Total Fitness Review

Overall Rating

Have a good range of equipment, classes and pools. You can use any TF gym if you are a member of one of them. Use some good instructors.

Maintenance can be sluggish sometimes, and they do seem reticent to replace things like worn carpets or equipment. Often pieces of equipment are out of order for a while before repair. Air conditioning would be nice as it doesn't seem to be universal.

I've been a member of Total Fitness for maybe 5 or more years now, first at Walkden and latterly at Wakefield. I've also used their gyms at Preston, Stafford and Huddersfield. There is a good deal of variation between branches. Walkden was one of the first and was looking tired by the time I last used it (in mid 2007), though it may have had a makeover in that time for all I know. Wakefield is not too bad, though there are persistent problems with some of the studio equipment, such as the head mics the instructors wear (often broken), and some of the step boxes have cracked bases which could be dangerous. The temperature regulation in the studios (actually in the whole gym) is pretty poor. Sometimes they can be too cool, or more often, too warm.

As a fan of more studio-based classes than anything else, I do feel they provide a good range of classes covering all of fitness levels and objective (eg cardiovascular v toning/resistance). The instructors are mostly very good, knowledgeable and teach well, though sometimes you may find some of the less experienced instructors need a little more development before being unleashed on an unfit but willing public.

There is a problem with some of the CV machines as they don't appear to be very well maintained, often requiring attention for a while before finally being fixed. Saying that, I also think that problems with machines may go unreported by the users, so it may not be entirely the fault of TF, and the gyms have enough of most machines so that you can usually find another one that does work. There are intermittent problems with the pools and warm rooms (sauna, sanarium and steam room), for one reason or another, which means they are out of action at some times, though this may also be the case at other gyms.

Total Fitness is not a flash, exclusive gym like some of it's more expensive competitors. They do cut costs in things like having members bring their own locks; and having showers that you need to press to make them stay on, but you pay less as a result. More diligent staff would make a difference though in terms of which equipment is available for use, but overall I think the standard is good enough for my requirements from a gym so I'm happy to keep going. I'd recommend it to friends and family, if for no other reason than I get free months subscriptions for each one that joins!