Houston Gym

This was my second home for 1 year and I could not have asked for a better place. This guys are so nice and friendly everyone knows everybody and everybody knows your name!!!

I’ve been going to Alex for three years now and he’s very professional, very knowledgable, is never late and never cancels on our appointments.
He can accommodate pretty much anybody depending on their workout goals. He’s versatile and has changed up my workouts several times so that I don’t get bored. He’s encouraging and kind.
I highly recommend Alex for your personal trainer.

If you want a fancy pants gym, get out.
I love Houston Gym because:
* The gym is not fancy, but has everything I need.
* Everyone who works out here minds their own business. I don’t feel judged. I was terrified of the gym 8 months ago, but there is nothing scary here.
* Front desk people are extremely nice and they seem to know a lot of guests by name, which doesn’t usually happen in bigger gyms.
* I usually avoid peak hours (4:30−6:30), so when I go there’s no waiting for machines
* Parking lot attendant
If you are looking for a good trainer, Ash is your guy. I’ve been working with him for the past 6+ months. He is an excellent trainer! My first few sessions I was really frustrated with how out of shape I had become, but he showed a lot of empathy and gave me the confidence to keep going! We are always doing new exercises and he keeps my workouts varied.

Best gym in the Houston area!!! Staff is very knowledgeable, they have the best equipment, tons of cardio, updated changing rooms and showers and they also offer tons of classes, tanning & massage. 5 star rating!

Summary: High pressure sales, contract impossible to cancel, gym just so-​so without all the bells and whistles you can find elsewhere for less money.
Did you find it odd that they don’t disclose pricing online or over the phone? That’s because they want you to go there in person so they can look you over and make a personalized sales pitch. I fell for it! The Y downtown is sooooo much nicer, but the high pressure sales pitch at the Houston Gym is hard to resist, especially when they start talking about your weight loss goals or your eating habits. So, then you sign this contract for a gym that costs more than the Y but has fewer amenities. The Y has a steam room, a pool, child care, hot tub, and adequate parking (none of which you will find at the Houston Gym).
Before you sign the contract READ THE FINE PRINT! Is it really a one year contract? Nope — it automatically renews every year unless you cancel. But cancellation isn’t all that easy. Is their a cancellation fee? YUP! $ 200 cancellation fee. How do you cancel? You have to send a cancellation notice in writing via certified mail to a certain address. Try to cancel any other way (like regular mail, email, or a phone call) and they might just ignore your request and keep charging you because you agreed to those terms when you signed the contract.
After they lock you in with a one year automatically renewing contract in which the rates automatically increase every year (yup), if you want to cancel, they make that just as difficult even if you have a legitimate reason for cancellation. You cannot call and cancel your membership over the phone. They want you to come in personally, again. Do you wonder why? Again, its so they can convince you not to cancel.
I had to cancel my membership because I was relocating to another city. I called and told them that I was moving and they said that they couldn’t cancel me over the phone — that I would have to come in in person. I said «No, I told you I am moving out of Houston.» Then I was told that a manager would call me back within thirty minutes to discuss whether I could cancel over the phone. Then I tried sending a message through their website messenger, saying that I wanted to cancel my membership. No, they don’t provide an actual email address on their website so you can’t document your requests by sending emails :(
So I finally called the gym again and asked to speak with the manager. They transferred me over to him (Matt). The early termination fee was $ 199 ($ 215.42 after taxes) and he wouldn’t waive the fee for me even though I have no choice but to cancel due to the move. So, I had to pay $ 215.42 for absolutely nothing.

This gym is great! Pretty crowded on Mondays after work, but I always seem to find an available elliptical or treadmill to use. So don’t worry about how full it may seem. There is always enough room.
They give you free towels! The staff is friendly for the most part. Parking can seem like an issue, but they have multiple parking lots you can use and I almost always find a good spot.
There is a parking attendant who will help you find parking spots, and he is always ready to help you!
The best thing about this gym is the small neighborhood feel, I also looked at LA Fitness but decided to join Houston Gym because they didn’t try to push a membership down my throat.

We’ve been going to this gym for a while and never had any issues. The trainers are awesome and the people that go there are very respectful. Last Monday, however, our car was broken in to, In the middle of the day in broad day light and parked on the wall closest to the building itself. They have 24 hour surveillance signs posted everywhere yet their day guard was out for eye surgery (something that is clearly scheduled out) and they didn’t hire anyone else to replace him for the time being. When we talked to them about looking at the security camera tapes we were told that the camera was conveniently not aimed anywhere near our car. So now I’m out $ 300 dollars for a window and another $ 300 dollars for personal valuables.
Their offer was an apology and 1 free month…1…because $ 75dollars will pay for at the least my window… it won’t.
So think about that before you guys join.

