- Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
The first Gold’s Gym was opened in 1965 in Southern California. It quickly became known as the “Mecca of bodybuilding” frequented by bodybuilders Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dave Draper. It was also featured in the 1977 movie, “Pumping Iron.” The movie gained nationwide attention for the sport of bodybuilding, and the gym itself. The culture of heavy lifting, and bodybuilders still exists today at Gold’s Gyms across the United States. Over time, Gold’s has incorporated other fitness avenues into its gyms, making them user-friendly for non-lifters as well. Today, Gold’s is one of the most popular gyms in the country, serving more than 3 million members in 38 states and 22 countries around the world. Whether you are looking for a heavy lifting gym, a fitness center, a fitness club, of a generic gym facility, Gold's has what you are looking for to help you meet your fitness goals.
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The Good
- Equipment
- Cleanliness
- Group Fitness Classes
Equipment
Equipment offered at Gold's Gym includes resistance machines, spinning room, squat racks, benches, Cardio Cinema, cardio equipment/machines, strength training equipment, and free weights. Overall, Gold's equipment is reported to be enough for the crowd that regularly attends with the machines and the company's equipment is in adequate condition. There have been no complaints about machines breaking down and not being repaired in a timely manner the way some customers of competing fitness centers have reported. There are also some competing gym chains that have outdated equipment according to members as well. With Gold's, this does not appear to be a common issue.
Cleanliness
Gold's has a reputation for building large, spacious gyms. Even though Gold's gym can and will be busy at high-traffic times, it feels less crowded and busy because of the design of the open layout. Across the board, customers agree that there is plenty of space and Gold's facilities are clean and reasonably maintained.
Group Fitness Classes
Gold's offers a wide variety of group exercise classes to help you reach your goals throughout the day. Even the busiest member can find a time slot to attend a class at Gold's local gym. These fitness classes provide members an opportunity to get in a good workout with a personal trainer or instructor and to socialize a little bit. Most locations hold their group classes starting at 4:30 a.m. with the last class time starting at 9:30 p.m. Some of the classes the company offers are Yoga, Zumba, Studio Cycle and Mixed Martial Arts. These classes are included in the membership fees. This is not always the case with other gym chains, that may charge additional fees for certain exercise classes such as yoga.
The Bad
- Gold's Gym Membership Price and contracts
- Upfront fees
- Hidden fees
- Trainers and nutrition
- Complaints
Gold's Gym Membership Price and Contracts
Gold's offers a monthly contract or you can pay for the entire year up front. The monthly fee is $29.99/month, which on its own is inexpensive compared to most gyms on the market today. One complaint customers have expressed about Gold's Gym is that its sales representatives are not forthcoming with the membership fees right away. There are countless customer reviews detailing negative experiences with employees/staff when trying to freeze or cancel your membership. While some gyms prorate their fees in cases where members cancel a membership before the month is up, Gold's does not. The company offers many introductory discounts through vehicles like Groupon, which attracts a large percentage of people interested in a Gold membership. Once these new members encounter Gold's sales representatives, members have reported unethical scenarios, such as being quoted misleading prices only for the company to charge their credit card a higher price than promised.
Upfront Fees
Customers seem to run into issues when it comes to Gold's upfront prices. If a member signs up for a basic, month-to-month membership, they're hit with a $100 initiation/enrollment fee plus the first month's monthly dues of $29.99. Therefore, a member who initially thinks they're enrolling in a $30 a month membership will have paid $130. In some locations like California, enrollment fees can get as high as $199. Other members who decide to enroll in a contract plan for one to three years, have the potential of having their initiation fee "waived" depending on how comfortable they feel, and skilled they are at talking to salesmen.
Hidden Fees
Gold's customers should be aware of hidden fees within the first few months of signup. Specifically, Gold's Gym charges members a $39.99 cleaning and maintenance fee two months after signup. We did not find any gyms that charge a cleaning and maintenance fee, putting Gold's Gym members at a disadvantage when it comes to this area.
Trainers and Nutrition
Gold's Gym offers personal trainers at its locations for those who are seeking assistance. New members get a free, do-it-yourself fitness evaluation tool on their website called The Gold's Gym Fit Test. This is a simple, five-exercise test designed to give you a true measure of your overall physical fitness compared to others in your age range and gender. When it comes to nutrition plans, Gold's Gym offers nutritional counseling, although the cost is not easily available without going through a sales rep at a local Gold's Gym. For many people, reaching their health and fitness goals becomes much easier when working with a personal trainer. Unfortunately, training or workout sessions are expensive and can get as high as $449. When compared to other large gym chains, we found some gyms to be more forthright with personal training fees which were more standardized regardless of location. Regarding nutritional coaching, not all gym chains offer it. Certain companies only offer physical training.
