YMCA

The YMCA offers one of the best gym experiences in Ann Arbor, and it’s a real shame that the existing Unilocal reviews don’t properly capture that sentiment.
1. For those that complain there aren’t enough treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals, there are 10 of each that sit in the massive cardio section. It does get busy from 5−7pm, but that’s a real testament to just how popular the Y is. I personally have never had a problem accessing any of the cardio equipment.
2. There is now a squat rack, which was a recent addition last month accompanying the pre-​existing Smith rack. There are also four flat benches, two flat bench presses, two decline benches, and one incline bench. While it may get crowded at times, I’ve never had to wait longer than 5 minutes to use a bench.
3. Other amenities include a wide selection of free weights, many weight machines, mats, free towels, several studios that offer a variety of classes, a gymnasium on the third floor to play basketball or run around the track, several pools, a waiting area and locker rooms complete with showers and a sauna.
4. Cleanliness is a big thing at the YMCA as friendly employees are constantly emptying out towel bins, picking up loose weights and offering their help. This is definitely one of the cleanest gyms I’ve ever been to.
5. Parking is a tough thing in downtown Ann Arbor but the Y has multiple parking options for members. The parking lot located right underneath the Y is quite pricey but there is a cheaper option ($ 5/​month) that gives you access to a city parking lot only a few minutes walk away.
6. Cost — there’s a really good deal for young adults (age less than 30) that costs $ 33 a month but there’s an even better scholarship for people who have a limited income or are saddled with student loans (i.e. college and graduate students). All you have to do is fill out a form and submit a W2 form and a copy of your class schedule, and you’ll be approved for a scholarship where you essentially pay $ 7/​month for membership. I challenge you to find a cheaper membership for such a nice gym facility in Ann Arbor or even in all of Michigan. Alternatively, you could pay the $ 99/​month for Anytime Fitness or even the $ 20/​month for Planet Fitness, but for the location, price, and equipment, you’ll find that the YMCA is really the best that Ann Arbor can offer.
Disclosure — I am in no way affiliated with the Ann Arbor YMCA, I am just a very happy regular.

Currently a member at the Y, and although not it’s not along the lines of say, an Anytime Fitness it’s certainly not in the same genre as a Lifetime Fitness. While the gym satisfies my usual needs at a decent price ($ 33 a month for adult under 30) I can’t say it’s the best gym I’ve ever belonged to.
Parking is a pain if you don’t come when they open or right before they close. There’s street parking and a lot you can use if you pay the Y for the privileges.
Very limited amount of equipment. Come at peak time, and you’re waiting around for a treadmill because they have so few. They seem to have a ton of ellipticals and stair climbers though. Weight area is fairly small.
45 min limit on cardio equipment. This does not bode well for runners who need to run anything more than 4 – 5 miles; you have to leave your treadmill mid-​run to re sign up for your spot. I get it’s supposed to make it so everyone has a chance to grab the machine they want, but it’s a serious damper sometimes.
I’ve yet to use the pool as the lap pool seems crowded always. I’m talking you won’t even get a lane to yourself at 5:30 am.
However, it’s a fairly clean facility and family friendly. I’m not a huge fan of kids/​teens running around the cardio room, but to each their own.

They don’t offer a one day option for visitors. First YMCA I’ve encountered while traveling which doesn’t

The only reason I am able to give this facility two stars is 1. Modestly priced for all it comes with and 2. It is close to my work.
However, anyone that has been to a quality weight room/​gym will be extremely disappointed with the weight room as well as the restrictive rules of the free weight section.
The place is a zoo anytime after 5 PM and when you do get your hands on the weights you need, dear God, whatever you do, dont drop them THE LEAST bit aggressive or you will be swarmed by staff condemning you.
I am not one to grunt or clang weights, but when you are looking to gain strength, you need to lift heavy weights! This is not okay by YMCA standards and if you cant control the weights with a controlled, delicate handling throughout, its too heavy for you!
I also understand being careful with the weights preserves the longevity of them, but if I am deadlifting and you have to tell me I am going down too hard with the weights and to be mindful of the offices beneath, thats a major design flaw.
Wouldnt recommend this place to anyone who is serious about lifting.

