Arms like hammers, Legs like tree trunks (Ballston Sport & Health Club)
Written: Nov 26 '99 (Updated Nov 26 '99)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: clean, modern, not too crowded
Cons: premium price, ($140 to join, $75 per month, subject to specials) but worth it
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| 11thStreet's Full Review: Sport & Health Clubs |
Sport & Health Club (Ballston branch)
A few months ago, I decided that, really and truly, it was time for me to get in a shape other than "round." The picture in my profile (the "Before" picture) shows exactly what I mean - chipmunk cheeks and chubby chins (yes, plural). So upon my move to the Washington DC area I thought I would probably end up joining Bally's or Gold's or some other muscle mill. Boy, am I glad I didn't do that.
Shortly after the move, I happened to be in the Ballston Common Mall, where I saw the local Sport and Health Club branch. From the outside, it looked like a fairly nice place, so I stopped in for a brochure, and ended up taking a tour instead. That pretty much clinched the deal.
First of all, the Sport and Health Club chain has been in the DC area for over 25 years, and has branches all over the metro area. If you're in DC, North Virginia, or close-in Maryland, there's likely one near you. Membership fees vary from branch to branch, because of the different facilities available (some have pools and squash courts, for example). The Ballston branch just turned one year old this October, and still looks brand new. It is clean, well maintained, and has ample equipment for its membership base. The locker rooms are kept spotless, with carpeted floors and posh wood lockers. The free towel service provides plenty of fresh, clean towels.
Then there's the exercise equipment. The Sport and Health Club chain generally replaces its machines every five years. At this branch, the machines are all just one year old. The club features LifeFitness brand machines for a Nautilus-type experience, but also has plenty of HammerStregnth and Icarian machines as well. The former is for the beginner or the person who just wants a quick, convenient weight circuit. The HammerStrength are designed for those who want to build strength and muscle more aggressively, using plate-style free weights, but with machine-guided form. The Icarian equipment is largely cable-type weights and racks for free-weight exercises for squats, bench presses, and preacher curls. All are in great condition.
The club has abundant cardio equipment as well - about twenty treadmills, which I use (only one at a time, though!); several upright and recumbent stationary bikes; and a gaggle of elliptical steppers and standard stair-steppers. The treadmills take the heaviest pounding, and often one of them is out of service, but never for more than a day or two. I've never had to wait for one.
Which leads me to the most common complaint I've heard about health clubs - the other people. Sport & Health charges a premium price, but this price is based upon the assumption that their members will actually come in and use the equipment, unlike some gyms which charge lower prices and cross their fingers hoping many of their members will never show up. Not only does this allow the club to maintain ample equipment, it also keeps the membership numbers a little lower, so there's almost never a huge crowd. Even at peak times (Monday at 6:30 pm), there's rarely a wait for weights.
It's generally a good, small group of folks. The Ballston branch has under 2,000 members, while the nearest Gold's has about eight to ten times that many members. The staff knows me when I walk in the door, and many even know my name. Try that at Bally's. Also, the members are mixed professional crowd, not the chemically enhanced muscle freaks you see at so many other places. You won't feel like you have to get in shape before you start here.
Upon first joining, I was given an initial evaluation for strength, endurance, cardio fitness, and flexibility. The next day, a personal trainer took me through a program based around my fitness goals and desired workout duration and frequency. On any given day, one or more trainers are roaming the floor, available to answer members' questions. So once you've got your program designed, you can easily adapt it later by asking one or two questions of a trainer. Also, trainers are available for longer sessions at about $35 per hour for those who need extra guidance or motivation. The club offers a wide variety of fitness classes, 95% of which are no extra charge, taught by humans rather than robots. They make the effort both to give an interesting variety of classes, and to make each class useful for both novices and the more advanced.
The results? After about six weeks of going four times a week, I'm in the second best shape of my life. Not since I was the captain of my high school wrestling team have I looked and felt this good. Within a few days, I could feel muscles sprouting where they had long lay dormant. After a couple of weeks, one of my chins vanished. I've lost almost ten pounds - and that's after all the muscle I've put on, and my refusal to give up Mexican food. The visible results (and those of my lovely bride-to-be, who joined with me) have made it easy for us to stay serious about staying in shape. I've stopped and started many times on my own, but this time, the life change is for good.
Check out the web sit at: http://www.sportandhealth.com/locations-ballstonmall.html
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
11thStreet
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Location: Northern Virginia
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 48 members
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