Complaints
While Gold's is known for being popular and having locations virtually everywhere, a red alert on the company due to having one of the worst customer service records in the industry. Numerous customers have reported various Gold's Gym's for acting in dishonest ways. Some of these reports cite things such as billing irregularities, contracts being illegally altered by sales members after the member has left, advertisements not being honored, and problems with canceling accounts when relocating, to name a few.
Other Available Amenities
Other amenities Gold's offers is a sauna/steam room, childcare and juice bars. Unlike many chain gyms, Gold's doesn't offer amenities like pools, massage beds, whirlpools or courts (basketball, racquetball and tennis courts). Gold's is more of a "no frills" gym.
The Bottom Line
We cannot recommend Gold's Gym due to the expensive enrollment fees, hidden fees, and additional costs. Customers generally agree that the company has nice, fairly updated facilities offering various classes for people of all fitness levels, along with a strong culture of bodybuilding and heavy lifting, but the negative seems to outweigh the positive. Access to certified personal trainers is limited due to excessive fees and working with staff/employees can be complicated tainted your experience with this fitness center/gym. The lengths to which Gold's goes to hide its fees and questionable ways its sales reps deal with customer issues says a lot about its business ethics and how much the gym values its members.
User Reviews
Star Rating
243 Reviews
Review Breakdown
Sentiment Criteria
Bonny756
This fitness center helped me changed my body and gain healthy habits. I am very thankful to the people I met here and the way it influenced me, positively sure.
Shante Reeder
I have really loved coming to Golds to work out. At my location they have a womens section that makes it much less intimidating to lift weights. The facility is clean, and the staff is friendly.
Shannon Robert
I joined right before the pandemic and bought a training package - I cannot go to the gym right now as I am compromised. I gave them a note from my doctor. They started drafting me again AND will not refund my money for training (I lost my summer work altogether and am at risk to lose my house - I cannot go to the gym right now- I feel they are holding me hostage and screwing me over and could care less about it). I will NEVER recommend this company to anyone else after this. I would have happily gone back after we are safe again, but now I will tell everyone that they are unreasonable in cases like this.
Alexander Johnson
I love golds it’s the perfect place to go and get motivated and get in the zone. Never have issues with the associates or other gym goers
Ellie
Golds gym is warm and welcoming and has the best atmosphere for self improvement. The equipment is clean and high quality.
Austin Stelmach
Gold's gym is my home away from home. I love my morning workouts at gold's gym and appreciate the ample space for everyone to workout (unlike smaller gyms that make you wait 20 minutes to use a single piece of equipment). I highly recommend!
Rocio Diaz
Good price, but machines feel cheap and old. The staff is often not cleaning the machines or bathrooms.
Seth Boudoin
Been there once and was very impressed by the equipment and management of the place.
Natalia Correa MDTribe
I worked out at Gold's Gym before and I really liked the setup they had. They had great equipment for lifting weights and for cardio. They also had affordable memberships which I liked.
Club rush
This is the gym we used for many years until it was bought out. I was great. We loved the facility and trainers. Wish it was still here.
Randi Nelson
Golds gym is awesome when looking for a typical gym with the usual equipment and features to get a good workout.
Bekah Bednar
Gold’s was a clean & a super nice gym!! They had an indoor track and a tanning bed. Loved my workout that I tried there!
janice pan
This gym was so great and every time I went, I didn't feel embarrassed to be there. So many different people there on so many different levels. And the facility, pretty awesome.
Jami Lucas
I have always loved their facilities. There is a large selection of machines and helpful people everywhere.
take7
Lots of locations around me until they changed to Vasa. They had a good membership system to allow guests per membership. Was usually really full during early mornings and evenings. Better during work hours when its not so busy. Sometimes the front staff wasn't very helpful. Sometimes they just didn't care.
Jessica
Golds gym is awesome! It’s clean and the staff is friendly. I like the variety of classes they offer and the option to use the daycare when needed.
Kayle Wilds
Not enough space in any of the gyms I've been to. Smells awful in the women's bathroom.
Chrae
They are a horrible company to work with. The customer service is horrible. They lie to get you to join, then refuse to allow you to cancel. They are completely unethical and dishonest. Safe stress and go somewhere else.
Bryndie
They have good amenities but this gym will straight up rob you. So many hidden fees and sneaky transactions. Not very honest company.
