I would like to share my experience with being a member of the City Fitness Gym and Health Center in New Plymouth, NZ - IT SUCKS! Firstly when I signed up to join this gym, I was told that I wouldn't be disappointed with the equipment and that there would be enough weight for everyone. The promotional material said no waiting times for equipment and that the equipment was brand new.
What I found was that a lot of the equipment was not new and was old and even some machines had paint brush strokes still showing from where they had been touched up! The weight area was small and cramped and there was a lot of waiting to use stuff. There wasn't enough weights and some of the machines were so old that they should have been in a museum.
When signing up, the staff are really friendly and accommodating and will tell you anything to get you to sign up. Once you are signed up, it all changes. No help unless you pay extra for personal trainers. I'm fortunate that i don't need help but every now and then it would be good to get a "spot" but I either wouldn't trust anyone there to help or people working there are too busy talking amongst themselves at the counter to help. I see so many people there doing things wrong but no one there seems to give a shit unless you pay them extra dollars for help. Most of the trainers there have no idea what they're doing and the worse one of all, a guy named Simon, steals peoples equipment from them so that his clients can have it to use. People go for a drink and bang! this dickhead called Simon takes their bench, weights or whatever else he needs. What a asshole!
The guy that owns it is called Dominic and he's a real jerk! He'll reprimand his staff in front of members and he thinks he's the greatest thing out in the fitness industry.
anyway I recommend anyone contemplating joining this gym to consider very carefully their options and to not sign on for anything longer than a year.
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A bit harsh! Yes not all the equipment is new - but there is lots of new equipment there. If you know the history (which they were open about when I joined) they got some of the free weights equipment from another gym that "merged" with this one. The weights area is hardly small (not for New Plymouth anyway). Yes if you go at peak times you may have to wait for your chosen piece of equipment, but outwith peak times there is never an issue.
Outside the free weights, they have an excellent range of Cardio equipment, and the classes (all included in the membership) are excellent. Staff are very friendly in the classes and always make everyone feel welcome. On the downside, some of the classes are a bit too busy and they could do with having more during the day (may relieve the pressure on the evening ones too).
I have certainly been to much better gyms, but this is the best in New Plymouth by a long way.
My wife and I will be visiting New Plymouth in May.
We work out here http://www.flagstaffathleticclub.com/
I know in New Plymouth there is City Fitness and Club Health.
Which is the better club?
Are there others I don't know about?
Scotslad you are tripping, i know the history, i was a member at the fitness company and knew a long time before most people that city fitness was coming to new plymouth, who owned it and who would be managing it. i ahd many conversations with the then manager neil on "how it would be". on signing up we were told a lot of things that turned out to be a load of rubbish, the weight equipment is not what was promised by the then managers, some of the equipment is from the 80's! this is 2009 man!
the only equipment that they got from a local gym was it's dumbell racks! there was no merge and the former gym you refer to was the fitness comapny which members were told they were joining under a special price which turns out a lot of others got as well.
All the weight equipment machines are 2nd hand and even have paint brush marks on them were they were touched up! what a joke. The floor are of the gym is confined and maybe long but width wise it is narrow. 10 people in the free weights are and it's packed.
this is not the best gym in new plymouth by far, the only good thing about this gym is the hours it is open.
anyway, i don't like what city fitness stands for, i don't like a gym were there are people doing their exercises wrong while staff members stand around and talk about their weekends while members don't have a clue what they're doing. there are probably 2 trainers there who bother to help people who are not paying extra dollars to be babysat.
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i find what you say rather interesting Shane, so I decided as a city fitness member myself to investigate. I dont personally see Trainers standing around talking within them selves I often see trainers walking around talking with members and being rather friendly. The other day I saw a Trainer walk up to a member who was using the bench press and he asked if the guy wanted spotting, he then helped the guy out and corrected his technique, then carried on his way. Very helpful indeed! i also saw on a sepearte occasion one of the sales girls that turns out to be a qualified trainer in the gym helping a member out and told him that his breathing was wrong and explained to him the benefits of breathing correctly. On two seperate occasions very recently I have seen the staff of City Fitness very helpful. I love how the receptionists always greet with a smile and barely ever leave the counter. I asked someone in management about any new equipment and I was assured that she has asked for some new equipment so the ball now is in the city fitness head office's hands. She exlained how she had requested to get rid of some of the more unpopular equipment and try and get some new equipment. she also explained how as City Fitness NP is not locally owned it ment there were certain procedures they must follow which includes certain hours they are allowed to have trainers on the floor. while she didnt agree with the fact they werent allowed paid Gym instructors on the floor at all times, she said they did the best they could with what they were allowed and stretched it out as much as possible. I said to her how there were complaints that this was not the best gym in town and she found it interesting that there were such complaints she said..."well everyone is intitled to their opinion however our numbers are over 2,000 members now so if thats the worst gym in town then why are our numbers showing otherwise?"... I was rather amazed at the amount of members she said there were and I think she has a point. So Shane, are you still a member now? If so...why? as you seem to dislike it so much.I also find it interesting that you then personally attack a blogger on another post telling him he must lift little weights. At the end of the day it made me wonder really what sort of person you are. Do you genuinely have reason to complain or are you one of these posers that sit in the weights area looking at your self in the mirror the lift weights with awful technique, and get all angry when a trainer does actually talk to you regarding your technique. Then you wonder why in years to come your back or shoulders or knees are stuffed. well thats just my personal opinion.
Very interesting posting. Thanks for the info. Keep it coming.
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With the personal trainers they have days about working with their clients and then other days they are scheduled to work the floor to help out anyone who asks, yes if you need help you have to ASK for i, you don't get help if you don't help yourself by asking.
