This has been my go-to gym since September and I've been quite pleased with it. The gym is well kept and they play a good variety of work out music (although a tad too much electro music for my liking!). Yes, it's definitely a smaller gym in comparison to LA Fitness or Good Life but it's also not nearly as busy as other gyms in downtown Toronto which is a huge plus! The changing rooms are also extremely clean and the staff is very friendly and helpful. It's not uncommon for one of the trainers in the gym to offer some advice. I also like the location of this gym - it's in a nice and safe area near the Gooderham building and it's not and intimidating area.
Now for the not so good: there's only 2 squat racks. Um why!? The racks feel very crammed - one of the racks is so close to the pull down machine that it's a nuisance doing squats/deadlifts when someone else is using the pull down machine. Next, the dumbbell weights are so disorganized. They only seem to have one pair of some of the weights (ie 12.5lb, 17.5, 22.5, etc) so sometimes it's a pain to find these as they're nearly never organized. Another painpoint is some of the machines don't have 5lb increments and increment by 10/15lb (ie row machine, pull down machine, etc) which is difficult for me as incrementing each week by 10/15lb is a huge jump. Another nuisance is that the lockers are only available for overnight use with employees and people with trainers. UM WHY. There are a zillion empty lockers and that just irks me. And finally, the changing rooms. I don't really understand why the female changing room just has 2 benches in it as these benches and their surrounding areas are always crammed with ladies and clothes. The changing room is spacious but having just 2 benches makes it very congested in those areas.
TIPS:
-Negotiate your year membership deal. My roommate went to the gym the day after I got my membership and was offered a membership for $3 cheaper biweely than what I'm paying PLUS two months free (I was offered one). I caved too easily I guess.
-Try the gym (and other gyms you're interested in) before being in a rush and signing a membership instantly. I did not do that. It was not a bright idea. Groupon occasionally has $40/two month groupons which includes towel service. Trust me when I say they will pressure you to sign a membership the first day you enter so don't be a pushover.
-If you can, try to do a one time payment rather than automatic deposits. This is more so a tip from reading other reviews
-Equipment is limited (ie one of each strength-training machine) compared to other gyms and it does get crowded after work hours. I go in the mornings before work so it's not bad but the times I've been after work, I despised it and have had to wait for certain machines every time