Life Time — Local services in Fairfax

Lifetime Fitness had the potential to be something great. With a price point higher than any other gym in the area, one would assume their goal is greatness sadly it is not. We had joined Lifetime for 2 very specific reasons. We were drawn to the gym by the convenience of their "spa," and the variety and superiority of their trainers. Unfortunately, these are the two things that eventually caused us to leave the gym.

When we first joined Lifetime around 18 months ago we were excited to have the chance to get a workout in and use the spa. As physicians, time can be a commodity we do not frequently have. However, we quickly learned the only thing "spa" like was the name. They turn over stylist as frequently as a cosmetology school. The skill of the staff likens itself to a late night beauty school drop out movie. The "spa" staff is rude and disobliging. The towels they place on your face and around your neck have a putrid smell of decomposing diapers left to soak in warm swamp water with mosquito larva. On one occasion, we had family in town for a special occasion and had booked a number of spa services with several different stylists. However, the entire experience was ruined, as we had to listen to the spa manger sit at the front desk and babble on and on, grumbling and complaining like Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka. Apparently an employee did not show for their shift and it caused her world to shift off its axis. The way she cantankerously whined, you would have thought she was drugged at a party and someone stole her kidney. It would have been more pleasant had she stayed home and watched another season of "My So Called Life" reruns. Her attitude, too short jean shorts, and chunky black flip-flops did nothing to enhance the "spa" experience.

The second reason we joined lifetime was for the training. We were looking for a specific style of trainer to help increase our endurance for a competition we had coming up. We were initially happy with the trainer we selected and were sad to know that she too eventually left the gym (see the theme). Unfortunately, she decided to leave a week after we bled out another near $700.00 for more training. The gym decided to randomly pair us up with a different trainer who simply had a style of training that was not compatible with our needs. At this point, we thought it would be best to just cancel the personal training and look elsewhere for a trainer. To our surprise, the training manager and the club manager thought there was no reason to return any of our money. Even though we had signed a training contract with a trainer that was no longer employed at the gym.

After being members for around 18 months and paying more than $4,000.00 in dues and training fees it would have been easier to sun bath in the artic than it would be to get a return call from management. It seems when you have a problem or concern; management is "busy" or "sick." They made several empty promises and the only "solution" they offered was, "try another trainer." Our fitness goals were not such that we were interested in bouncing around from trainer to trainer. Throughout this experience, never once did they offer anything that resembled an apology or attempt to understand where we might be coming from. In fact, their "retention specialist," did not even ask why we were unhappy.

Disjointed, marginally qualified managers, run the entire place, driving the entire operation off a cliff like they are Thelma and Louise. So from the person who used to handout Lifetime's business cards and tell EVERYONE about the gym, I will now discourage anyone from setting foot in that place. If you expect a level of service that might accompany a $140.00 monthly fee, you will not find it at Lifetime. If you are interested in shoving $1,700.00 a year into the pockets of a bunch of folks who would rather play in traffic with a blindfold than ensure you are even marginally satisfied with your experience, I suggest you check out Lifetime...

Been a member here for more than 7 years. Prior to COVID it was a 24 hour fitness center, now not only have the hours been reduced but the already HIGH rate has increased after COVID. So they cut the hours back and raised the price… seems legit.

Also, the ladies locker bathrooms almost always need attention. The stalls and floors are dirty 80% of the time.

I have always loved that there is a cafe, but it too is now super over priced. I no longer buy my protein shakes here after working out, instead I go to Tropical smoothie or stop at the supermarket next door and make them at home. The quality for pricing is ridiculous.

The training staff is great. I dislike that they removed the spa services especially for Fairfax doesn’t make much sense. Pool is small and over crowded and when the kids come into the gym to play basketball they leave it a mess and it seems some of them aren’t even members but get in because of their friends daily when you are only allowed two passes a month.

It would also be great if someone walked the floors periodically to observe the experience members receive like ensuring there is always sanitizer, sanitizing sprays for machines and wipes available.

Also, to be sure that there aren’t people just taking over an area or machine for hours. Very often people leave their stuff by a machine while they are working out at another machine and when you go to it they say they are in between machines and get annoyed with you interrupting their set. One guy literally decided he was going to do pullups over me because I was working out on the tricep pull downs and he just came back from 4 machines in his set. After kicking me in the back I told him he can’t take over the whole area. He got into it with another member that wanted to use equipment he had in his series also.

Another member was laying on the crunch machine watching Netflix and after 40 mins I asked if they were almost finished and they said not yet. It’s kind of annoying when no one is watching what’s happening and maintaining a good experience for this 5 star club that costs $200 a month.

The toughest workout in the gym apparently is being able to clean the equipment after you use it and put your weights back. The price went up experience down. It’s walking distance to my house and being a member for almost 10 years has kept me here along with the basketball court access, but even now that’s challenging at times and has me thinking of looking for an...

I recently injured my leg from skiing in spring I have stopped going for a while - but in July, I spoke to Jake who put my membership on pause since i paid but not going while I had therapy because the doctor didn’t want to keep using machines could have interrupted his helping me to heal. Jake did ask me and I sent him my doctor email so I thought it was fine. When I came back to after 2 months to reactivate my membership, there are charges of 15/mon.

It wasn’t much but I talked to Brian the front desk. He was very unfriendly as usual as well as other staffs at lifetime, it’s almost known. He said well, "Jake is not here anymore. You need to bring a doctor note." (they knew i had gone to the gym with crutches) I felt kind of disappointed and said "its not big a deal thats 15 but I discouraged, makes me wants cancel going here." Brain immediately asked "You want to cancel your membership? I can cancel it right now- immediately!"

It took me completely uncomfortable how he provided such manner in service. Showed a cold weird look at me like he never knew me as a member. Not a second said "let me see what i can figure out about the email or like Im sorry we still have to charge you 15/mon." Ive been going to them about 4 years, spent about 5k with them, $15 they cant even try see what information was taken? No. It’s worth losing a member for the heck of it.

I miss the manager Jacob. He left a while ago. he was very friendly and very very professional. always polite in the front desk, always greeted everyone with a professionalism, always taking caee of things promptly. When i showed broken glasses in the parking lot or a crock roaches by the entrance, he got to it right away. He was always nice and polite unlike, unlike most of the font desk showing poker face. It’s odd!

I was jsut used to going there before. I think the gym in general was good, enough machines for what members need. There was time sauna broken 3,4 days out of the week. That’s all I used most I was still ok. I even had plans to put my husband and teen daughter on the account, but seems they didn't care. Even the staffs on salaries or don't own corporation, they should care because the members make up the name for the gym. Oh well, it’s not the lifetime for me anymore. They don’t need your business since Brian helped me...