Bally Total Fitness

I like this Bally’s because it’s the closest to my home and I feel comfortable here, although my dad had his locker broken into and had some stuff stolen. Now we just take our things with us.
We recently started going to Powerflex class and we love it! The instructor is nice and caring. I like the indoor pool but there are a lot of old people just sitting around, a little creepy, but better them than a bunch of younger guys making me feel super uncomfortable.
I do wish they had a childcare center here though. That is what dropped them a couple of stars.

I had a bad experience today at Bally’s Long Beach. In fact, it only reaffirmed my current compulsion to drive to Bally’s in Huntington Beach, Cerritos, or even Hollywood to avoid this one! I only broke my own rule because I was attempting to attend a Pilates class. Plus I haven’t been inside this Bally’s since 2005, so I thought I’d give it another shot. Um. Right.
Basically I find this Bally’s location to be old, stinky, and sort of run down and I received bad customer service today. Read on to hear details or just skip to the bottom where I list essential common gym etiquette.
I get to Bally’s Long Beach and am initially ignored by swarthy meathead behind the counter. Yo– Adonis– you’re the check-​in person at Bally’s. Maybe you shouldn’t act like the people checking in are getting in the way of your flexing in the mirror. I ask him where the Pilates class is located because I recall this gym is multilevel and awkward to maneuver through when you’re new. He tells me there’s no class. I politely reply– your web site said there was a class. He lazily pulls out the schedule and confirms there is a class and its $ 3. I run to my car only to find that I have come to the gym without my purse– just my towel, club card and water bottle. Damn. My bad. Is it too much to ask that the f-​ing website provide this detail? Just saying. So I come back into the gym disappointed to miss the class. Swarthy meathead scans my card and I hop on the elevator…
I go to the top floor where the cardio machines are. It’s not too packed and I’m relieved for only a moment because– wait a minute… OMG– (hand over nose) it smells like ass in here! WTF?!! I cautiously walk through the tightly packed bikes, ellipticals and treadmills. I begin to rationalize to myself that I’m in a gym and people are sweating here, when suddenly GODDAMN! I ill fatedly find the culprit! There he is. A man in his late 40’s dripping with sweat on the treadmill releasing a stench of decomposing road kill. This is not a Long Beach thing. I’ve had this experience at other gym locations where theres one guy who smells like a prisoner of war and is funking up the place! I can’t handle it any more!
You might be thinking, Dre– he’s working out. Why don’t you get your ass on the treadmill and do the same? Ok– here’s why. Homie doesn’t smell cuz he’s working out. Yes, we all omit odor after sweating, and if you’re working out and you’re sweating– be proud and good job. You earned that! But sweat, natural sweat does not smell like a two-​ton mountain of manure. Homie smells because he is working out in dirty gym clothes. Like he worked out in them yesterday and threw them back on today giving odor causing bacteria time to grow. YES! Disgusting but true. Think about sweat. It has an odor however, if the smell literally makes me gag– and today it did, Playa– wash your clothes!!! This is basic gym etiquette.
So at this point not only have I missed my Pilates class but now I almost threw up my Special K bar all over the cardio room. I dash to the farthest treadmill, blast my iPod and run my little 3 miles as fast as my Adidas will carry me. While I was angrily running on the treadmill I got to thinking about gym etiquette. I’ve taken the liberty of composing my official list that should be posted in some kind of a rulebook but for now my Unilocal page will have to do. If you belong to a gym, you may consider following these rules so that no one will secretly hate you.
Dre’s Rules for Proper Gym Etiquette:
1) Wear clean clothes to the gym. Every time!
2) Use deodorant, but no heavy cologne, perfume, or scented lotion. I hate that and so does everyone else.
3) After your workout, if you want to take a dip in the pool, do everyone a favor and first– cool down. Wipe off your sweat and maybe even change in to your swimwear before you just jump in. It’s not your personal bathtub dude.
4) Ladies Locker Room: Yes, we are all ladies and have the same bits but I probably don’t need to see yours. Bring a robe or wear your towel. Yes, that is an impressive ample bush you got there ma’am, but do you have to be completely naked while you are blow-​drying your hair? Just wondering.
5) Don’t try to talk to me while I’m running/​working out. I’m not at the gym to meet you, ok homie? Thanks. I really am here to work, so read body language. If you see a girl who looks good but she has her iPod ear buds on and she’s in the middle of sprint, maybe don’t try to chat…
6) Don’t «reserve» equipment. Putting a towel or a water bottle on a treadmill to save for your friend who hasn’t arrived yet is just super annoying!
7) Ladies– invest in a sports bra. It’s key.
8) Group classes: Don’t put your yoga mat in the middle of large opening. It’s like taking up two parking spaces and anyway it doesn’t work. I will ask you to move.
Ok this rant is over and it has made me feel better. Thanks for reading. Besos. Dre

