Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The big change is the very large number of high school students who could care less about gym etiquette.

they are definitely annoying but all the broken cardio equipment dries me more insane. There are now only 2 of the 6 stair masters that wok and one makes a loud noise so will likely die soon.

then there is the first row of treads where you need to try 5 before you find a functioning one. It's pretty bad,

I have no idea what their lease terms are but I wonder if they’re just waiting it out until the lease expires and then shut it down. They charge $25/month and get a ton of customers - must be enough to pay the rent and the minimal staffing.

pre pandemic I loved the gym.

Then the pandemic hit, and I took the $50/month I spent on the gym and got a peloton, a chinup bar, some bands and hand weights. Now I do not understand why I ever went to the gym. It smelled, it was crowded, it was out of my way, my wallet got stolen, creeps in the lockerroom, etc.

I enjoyed lifting weights, and do miss benching and deadlifting, but am still enjoying doing bodyweight. At some point, I'll buy a bench and a bar, but I really love the convenience and not wasting an enormous amount of money.

I'm a huge fan of Gold's. I pay ~$50 / month for access to numerous gyms, and I routinely use 4 of them. I find it highly convenient. I'm a class-taker, though.

Anonymous wrote:The big change is the very large number of high school students who could care less about gym etiquette.

they are definitely annoying but all the broken cardio equipment dries me more insane. There are now only 2 of the 6 stair masters that wok and one makes a loud noise so will likely die soon.

then there is the first row of treads where you need to try 5 before you find a functioning one. It's pretty bad,

The big change is the very large number of high school students who could care less about gym etiquette.

Before Covid, 24 Hour in FC was a higher end club, with nice perks like childcare and very clean facilities. Since Covid, it definitely has lost many of those perks but is more spacious and has better weight equipment than a lot of the budget alternatives in the area. If you want the high end gym, you have to pay $200-300/month at a place like Lifetime or Vida. If you just want weights and cardio, you pay 10% of that at 24 Hour.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I go to the new location for Planet Fitness in FC and it's always clean.

How crowded does it get?

It's never too bad when I'm there. I'm always able to get on a bike or machine.

Anonymous wrote:I go to the new location for Planet Fitness in FC and it's always clean.

How crowded does it get?

I go to the new location for Planet Fitness in FC and it's always clean.

I live in a completely different part of the country now and the 24 hr here is the same--reduced hours and staff and the locker rooms are to be avoided for sure. But it's much less busy than the newer gym a mile away so if you're just there for the equipment, it's adequate.

I’ve been going for a decade. I usually go early morning so it isn’t too crowded and I never have to wait for equipment. I also sometimes go at lunch and it’s not bad. But any time after work on evenings or weekends after 9 am is awful - was not like that pre-Covid.

Planet fitness in Pentagon City is also 24 hr, and is quite new and clean.

also wanted to add that there is a new Golds in Baileys that looks really nice, but it's not convenient for me which is why I stay at 24.

I do think a lot of people left 24 hr for Iron Gym in the Eden Center.

If it were for how spacious and open 24 is I would have left by now. Iron Gym looks like they have good equipment but has no windows.

I am a member there and have been since they opened. Just read the yelp reviews and they are pretty accurate. I feel like after COVID they didn't hire back the real cleaning crew and instead have employees "clean". The amount of dust around equipment is pretty gross and something I have complained about. I don't really use the bathroom because I go very early at 5am and head home to shower.

There is a ton of cardio equipment that is broken, but they did recently replace a bunch of treadmills so there is hope it will improve.

I do think their weight area is still pretty great compared to other gyms in the area. Which is why I stay. I went to golds in Mosaic for a few months in 2020 when 24 was still closed and it was not nearly as spacious.

I will say if you want to go at peak times, evenings/anytime after 3pm, I would look elsewhere as it is insanely crowded.

I went here until the pandemic and it was fine. Moved away for a few years but I am returning to the area. I checked Yelp and the reviews from the past few years are awful - does not sound like the gym I remember. I know that Yelp is not always representative. Interested in opinions of those who currently go there. If it really is that bad, what are better alternatives in the area? Not looking to pay $250/month for Lifetime. I just need weights and basic cardio machines.