Virgin Active Health Club

Virgin Active Frenchs Forest
As are most things engaged in by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Active is a full-​on experience. You can see the gym for miles; its distinctive red signage is hard to miss amidst a Frenchs Forest business park. The intensity is matched, even outdone by the staff — upon entering the gym (following the signs saying «In, Out, Shake It All About» and presenting your card, you are smiled at within an inch of your life by extremely shiny, happy people who all seem to know you by name, exclaiming their hopes for you to «HAVE A GREAT WORKOUT».
To be fair, it’s pretty hard not to; the gym and its facilities are world class. The selection of classes — everything you’ve ever heard of — Cycle, Pilates, Body Pump, Circuit — is well catered for, plus everything you’ve got no idea about, but now want to try. Ki Max (a mixture of boxing and kick boxing), anyone? Powerplate Core? Dynamic Yoga? U-​Bound Trampoline Sessions? Amazing. The front desk staff’s enthusiasm is matched by that of its personal trainers and instructors, whose classes you certainly wouldn’t want to attend with a headache… But then, what is a gym for, if not enthusiasm for getting fit?
If classes aren’t your thing, you needn’t panic; there are more than enough alternatives to get you up and running. Virgin Active boasts an impressive range of cardio machines, many of which feature personal televisions and a selection of Foxtel channels, plus the usual lineup of weights machines. There is also a more than adequate supply of various fitness-​related things; Swiss Balls, Free Weights, Skipping Ropes, Yoga Mats, Medicine Balls…
If you don’t feel like engaging in one of these taxing activities, you could always swim a few leisurely laps in the 50m pool? Sit in the biggest spa I have ever seen? Steam up in the sauna? Brace yourself in the plunge pool? Send your kids off to the free childminding service for the day? Use the free computers? Grab a copy of the newspaper? Get a coffee at the onsite café? For me, the most difficult thing about going to the gym is not getting the motivation to go, but deciding what to do upon arrival.
The only downside of having options to suit everyone is that everyone seems to be there. Virgin Active is always busy, and if you live in the area, you will invariably see someone that you know there. However, there is a method to the madness — to go to a class, you must first book in to it online. Three failures to attend within a month mean you’re banned from classes for a month. Not a bullet proof system by any means, but it attempts to ensure that classes aren’t tooooooo overcrowded.
While not cheap, membership of Virgin Active comes at a mere $ 25/​week for students and a little bit more for adults. Like all gym memberships, as soon as you start to not use it, it gets really expensive. But for all this — provided you do actually get up and go to the 8am class you booked — it’s worth it.