

There is also a basketball court on the second floor, which I was told was very popular for pick up games.  They also have a group fitness room that is very nice. mirrors on two walls and punching bags lining another one.

A nice bonus here is the juice bar.  They sell protein on the cheap here.  They sell dented bins here at discounts. I think this is a great idea. I mean, if the container is still sealed, then what does it matter if the container is shaped differently? I guess people like their things perfect.

Classes

Only attended one Yoga class here. It was exactly what I needed, a peaceful, relaxing stretch one.  As we listened to Kenny G's rendition of "my heart will go on" the male instructor did a very good job of setting up clear instructions. Nothing was hard to follow. Honestly I liked this one more than the one at Equinox, but I'm not a yogi who does standing splits.  The class was a nice size, quite a few people but no where near crowded.  Lots of women as would be expected. Perhaps they all hide up in the cardio floor

For the yoga room, they have a stack of nice mats but no disinfectant wipes, so I would bring your own mat. I was kind of surprised that this isn't something that is required to be provided. At Equinox everyone just tosses them into a box to be cleaned by the staff (You know, the other half). 

Surfability

It's low pressure, but I don't like the sales tactics used here.  They ask me reasonable questions like "what other gyms are you looking at" and then disparage the gyms that I list. Like I said "24 hour fitness" and the first salesman was like "that place is disgusting" and I told the lead salesman "Tom Landry" and he responded with "well if you like working out with old people then enjoy".  I don't like how they feel the need to bring down other gyms.  Instead, just talk about how your gym is better. Let your product speak for itself.  Unless, of course, you don't think your gym is better.

....When I mentioned that one reason why I was hesitating was because they didn't have bumper plates. The lead salesman said "Well you won't find gyms with bumper plates."

"Oh yeah Tom Landry has bumper plates AND a real platform. So does Equinox."

"Yeah but Tom Landry only has one platform"

Really? That's your response??? One platform is, mathematically, infinitely more than zero platforms. It is also, in my mind, infinitely better.  Just own up to the fact that your gym might not be the best fit and move on. You'll get a lot better opinion of potential customers.

Days in: 32

Amount paid: $0

I should mention now that I'm a month in that I've made a spreadsheet of all the gyms I'm aware of here in Dallas, and I think I can go for another 14 weeks just using trial memberships, that's four months of working out for free.  Also, if I can somehow stretch this out to six months I can start over with a lot of gyms because they only allow trials every six months.  Once I'm out of the free trials I plan to switch over to introductory rates, like the 30 days for $30 promotions you see every once in a while.

UPDATE:

So I've spent an additional two weeks here thanks to a special my apartment was running, and I thought I could add a little more insight as to what it is like working out here.  Regarding the equipment, I don't have too much more to say, but I do have a better idea of who goes here during the 11am-1pm section of the day.

When compared to the other gyms I've been to, the most unique thing here is the number of women working out.  There are a lot of them here. And I'm not talking about cardio queens riding the elliptical up on the second floor (I don't go up there so I have no idea). I'm talking about women doing real, honest-to-God resistance training. As I'm typing this out on my phone there are five women in the weight section doing: lat pull downs, bicep curls, sumo squats, leg press, and deadlifts. Plus, they are doing this all on their own, without a trainer.  So hot.

They aren't really dressed to strut their shit, they are dressed to perform.  However, to a male lifter nothing is hotter than a woman who understands the value of resistance training and isn't afraid of doing something with weights that aren't in neon colors. It's like a gamer who notices a girl playing League of Legends. You've found someone who has similar tastes and values as you do.  To me, a woman who isn't afraid to do heavy resistance training is a sign of confidence and someone who values their health.  Someone who understands the empowerment that comes along with knowing you are strong.  Also, I can't think of a hotter combination than yoga pants and squats.

There was one girl who was doing actual squats (not a half-rep Harriet), and I overhear her talking to a guy, in an eastern European accent, about how she was getting back into competition shape again. So yeah, there are some female competitors (in what I don't know) who lift here.

Other than that, I also really appreciate the cheap protein and shakes/smoothies they offer here. Generally, I think of smoothies and whey protein as  an inferior replacement for a steak and sweet potato hash.  They are called supplements, not necessities, for a reason.  However,  the convenience of being able to have something immediately after your workout can be really nice sometimes when you are in a rush.

Even though I won't be signing up here, I will continue to buy the cheap protein here. What costs $70 and GNC costs half that here.  They have even cheaper prices than amazon or ebay.