Cambridge Athletic Club

I was a member during the two summers I was in Boston. It’s a great gym with friendly people and there is so much activity going on here. The gym was renovated this year and it is very cool now. The intro sessions when you join the gym are extremely helpful. The workouts I was suggested definitely affected my fitness. I would love to come back.

I’ve been going to the club on First Street for almost a year now and absolutely love it. I must say, I’ve tried my fair share of gyms around the Boston area during my 4 years here, and this one is hands down the best. The classes are great, staff is awesome, facility is always clean, and equipment is never broken. It’s only a few blocks from my office so I can’t say much about the parking situation, but I’ve always managed to find a street spot after work when its too cold to walk over.
I’d highly recommend this gym! !!

Since no one has done a review of CAC in quite awhile I figured I would. I’m hovering between 3.5 and 4 stars.
Pros: The renovation is concluding. They said December, but I guess I’m not surprised they are still working on railings and touch-​ups and (hopefully) the wobbly stairs up to the cardio machines. The place does look better, much more open, and I feel like I’m starting to get my money’s worth. I imagine pictures of the renovation are forthcoming.
–Hours are pretty good, and CAC communicates changes (e.g. recent weather related ones) well
–There are televisions scattered about, and plugging into the cardio equipment to watch television as you workout is a breeze. Also there is reliable (albeit not the strongest signal) wireless internet
–I’ve never had to wait for a piece of cardio equipment. No lists or sign ups necessary. The basketball spectators sometimes spill onto the cardio floor, but it’s never really over crowded, even during rush hours
Cons:
–Parking is sort of a joke. There used to a lot on Linskey, but now the designated parking lot is a couple blocks away, and a pain given the traffic and the snow banks and the construction zone. There are only 20 – 25 spots there, so you can show up and be out of luck. Metered parking is hard to come by too. If you work in the area the location is great… but if you are relying on parking this might not be a good place for you
–This is going to sound like the weirdest complaint ever, but why are the floors of the locker room always soaking wet? I feel like they insist on wet– mopping the floors and the stairs a dozen times a day… and too often when there are people everywhere. The stairs and the locker rooms are still a series of tight tunnels, and it sucks that I have to avoid bottlenecks and puddles on the way to the shower or bathroom

I recommend the group fitness classes to everyone. Great schedule; knowledgable and motivating instructors; dedicated and hard working participants.

I do like this gym.
I joined about six months ago and have gone twice a week every week since.
The facilities are kind of strangely laid out across three floors in the corner of an old building. It isn’t flashy, and the basement rooms feel very basement like. In fact, there aren’t any outside windows so the whole thing feels a little basement like. Sometimes the general weight room and classes are a little crowded. But this seems to be seasonal.
But don’t let this dissuade you! They have everything you need to work out and the staff is fantastic.
I bought the personal training kick-​start package and had Kelsi as a trainer. She is young but really smart and really nice and motivating. She got me into weight training which I thought would be awful but is really very fun. The personal training is expensive, but they don’t give you the hard sell, which is good because I would hate it and not fall for it anyway.
What I like most about this gym, though, is that in the whole time I have been there I have never once heard someone who works there (staff, trainer, or class instructor) say that we would be doing something to look good in a bathing suit, or similar. The attitude is very much focused on what our bodies can do, not what they look like. I think this is very healthy and it made exercise more enjoyable by focusing on a positive goal of substantive achievement rather than making you feel bad about yourself. I feel very comfortable trying new classes there, knowing that even if I am the worst one in the class I won’t be given the stink eye and that in a few weeks I will be better at it. And every single instructor I have had there (e.g. David, Julie, Deb, Shue-​Fen) was friendly, good at their class, and very supportive.
There is a women’s and a general weight room. It is mostly men in the general weight room. They all seem very nice and it is cool to watch them pick up extremely heavy things. But they don’t smell very good so there is a women’s fitness room downstairs, but eventually you will graduate to heavier weights and have to go upstairs. So, ladies, you have that to look forward to!
My only real complaint is that the yoga class is in limbo now. I really love it and the instructor Justine, and I hope they don’t cancel it! You can’t be a gym in Cambridge without yoga!

