UFC GYM Long Island — Attraction in Town of North Hempstead

I brought a friend with me today, just to show her what it was like and to hopefully get her to sign up. It was her first time and she was pretty impressed. However the sales guy Bill...who i also notice is mentioned in previous posts..was extremely pushy. My friend just finished some intense college classes which caused her to take a break from working. She literally could not sign up right away. However after seeing the gym and what it was like she had every intention of joining when she resumed work. Bill just did not seem to understand that. I agree with the previous post on him, he is arrogant, pushy, and just straight rude. He lied about the prices and deals you can get. He tried to tell my friend that he only has a certain amount of passes to give and she would not be able to get a student discount afterwards. Like this is her only chance. Which is a big lie. I encourage most of my friends from school to sign up at UFC. I have had no bad experiences with any of the staff members there, including the sales personnel. Bill, on the other hand..needs to take a communications class or seek some type of training. He is a bad representation of UFC Gym and will really discourage people from joining with his aggressiveness. Generally speaking, I like UFC. I love that it is 24/7, theres a lot of machines and a sauna. I love the sauna and the just the girls locker room in general.It is very spacious, lots of lockers, bathrooms and even showers if you want. I enjoy the yoga classes. Today I attended one with a really good instructor, I believe her name is Inbar Ben Ami. It gets fast paced but once you get used to it, it can be very rewarding...you just can't give up. This is the first gym I've been a member of and I wouldn't see myself going anywhere else. I looked over a few of the previous reviews and I do agree about the Arm Bar..a lot of the employees do hang out and occupy the area. Tonight they were sitting around and having Dominoes Pizza. The drink I normally got wasn't made as well as it usually is, not sure if it was "rushed" or not due to the socialization. I was a bit disappointed but I'm not too upset. Maybe they should have an area designated for the staff. I think the person who signed me and my friend up was Junior...I'm not sure because it was a long time ago. I also met a personal trainer Brittany.She is very friendly and understanding.I would definitely recommend her. (The people at the front desk are always friendly as well.) Anyway, I hope Bill reads this and reflects on his attitude and if you are thinking of joining UFC, thats great..the gym, in my opinion, speaks for itself...just please go to another salesperson. Someone who will be honest with you and not push papers in your face to sign and be...

I have trained in this gym for a total of 4 years between COVID lockdowns, so I can provide substantial insight about this place. I'll strive to be as objective as possible.

In summary, I would say it deserves 3 stars.

The gym boasts great infrastructure, but it's evident that maintenance is a challenge. In business terms, we'd call it a "white elephant" - impressive but costly to maintain. As part of a corporation, they seem to cut corners wherever possible. This likely explains the lack of cleanliness in bathrooms and poor building maintenance. Several walls have mold painted black to conceal it, and there are leaks during rainy weather.

As a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, my experience primarily comes from Jiu-Jitsu classes.

The current coach, Kevin Baracaldo (mentioned negatively in another review), warrants another critical mention. He's a moody individual with apparent daddy issues. He portrays himself as an exemplary employee but breaks rules without consequences, seemingly lacking honor while protecting his position. He's probably another underpaid corporate employee.

Having visited other Jiu-Jitsu academies in the area and trained at Royal Jiu-Jitsu for two years, I can confidently say the Jiu-Jitsu quality at this gym is subpar. For a slightly higher fee, you'll have a far superior experience and learning process at a place like Royal Jiu-Jitsu, where you train with world-class champions. Many black belts go there to learn. Ask how many go to learn from Kevin Baracaldo or Brandon Adames. The answer: None. These two instructors constantly try to sell students their in-house tournaments where you only compete with gym partners. It's clear they're trying to hustle for extra income, likely due to being underpaid corporate employees.

Conclusion

While the gym has impressive facilities, the lack of maintenance, cleanliness issues, and subpar Jiu-Jitsu instruction quality significantly impact the overall experience. The questionable behavior of some instructors further detracts from the gym's appeal. Consider exploring other options in the area for a better value and...

Been to plenty of gyms, and this one fails on so many levels. Now, I can't speak for the level of the classes/instruction, but the gym itself is pretty much impossible to work out in from 5pm-10pm, which is the time most people would be attending after working during the week.

I have to fight for a parking spot most days, and have circled the lot for as long as 20 minutes before being able to go inside the facility. There are simply not enough spaces. Once inside, I am welcomed by blaring music and enough people to make me believe I was at a rave, not a gym. Because the gym peaks after 5pm, getting free weights or benches can be a struggle. If you go to the bathroom to change, be prepared for questionably sticky floors, water everywhere, and at least one stall or urinal out of order. I can't stress enough how loud the music is, so bringing a pair of noise cancelling headphones is necessary. Sometimes even that isn't enough to drown out the obnoxiously loud instructors who are mic'd up and cheering on their clients for literally everybody in the gym to hear. Doesn't matter where you go in the gym, you will hear them, so avoid the classes that go on at 6pm Tuesdays to Thursdays.

Honestly, the most disappointing part is the gym is advertised as a 24 hour facility. There was a Saturday I went earlier this year when the gym typically closes early. The patrons and I were given maybe 4 loud warnings over their PA system in the last hour to wrap up our exercises. In the last ten minutes, staff turned the lights off in the restroom/changing room while people were still in there changing! I don't understand why a gym would be advertised as 24 hours except on the days where most people would benefit, on the weekends where they are free.

I walked out the earlier this week because I could not focus with the sheer noise. It's beyond distracting. The membership is cheap for a reason. You'd be better off going somewhere else. Staff here is very friendly and helpful, so I hate to leave such a low review, but the place needs some serious...