Anytime Fitness

I have a love-​hate thing with this gym. I love it because it’s very close to my house and therefore I use it more frequently. I also appreciate the friendliness of the clientele and the ²⁴⁄₇ access to this and all the other clubs in this chain nationwide.
But I hate it because it’s primary focus is on cardio users in addition to cable & machine lifters but NOT on free weights. They don’t have a lying leg curl and it’s a very tight squeeze in the area where the biggest people are actually training (you know it’s a tight fit when you have to stop your set to let someone walk behind you to get by). The free weights are relegated to an awkward corner that feels super crowded with a mere 5 people in the vicinity, whereas the cardio and weight machines are front and center of the gym. But I guess that appeals to the clientele they are striving to obtain– middle aged family people running defense so they can continue to drink and eat what they want and not become obese. But let’s face it… that’s just a marketing footprint– it’s neither good nor bad, just it’s flavor. As a side note, not all Anytime Fitness locations are like this, there are more meathead friendly ones, such as the one in Cumming (see my review for that location).
Main reason for the precipitous drop in rating level? The equipment is getting old and wearing down very quickly without any sign of someone fixing it. When you join this gym they charge you a maintenance fee (or whatever it’s called) and the idea is they put this money aside to keep the gym modern and the equipment in good shape. They are not doing that! Dumbbells are in desperate need of new grip repairs, the preacher station has lost the stabilizing nuts on the screws (see my photo) causing a very dangerous wobbling when you use it. The cables are getting worn with the protective plastic case around the wire that moves the weights ripping. Look… if you are appealing the aforementioned clientele, then do a good job at keeping it clean, neat with like new equipment! If this were a meathead gym… they’d get a pass (except for the broken preacher), but they are definitely not!
They might want to jump on these maintenance issues before it becomes a ‘past it’s prime’ gym.