Great place. Love playing basketbal here.

Weird location, (Im not from the city so parking was not easy), but great staff. Aerobics room has beaten floors, and the place is a bit worn down. We had a great zumba class though!

CAC is one of the places I’ll miss from my summer in Cambridge. I switched over after dealing with another gym that didn’t allow summer memberships and couldn’t figure out a legit solution (long story). Carla was super happy to help me get set up with a month-​to-​month membership, and didn’t seem bothered that I was only going to be in Cambridge for the summer.
Classes here are fun, and you don’t have to book in advance because there is usually enough space. (Just come 10 – 15 minutes early to set up, especially for the popular classes.)
All the instructors are really friendly and approachable, and they seem to care a lot about everyone’s form and wellbeing. I wasn’t a regular by any means, but they all welcomed me and tried to learn my name. I will mention Fen and her Body Pump class in particular — she helped me with my technique (which then stopped the pain in my knee), and she provided the right motivation at the right times during class.
Reception & facilities:
+ The people at reception are super friendly and cheerful, and they hunted down a clean face towel for me when they ran out at the front desk.
+ The women’s locker room is clean and has a lot of available lockers.
+ I’ve never had to wait for an available shower cubicle. Showers are decent and clean, but tiles could probably be upgraded.
+ The basketball and squash courts look really nice, although I’ve never actually used them.
Bottom line: Great people make a great gym experience … really.

I’ve been going to the CAC on First St. for about 2 ½ years since I moved to the Cambridge area. It’s got kind a strange layout but I sort of think that gives it personality. At the time I joined the other choice in Kendall Square was FitCorp, which was just a little too desperate to fit the corporate mold for me (incidentally since that time that FitCorp location has been taken over by the CAC). At the CAC there’s always people playing squash (or racquetball, I honestly don’t know the difference) and basketball — it’s nice to see people doing a variety of activities.
The cardio room can get oppressively hot sometimes, but this is rarer occurrence since they fixed the air conditioning a year or so ago. They have nice machines and it’s rarely so crowded that you have to wait for something, even during prime hours. The staff is nice. There seems to be a lot of turnover in personal trainers, but if you get one that’s been around for a while they seem top notch.
Some of their classes, such as bootcamp, cost extra money which is really the one thing I view as negative. Given how much money you pay for a gym membership in Cambridge it would be nice to see more classes offered for free. But overall it’s well kept and friendly gym, and I will certainly maintain my membership here as long as I work in Kendall Square.

I belong to the club on First Street in Cambridge and I love the variety and frequency of classes they offer
I initially joined with a restricted membership which gave me access two days a week, but I expanded this to full membership 4 months ago and haven’t regretted it
The trainers are friendly, approachable and know your name! which is amazing given the number of people they get through their doors

CAC has opened a new club in Tech Square closer to MIT and Legal Seafoods. Although the main club is great the Tech Sq site is brand new, smaller and much more personal. Josh Smith is theeee best trainer there and goes between the two clubs. He and his team are all very talented and really helped me to get back on track.
The new location is a very well kept secret and is never crowded except at peak times since it is in a corporate environment. If you don’t want a trendy overly young crowd this is the club for you. Priced right and brand spanking new it feels like my own personal gym since I workout off peak hours as a rule.
They keep it clean and neat and all the equipment is in great shape since it is all brand new. Check it out winter is coming don’t lose the summer fitness and energy! And Starbucks is nearby!