It is really crowded and the way the exercise area is set up is really complicated. Also they only have a family pool and a lap pool and the family pool is tiny and shallow and it is filled with little kids. So if you want spend time in the water for something other than laps then you are out of luck.

Such a turn off the moment you walk in, very unfriendly staff which makes them unprofessional. most gyms someone will show you around, here you are not greeted with a welcome or anything except to sign something before you can have a look around. Due to the unfriendliness here, we will not be joining. I would not want to use the child care facilities here for our little one with the displeasing attitude they have. They need to replace all if not most of the employees and put in those who care about their jobs and the people coming in. This truly is NOT a family friendly place as it is meant to be!

This YMCA, with thousands of square feet and millions of dollars of equipment, is unusable for any person serious about getting fit. I’m an away member and my visit was exceedingly short; my review is about a single segment of the facility.
I came here while on a business trip. Today happens to be leg day. I walked to the enormous second floor and was confronted by cardio machines as far as my little eyes could see. I went around the corner to the weight training area; I saw rows of machines.
Tucked at the far end of the floor was a crowded free-​weight area. There was (if memory serves me) One flat bench, one decline bench, one incline bench and one smith rack. ZERO bar bell squat racks. Millions of dollars of equipment and no squat rack!
Cardio is not fitness, it is a fleeting solution to a calorie imbalance. If you need to stare mindlessly in to space while flailing your limbs about, your problem is in your kitchen. A middle-​aged woman would lose far more fat by performing compound movements with maximum resistance. Further, anyone would see greater benefit from doing 3 sets of squats than pounding it out on an elliptical for an hour. That is not an option at this YMCA. Instead of encouraging people to seek real fitness, they inadvertently perpetuate the myth that lifting is for meat-​heads and machines and cardio are all the average person needs.
After 5 minutes of searching for some hidden racks, I returned to my Holiday Inn 10×10 after-​thought of a work out room. The weight was limited but even it had a barbell squat rack.

The Y is a great community center. The equipment is in good order and I like the feel. However, the parking is terrible and this really makes it hard to use the facilities.

I love the Y because it is so community oriented. The have so many programs for families, and tons of classes in addition to tons of equipment, a sauna, and 2 pools. The only thing I don’t really like is the smell of the men’s locker room.

I want to preface this by saying that I understand that this is a family-​oriented YMCA, open to all ages an dall fitness levels/​goals. That being said–
The fitness center is horrendous. They have an abundance of cardio equipment which dominates the space. Unfortauntely, that means that the freeweights are crammed into a tiny area. Not only is the free weight area crowded, but the lines that form for classes outside of the fitness studios spill into the limited workout space. Also, the layout is cramped, as there is little room for dumbbell exercises and little room to move around stationary areas like the bench presses, cable machines, and smith machine. Also, there are a lot of members who do exercises requiring a lot of space (like barbell cleans/​jerks) in open areas where others try to walk– though its not their fault that there isn’t ample space/​equipment for such exercises.
On top of the layout, and probably my biggest gripe about the place, are the number of inconsiderate and unsafe users. During peak hours, its is not uncommon to see one person using two becnhes and 4 sets of dumbbells. The lack of equipment/​space is bad enough, but the lack of consideration just adds to the frustration. Another problem that is actually frightening is the number of folks using the facitlity in an unsafe manner. Take a look around and you’ll see someone using too much weight without a spotter or using poor form while wildly throwing weights into the air. I’ve almost been clipped several times by folks not paying attention and using too much weight. I’ve also had people not paying attention literally run into the bar as I was using the bench press.
The most frustrating part of the whole situation is the total lack of involvement of the staff. Weights are left strewn about the free weight area and young kids (early teens) are left to their own devices with little to no staff supervision. I’ve actually watched as a parent brought their child (no older than 12) into the free weight area while they were working out and left him to «play» with the weights and benches– again ZERO reaction from the staff… but there were towels to be folded, so I guess they were busy.
All in all– the facilities are in good shape– just poorly laid out and completely mismanaged my the staff. The memberships are cheap enuogh, but VERY comparable to other gyms in the area who are run much better than the Y.

