Anytime Fitness — Local services in Ellington

One of the best gyms I've ever been a member of. What are my qualifications to say that, might you ask? Well...I am a time traveler. I have used countless gyms across my various treks throughout the space-time continuum. The earliest gym I was a member of was Cave Fit back in the Stone Age. Which featured rocks bound to the ends of tree branches as functional dumbbells, and cave drawings like sabretooth tigers telling you "u rock and look tasty", which really contributed to a great atmosfear. Point taken? That was a spear joke, I hope you got it.

Anyway, I am now stranded in the year 2025(at least until I get my continuum transfunctioner repaired), but it's ok. Because at least I have a good gym.

Anytime Fitness in Ellington has nearly everything you need to get or keep yourself in tip-top shape. Which is important, because sometimes your calculations weren't as accurate as they should have been and you end up stepping out of the portal and finding yourself immediately chased by a hangry velociraptor. And you don't always have a Snickers on you.

The staff is very friendly and supportive, the gym is clean, and the equipment works perfectly. They also manage the amount of members well so that it's rarely packed or too busy in there. As a matter of fact, if you avoid going during peak hours, it might just be you and a couple other people in the entire gym, which is perfect for self-conscious air guitar enthusiasts.

Also, recording is not allowed so you never have to worry about ending up in someone's vapid TikTok video.

The majority of the members seem cool too. But I'm not terribly qualified to speak on that since I almost never talk to anyone. But most members are thoughtful with good gym etiquette. There are almost no scream-grunters or deviant humans who just throw/drop their weights after completing a set.

My only complaint is the gym isn't kinetically-powered. You know, where the process of actuating the machines generates the electricity to power the gym. But that hasn't been invented yet, so I guess I can't hold it against them.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'm waiting for myself from the past to travel to the present with a functional transfunctioner, so I can go forward by a year and see if I've made good progress or not. I'm sure I will have, because I have a great gym to go...

I’ve been a member at Anytime Fitness for over five years, and I’ve trained in gyms for more than 12 years without ever receiving a complaint about my workout habits—until now. Unfortunately, my experience at the Ellington, CT location has become very disappointing and uncomfortable, and I’ve decided to cancel my membership and wanted to share my experience via this review.

On 7/21/25, the manager, Patti Fleeher, told me that she and other members disapprove of the noise made when I re-rack weights, claiming it could damage the equipment. This surprised me, as I follow a traditional strength training routine—using UMAX dumbbells, Olympic plates, and Precor USA machines, all of which are built for heavy commercial use. I do not perform Olympic lifts, CrossFit, or powerlifting movements that are typically loud or disruptive.

These UMAX and Precor products are designed specifically for durability in high-volume gyms, with commercial-grade frames and long warranties. My routine hasn’t changed in years, aside from naturally progressing to heavier weights as I’ve gotten stronger.

The real issue is the atmosphere. Anytime Fitness’s mission is “to inspire people to better health through support, education, and a safe and welcoming environment.” Sadly, that’s not what I’ve experienced here. Instead, I’ve felt unsupported, unwelcome, and increasingly self-conscious during my workouts—something that’s never happened to me in over a decade of training. What was once a place of progress and focus has become uncomfortable and discouraging.

I’ve appreciated my years at this gym, but the current management and culture no longer reflect what Anytime Fitness...

Coach Jonathan gets this 5-star review! He meets you where you are at, no judgement. He brings motivation, energy, accountability, planned progress and consideration to every session - oh, and LOTS of jokes too ;) I've witnessed this all first hand: whether you're an older adult finally working on getting in shape for the first time, a teenager needing sincere guidance in building your body and self esteem, you're recovering from an injury needing special consideration in your workouts, or already strong and in shape, wanting a coach who'll keep you on task and challenge you to new levels in each and every workout, he's your guy! He carefully designs your workouts according to your own goals, pace, and special considerations, and he keeps a sharp eye on your exercises, for maximum benefit and minimal chance of injury, coaching you along the way. The other staff are great as well, all very helpful and very friendly. This gym is on the smaller side - 1 shower/restroom combo for ladies and 1 for men, & one restroom-only for either - but still has lots of different machines and free weights with adequate work and floor space. It's maintained well - clean, with reliable and regularly refreshed equipment. It is set apart by being not 'just a gym' but also a community. There have been several fundraisers and well attended events sponsored here and by this community to help out different members facing severe life challenges -...