I joined the Tech Square CAC mostly because my company decided to subsidize my membership fees. It’s small, there aren’t many frills, but if you’re just looking for a quick workout, it is perfect.
OK, so what do I like about this place?
It’s convenient to work. When I work out (usually before 8 am or after 5pm), the place is dead and there’s never a wait for equipment. The place is usually pretty clean and the staff is friendly and accommodating.
If you like going into a gym to get your exercise on, shower, and then leave, CAC Tech Square does the job.
What am I indifferent about?
The equipment ‘upgrades’. New treadmills are definitely an upgrade and softer to run on, but I dislike the new ellipticals. Those are usually what I do for cardio post-​race to get the kinks out. They’re not comfortable for my body (my hands are too high) and post-​13 miles, I can’t reach that high or pedal with dead legs on even the lowest resistance. But overall, I guess it’s not horrible or CAC’s fault, just personal preference for the old ellipticals.
What don’t I like about this place?
Limited weekend hours. Some of us work and consequently, work out on the weekends, and while I realize we can use the main club and it would be a waste to be open all weekend long, it would be nice to just be able to go downstairs from my company.
$ 10/​month for towel service? $ 10/​month for a locker? I realize these are amenities that can get added on and aren’t required, but I’m at the gym every day and don’t feel like toting my shower stuff every day. But this has turned my $ 25/​month membership into a $ 45/​month membership. More on that in a bit.
The size of the gym is restricting. This is a basic no-​frills gym that offers some classes. You won’t find a huge variety of different weight machines, but there are enough for you to get in a very good workout– especially if you take advantage of the trainers. Me personally? I don’t take the classes and am the type of person who likes a bit of variety with my workouts, so this is a down side for me.
That being said, I could add another $ 10/​month to my membership fees to be able to use the other CAC sites, and get that added benefit of more machines, more classes, and more variety. But I know myself, and I want one-​stop shopping when it comes to a workout, so now my $ 25/​month membership is now a $ 55/​month membership.
So the steal I thought I was getting at $ 25/​month isn’t really a steal now that I’m up to $ 55/​month. It is a lot cheaper than if my company didn’t subsidize (why ANYONE would pay full price to come specifically to Tech Square is BEYOND me), but there are quite a few very good gyms in the $ 60 price point along my drive to work that make me feel silly for spending what I do at CAC.
Bottom line: you get what you pay for, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s clean, the people are great, and it’s mostly a bunch of nerdy scientists working out. If you’re OK with going in, getting in some cardio and a diverse (but at the same time limited) weight routine or possibly a lunchtime body pump class, CAC Tech Square is a good gym.
For someone who prefers a more spa-​type experience at the gym with luxury things like climbing walls, squash courts, and pools, you won’t find that at Tech Square CAC.

I am not a member of this club however yesterday I tried my first Zumba class here. It was amazing!!! I have never smiled while working out so this was a real treat.
To top it off, the manager Jason was really nice. He let me try the class for free and called me the next day to follow up and see how I liked it.
The only reason I’m not giving the gym 5 stars was that the locker room is kind of dingy. I feel like it needs a serious update. Other than that, it seemed liked a nice gym.

The facilities are not bad (better than the Cambridge Y, worse than Planet Fitness), but the location did not work out for me. My customer service experience was terrible.
There are two kinds of gym in the world: those that make their money from happy customers, and those that make their money from people who would prefer to stop paying. You can tell the difference by the experience you have when you try to cancel your membership, and CAC has proven to be the second kind of gym.
After not making it there for a while and finding alternatives closer to home, I sent an email to the salesman I was working with requesting information on cancellation. I received no reply, forgot about it for a while, and then noticed I was still being charged.
I followed up and was told my email «was not in his inbox»: out of the 48 messages I exchanged with CAC over the course of my membership, the only email that supposedly went missing was the one that the salesman could earn commission by deleting. Management did not resolve the problem, but rather cited the contract to the effect that the only way to cancel was in person or via certified mail — ceasing to use the service and asking to cancel via the same means you communicate with them the rest of the time is not enough.
Since cancellation requests delivered in person can be «lost» just like email (and in fact I had just that experience with a previous gym), I can only recommend that anyone wishing to cancel with CAC either insist on a cancellation receipt on the spot or send their notice via certified mail. Since certified mail doesn’t make a record of the contents of the envelope, you may also wish to get a notarized file copy, and you’ll certainly want to insist on a timely written acknowledgement.
Edit in response to Josh:
When a customer tells you they’ve tried to cancel, and you can see that they haven’t taken advantage of your services, you know that you’ve taken money for nothing, and against the customer’s will. Is that a good business situation or a bad one?
If your answer turns upon whether the customer has legal recourse, that tells me very clearly what kind of gym CAC is.

