A place where Fitness comes First (Fitness First in General)

Member Name: Great_reviewer07

Product:	Fitness First in General
Date:	12/03/09 (370 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great facilities

Disadvantages: Expensive, no pool

Fitness First is chain of gyms & health clubs that started in Bournemouth in 1993, they are now the largest chain of gyms in the world.

If any of you have been to a Fitness First gym then you'll know how big it is, they literally have everything you can imagine, of course they're not just a gym they're also a health club so they have the usual saunas, steam room, sub beds & aromatherapy rooms.

When you first walk into Fitness First you'll notice the sheer size of it, the one I work in is on two floors, the gym, showers & toilets etc are on the ground floor then on the first floor is the health suite where all the classes will take place and it's where you'll find the saunas, steam rooms etc.

Each chain of Fitness First is similar in that they all have state of the art equipment, I've visited quite a few gyms in the past & noticed that the equipment most of them use is very out-dated, having brand new equipment gives gym users peace of mind that they're getting the best work out they possibly can.

Recently Fitness First has taken huge steps to increase their cardio equipment & in a lot of chains they've introduced 'Cardio Theatres' these are separate rooms built for the sole purpose of cardiovascular work-outs (so girls you're not likely to see any half naked bodybuilders in there). I find these rooms to be absolutely fantastic because they separate you from any distractions such as other gym users using other equipment, they now also include headphones with every piece of equipment they have which means that you can watch TV or listen to music while you work out which as any gym users will know makes your work-out fly by.

There's a DVD rental service that Fitness First supply, something I thought was a bit strange for a gym to be doing when I first got there but I think it's a great touch, you obviously have to be a member to rent out and you need to bring it back the next day but other than that it's a faultless asset.

Fitness First have facilities to entertain the children, they have play areas which are supervised at all times. They understand that a lot of people have busy lives which is why they've created a family friendly environment.

Becoming a member is incredibly simple, you aren't harassed by staff as soon as you enter the gym which I know a lot of people hate staff being in their face to see if they need anything. You simply visit the reception desk and explain you want to become a member, they will then get another member of staff to give you a tour of the gym, they will ask you a few questions about how you're planning on using the gym, they will then use this information to show you aspects of the gym that will suit your needs i.e. if you're a runner you may not want to be shown all the various weights and how to use them, this is so the staff don't waste their or your time. This introduction, depending on what you want to use the gym for will take around 10-15 minutes, they're very quick and efficient but that doesn't mean they cut corners. They will make sure you know exactly how to use the equipment before allowing you to use it yourself, they make it easy for you to understand exactly how things work and to make it even simpler all the machines have diagrams and written instructions on them to demonstrate how to use them.

If you're planning on becoming a member I think one of the things that should be considered is are you going to take advantage of all the facilities, if not then it might be worth going to another gym with less facilities and a cheaper membership fee. When joining there's a £30 administration fee & on top of that it will cost you £37.95 a month, something I know not everyone can afford so if you're on a tight budget it could be a good idea to look elsewhere.

There is of course a locker service available which comes at no extra cost to members, you simply use your membership card like a chip and pin service, not only is this a lot simpler than carrying a key around it's also a lot safer as keys are easily lost. The lockers are very spacious and can fit even the biggest training bags with ease.

Fitness First is open weekdays from 6am-10pm & weekends from 8am-8pm so even at weekends it's open all day, again this is something that a lot of gyms don't do.

Fitness First are really big on the safety aspect, like I just explained they really take time to make sure you're aware of how things work. After your quick tour you will be asked a few questions about whether you've used a gym before and what you're hoping to gain from joining. Depending on what your answer is you may be offered a fitness test, I know first hand that when people hear the words 'fitness test' they immediately think of doing a bleep test or running on a treadmill for hours on end with wires strapped to you, this fortunately is not the case. A fitness test doesn't take long at all & is really beneficial for you if you're looking to lose weight especially. A member of staff will go over your results with you and they, with your permission may put together a regime for you therefore you will not run the risk of hurting yourself through straining yourself.

The one-on-one personal trainer service in my opinion is fantastic, it is expensive however the results prove that the money and effort is worth it. All members of staff are very friendly and the thing to remember is that a gym isn't like an army boot camp, you aren't going to get trainers yelling in your face and resting their feet on your back while you're doing press ups. They will know your fitness level therefore they will only put you through what they know you're capable of. They wont get touch unless you tell them beforehand that the reason you want a personal trainer is that you need to be disciplined and need help in getting into a proper fitness routine. I know that some people like the tough love approach however a lot of people don't so this is something that will be discussed with your assigned trainer before training begins.

Various classes run throughout the day and these include steps classes, x-press work-outs and Kickboxing. A lot are free if you're a member but a couple including Kickboxing incurs a small fee. Being a Kickboxing instructor myself I can safely say that all the classes are efficient, easy to pick up and fun for all ages.

The changing rooms & shower facilities are always spotless, something we pride ourselves on. We've had a lot of compliments from users about how impressed they were with the changing facilities. They are extremely spacious and of course you can have your own cubical with a lock if you want it. There are TV's in the changing rooms which I think is a brilliant touch and something that I was fascinated with when first using the changing rooms.

Fitness First have their own 'lounge' where there are comfy sofas, TV's and drinks readily available to you, it's basically just a place where a lot of members go after their work-out to chill out before leaving. This is a great feature in my opinion and something that I haven't seen in any other chain of gyms that I've been to.

The car parking facility is brilliant, there's a huge car-park (and I mean huge) and private car parks are also available at some chains as the car parks are sometimes used by non members as the gym is relatively close to town.

One of the down-sides to the gym is that there's no pool, I know that there are pools in some of the Fitness First gyms but in the one I work in there isn't one which is a bit of a disappointment because it means I have to go somewhere else for a swim but the gym is so great that the positives far out-weigh the negatives.

I've worked at Fitness First now for nearly 3 years, I was first employed as a receptionist while I was doing my degree in Sports Science & training to become a personal trainer. I've visited a lot of gyms before and while working at Fitness First and in my honest opinion I'd say that Fitness First outdoes them all. It's got everything it possibly can do (apart from a pool) of course but with all the other facilities this is easily overlooked. The staff are friendly, helpful and not at all pushy which is something that members have told me about before with other gyms.

If you've got the money and you're looking to join a state of the art gym for any purpose then I would highly recommend joining Fitness First.

Summary: The best gym experience by far!