Gold’s Gym

I joined Gold’s when it first opened… I do not even remember when, but maybe 8 – 9 years ago? For $ 25/​month, which I still paid until canceling, it was a great deal. I moved out of town but kept my membership because I traveled back to Pgh enough that for $ 300/​year it was worth it for the number of times I would visit versus paying a daily visitor fee there or really at any other gym. Over the last year I visited Pgh less and was ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ about whether it would be worth it to cancel, but my visits over two weeks in Pgh over the past holiday season sealed it. The place is really showing it’s age and is just kind of filthy… the kind of filthy that slapping on a coat of paint does not cover.
Equipment seems to be constantly broken. The last time I visited was over the holidays in 2014 and the same machines are still broken a year later (the expresso cycle on the second floor and one stair machine that randomly drops pressure as you are using it, as just two examples that come to mind).
Particularly, the bathrooms are utterly disgusting… running/​leaking water on the floor, a scummy lining within shower stalls, shower heads and handles that do not work consistently. I don’t know the landscape of downtown Pgh gyms today, but I assume that this is the ‘low cost’ one, now? The clientele has definitely shifted from it’s early days of the downtown working crowd, to a crowd that is best described as shady and creepy. If I was a female, I would not be a fan of coming here. They now have a sign in the men’s room that has to remind people that selfies and any photography in the locker rooma re not permitted. If this is the type of place where that is so prevalent that you have to put up a sign, that’s not a place I am patronizing. So, they really made my decision for me to cancel.

This is the Note I had to write to BBB where this gyms current score with them is a F. Its a shame because this is one of the only gyms in Down Town Pittsburgh!
I got a free pass from my roommate for a number of days. When they signed me up to use the free pass they proceeded to ask me questions and try to get me to sign up. I told them that I didn’t want to sign up for anything long term because I was moving in a month. He stated that I could sign up for a «MONTH TO MONTH» non-​membership where I paid a larger amount monthly because I was on this month to month and NOT a membership. Once I moved I quit going to the gym my debit card number was stolen and turned off I didn’t think to notify the gym because I was no longer attending and since this is the case I should no longer be expected to pay. The gym never contacted me telling me that my account was severely overdue and roughly six months later I was contacted by a collection agency stating that I owe roughly $ 230.00. I have contacted numerous people at the gym because I do not understand why they are charging me for these months that I never attended. They stated that it is because I never notified them at the end of the month that I was planning to stop attending. This is like no other month to month membership that I have encountered if you stop paying you stop attending but in this case they are intending to charge me for many months past due while never even informing me that my account had become delinquent. I wonder if I had come into the gym and intended to work out if they would they have allowed me even though my account was so delinquent, because they knew they would be charging me for upcoming months anyways? I have made attempts over the past couple of months to explain my situation to the collection agency and the gym handling my account they are very unreasonable and not willing to help me I feel that I have been taken advantage of and totally mislead.

Love the classes. Most of the staff and the instructors are awesome.
You should probably think about giving the front desk girl another job if she’s going to judge everyone who checks in for a tan. «It hurts my soul to do it, but hey, it’s not my skin,» she says as she gave me a condescending look. (I’m going on vacation soon and I don’t want to burn when I get there, by the way.)
I understand where she’s coming from but it’s like giving a vegan the cashier job at a butcher shop.

While there are a decent amount of classes and the location is great if you work downtown, there are three huge drawbacks to this Gold’s Gym location.
1.) Cleanliness is a real problem in the locker rooms. Skip the shower sandals and wear full-​on hip waders, because the showers are always disgusting.
2.) Billing is randomly shady. If you sign up under a special, read the fine or invisible print because I’ve never had Gold’s honor any deal they may advertise. In fact, they may just bill you a little extra some month. If you cancel, make sure to have your cancellation letter notarized and sent under certified mail, because there is a good chance that they will start billing you again well after you’ve quit.
3.) Don’t bother with the free personal training session. It’ll just be some real swole bro that’ll talk you through some sit-​ups, and then you find yourself cornered by the trainer desk being grilled, police-​style, as to why you won’t pay for more personal training. They will question your personal choices, call you fat to your face, and then shove a contract under your nose while the trainer and his swole boss stand over you until you sign.
Join the Y downtown instead. They have better hours, a cleaner facility, nice trainers, and a pool.

