LA Fitness — Attraction in Seattle

First of all let me talk about all the good stuff: The gym facility is great. The machines are of good quality and are well maintained. The people at the front desk are warm and the cleaning staff are nice to everyone.

I decided to make use of the free fitness assessment that they advertise on their TV screens. I had a session with Kiril (Manager of personal training) who sat down with me and built a rapport. He went into detail about everything like my goals and nutrition. He identified my body type and talked me through the various workout types (functional fitness in my case), and I enjoyed this pre-session talk a lot as I learned quite a bit. And then we moved onto the fitness session that really kicked my ass, and he kept pushing me along which I appreciated!

But what happened in the last 10 mins is what has left a sour taste. We sat down again and I was asked if I'd like to do something like this for $65/session on a weekly basis. I said no, I'm not really looking for that at this point in my life. Then I was met with a barrage of comments like "Would you not like to be in the best shape of your life in 6 months? I don't want you to not do it and then you don't get to your goal of looking good" "Have you ever missed out on making a decision in your life and regretted it later?" "Think about it, it's an $8/day investment in your health as opposed to health bills from doing exercises improperly and getting an injury" "Alright man, I just felt like you were serious about your fitness journey. I don't want you to lose interest 3 months in and not get to your goals" "You seemed pretty interested until you heard the price"

I understand that it is your job to sell these personal training sessions and that's how you'll make money. But using fear mongering and rushing people to make a decision is just not the way to do it - especially when it comes to something as sensitive as people's fitness journeys. Mind you, I had mentioned multiple times in my conversation that I had just been in Seattle for 1 month in my first job right out of university. And that my reason for trying out the fitness assessment was just to get some advice, and I wasn't looking for anything else at this time. Instead now I've just been left feeling poor. There should be some sensitivity to the fact that not everyone can afford personal training and that's okay.

My advice to the management is that if I'd just been tossed a few tips to improve my gym journey, and using those if i'd improved I would've definitely thought about getting personal training in the future. But now that I've had this experience I won't ever talk to anyone in management at the gym.

I've edited my review since I was asked if I would write one on the spot. I felt that my original review did not convey my...

I'm starting with really condescending phone call I had with a staff member. The quick review of the joint is at the bottom.

I get a call from a younger guy named Bryson or Hunter (I think he said Bryson, but another coworker called him Hunter) asking how my guest experience was and if I liked the gym. I told him I thought it was pretty small and the layout/machine choice wasn't the best, but it was a clean gym and overall fine. He proceeds to say, "Wow, it sounds like you have lots of experience. You should open your own gym." Anyone with decent social skills can understand he's most likely being a smart aleck and not serious, but just to make sure I ask if he's being for real or just a jokester. He says, "No man I'm serious. Sounds like you know what you're talking about." We say goodbye and he hangs up. I decide to call back because the phone call bothered me due to what he said and his tone. I ask why he would make the time to call me and ask me to give feedback on the gym if he clearly didn't care what I had to say combined with him being snarky. He said he was sorry and that he was calling to see if I wanted to join the gym, but since I didn't like they layout there is nothing they can do. I said no worries man, I know a few people have the same complaints as me and that's not really true about the machines/layout--but it's fine. He proceeds to tell me, "Really? Then you come do it and change the gym around." I tell him, "No thanks, I'm not being paid to do that." Then he says, "Oh, then come work here." I tell him, "No thank you, I just was calling back because I was trying to give feedback and I thought you were being rude about it. He ends the convo with, "Oh okay, it just seems like you should have your own gym because clearly know better than the people that work here." If we only had the first call I wouldn't be typing this long review, but since I called back to hopefully have a better convo with real feedback, only to have him be even more rude was rather obnoxious. Real Review: Pros: Price is fine, machines/racks/bars and weights are new, turf area is a nice things to have, it's kept very clean. Cons: Small, décor is standard/bland, weight room is in the basement so there are no windows or any natural light, only two squat racks, two benches, one incline bench, some areas are cramped (like by the free weights), some of the machines are a bit odd with the movements or they are lacking some standard machines like a lateral raise (maybe it was there and I just missed it). I would suggest swapping a machine or two out or just removing one or two so the gym...

I recently had a troubling experience at this LA Fitness location where I felt harassed and profiled by one of the managers (withholding his name for privacy).

A few days prior to the incident, I noticed there were no resistance bands on the gym floor. I asked the front desk attendant if they had any, and she directed me to a nearby drawer, stating that I could use them as long as I put them back. I followed those instructions without issue. Fast forward a few days later, I needed a band again. Before taking one, I made sure to notify an employee sitting near the drawer, saying, "Hey, just letting you know, I’m going to use a band from this drawer if that’s okay?" She responded that it was fine.

Immediately after I took the band, the manager approached me in an aggressive and interrogative manner, saying, "Hey, those bands are for my clients." I calmly responded that I was told I could use them. He then accused me of lying, saying, "No, nobody told you that. You're lying." I was completely taken aback by his hostility and the attack on my character. I explained that I had no reason to lie and that not only was I given permission a few days prior, but I had just confirmed with an employee moments before. I was understandably frustrated and made it clear that it was unacceptable to treat a paying customer like a thief. Instead of addressing the situation respectfully, he escalated matters- and then threatened to kick me out and revoke my membership. Additionally, as I was leaving, he doubled-down and called me a liar AGAIN.

It is unreasonable and unacceptable to assume paying customers—especially people of color—are acting in bad faith. Rather than treating me with respect, he immediately jumped to accusations, attacking my character without cause. Someone in a managerial role should have better judgment and understand how to interact with members professionally.

I do not recommend this LA Fitness location, especially for people of color. I was initially reluctant to bring race into this but I honestly feel like I was racially profiled and discriminated against. If I had looked different would I have received the some type of treatment? Would there have been a presumption of innocence rather than guilt? This goes without saying but this type of treatment should never...