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| - I have been a member at System's beach location for over a year now, and I enjoy working out here. Yes, for a while, the renovations seemed to be almost constant, but have now slowed to a trickle.
The best thing about this gym is how friendly everyone is - from the front desk staff, to the members, to the instructors. There is a strong neighbourhood vibe at this place, and little to no pretension in the air.
Their schedule offers lots of classes through the week - the quality of which varies from great, to good, to crummy - but, as with any gym, you've got to try a type of session/particular instructor to see what works for you. There are roughly 50 hours of scheduled group workouts available every week - Zumba, spinning, yoga, Pilates and other formats.
The weight area can be a bit full at busy times, but at off-peak times, there is almost no waiting. The folks working out there are a generally cool group of people who are just interested in training and using proper equipment etiquette (e.g. wiping down your bench after use, not resting on equipment, etc). I've NEVER had to wait for any cardio machines, as there seem to be dozens of them - and almost every one is set up with a window view on Woodbine Park.
I will definitely renew my membership when it expires next spring.
Pros:
Free parking (ask about where it is located)
No "meat-market" behaviour
Decent, friendly folks
Superb Zumba classes (you go, Maddie!)
Beautiful views from the second floor
Reasonable membership fees
Close to home (for me)
Cons:
A few (not all) instructors/trainers are sub-par
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