I visited this gym over a weekend in Pittsburgh and remembered why I fell in love with golds. The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. The whole gym including the locker room was very clean. The equipment was in good shape and also have Dumbbells that go up to 150lbs. There was no wait for any machines or free weights. I’d highly recommend this gym to anyone looking for a spot. If I move to the area I will certainly become a regular here.

I love this gym! I love the fact I can always get some sort of cardio machine at peak hours after work. There are plenty of weights and equipment. I like the fact that it is busy but not crowded, nothing like LA Fitness. Plenty of great classes, heather’s core class is fantastic. The tanning bed could be a little updated but I get great color from it. Locker rooms are very clean and large. Over all a fantastic gym, especially be they offer a month to month membership for $ 40. The only negative thing I can say is that when you first sign up they try to make you believe you have to pay this sign up fee. And pretend to give you 100 bucks off. I got mine down to 80 but my first month was free because I was referred. But the location is what sold me!

I’ve been here a few months now, and I so appreciate how this gym has added to my workweek! It’s great to be able to go sweat off a few miles on the treadmill after a long day, not to mention how easy my marathon training has been this winter. I have this place as a backup whenever it’s too cold to run outside. I’ve particularly enjoyed the group core class on Wednesday evenings. The instructor is fun and energetic and the course is fast-​paced, making the time fly. I couldn’t think of a better way to get in some cross training!
The facilities are generally clean, not perfect by any means, but for such a large gym the staff does a good job keeping everything orderly. The people at the desk are helpful, and thankfully the in-​house personal trainers stop bothering you after a few weeks. Overall being a member here has been a great experience. I plan on staying just for the core/​cycle/​body pump classes I can take even when it’s much warmer outside.

What can i say that hasnt already been said.
Golds gym Pittsburgh is by far the BIGGEST SCAM ever dont go and sign up they moment u sign up the fuck u… hard too the only good thing about the place is sometimes u can check out some of Pittsburgh’s finest women but other then that place is a joke …
Only way you wont get scammed is dont sign up their go to fitness 19 in castle Shannon… way better alot
cheaper and no scams at all plus more of a friendly environment

I’m originally from Maryland and I joined Gold’s in Market Square because I had a good experience with the Gold’s I was a member of in Maryland. I’ve been a member since March of 2014. The first red flag was that my coupon was not honored as advertised. I got a flyer from Gold’s with a coupon for $ 9.99/month special. I brought it with me and the staff told me that price was just for Thursday-​Sunday of every month. Why wouldn’t they disclose that?
I ended up getting a decent deal and decided to join. A month into the membership, I noticed a promotion for «Free boxing lessons to the first 50 people who sign up» How exciting, right? I signed up and booked a session with a trainer. Turns out, it was a money making scheme and I did not learn anything about boxing. It was a free personal training session with a consultation afterwards. The session went well and the trainer even offered me a second free session! Turns out, he bailed without notice on that free session once he realized I was not in a financial position to sign up for personal training services. In regards to the aforementioned consultation; it was extremely uncomfortable. The trainer gave me a hard time about my budget and he asked inappropriate questions about my personal life. He didn’t take any time to get to know my background in health & fitness or understand my goals with my gym membership.
Since that experience, I have avoided the trainers and any promotions. I started taking Heather’s cardio classes and they are AWESOME!!! That is the one redeeming quality and the reason I am still a member. Along with her classes, Gold’s spruced up their class variety as a «New Year, New You» promotion. They added more spinning classes, Core work, and Insanity! Surprisingly, at no extra charge!
A note on the gym amenities: Locker room is kept clean but a handful of the lockers are falling apart. The sauna is a great perk but always take a towel with you, I am skeptical of the cleanliness. The equipment is maintained based on popularity. Rowing machines & bikes are not first in line for repairs :(
My advice: Avoid the promotions for «Free training sessions,» check out the class schedule & find your niche!

