Life Time — Local services in Reston

Read all of this especially if you’re an expecting mother or have children or god forbid you get sick.

Life Time Athletic Reston has the best facility in the area. The problem is the employees. They are rude with sour faces. A few people there say “hi” and smile but it’s very rare. They have cultivated a bad culture.

The bad attitude is just the surface. In the pursuit to have children, my wife and I went through some very challenging times, as I’m sure many of you can relate. My wife had 8 miscarriages from 2013 to 2016. It’s very difficult emotionally, physically and spiritually, ESPECIALLY for my WIFE, but Life Time Athletic Reston took these horrible moments in our lives to jack up our membership dues. I’ll explain.

When we joined in 2014 we were paying under $150 for my wife, our newborn son and myself. I know, this is a very good rate. Every time she (after a miscarriage) or I (after major shoulder surgery) or both of us had to suspend our membership because my wife need me, Life Time Fitness Reston took that as an opportunity to raise our rates when we reactivated our membership, which we were paying to keep suspended. Life Time Reston was aware that my wife was probably going through one of the most difficult times that only a woman would understand but they had no mercy. Every time we would reactivate her membership they would increase the rate. Eventually we just decided that because only I go to the gym and sometimes our, then 3 year old, son goes - we should suspend my wife’s account indefinitely. Our membership dues went down to somewhere around $110. Soon after that my wife got pregnant with triplets and they were born in the summer of 2017.

On July 15, 2019 I spoke, once again, with Lindsey Angelovich and asked her if she could kindly add, for 30 days only, my wife and now 2 year old triplet daughters to the account so they could enjoy the pool for a month. No problem right - wrong. I got a huge bill from Life Time Fitness and when I went in to speak with Lindsey Angelovich she explained the bill and I paid it but she increased my monthly membership by $20 again. By now we were paying more for just my 5 year old son and me than we were paying for the whole family prior to 2017.

They used every encounter with us to raise our rates - miscarriages, postpartum depression, my wife was in the hospital for 77 days straight prior to giving birth to the triplets and then 7 more weeks in the NICU, and after various surgeries. Life Time Fitness used our most challenging life moments to take advantage of us and they did it knowing full well our situation.

One thing nice thing I’ll say is that the girl that runs the Kids Center and the people that work in the kids center are awesome. They do a good job. They will take good care of your kids.

They might rebut this story and explain their side but at the end of the day you should know that Life Time Fitness is, in my opinion, cruel, especially when it comes to women. If you’re a mom or you’re pregnant or going through difficult times they will use that as an opportunity to make you pay more. That’s been our experience.

My wife is a local elementary school teacher and we get invited to every school event, every parents parents party and every birthday party. I will make it my mission to tell everyone about our experience at Life Time Reston. Possibly, hopefully, this post will inspire them to reflect and change their ways. I sure hope so because the...

If they had negative stars, I’d choose that. But alas, I must put 1. Since joining the gym, I noticed as well as complained about the severe neglect to cleanliness and detail. I’m not talking about “picking up”, I’m talking about a real issue that is borderline a public health issue. I came from Crunch Fitness (Reston and a Tysons). Never once did I need to complain about cleanliness there and I paid 1/3 price. I saw cleaning staff there every visit at Crunch for three years at all hours. I’ve never once seen a cleaning person or a mop at LT Reston since I joined.

Now I pay $130+ per month for a gym that has a lot more amenities than Crunch where they rely on their personal trainers to clean the equipment? Would you hire a skilled electrician to clean your house? No.... so why use highly trained personal trainers to clean a gym? Isn’t that what the $130+ fee should cover ?? Those amenities got me excited about maybe being able to swim, hot tub etc, but given the severe lack of cleanliness, I didn’t use any of the other amenities like the pool in fear for my own health.

The men’s locker room is almost unbearable at times. No picture would ever do that scent justice. Closing it down for a day long deep Clean is the only solution plus ongoing hourly maintenance thereafter. Because of the locker room situation, I have to get off the train from a long commute from DC at Reston Wiehle metro to drive home by the town center and change and then drive back to the gym in lieu of the easier option of just coming straight from the train station and using the locker room.

The bathrooms were another issue. Total neglect. I’ve taken pictures of the bathrooms and complained as well. I’ve also complained about the awful smell radiating from the carpet , especially around the main entrance area and personal training desk.  It’s really disgusting. Earlier this week I contacted Crunch Reston about coming back there given the current conditions at Life Time.  I’ve hesitated to leaving this review because I really like my 5 star personal Trainer, Nick Lamanna, but the good results I’m getting from working with him can’t outweigh the poor management of your facility, especially the price I’m paying and lack of use of the amenities. Needless to say I escalated this to the gym management. They pretty much told me that most of the items on my list couldn’t be taken care of until the 2020 budget year, so I left the gym all together. The gave me some $ back, but not near enough given all the days I didn’t show up due to the funk. I forwarded this to the company senior management and never received a response. That speaks volumes on how they do not value their member feedback or their members. Honestly, if you are serious about joining this gym. Please shop around for your own health and family’s health and well being. If you have the slightest bit of OCD or germophobia, run far far away from here. Or at least try a 2 week pass to see for yourself before signing up. The carpet funk will turn you off if nothing else....

My recent experiences at the Reston Lifetime have been less thansatisfactory, which is a significant understatement given my history with Lifetime locations. While the club offers a range of facilities, several operational issues are severely impacting the member experience.

The most glaring problem is the severe understaffing across various departments, particularly noticeable at the poolside bistro and the inside cafe. This shortage directly translates into a lack of efficiency, leading to frustratingly long wait times and inconsistent service. It's clear that the dedicated young ladies and bartenders working in these areas are doing their absolute best and are incredibly accommodating and hardworking. However, they are consistently let down by insufficient support, making it impossible for them to operate efficiently. My heart goes out to them as they strive to deliver good service under challenging circumstances.

A significant contributor to these issues appears to be the management. The manager who frequently moves between the indoor facilities and the outdoor pool area exhibits a highly confrontational demeanor, not just with customers but, more disturbingly, with the young female staff. The manner in which he speaks to them is truly terrible, and I find it deeply concerning and unprofessional. No employee, especially young adults, should be subjected to such treatment. This lack of supportive and respectful leadership undoubtedly contributes to the overall operational inefficiencies and a poor working environment. I would neither want to work for him nor have my child work under his supervision.

Furthermore, the food quality at the club is consistently disappointing. While one might temper expectations given the nature of a club bistro, the current offerings do not justify the prices. Perhaps a reevaluation of the menu or a reduction in pricing would be appropriate, especially if the kitchen is primarily staffed by less experienced individuals.

On a positive note, I must commend the weekend bartender, particularly the tall individual. She is exceptionally skilled, very efficient, and consistently sweet and professional. Her service stands out, and I would specifically recommend visiting on days when she is working.

while the staff's effort is commendable, the overall experience at Reston Lifetime Athletic Club is significantly hampered by severe understaffing and, most critically, by deeply problematic management. Drastic changes are needed to improve both member satisfaction and the working conditions for the...