This place is always crowded unless you go on the weekend. Not an enjoybale place to work out whatsover. They will sell as many memberships as they can. Don’t plan on sticking to a nightly routine because it never works.

At first this gym seemed ok, they have enough equipment and the trainers are nice. They also offer classes at later hours, which I like. Towards the end of my contract though, it was sooo crowded. You had to wait to even get a treadmill. All of the classes were jam packed and even the parking was a mess. All I ever got to do was the elliptical or stationary bike cause every thing else was taken. I don’t live nearby so I only came during after work hours which I am aware can be more crowded. But waiting 45 minutes for a treadmill? :(Always left me disappointed. Plus all of the free weights and machines were surrounded my at least 20 jocks and trainers trying to talk over the noise. Trying to walk to the locker room was a bitch! I prefer my gym to be a little less crowded. But if your going to talk shop and look pretty, by all means, give them your money.

I love this gym. It is a gym for results. The trainers are great and fun to be around even if you aren’t directly working out with one. The clientele are usually gym savvy and put their weights up, don’t hog a piece of equipment, don’t leave sweat all over a bench, and most of all are there to get a good work out– not text on their damn phones! The clientele is also a mixed group of a few high school kids, house wives, professionals, my elders (who are doing an awesome job of keeping fit), and fellow competitors. So if you want to train for a competition to just being able to live a healthy lifestyle, this is the best gym hands down. From hardcore to beginners it really does fit for everyone.
I can also get in and out in about 45 minutes even at the high traffic times of the 5:00 — 6:00 after work rush. Only because of the aforementioned savvy clientele not camping out on equipment. Giant plus considering this is not a huge gym.
Note: this is not one of those shitty corporate gyms. If something breaks, it gets fixed. The trainers actually do know how to work you out for your goals and care about those results. The sales people are not high pressure and won’t hound you.

Great local gym! The staff is great! I love the equipment and classes. The instructors are great. My favorite instructors are Lisa and Joe. Most personal trainers have been there a long time. I have trained with Brady and he has helped with my fitness goals.

I read up on this gym before joining, and was a little apprehensive before visiting.
The gym is a small neighborhood place, friendly people. When I toured the place, it was a simple but clean facility. I signed up for one year paying up front, it was cheaper that way. I’m sure trying to break that contract would be difficult, but I know that going in and plan to stay for the full year at minimum.
They have convenient hours and are really only packed when you might expect in the mornings before work and from 430 to about 630, so I try to stay away then. Signing up gets you three free training sessions which were great, and I’ve even had trainers approach me when it’s slow and give me a free session — that’s always pretty cool.
The equipment is a mix of old/​new and cardio/​resistance. Everything you might expect in a gym. I see more of the body builder types here than I have at other gyms. Sometimes that’s a little intimidating, but everyone is pretty nice. I like to come in, do my thing, and leave. Most people who come here are the same way, it’s not an extremely social place.
Overall, I’m happy with this gym and will stay on another year.

Great local small gym with none of the wasteful perks like the big name gyms. What earns them 5 stars in my opinion is one the their personal trainers, Luke. He is phenomenal at what he does and it shows through his willingness and passion to get you where you need to be. He’s a huge motivator and doesn’t put up with you trying to just go through the motions. If you decide to join I would suggest to only go with Luke as your personal trainer. I can’t speak for the other trainers, but you can clearly notice his work ethic and drive from a quick observation around the gym.
My one complaint is that I have requested an account history be emailed to me so I can verify all of the charges and I have only received vm’s to discuss instead of following through with my request to have it emailed to me.

BUYER BEWARE
Decent gym but just like all the big box gyms the sales guy lies to get you to sign their ‘agreement’ then you find out you’re locked into a contract you’ll never get out of.
STAY AWAY

I enjoy being a member here. It’s a small community gym with a friendly staff and good enough facilities for me.
Yes, it’s probably impossible to get out of the contract…
Yes, the staff changes often…
But isn’t this ALL gyms? As far as I’m concerned people that work at gyms and are obsessed with the only the outside of their bodies are not that great on the inside.
I just go in there and do my thing, don’t really chat with others, and go on with my day.

