LA Fitness — Local services in Portland

I ran a Golds gym for many years. I was an athlete for many years. I was a personal trainer for many years. I'm now a consultant to over 600 athletes/fitness enthusiasts nationwide, including professional and Olympic athletes. And this gym is the most crappy gym with the most delusional out of shape fat personal trainers, I have ever witnessed. For the most part, the trainers are highly overweight and out of shape. The female trainers are simply fat and are "training" people who are in better shape than the personal trainers are. But there is no "training" taking place with these trainers. They simply walk over to a machine and tell their client to use the machine while the trainers stand there and merely count. So basically the fat trainers are just fat repetition counters. And the trainers give the most horrible nutritional advice. I have watched dozens of people actually get fat with the trainers who are telling their clients to "bulk up" first in order to get lean and strong. They use chemicals and the worst toxic supplements I have ever seen. And they're constantly walking around drinking chemical filled sugary energy drinks while giving nutritional advice to people who are in better shape than the trainers are. It's so unbelievable, yet... this is what you can expect to see at LA Fitness. But this also might explain why the turnover rate of employees is so drastically high.

The cardio machines are constantly broken and out of service.

The group classes are lackluster at best and are canceled without notice quite frequently.

The free weights go missing almost every day.

There are NO surveillance cameras in the gym and staff and gym members can get away with anything they want without any accountability.

And the regional manager Darren Wylee has absolutely horrible "Little Man" syndrome. He's a young kid, a child; and his entire staff openly has made fun of him on many levels speaking to fitness members about what a horrible and petty human being and what a childish boss he is. They speak about how he has the emotional instability of a child and will lash out at people based on his consistent irrational behavior. He has even lashed out at LA Fitness members if they do not cower down to his pseudo-authority. And the way LA Fitness has set up their business model gives Darren Wylee as a District Manager full authority to do anything he pleases without any reason or without any substantial, rational, or logical justifications which I guarantee will absolutely cause a lawsuit real soon. He's a mental midget and a liar. Yet tries to convey to the public that anyone who exposes him... is a liar.

I've tolerated this basement gym without windows, with a filthy pool, with filthy locker rooms, with broken machines, with overweight and embarrassing "personal trainers", with fat and rude female "personal trainers", with a lying and spineless, weak minded District Manager who causes more problems than he helps.... for far too long.

I would highly recommend never using this gym or any LA Fitness gym unless you seriously want the bottom of the corporate gym barrel. This place is an absolute deplorable joke and is a complete waste of money.

And though there aren't many horrible reviews on this Facebook page about LA Fitness... I know dozens upon dozens of people who have simply left and abandon even attempting to review the gym on here. They just cut their loses and move on never to return. But this facility has had PLENTY of complaints throughout the community as being an absolute joke.

I will absolutely go out of my way to expose this pathetic company everyday, for as long as they are in business. I hope you avoid the headache and simply go to an actual good company for your fitness needs.

This gym is an embarrassment to even attempt to be a part of....

I’ve been going to LA Fitness at Lloyd for about three years, and I’ve also checked out the Pearl, Beaverton, and 82nd Avenue locations. The Lloyd location is definitely a bit older, and you can see some wear and tear, but the equipment still works fine, and they regularly replace things like pads and bumpers when needed.

Equipment: The gym has two squat racks, three Smith machines, an Olympic station, a few racks of free weights, and a functional training area. The cable machines are a little limited, but I’ve never had any issues getting my routine done. They also have a solid variety of cardio and isolation machines, which shows the staff is doing a good job keeping things maintained.

Cleanliness: It’s a gym, so it’s going to get dirty with so many people using it daily, but the cleaning crew does a great job. I usually go in the evenings and always see them cleaning the floors and emptying trash. Members are expected to wipe down equipment after using it, but not everyone does that. I find LA Fitness to be cleaner than other gyms like Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness.

Culture & Staff: I’m mainly at the gym to work out, but overall, the vibe is friendly. I’ve never had any problems with the staff or other members. Over the years, I’ve seen the staff change a few times, but they’ve always been friendly and helpful.

Now, about Jack AKA John. He’s one of the employees that really stands out. Jack’s always been super friendly and goes out of his way to make sure the gym is safe and runs smoothly. I’ve personally spent hour after my workout talking to him a couple of times. I’ve seen him handle tough situations with people who were upset about policies, and he always stays calm and respectful, even when others are not. He’s great at talking with regulars, and I’ve seen him speak Spanish with members who aren’t fluent in English, which is awesome. He even uses the gym in his off time, which shows he cares about the space and how it’s treated.

Membership & Pricing: LA Fitness as a chain does have some pushy sales tactics, but that doesn’t reflect on the staff at individual locations. I have a mid-tier membership that lets me visit any LA Fitness, and I think it’s fairly priced. They do push personal training which I wasn't interested. They also charge for towel service, but I recommend bringing your own. They offer classes like yoga and cycling, and they seem pretty popular.

Traffic & Peak Times: The gym is busiest between 7-10 a.m. and 5-7 p.m., but that’s typical for most gyms. I’ve always been able to get my workout done, even during these times. I’ve had more issues finding equipment at places like 24 Hour Fitness or Crunch, but not here.

Conclusion: Overall, my experience at LA Fitness Lloyd has been positive. The front desk staff handles things well, and the gym works for what I need. My suggestions would be more directed at LA Fitness as a chain like improving their app and keeping good employees. It’d also be great to see some investment in maintenance, like fixing the A/C and water pipes, but that might be more of a...

Rude staff. Would have been a 4 or 5 rating but I was harassed twice by a front desk person named "John". I put his name in quotation marks because he would not actually give me his name when I asked for it. He refused to tell me his name. I only heard it when he told his name to the police, after he called the police on me. He lied to the police and told them that he had a customer that refused to leave when he clearly saw me getting dressed.

All I asked him was if he could step outside the change room, because he kept staring directly at me while I was putting on my change of underwear and pants. I told him I felt "uncomfortable and that i just needed 30 seconds or so to put on my clothes and leave." He said " I don't care I want you out of here right now, I am trying to go". I told him he "didnt need to be rude to me and that I'm just a customer like everyone else, trying to gather my things and go, because i know the gym just closed." He then proceeded to call the police asked him to come to the door, giving them a full description of my clothes, my age appearance, and build, as if I were a suspect and I had did something illegal or criminal.

Absolutely degrading!

I come to this location frequently and have never caused any problems. I stay to myself and respect others. I work hard. I go home.

All this transpired less than 5 min after close. He did the same thing a few nights before, also badgering me because he did not recognize me at the gym. I told him i had already swiped in and he said "hmmm.. Are you sure you checked in already? I dont remember seeing you." Then he watched me as I was the last person out that day too. He walked up to me to tell me to hurry up it's time to go more than once that time as well.

I didn't say anything that time. I figured maybe he had a bad day. This time, I had to let people know my experience in hope that no one else experiences these predatory behaviors, while attempting to better their physical health. This is an egregious misuse of trust and power that needs to be addressed and...