145th & Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Admittedly, I have been to this location before.  That was before the marathon though (before the "better" me?...let's not stretch it).  I went this past weekend and had a pretty decent workout.

This location is very large and located on two spread-out levels.  The first level has the studio, free weights, most of the machines, treadmills, a few ellipticals, and locker rooms.  The free weight areas are typically very busy with guys on the 'roids (excuse me- "pre-game vitamins" is more appropriate) and can get a little cramped if it's during peak hours, even with the large amount of space available.  For heaven's sake, NYSC, get this place another cable-fly system!

Upstairs has newer machines and the Xpress-line program, two stretching areas, cycling, and plenty of bikes/ellipticals.  Both levels have lots-o-sunlight which is quite delightful.

Locker rooms are OK; they are never completely out of control but not spotless. One huge downfall of the locker rooms is the apparent lack of benches.  Sometimes you just need to sit when putting on your shoes after you sweat out a bottle of wine on the treadmill.  Speaking of treadmills, there are NOT ENOUGH of them here.

And gays.  Not enough gays.

My grade: A

7th Avenue at 10th Street

Fitness tip:  do not workout after brunch.  More specifically after a boozy brunch.

I have walked by this location countless times and have never gone in.  Today was the day!  It was quiet and a little cramped in the lobby.  The first floor is the entrance, lockers are underneath, and then two floors above.  Second floor was cardio and a large studio, and there were plenty of treadmills for all to use.  The best feature of this (gay!) facility was the equipment all overlooked 7th Ave.  Natural light in a gym is the BEST atmosphere.

The third floor (really fourth since you have to walk up two flights of steps...those tricksters) is the weight room.  It was nice and spacious and had everything you need.  Up a few stairs on this floor were the bikes and spin room, but I don't think that counts as "floor four."  Just a subset of floor three perhaps.  Who cares?

The weight room was nice, clean, and open.  Full of natural light.  TINY stretching areas (one tiny one on the second floor and another tiny one on the third floor); I guess people don't stretch or do abs here.  The locker rooms, while having plenty of lockers themselves, were a little cramped and downtrodden.  The most fascinating thing of the day was the naked man who was opening all of the shower curtains and looking inside -- whether or not there was someone showering.  Awkies?  YES.  I chose to bypass the showers since there wasn't a steam room or sauna anyway...and he wasn't really my type.

My grade: B

48th and 6th - Rockefeller Center

I had heard nothing about this location which is odd cause I ran into an old college friend while working out.  Apparently HE doesn't read this blog or he may have chosen another location or advised I avoid this one (ohhh snap!).

The first floor underground had most of the cardio equipment and a very small stretching area.  So small that the man next to me, consciously or not, kept getting up and almost stepping on me.  I was doing SIT UPS.  How do you not see me?!  I was deathly afraid for my iPod and had to move it underneath me to avoid his sneakers of doom.

I felt claustrophobic on this floor and for the life of me didn't know where the free weights were; there were a few machines but that was it.  Finally, behind the bins of dirty towels, I saw two escalators (shout-out to the Wall Street location!  which, btw, I added a snapshot of).  They take you down to the "main" underground level which has all of the weights, the rest of the machines, two studios (plus spinning) and a couple of extra cardio machines.  They had most everything but it was very crowded and cramped.  I'm sure this location is very quiet on the weekends and later at night.

The locker rooms were tiny and gross.  Tiny to the point of proving difficult to walk around people and gross since 1) the floors were wet and 2) if you are in a certain part of the locker room, in order to use the restroom you must walk through the shower area.  That's gross.  Your shoes --- your FEET!  No.  I refused to shower at the end of my workout just assumed "Athlete's Foot shower stalls" would lower the grade a little.

My grade: C-

80th and Broadway

It's a lot of fun to leave a gym and say "wow, what a great facility!" or "man some of the people working out there were easy on the eyes!"

I say no such things about this location.

"6 floors?  Really?" and "Maybe they aren't allowed to vacuum, why else would it be so dirty?" were more along the lines of what I had to say.  I'll put some of the criticism aside and give you the layout (from memory so I may have them slightly mixed up...they had directories on most floors so it wasn't confusing per say, just ridiculously annoying).  First floor is the lobby with the unattractive/awkward management desks directly up front, and a few cardio machines (all ellipticals or variations thereof).  Lower level is men's locker room (small, unkept, humid).  Second floor is the largest with women's locker room, daycare, plenty of treadmills, a stretching area, and a few machines.  Third floor is a small studio and a tiny stretching area (body bars, no medicine balls).  Fourth floor was also small with free weights and the larger machines.  Fifth floor had another studio.

I'm not even going to write more.  It wasn't worth the trip and because of the quality/layout (and clientele) I was no longer motivated to workout. 

My grade: E  (I went to a secondary school whose failing grade was an E not an F.  I know it's weird but it's not my fault; it's how I was raised.)

59th and Park

Do you know how hard it is to walk by Bloomingdale's on your way to workout?  Extremely.

This location was recommended to me by a few people (shout out! except I don't remember who you were...and you probably aren't reading this...so...).  I have to admit it lived up to its reputation.  Nice open lobby leads to ellipticals and a small metal staircase.  Downstairs: locker rooms.  Upstairs: more cardio and a neatly designed studio.  Upstairs: the weight room.  Upstairs: stretching, newer machines.  Downstai...wait...what the HELL are all of these stairs for?  So that's the one downfall: you have to keep going up and down and up and up and down if you want to workout.  That being said, my legs look GREAT!

The weight area was nice and bright if not a little cramped, but they had most everything you need.  Lots of cardio up (and then down) the stairs.  The locker rooms were very nice, tidy, and plenty of towels.  No steam room, but the sauna was extra hot.  I noticed two funny things about the locker room however: 1) none of the curtains fully covered each shower stall, so you had better work out your, uh, lower body before you finish and 2) the urinals are SO HIGH.  Seriously.  I'm average in height and I was on my tip toes in order not to just pee on the floor.  They are basically encouraging people to pee in the showers which, going back to number 1, everyone would see because of the curtain flaw.

My grad: A-

52nd and Broadway

One word: HOT
Two words: HOT twin
Three words: HOT twin brothers.

And that, in itself, is the reason to go to this gym.  However, if you aren't as fortunate as me to pick an AMAZING time to visit this location (see above) it's actually not bad sans-brothers (should I name the brothers?  or is that weird?).

The upstairs is small, just the entrance and a few cardio machines.  There are more cardio machines downstairs, but not many; this location was definitely lacking on cardio if you are more of the runner/eliptical type than the classes/weights/yoga ball type.  The downstairs is one large room with numerous and various weights and machines.  Oddly, most of the machines are not the typical white, but colored (anyone remember DZ the Discover Zone?  Yeah...take out the children (yay!) and replace the "adventure wall" with a smith press and you can start to imagine what it looks like).

Relative to how much cardio this club has to offer the stretching area was ample.  While dim, there are plenty of mirrors everywhere to check yourself out (or Marcus and Sam, as I have now named the twins) and to make the place seem larger.

Locker room wise I was a little turned around and upset.  Let me explain: there is, oh god I don't think I can even say it, NO sauna and NO steam room.



I'll give you a minute.



There ARE plenty of shower stalls (which resemble bathtubs that are standing vertically and if you are over 6' good luck fitting into them) and towels, so I wasn't completely devastated.  Not the tidiest of locker rooms however...

My grade: B

Virginia Sports Clubs?

Off to the south for a week.  I will either come back fat/disgusting but completely motivated...or just fat/disgusting.  Only time will tell.