I was a member of the YMCA 2009 – 2011 or so, and have since given up my membership. It is a beautiful facility– a beautiful facility, that the Y agonized over when planning the replacement of the old building… So, they threw out all the near homeless folks, and built a shiny new monument to low-​priced daycare for harried parents. And yet for all this planning– it is way too damn small.
The pool is impossibly crowded at peak times– and the available open swims were not a good for my schedule. Cardio machines also in short supply at peak times. And the weight room is crowded. The parking situation is, of course, dreadful, as if they assumed that the only Y in the county would only serve a select few on Ann Arbor’s West Side and that nobody would want to drive to the YMCA…
As well as being too small, they skimped on some amenities. No steam room, so dimwitted clients would constantly dump quarts of water on the pitiful dry sauna, nearly destroying it, frequently breaking it and rendering the DRY sauna a disgusting unsanitary nightmare.
But a deeper problem with the Y is the oppressive «family friendliness.» «Family friendly» is not interpreted to mean «…a welcoming place for families», but rather «…an environment hostile to anyone who does not have children.»
They have four or five locker rooms– one for men, one for women, one for boys, one for girls and, I think even a *family* locker room. And YET with all of this accommodation– thoughtless men would bring their 4 or 5 year old sons and daughters into the men’s sauna. Fun. Does the staff do anything about this? No.
Two kids decided they need to play in the deep end of the pool during lap swim monopolizing two lanes? That’s swell. Does the staff care? No.
I like the diversity of people at the Y. But you can be welcoming and not allow the children tyrannize the entire experience. One way? Later hours or longer hours on the weekends. The management took a very dim view of such suggestions.
The staff was– meh, mostly disengaged college age types.

The staff was courteous, and hours flexible enough that I was able to swim whenever I wanted to. I love the things in the locker room that spin your bathing suit almost dry; I wish there was one at my YMCA!

Stupid freeweight setup. They have 3 bench presses, but no squat racks. They have a crappy Smith machine and the manager seems to think that is better than a free weight squat rack. When asked if they would put in a squat rack, they said «sorry, we’re out of space». Maybe you should look at how your equipment is actually used? The weight area is packed, but of course nobody is using the Smith machine…

For gyms in Ann Arbor, this place is pretty awesome. It’s cheap compared to a lot of places at $ 30/​mo for a young adult individual and a modest start-​up fee ($ 35). There are tons of amenities and things to do, from lots of cardio machines (elliptical, treadmills, AMT, stair stepper, ArcTrainer, stationary bikes, etc), free weights, and weight machines. There are also numerous studios which provide a variety of classes (some free for members, some at reduced-​cost for members) including common classes such as yoga (both Iyengar and Vinyasa), pilates, and spinning, but also fun classes such as cardio karate, adult dance classes, and boot camp. They have multiple courts for basketball, soccer, or gymnastics and an indoor track that’s wonderful in the wintertime. The atmosphere is great for people, like me, who are just aiming to be fit and healthy; I’ve never felt judged, uncomfortable, or «out-​of-​place» in any part.
There are a few drawbacks, though. Since it is a «family-​based» gym, the two pools are a lap pool (5 – 6 lanes, usually full and rotating swimmers) or a smaller pool which is usually full of families and children. There really isn’t a pool for those who want to do slow laps or other water exercises. In relation to kids and families, though, they do have separate locker rooms for women with children and a women’s only locker room (and similar for men).
When it comes down to it:
PROS:
Awesome/​helpful staff, always clean, reservation system for cardio machines during busy times, ample magazines/​TVs, new equipment and facilities, clean/​stocked locker rooms with a sauna, class offerings, parking
CONS:
Small pool, weekend hours (7a-​7p), can be busy at times