Also whats the difference between an old weights machine and a new weights machine that works out the same muscle groups? your still going to give yourself a good workout.
So what if the staff don't smile at YOU and don't talk to YOU when YOU want them to, can YOU hold a smile permanently all day? do YOU have the mental capacity to deal with 250+ clients a day? yes that's right, 250+ clients walk through the gym doors everyday some in a bad mood some in a good mood.
So before you rant and rave about anything, use your common sense and think before you speak or blog
Just goes to show there is a gym for everyone.
I left Club Health (now Rampage) to join City Fitness because the equipment there "sucked" as it is so elloquently put here. It just didnt suit my needs (and I hated my hands coming off the weights smelling of a mix of rust and others peoples sweat)
Simple advice is if you want to join a gym, go check them all out (most well let you have a trial too) and make your own mind up
hayden, thanks for backing up what I said in my previous post - "there is a gym for everyone"
I had my reasons for leaving Club Health like I said, and I find that City Fitness suits me much better. Maybe I just "fluff around" in your eyes. I do a mix of cardio and weights and enjoy the classes too. I cannot lift anything like the entire stack of weights on any of the equipment and I am quite happy with that. I go to the gym to keep fit and stay in reasonable shape, not to deform my body in to unnatural bulges and ugly shapes. And I find City Fitness suited to my needs. The thought of a gym full of steroid pumped muscle marys would put me off completely.
So it's great to see that New Plymouth has gym for my needs and one for yours also
Hmmmm. So what part of "there is a gym for everyone" is so difficult to understand or accept?
I didnt say anyone there was on steroids - I said going to a gym where they were would put me off. And as for the rust and sweat comment earlier on - as I stated, that was Club Health. I have no idea if the equipment has been changed since it became Rampage. If it has great. And maybe it's only when you have been lifting weights for over 15 years that you actually lift the rubber coated plates rather than the metal bar that the plates go on?! As I clearly haven't got a clue I guess I was doing it wrong by putting the plates on the bar and then lifting the bar instead. Silly me!
I freely admit I lack knowledge on lifting weights greater than the maximum of the machines. I am an athlete not a body builder. I used to train 8 times a week for sport, now I go to the gym for fitness and to stay in shape not to get muscled as I said before. Did I say there was anything unnatural about a 6-pack? I think not. Personnally, I like a gym that has something for everyone. City Fitness suits my needs and as I keep saying in response to the original question, people looking to join a gym should go and try out as many as they can and see which one best suits them. If that is Rampage, or YMCA or Studio Athletica, or whatever then great - go join that one.
Over and out :)
paulie65, it's great to see that you put so much time into researching city fitness new plymouth, maybe you could get a job there?
also maybe next time if you've got the time you could investigate why they have such a large turnover of staff there? surely it can't be that bad to work there could it?
cheers paul and keep up the ood work :-)
Scotslad, it's great to know you've finally found a fitness center that you can call home. there's no denying the passion you have for city fitness new plymouth, maybe you could get a job there too with paul 69? they could do with someone with your passion and experience.
cheers and keep up the good work, maybe you could start your own blog
Klynx-mysr said..."So what if the staff don't smile at YOU and don't talk to YOU when YOU want them to."
Klynx-myser, who said anything about staff not smiling or talking to ME???? but speaking of staff, maybe you could tell me why they have such a larger turnover of staff there?
Klynx-mysr said..."yes if you need help you have to ASK for i".
Klynx-myser, i don't ask for help from anyone who doesn't know what they're doing, that is why i wouldn't ask for help from anyone who works there
Klynx-mysr said..."whats the difference between an old weights machine and a new weights machine"
the difference klynx is that old equipment that has not been maintained properly over the last 3 decades breaks down a lot and does not function as smoothly as it should. someone who pays $17 - $18 a week deserves better than this especially when all the promotional junk mail and website details say "Exceptional Facilities and Equipment".
Not to mention the classic "More Equipment per member - less waiting" which doesn't actually apply to the weights area, hahaha
Klynx-mysr said..."So before you rant and rave about anything, use your common sense and think before you speak or blog"
klynx-myser, maybe it's you that needs to follow your own advice
cheers klynx and god help the 250+ clients that deal with you on a day to day basis, lol
I can offer that you watch out that your wheels don't get clamped in the City Fitness car park.
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Its a nice post and nice blog as well. I am interested in fitness and healthy lifestyle. I never compromised on my fitness and always devote a time for my daily gym workout.
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Unfortunately, I agree with many of the negative comments posted about Cityfitness gyms. My experience is confined to the Thorndon and Willeston Street (both Wellington) branches, though many of the comments above are also relevant to Lyall Bay.
The Willeston Street branch (closest to my work) is by far the worst. Not a day goes by there without half the treadmills being broken or the toilet running out of...you guessed it, poo paper.
Thorndon undertook a major renovation that was very disruptive to its longstanding members, of which I am one. There was little communication from the club, and the "Oops, sorry no hot water" sign appeared on at least three separate occasions. This lack of hot water lasted a whole weekend not long ago.
I am extremely unimpressed with Cityfitness and plan to take them to task on these, and other, issues. Previous posters are correct, nobody is around when you need them - only when you're signing up. On a number of occasions I have dreamed of telling prospectives how bad the place is. One day I will.
Dominic Rogerson, pull your finger out.
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CITYFITNESS PETONE is absolutely rubbish! Equipment is old, broken and the personal trainers there are SH*T! they don't motivate you, contact you if you miss an appointment n yet if they don't receive payments for no service they are more than happy to take you to the debt collectors.. now im paying almost $200 a fortnight for a terminated membership and nothing to show
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