I joined Gold’s about a year ago I guess. Overall, I can say I’m pretty happy. I only spin at this gym so my feedback is pretty limited.
The pros:
For all the classes they have, the price is ridiculously cheap. You are not going to find spin/​boot camp/​yoga/​any of the other million classes that they have for cheaper than what you get them for here. It’s really a bargain in that regard.
The teachers are all pretty nice. I’ve had teachers I’ve certainly liked more than others but all of them are trying hard and want you to have a good class.
It’s pretty convenient if you work downtown. Located close to a bunch of bus stops. Close enough to the trails for biking to. Have not tried to drive/​park down there. Imagine it’d be a nightmare.
Seems like a lot of people say the men’s locker room is gross. I find the women’s locker room to be quite clean. It can get crowded around 5-​ish but to be expected. I’ve taken a shower there and thought the showers were clean and had great water pressure.
They let you suspend your membership for up to 6 months. I never go to the gym in the spring/​summer/​early fall so this worked great for me. They were super nice to me about it.
I find the staff to all be really, really nice. Like so nice. They always shout «Have a great night!» when you leave. They’re just nice people.
Unlike other commenters I’ve had no problem with their billing system. It’s always what they tell me it’s going to be and they told me upfront about an annual renewal fee which I was charged. No surprises for me. Sorry others have had that experience.
The drawbacks:
The class schedules change often based on attendance. Starting in January they had a 5:30 spin class Monday through Thursday at 5:30. As of Feb 1, that has changed to only Tuesday and Wednesday. This is slightly annoying because I went to cancel my membership in December citing the fact that they had cancelled almost all of the 5:30 spin classes. They convinced me to stay by telling me they were adding all the classes back. Which, to be fair, they did… for a month. The classes weren’t really well attended and I get why they cut them but still its hard not to be mildly irked. But you can still get in the spin room when there aren’t any classes so I just DIY a spin classes which is fine. Plus you’re off in this room by yourself, it’s like have a private gym! And, when I tried to cancel my membership they lowered my monthly fee significantly. If you’ve been going there for over a year, tell them you want to leave, they will give you a better deal.
The spin room had 5 new bikes and the rest are old. Riding the older bikes is positively miserable. But, since so few people go to spin classes it’s not that hard to get a new bike. But having so few people results in classes getting cancelled. Chicken/​egg situation, I suppose.
Oh and I guess it’d be nice if the gym was open until 9pm on the weekends. I’m forever frantically trying to get down there before 7 on Sunday to get an hour workout in.
Anyways, yeah. I like Gold’s. I’m sticking with it. I’d recommend it to a friend.

I’ve been a member for almost a year. Price is ok, not the best in the city, but location is why I go here.
The 6am classes are the best — worth every penny.
The cinema room is very cool.
Issue comes in their billing. Golds gym on more than one occasion has decided to randomly take extra money out of my account without notifying me. Once it was handled by the management in house, they were really nice & credited me the month after they decided that my membership was going to be $ 19.99 (which was not in my contract agreement).
This month, however, I spoke to Justine — who was a total jerk on the phone. She said that they tried taking money out of my account on 4 different days in the month — which is exactly when I get paid, so I can’t even explain why they said the account was declined.
Either way, they decided to go ahead and charge me a late fee of MORE THAN DOUBLE my monthly membership dues.
Not only that — they never called me, never emailed me, AND when I came into the gym and they swiped my card, NEVER told me there was a problem!!!
With attitude, Justine basically said ‘there’s nothing I can do, you have to call ABC’ some outside company that assesses the charges. So I get to wait on hold with them…
I constantly have to watch over this company and make sure that I’m being charged the correct amount every month.
Great gym, shady billing

The gym overall offers a great membership for the price. My only true complaint is the size of the locker rooms (way too small) and lack of adequate shower stalls. Too steamy, too crowded and have had to wait for a shower stall several times. Not good when you have to get to work in the morning.
However, the best attribute of this gym is an instructor named Russia. If you have ever experienced one of her classes (body pump, boot camp, power sculpt) you know what I mean. If you haven’t, you need to ASAP. Her classes are the most challenging, most productive and most fun classes I’ve ever been to. I’ve done everything from pilates to TRX and by far she is the best. She will whip your butt into shape in the best way possible!!!

It is conveniently placed and has the equip i need but wish it was more personal.