I joined this club back around 1988 when Holiday Health & Racket Company ran it. They ran a beautiful club with lots of classes and plenty of friendly help at every turn. Since Bally’s took over, the place keeps getting more filthy… did someone say skanky?.
Someone mentioned the showers. Oh, those. The showers haven’t been cleaned in 20 years and ¹⁄₃ of the are broken all the time. The pool and spa are so slimy that I stopped using them over 15 years ago because I kept getting colds. This despite a major renovation of them.
Rick V of Bally’s says, «Thanks for bring that to our attention.» WTF… nobody noticed? Why should we have to point out the obvious to your club managers or the district manager?
Holiday used to offer over 30 free aerobics classes per week. I never see the room in use. The only reason I keep a membership is because it is dirt cheap. I’m ready to reconsider spending 6x as much for a real club. I am ready to switch to that club on Bellflower & Spring.
I would give zero or negative stars if possible. I would gladly walk through the club with your district manager of corporate VP to point out all the obvious flaws that he/​she doesn’t seem to notice. Please feel free to contact me.

I, first, joined a gym (Gold’s Gym) when I lived in the Midwest, and I love how clean, sanitary, and well organized they were. The gym staffs were friendly and my fitness trainer was professional. I think I may have gotten spoiled because when I moved to Long Beach and joined this gym, I was horrified.
My first reaction was how the gym staff were so… unfriendly. I moved to SoCal back in January and I’m still fairly new to the people and places around me. I also noticed how people in CA aren’t as friendly as those in the Midwest. So, I thought maybe these gym staffs are just being… er, «Californians.»
Bally’s had me speak to a fitness trainer about my 30 minute complimentary workout. I noticed how the trainer’s eyes kept diverting to the other side of the room as he was speaking! I thought, «How rude!» I honestly didn’t want a trainer or continue to speak to this man, but I didn’t want to be rude and cut him short. So, I let him show me around the gym and schedule me for a half hour session.
So, let’s speed this up a bit and let me tell you what I’ve noticed in the beginning.
1. Tons of hair strands are left unkempt at the sink area (I’m sure members don’t clean up after themselves because there are no paper towels or towels for use)
2. One toilet is left unflushed and another half of a friggen towel is left hanging off of a toilet bowl! Wtf?! Bathroom always smells like it’s never been cleaned.
3. I used their shower ONCE, and I’m so disgusted. It’s like it’s never been cleaned. It stunk and it’s filthy. Like I said, I showered there ONCE. Also, I’ve never stepped foot in the sauna or steam room, so, I can’t say anything about it. However, I’ve heard bad things about it!
4. Weights are left unorganized and placed all over the facility (tripping hazard!)
5. Televisions are set so high on the wall and the treadmills/​elliptical machines are so close to it you’d have to watch a tv through the reflection of a mirror
6. Apparently, the fitness training room had been swept once because there was a pile of trash sitting in the corner of the room until I said something about it… a month later
7. Last but not least, they have only one, I’m assuming, anti-​bacterial spray & paper towels available on each floor for members to clean before & after use. However, it’s not strictly enforced so I noticed several members hardly clean up after using a machine. YUCK.
However, I received training from that same fitness trainer and he has been quite professional and very helpful.
I learned they replaced their janitorial crews and have seen some cleaning improvements. The unkempt sink, stinky bathrooms, and disorganized weights are due to gym members. Then again, it’s not strictly enforced and I’ve never seen a cleaning person downstairs.
From what I’ve been told, no matter how often the staffs try to keep it clean and organized, gym members mistreats it. So, it works both ways.
I realized after being a Bally’s gym member, I never really pay attention to the televisions because I’m working hard on burning calories. Actually, I’m hardly in that side of the room.
Overall, after getting to know some of the trainers and staffs, they are actually pleasant to speak with. I personally think the front desk girls could improve their customer service a little. And there’s not much one can do about preying eyes. You just gotta workout like you’re super pissed off and wear earphones. haha

This place is disgusting.
I have worked in fitness clubs and have been a member at several. This place is by far the worst I have ever paid to belong to. Not only is the equipment dirty, but it seems like they don’t repair the broken equipment very quickly. Also, they make you pay for certain classes… ummm what does the membership cover other than grimy treadmills and missing free weights. Oh, and when you try to leave this nasty gym they make you send a letter in to explain why you want to leave, but continue to charge you until after your paperwork is processed.
I used to live literally right next to one so I joined. After I discovered how horrible the place was I dropped my membership and decided I’d rather drive 20minutes to a decent place than risk getting MRSA at this «fitness facility».