Pros:
— Sauna is so relaxing after (or sometimes instead of) a workout.
— Generally not crowded except for after work, which is unavoidable and has been the case at every gym I’ve ever been to.
— Facilites have everything I need, including pool, tons of free weights, medicine balls, spin bikes, treadmills, a running track that I’ve never used, etc.
— Towel service for free.
— Prices are very reasonable.
Cons:
— Crowded after work (but everywhere is).
— Showers are out of soap 90% of the time.
— Towel service only gives you one small bath towel.
— Classes aren’t the greatest and have an additional cost over membership.
— Closes rather early on the weekends (6 or 7PM).

The dirtiest lap pool I’ve ever swum in. There were swirling dust devils of dark crap at the bottom of the pool. Those are skin cells and oil. They do give you towels which is great but the lap pool is too warm, too chlorinated, and strangely filthy. I came as a guest from champaign y and since I use the gym for swimming I will never become a member here

For gyms this is pretty good. I really enjoy the pool and the weight room its just that if you don’t pick the right time to go you will be stuck playing the waiting game. The pool can be very nice but again if you go at the wrong time you will have at least 2 others in your lane and its very annoying when you are swimming timed sets and 2 people are just doing kick boarding, or some larger person doing some form of water aerobics.
Still for the price and everything its pretty solid.
Good luck with parking

The pros have been recognized by several reviews: big pool, clean facilities, good customer service and childcare services (etc.) get my respect.
My biggest gripe is the $ 100 sign-​fee. If you let your membership lapse for more than 90 days you have to pay $ 100 again. That does seem like a punitive thing, and a money-​grab.

The good: Mostly friendly staff, good hours, good vibe, nice mix of people, impressive facility, easy member’s guest pass system, great price
The disappointing: In my experience, it’s elbow-​to-​elbow at almost all times of day in the weight training area. There are more weights than space and benches to use them. Kinda bizarre. People are working out in the entryways of studio classrooms. Also, there aren’t enough mirrors to check form.
If you’re not interested in weights, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. There is a sea of cardio equipment, pool, and track.

The Y was my first gym, and I’m very glad its where I started out.
Pros:
–In addition to convenience of location during grad school, I appreciated their young adult pricing and the availability of some free classes.
–Being a community health center type of place instead of a «power gym», it was much less intimidating to me when I was getting started. A lot of families, older people, etc., alongside the young and fit made me feel less like a chubby loser and more like someone just trying to make some healthy life changes. This really made a difference when I was just getting started, and having a hard time with motivation.
–SAUNA!
–Magazines and towels. My new gym doesn’t offer these, and I’m realizing how nice it is to have them available.
–It is always very clean. Through the AWAY program (limited reciprocal use in other cities) I’ve visited some other Ys and seen that they’re not always as nice.
–A good variety of fitness equipment and props
–I loved how a few times a year they would issue a fitness challenge (500 minutes of cardio in 30 days, 25 workouts in 2 months) and there would be some small prize (a water bottle, a bag, etc.). I didn’t always make it, but it helped to break up my routine to add that extra challenge every once in a while.
–Super friendly staff. Even though you can can check in without interacting with the staff, I was always greeted with a smile when I walked in.
Things like this made the Y a place that really seemed to be doing good work, and that I wanted to support. I would still be there if I hadn’t moved too far away to visit often.
Cons:
–I wish they were open a little earlier/​later on the weekends.
–Sometimes in January it would get kind of full as people got into their NY resolutions, but by March it would usually slow back down.
–Once I hit my late 20s it became a bit pricey, but I definitely felt I was getting a lot for my money (see above), and the «family» definition and pricing made it possible for my roommate and I to share a membership and save some cash.