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| - I love my gym! Prior to joining I tried out all the gyms around my house (Biltmore area). That includes the LA Fitness by Trader Joe's and the 24 Hour Fitness on Camelback. Each one was way too crowded for my tastes and lacked in basic human necessities (e.g. LA Fitness does not provide towels!). I also have a lifetime membership to Bally's that my parents bought me in the mid-1990s, but there is not a decent Bally's close to my house and the closest one is just not the type of place that inspires me to want to work out. So for a year after moving to Phoenix I debated whether to fork over the dough for the Village. How much dough? Well, the pricing varies but it is about 5 times as much per month as I was quoted at LA Fitness and came with a fairly large startup fee. So far, I have found that it is worth every penny.
What do I like about it? First and foremost, I have never had to wait to use a machine, ever. They have so many machines, and not nearly as many members as the other clubs in the area. During my trial period at LA Fitness, I seriously waited 5-10 minutes each time I wanted to get on a cross trainer, and then there was a time limit. A gym is a place to work out, not a place to stand around or worry about time limits. Second, the Village is huge: two swimming pools, endless tennis courts, indoor basketball, indoor running track, cycle studio, indoor racquetball, indoor kids area with Wii fitness, massive weight room, large stretching room, pilates studio with all kinds of human torture looking machines, yoga studio, group exercise rooms, a bar with Kilt Lifter on tap, a snack bar, indoor and outdoor lounges, TVs in all the right spots, a spa and equipment shop (and probably much more that I am forgetting). It's physical size also doesn't say anything about the size of their programs, which range from basketball leagues, swimming, hiking, ski trips, cycling, fencing lessons, etc. There is always something happening and there are often social activities going on that I don't partake in, but which I hear are pretty fun. Finally, in my very humble opinion, I think they have the best schedule of group fitness classes around, taught by the best instructors in town. I take on average 4 yoga classes per week and every class is included in the dues. If I were to take a similar number of classes at a local yoga studio, I would easily pay double my current gym dues and would not have access to all the other great amenities. Just joining for the yoga would save most avid yoga enthusiasts money in the long run.
As for my complaints, they are minimal. My biggest complaint is not about the gym, but about my friends; I wish that more of them were members! Most of my friends seem to be LA Fitness people and just balk at the idea of paying more than $30/month for a gym. That's just plain silly, but I understand that money is tight these days. My only other complaint is that the classes tend to cater to an early crowd. I will never make it to a 6:00 a.m. yoga class (who can seriously drag themselves to the gym that early?). Like most late risers, I would prefer later classes instead. The latest classes in the day seem to be around 6 pm, which is usually fine for me since I am self-employed, but there are days that I wish the last yoga class was at 7:30 so I would not have to brave the rush hour crowd trying to make it there.
Overall though, I'm very happy and would recommend anyone give the Village a try. Oh, and if any of you yelpers are seriously thinking of joining and want some good karma, let me know because I can get a free month by referring you :)
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