After 5 years, I finally cancelled my membership here. It was definitely like breaking up with a boyfriend… or moving cities and saying bye and leaving a familiar place.
I LOVED Houston Gym. Sometimes I was there up to 6 times a week. I first signed up in 2007, before the Washington boom and before all those townhouses in Rice Military starting popping up. The gym was small and comfortable. It never got too crowded and I enjoyed the group class schedule. The staff were always personable and it was always a friendly atmosphere.
The keyword being «WAS».
At some point they stopped caring. I heard from people I know in the industry that the owner is selfish and only speaks and reads $$$$. The turnaround for trainers is just as bad as how often Paris Hilton changes sex partners. So if you get comfortable with your trainer, be prepared to either follow him/​her to their next gym or accept a new replacement if and when they leave. They also switch around the classes and the group X instructors. There’s only one fitness classroom, so once they change the schedule, you might have to make adjustments to your workout routine.
I started getting fed up last year when they replaced a spin class with some pussy, non-​sense Bollywood dance class. And then they replaced my favorite Zumba instructor (William) with some chick (what’s-her-face) whose lack of energy and spunk killed any motivation to work out. I can say that with confidence because I was the only Zumba student in that class who has been there for 5 years. I’ve seen them all, and I’ve only seen it get worse.
BEFORE YOU SIGN UP, READ UP:
— Joining the gym means you are signing away your life to this gym for 2 years. You are obligated, by contract, to continue paying your monthly dues for 2 years.
— IF you cancel (for whatever reason, they don’t give a shit) you are liable to pay some ridiculous fee to break the contract
— Even if you do break the contract, pay the fee OR if you cancel after the 2 years, observe your bank account like a hawk. Their shitty accounting system is known to continue billing you. Feel free to call and cuss them out if they do.
— DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $ 30. God, why can’t they come up with some fixed monthly rate like Fit Gym? Everyone I’ve spoken to at that gym pays a different range — anywhere from $ 18 — $ 50. I was paying $ 40 for 2 years until I found out a friend only paid $ 30. Once I confronted Houston Gym about it, they lowered it down to $ 30.
The only thing about that gym that I miss is the convenience (3 min away) and my favorite instructors Joe Perez and Whitney. Also that Mexican parking attendant in the evenings who always says «hi» and gives me priority parking because I’m his «friend.» Otherwise, I’m glad I made the switch to Fit Gym. Good riddance.

They have plenty of cardio equipment. I have never seen anyone having to wait. They have a varied class schedule all throughout the day. There are always lots of employees out on the gym floor.
It is not the fanciest or glitziest of gyms if that is what you are looking for this place isn’t for you. If you want somewhere that you can go get a good workout then this is.

This really is just a regular, old school gym.
They are very upfront about their pricing and you don’t feel like you just bought a used car when you sign up.
It is never crowded (except Monday’s between 5PM and 8PM), and the people there are friendly. I much prefer this no frills aproach to a gym to some of the big chain gyms.

So, you are looking for a medium sized gym and are tired of the giant box gyms like 24 hour fitness? Look no further than Houston Gym. I found this place through a trainer I was working with. This is one of the few gyms I have found that allow independent trainers to work here, meaning, they are not employed and are required to follow a training plan set by a company like 24hr fitness. This also means you have more control negotiating rates.
As far as the gym goes, their hours are not 24 – 7. However, they do open at 5am M-​F and at 8am on the weekends. The equipment is a mixture between new and old (which is sometimes a good thing — some of the older stuff has stuck around for a reason.) The gym lacks a little on the cardio equipment, but they have enough to get the job done. They also have one room upstairs that hosts classes like spinning, ect. — you just have to check the schedule. Essentially, Houston Gym is no frills, but the regular crowd and staff is friendly. Gym membership rates are pretty reasonable as well. Typically there is some promotional deal, but eventually you will end up paying a monthly rate of around $ 30.

Stay away from this gym. Far away. I was a member of Houston Gym for two years, and from the first pushy, obnoxious sales pitch to the final fight over membership cancellation, it was a disaster.
My husband and I started with a one-​year membership and also both got personal training. Our personal trainer and the closeness of the gym to our house were the only reasons we continued our membership, month-​to-​month, in the second year. Throughout, billing was opaque and needlessly complicated. I found myself arguing over charges many times, and I know I am not alone in this — several times, I overheard arguments over credit card charges at the front desk as I was working out.
The sales staff are irritating, and don’t think you’re done with them once you sign on. When your membership comes up from renewal, you become like carrion, and every staff member is a vulture. They work on commission, so they’ll fight over you, putting you in the very awkward position of having to choose who you allow to do your renewal.
You will never get a refund here, no matter how compelling your case. We sunk tons of money into that gym and were model customers, but when we suddenly had to move out of state, several hundred dollars in leftover training sessions disappeared into the owners’ pockets. No concept of rewarding loyal customers at Houston Gym. The staff is trained to block complaints and you will never, ever get to talk to the owner about issues — he likes to be a «man behind the curtain» who never has to face his own clients.
You’ll see people defending this gym as a «no frills» neighborhood place, but there’s «no frills» and there’s «dump,» and this place is a dump. It’s very crowded, and machines are often broken. Bathrooms/​locker rooms are small and prone to toilet overflow issues. The entire place has a strange disinfectant smell that sinks into your clothes.
Seriously, why put up with all the shady financial stuff and obnoxious sales techniques for a tiny, smelly, substandard gym? Other places have the same equipment and won’t go out of their way to bilk you.