Really not loving the weekend hours. Weekends are when MOST people CAN get there. Can this be extended? It’s a pain in the ass to get there to see it’s closed & it’d be helpful if the hours were posted on the website & here on Unilocal

I joined here cause it was a great deal and I needed a gym that would fit my workout needs and my schedule, and it seemed as though I had found it in Golds. So far, I’ve been satisfied. The equipment is all pretty current and in good working order, and there’s tons of stuff to choose from. I’ve never had to wait for anything and I always get to do what I was planning on. The second floor is a little hot and steamy and smells as such (mm, sweat), but after a few minutes, as with any smell, it goes away and you get used to it. Lots of water fountains, LOTS of classes (yay!), spacious locker rooms. pretty much everything you’d expect of a decent gym. The staff leaves a little to be desired, but I can get past that. after all, I’m not there to make new friends, I’m there to workout :)

I switched in July 2013 from the PNC YMCA downtown to Gold’s. My issue is with the staff. More than once I had extra fees or twists in my membership come up because the staff neglected to give me all the info. Example: today I was charged an annual fee that I was unaware of. Not cool.
Overall the equipment gets the job done. The men’s locker room is usually quite a mess and smells awful.

I wanted to wait about a month from joining before writing a review. My initial happiness with joining this gym continues. It’s reasonably priced with no required contract. The hours are very good for me. The staff are clearly waiting to be asked for help/​guidance/​classes but so far, I haven’t felt pressured at all.
I’ve been going mostly during my lunch hour or right after work. I’ve seen the upstairs with all the running and elliptical machines n’@. Not my bag, baby, but if that’s what you want, you should be in good stead. I will say however that if I wanted to bike nowhere fast, the Cardio Cinema seems like a great idea. You watch a movie in a darkened theatre room while biking or ellipticaling or someusch. They also seem to have lots of classes on offer.
For what this guy likes to do — bench, squat, deadlift, dumbbells — Gold’s serves my purposes. I don’t find there’s a huge wait for the bench or squat machines and there’s more than enough dumbbell sets. As for the locker room, I wish they had better hangers but there’s more than enough space and rarely a wait for the showers.

This gym is OK. The price is right (~20/​month) after an initial setup fee, but if you are going anytime in the post-​work rush it will be uncomfortably crowded. If you use free weights like I do, you should plan on a wait period, even if you decide to work in. There are a lot of real serious guys that you use those weights and they often occupy more than one at a time. Be forewarned.
Back in January, when they lowered the prices and people were doing the New Years Resolution thing, this place was unbearable… to the point of no lockers even being available. It is more bearable now.
If you won’t be going during the post-​work rush and will be in the market square area, this place is a good option.

I joined Gold’s Gym back in August after gyming at the YMCA downtown. For the price of the membership which includes parking (even if the times of free parking are limited) you really cannot beat it. Their operational hours make it easy for people to gym in the morning, and late in the evening if they so choose to.
Some of my favorite aspects:
*Free tanning
*The Cardio Theater
*There seem to be many classes to take (I myself do not use them but I always see them listed)
*Gold’s staff is always very friendly
*I have never waited for a machine
*Hours of operation
Things that bother me:
*The water in the shower is usually cold in the morning.
*The locker rooms are always messy.
Dirty floors, messy lockers and just in general it doesn’t seem like it’s kept up regularly. This honestly is my biggest complaint.
My true gripe is with the training staff Gold’s has outsourced which is located on the second floor. I feel like I’m stuck inside an infomercial every time I speak to one of them, or worse, when they come up to me as I’m working out (which I don’t appreciate). I understand their jobs are sales jobs, but I hate feeling pressured to buy a program at a place I’m already spending money at. Don’t make me feel like I’m doing nothing to achieve my fitness goals just because I don’t want to spend another $ 400 a month a trainer. It actually deters me from going to the gym because I don’t want to deal with the annoyance.
Overall this is a great gym. I do have my issues with it, however, I don’t necessarily know if it would be enough to make me go anywhere else. I definitely would suggest trying it out.

As an update to my original post — Gold’s took notice of my initial review and called me personally to thank me for the kind words and for being such a great member! It’s awesome to hear from them and it just reinforces my love for Gold’s! If anyone is new to Pittsburgh and looking for a health club, I would STRONGLY suggest you checking them out!
Thanks again for the call, the free month of membership, and the tshirt!