Amanda
I liked going to golds gym. I loved the cardio cinema room the most. I would have liked more group fitness class options. I would have also liked more contract options.
Kaitlyn Rios
Gold's Gym is the gold standard in gym organizations. They offer me the most variety in work out equipment. I like that they keep it clean and modern too.
tania moe
Gold's was a great gym while it was a local establishment. The only downfall was the difficulty in cancelling my plan. I moved to a state that did not have a Gold's gym and I paid for about 4 months of unused membership until I could finally get it cancelled.
Mykahla Nelson
The people at the gym are awesome! They offer to help you with anything you need. The fitness center is very clean and well kept.
Nicole Sohm
I love golds! They have great customer service, keep the equipment up to date and all for a really good price!
Stephanie Love
I went to golds gym for years. I loved how they had everything. They had the pool, hot tub, sauna, cardio (movie) room, class, weights, basketball courts, etc...the staff were amazing and the cost was very affordable. I looked forward to my gym/spa days.
Hallieford
I love golds gym! I have used golds all over the county and they are always clean and easy to get into.
JR Suguturaga
You get what you pay for, the only knock is crowds at peak times which can be discouraging.
Justin McMurtrey
I do not like Golds Gym. They try and lock you into long term contracts and there is no way out of them. Look elsewhere.
Eddie Rios
Gold's gym has always been the standard to beat. They offer a variety of weight machines and Nautilus too. They have a variety of instructor led classes that help with fitness training. I have been very happy with Gold's Gym service and pricing.
Zoe Perez
Very good service, I’m strong and able to use the equipment very easily, always available, not to crowded
David T
Gold's gyms are nice, some are older. It doesn't bug me though, because I grew up working out in a used facility. The Gold's in Venice is a must workout location in your life if you are into bodybuilding.
AGenes
Had a horrible time trying to get them to cancel my membership. Gave me the run around which made me have to pay for multiple months more than I should have.
Audrey Mitchell
Glods gym is a great place to go with reliable equipment, lots of different machines, and clean atmosphere
Angelina Hamilton
I really like this gym its amazing and it has awesome customer service. They even have tanning available if you want. And a massage chair! Not open 24 hours but still have plenty of time to go! Prices just right too!
Amanda
I’ve enjoyed my time at Gold’s Gym and it is a lot higher of quality and cleaner. I would recommend this place to my friends and family.
terryjamison
Gold gym has everything you need for a great workout and have a great consular for weight lost
Lacey Horne
They were ok. Frustrated that when we signed up, we were told certain amenities were included and we could transfer between locations, which turned out to be untrue.
Reckholdt
I’ve worked out a a few golds gyms over the years and feel like they are very comparable in price to other gyms. Their equipment seemed to be a little dated and worn, however I know there are new gyms popping up and that may not be the case now.
Danielle Powell
So expensive for the older equipment. Never felt clean enough and classes were not at good timea
Darbles32
The few golds gyms I’ve been to are a little run down but I feel only because they have been around for so long
Tori smith
Golds is such a friendly environment and has so much equipment. You can reach your biggest goals here
Mikayla Ralston
I"ve been a Gold's member on and off for a years. Some of the gyms were nicer than others. Doesn't seem to be a standard. And they are usually overpriced. I usually wind up switching to another gym. For the last 3 years I've been with Sport and Health.
Cam McClellan
I love the golds gym in Venice Beach, the “Mecca”. It is old but reminds me of the gym I worked out at growing up. Lots of good equipment and “famous” bodybuilders working out there.
SkylarPickens
The customer for service is great. Everyone was welcome. Nice to have a place to go to. All though the equipment was kind of out of date and for the price of the subscription they should be more updated!!
Christyan Bennett
A very high-end classy gym. Very nice and modern. Very clean. Workers are friendly and helpful.
Luna
A great gym that has amazing equipments and great environment for your body building. They also have many good locations
Ramone Raiford
This is the best gym! I was a weightlifter so there were not any places to go workout at if you weren’t at practice. This gym allowed power lifting and strength conditioning when other places didn’t. This also was a place where you could practice CrossFit. Most gyms only have the basics
Michelle W
Awesome location in Pittsburgh. While it's always busy, the equipment is clean, and the staff are very friendly.
Roman Christiansen
Worked out here for years and highly recommend. Great staff, great facilities, crazy amenities.
Mason Henrie
I seriously blame my weight loss and body structure on Gold's Gym. They had some trainers that really got me committed and I loved it