Coneniently located nearby local bus and train routes the CAC is in a prime location nestled near Boston just over the Longfellow bridge in Cambridge. Perfect for me because I go to school at Suffolk University and their gym is basically nonexistent.
Everyone working here is super nice, from the desk clerks to the trainers to the cleaning staff. The equipment is cutting edge with excercise bikes that put you in a virtual race and enable you to steer like a video game. Even on busy days for the CAC its not too crowded.
My favorite thing about the CAC is the people that come here and the environment it creates. People are willing to lend a hand if you need a spot and are patient if they want to use a machine that’s in use. Places like Planet Fitness call themselves the «judgement free zone» but CAC manages to be this without even trying– and the result is that much better.
I come here to play basketball, workout, and practice Tang Soo Do (martial arts). B ball is a good time, playing pickup games. There’s a league that people seem to love if you’re into basketball– you should look into it. The court is small but there’s a cool upsairs viewing level.
Raquetball is a big thing here but I haven’t gotten a chance to try it yet. People seem to really enjoy it.
Tang Soo Do classes are taught by Master Klacko, a very knowledgeable and skilled teacher. If you’ve ever felt a desire to learn martial arts this is a great place to learn. Class size is small and you get a lot of attention because there are almost 10 black belts that come to this dojang. I’ve learned new stretches that put me in top shape and a lot of moves that will knock you off your feet. Its also cool because you learn how to use weapons! When im not hitting myself with the staff I have it spinning around my body with just a few lessons. The classes are fast paced but fun and we all have a good time together.
The mens locker room is clean enough. Its definetly not that bad but it does smell like a locker room. Go figure? If I were to be extra critical I would say that the locker room needs improvement but I’m in and out and spending time upstairs in the excellent facilities.
It is well worth the price it costs to be a member of this fantastic organization and I’m so happy that I found it I wanted to share it with others.
BRAVO CAC!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

The gym offers free Zumba classes and a lot of free passes to check out the club.
The club itself is like a sad basement. The locker rooms are small and old looking and looks unsafe. I like the women’s only section of the gym which is a nice touch. There is also racquetball if you are into that. The cardio and weight area seem cramped. The carpet is a sad gray. I wish they were brighter since there aren’t any windows.
The Zumba class was fun and the instructor had a lot of energy. He was slightly late, but made up for it since my friend, Elizabeth D., said we burned 423 calories or so!!!

My new years’ resolution besides spending more time in the gym (this gym): write a fabulous update — a very deserving update — why? Because the gym was (and continues to be) updated!
Since my last review, CAC has undergone many updates. This is my best attempt to share all of them with you.
+ Entrance and lobby modified and free parking for members
+ Yoga room constructed in basement
+ Crazy satellite television for individual viewing in the cardio room
+ Spinning and exercise room increased in size and relocated
+ Women-​only Nautilus & stretching room constructed
+ Men’s lockers in process of being replaced
+ Fresh flowers dispersed in lobby and locker rooms (my fave upgrade, seriously)
+ New treadmills (Matrix), step machines, trainers, and ellipticals
+ New floors in free weight/​machine room
+ Upper hallway re-​carpeted and equipped with stretching/​light toning equipment
Wow, that’s a lot of upgrades! However, overall, the gym still really has the same feel and the same great staff remain. Oh, and there are still at least two racquetball and squash courts (for those really awful days when all you want to do is swear at an inanimate object and slap a sturdy wall).
Also, I still can’t speak highly of the shower rooms with their low pressure, non-​functioning light bulbs, and tepid water (at times) … but when given enough time, I love hanging out in the steam room or the sauna.
It’s absolutely true that the staff want nothing more than to make sure their clients are happy at the gym. They are willing to bend over backwards for you! Definitely check out the space and ask about their rates. But if you join … tell them Shaina sent you (so I can get my $ 25 referral, yo).