I have mixed emotions about this place. This is one of the nicest Bally’s I’ve ever been to. This place is three stories. The locker-​rooms are nice and big, with its own steam sauna. The second floor has most of the weights and isolation machines, as well as an indoor track. The third floor is full of treadmills, elliptical, bikes, classes, and some isolation machines. The classes are great, and the instructors really know how to give you a great workout. Almost everyone I see there is in shape, or near it… Except most of the people at the pool.
The part that sucks is that I can’t swim there anymore because guys will talk to you, whether super old or young, and they will hit on you whether you’re a man or woman. The guys hitting on you won’t leave you alone and then start to get obnoxious by being loud or trying to stir up some lame conversation. I purposely will have my ear plugs in for two reasons: 1. no water can get in my ears, 2. I can’t hear what other people are saying to me. It gets really annoying and throws monkey wrenches in your work-​out. There’s always old/​fat people in the jacuzzi area and they all just stare at the ones who are lap swimming (me being one of them). That gives me a creepy feeling, like I’m a 13-​year-​old boy being preyed on by a 45 year-​old predator, and being stared at like a steak dinner. Barf! Other than that, I like the place. I just wish that the nasty «hunters» would go away.

I’m giving this gym a very generous 2 star rating only because the classes (spin) are pretty good. Other than that, it’s hard to say anything good about this place. It smells awful, the steam room is disgusting, blah blah…
I’ve cancelled my membership. sorry bally

The facility here is great, but the location leaves more to be desired…
This Bally is a three-​story building. The first floor consists of the lobby, locker rooms, and wet area. The second floor consists of the track, free weights, and machines. The third floor consists of cardio, fitness rooms, and stretching area. With this much space, it’s no surprise at the variety of equipment here. You should be able to easily find a method to work out with.
Other things to consider? There is no smoothie bar, nor is there a kid’s area.
This Bally unfortunately is located in a pretty bad location. The parking lot is extremely small and difficult to navigate when other people are driving. Because it is so close to the traffic circle, actually arriving here can be a challenge until you learn the area.
To alleviate the parking issue, there is a parking structure adjacent to the Bally building. However, this structure isn’t entirely safe. I have heard numerous stories of cars being broken into in this structure. No wonder everyone always waits outside for a spot…

Eeeeew. This place is so incredibly dirty. There was dried blood on the hip adducter! That means to me that :
1– A guest bled all over and no cleaning person was available to clean it?
2– it was there long enough to dry? Ewww.
And why did the staff not seem to be too concerned when it was brought to their attention? Really? Health issues, I think?!
This gym is overcrowded, hot, stinky, poorly ventilated and WAY overpriced. Sweaty and very dirty equipment all the time. Worst gym ever.

BALLY NEEDS TO DIE DIE DIE! AND DIE AGAIN!
If you’re a GIRL, you will get hit on.
If you’re a GUY, you will get hit on. But not by girls.
This place just doesn’t seem clean to me. Their machines look nasty and outdated. And their floors are disgusting. I like to do a lot of stretching and there’s only this one tiny place on the 3^rd floor that will allow me to do so without grossing me out. But with that, you also get 4 sets of googly eyes staring at you when you’re trying to do your thing.
I hate going to the gym alone and my friend Matt used to go with me, until he left me for a different gym… So you’ll be seeing no more of me there! Unfortunately, I got stuck with Ballys from a 3 year contract @ $ 29/​month. I’ve been to this gym about 6 times. I don’t care if I’m paying $ 1,000 for just 6 times. I’m not going back. Period.

When I signed up at 2004 the area where the gym was located was pretty good. But now to 2010 they fired all the clean up crew and fired some of the old trainers because they were asking for too much money. Now they have cleaning contracts that only really clean in the mornings so anyone coming later will come to a mess. The gym itself is decent but if something is broken don’t expect it to be fixed anytime soon. The pool area is probably the direst of them all. The floor of the pool you can clearly see dirt building up down there and in the jacuzzi the dirt makes a swirl like you would see on Jupiter.
This place use to be pretty good but now they hired people who just looking for a place to work out isn’t cutting it.

I decided to make my first visit to the Long Beach Bally on Sunday, so it wouldn’t be as packed as on a weekday afternoon/​evening.
The layout is going to take some getting used to for me, but since I only plan to do cardio, the 3^rd floor is the only one I’ll probably ever see.
I walked through the bathroom to mildly inspect the upkeep. It was clean and slightly updated with newer lockers (same situation as Hollywood one).
My pick for 3 stars is because Im considering that it’s Bally… it’s cheap membership and for me, serves its purpose for when I don’t feel like driving to Fountain Valley to take a Boogie Box Fitness class.
I wont mind going to Bally to get some cardio on bikes & treadmills. I just hope my weekday experience wont be too traumatic.