I’ve been a member of multiple gyms before joining the CAC but this one really stands out. First off, it’s located in a building where a gym would be the last thing on my mind that I’d be able to find. It’s a really sleek building and the Cambridge Athletic Club (or CAC for the «insiders») has ample, free parking for its members.
It’s a very good gym which features multiple racquetball/​squash courts and a basketball court. Along with it is a weight /​cardio room which is on two levels and is known as the «Nautilus Room».
Furthermore, as other reviews have stated, it is a very, very clean place and the staff is extremely friendly and are always around for questions and help with various things. They have various memberships levels and will find one that best suits your needs. The place is also conveniently located and open every day.

Okay, I’m embarrassed about this, but, I put my review for a lousy gym on CAC’s Unilocal site. Ooops. Mistakes happen. Here was mine.
Jeff, the membership director of Cambridge Athletic Club wrote to me and asked about my experience, and then I realized I’d matched the wrong review to CAC.
Jeff’s questions about my review were open and accepting, curious without attacking, and he genuinely wanted to understand my experience and offer what he could. What a difference. Owners and managers, take a look: Jeff at CAC offers the ideal in customer service!
He was kind and generous in his response — not only in accepting my embarrassed apology with great generosity, but also in trying to offer help with finding the right gym for my needs.
Cambridge Athletic Club offers not only great prices, but also the right kind of customer service: kindness matched with integrity.
Awesome.

As I read the reviews, I feel like maybe I am a heck of a whole lot dirtier than I thought… but I clean well — I know that much is true. I find this place to be incredibly clean… no matter day or night, I always see someone cleaning — either cleaning the stairs, vacuuming the locker rooms, wiping down the machines. I’ve been to other gyms where, on a occasion, rats and roaches would tell me that I was invading their space and I needed to pay them membership fees. This place shares the space with a cooking school and I’ve yet to have any rats or roaches attempt to extort me outta money — which means either the cooking school catches them and serves them or someone’s cleaning right (I work for a food industry so I know a little about this). Matter of fact, I haven’t seen of those things. As for the rug, something from the seventies had to stick around.
I really do love this place. I was an idiot and trained 3 months for a marathon, thereby killing my knees. I thought I would never run again (as a matter of fact, I resigned myself to it). I started training with Mike (and ladies — it’s worth it to train with him just so you can watch his gluts — and I am not talking about the insulin transporter here) and within 3 months I was running. The trainers here are enthusiastic and crazy. You get what you pay for and they school you in the process. I’ve never left any of my sessions feeling like I didn’t learn anything.
If you down for organized sports, these folks will put something together for ya. Soccer, Softball, Running, Biggest Losers — whatever — you got a great idea, tell ‘em — these folks are stacked on endophins, so anything is possible.
You can look like a fool and be loved here. As a matter of fact, if you come in thinking that you are god’s gift to muscle or like you poop roses, you’ll find yourself outta place. The best thing about this place is the down to earth feel, which is why I see many and plenny potbellied (myself included) hogs getting down and sweaty to cold play (the worst thing about this place is the wah wah wah music you hear as you work out, but bring your mp3). You won’t get some sweaty guy trying to pick you up and interrupting your workout or some chick tryna spray the machines to mark her territory. You might find some weirdos sweating profusely, but that’s probably cause his/​her trainer is working them out.
Overall, I haven’t had a bad experience yet at this place and I have been there for over a year.