On the way from Belmont Shore to LB State I stopped by here for a morning workout. The outdoor parking is so-​so and the indoor parking I did not try. I did not see many staff around except for one guy at the front desk. You have to walk up past the dressing area to get to the workout area. The good thing is I did not have any trainers pitching thier training sessions to me.
They had a running track but the floor seemed a bit odd, the shape as well. They had all the equipment I needed except the assisted dip and pull up, these are two of my favorites… Argh…
Disclaimer, I came early morning so it was not terribly crowded but I have not yet tried out the evening or day time during the week. I will probably not be back to this particular gym.

This place is absolutely disgusting. I would rate –10 stars if possible. I only go here sometimes because they are sucking money from my bank account, still.
Anywho, this 3 story building is in a business complex. Parking is either in a parking garage, where it is trashed with food and garbage, and spaces are so damn close to eachother. Or outside.
Inside the bottom floor where the desk is, it looks all nice and clean. Do not let it fool you! You have to walk through a locker room (and see a bunch of naked old saggy skin women) to get to the stairs. And then 3 flights up to the top (cardio) or two flights up (weights/​track to walk).
The third floor is usually 80 degrees or hotter. TVs are usually set to ESPN and TBS, and of course their Bally music channel. The TVs are conveniently placed above all of the equipment, so you are stuck working out with your head hyper extended to view the TV. The machines are probably 10 years old, at least. Most make shreeking noises because they are on their last leg, most of the heart rate monitors don’t work, many times the machines don’t work and they aren’t repaired/​no sign. There is little to no circulation so you are forced to whiff the smelly people around you.
The group exercise classes are pretty good, but each one you have to pay $ 2 – 3 bucks for. Where I am from, those classes were free. Guess things are different in so-​cal.
This entire gym is dirty. You see cleaner people walking around but they aren’t vigorously cleaning. Ideally they should have an autoclave near the exit so germ-​a-​phobes like me could sterilize and kill all of the bacteria I picked up there.
Anyways, I have a countdown going for when my membership is up. March can’t come soon enough…

Something MUST be wrong with me. But I really like this gym. After canceling my 24 Hour membership yesterday, I checked out the Bally website and easily joined a month to month, no contract plan online. Went in this morning gave my first and last name… and bam! I’m a member of Bally again. No sales pitches, no issues with the system just a quick picture for my ID card and I’m off.
Maybe it’s the time I go, I typically go sometime between 7 – 9. Maybe that’s the designated non-​disgusting time? Regardless, screw you for judging me. I like this Bally location… it’s more that just A-​OK in my book, in the words of the Unilocal stars, «Yay! I’m a fan.»
Admittedly, I was next to an annoying lady who kept going on to the girl next to her about how she used to be big too, so don’t worry, keep working out and you won’t be fat anymore. Luckily my headphones saved me from her severely backhanded compliments, or else I woulda thrown down with that lady in the gym this morning. Anyhow, machines are in working condition, they all seem grodiness-​free, the locker rooms… well, I don’t use the locker rooms, but walking through them doesn’t seem horrible.
However…there was the guy talking to the front desk on my way out… something about poop and the men’s locker room… something I didn’t quite want to hear about… headphones to the rescue once again!

Hmmm… I see that this rating is higher than most, but that’s ok… I have my reasons. So it’s not the fanciest or the cleanest place on Earth, but that’s not what I’m paying for anyhow… I just need a place to workout, and the three stories at this location is more than enough. I happen to like the impersonal atmosphere of this Bally’s location; I’m here to exercise, not to make friends! Another thing I like… short wait times for machines. I saw that a couple other reviews complained about this aspect, but I rarely have to wait for anything here, so maybe I’m just going at off-​peak times? Whatever, works for me!
Maybe my review would be a little lower if I spent more time in the locker rooms and showers… but I don’t. I live close enough where I can dress and shower at home.
Two things I don’t like: the old men in the jacuzzi, and the Asian women in the sauna. The jacuzzi guys just sit there, sweat, and ogle people, which is weird. I swim laps in the pool, and usually just skip the hot tub afterwards because it feels odd. As for the Asian women in the saunas (I’m not racist! I’m Asian!), they are always coating themselves with creams and lotions, then sitting in there forever! And they’re loud. Needless to say, I skip the saunas too.
Overall, I’d say this place is worth the $ 0.55 a day that I spend on it!

I agree with all the negative posts here. This is one of the filthiest gyms I’ve ever been to.
The air feels heavy with evaporated sweat, the machines are very close to one another, and the pool is heavily chlorinated to the point where it burns your eyes if you don’t wear goggles.