Sacramento Central YMCA

I’ve been going here for about a month. I’d give it a 4.5 if I could, just cause it’s not state of the art, but I like it and it meets my needs. I looked into the ymca because I went to their gym in Oakland, which was AMAZING and diverse and modern. This one’s pretty bare bones but it has what I need (elliptical, free weights, a few machines, and some classes). Everyone is really friendly, it’s never very crowded, and there’s no meat market like at other gyms. I’d say 80% of the people are retirees, which sometimes makes me feel a little out of place being in my 20s, but it’s not terrible. The thing I like best is the helpful low income discount.

I joined the Y this spring and it’s been a solidly good experience so far. I was looking around for a yoga studio to join, then found out this Y — which is around the corner from me– has yoga classes. By signing up I got access to the full gym, yoga and other fitness classes, the pool and the courts for just $ 40-​ish per month– which is less than what most yoga studios charge per month. Sold! Of course I have yet to attend a yoga class, which is what spurred this quest in the first place– haha, go figure.
As another Unilocaler aptly described this location, it isn’t dazzling but it isn’t intimidating either (big selling point for a non-​gym person like myself). I sign myself in quickly by scanning my membership card. The staff at the front counter always seem nice. The cardio/​machine room has all the basics I need. The weight room has everything I need and usually doesn’t host many gym-​bro types. There was a slightly large one-​time sign-​up fee, but the monthly charge is affordable.
Perfectly functional and no complaints so far. Keep it up, YMCA.

As a long-​time customer with this YMCA, it pains me to write such a critical review of this place but I feel such a review has long been overdue.
I like to have an exercise routine early in the morning: play basketball in the gymnasium, run the threadmills in the cardio room and, if I’m not too tired, hit the weight room. But I found a simple workout routine like this to be increasingly difficult at this Y.
Management books two classes in the same room which creates conflict between the classes. For instance, the basketball gymnasium was closed from August 25 through the 29^th from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm for Sports Camp for children. This directly conflicted with the Aging & Wellness classes which is held in the same basketball gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
I have issues with unauthorized classes being held in the gym. The yoga instructor has yoga classes at eight o’ clock in the mornings during weekdays in the basketball gym and this is despite the fact that an entire room has been bequeathed to him, Studio A, which includes yoga mats and yoga balls.
When they did a children’s Chalk Art event in July 2014, there was still chalk residue on the courts for several weeks after the event ended. This made playing in the outdoor courts unplayable.
Constant closing of the basketball gym for repairs. The gym was closed on November 26^th through the 30^th to repair a leaking roof. It was closed yet again on December 8^th through the 13^th to repair that very same leak and it was closed once again on December 23^rd through the 30^th to repair that very same leak.
The February e-​newsletter reads in part: «Starting February 23^rd, the men’s locker room will be closed for approximately three weeks» for renovations. During this time, the male customers will have to use the Family Changing Room if they want to change and take a shower while the men’s locker room is being renovated.
Yes, these are minor issues but these minor issues are eventually adding up.
It’s a «no frills» gym but membership isn’t cheap. A three-​month membership for a family of two costs $ 240.00, making the price comparable to other for-​profit fitness gyms. And it’s a pricey sum for a gym which is in constant need of repairs and renovations.
For the time being, I’ll save my money and stick to exercising in the park and lifting weights at home.

Talk about huge! This place has so many things to do! They have a regular size court, plus a smaller one. I haven’t been in the actual «gym» part, but it looks cool.

The girls at the front desk are very rude. They don’t smile or even treat their members with respect. I think they clearly need to hire more personable, nice, professional people who actually have the courtesy to say hello when you walk in the door

A little bit old YMCA, but I am OK. My kids will start they swim and basketball lessons in October. I like here zumba, vinyasa yoga and kickboxing.

Typical YMCA. No frills physical plant, but it’s cheap and the pool is clean even if the changing rooms are definitely not. The front desk staff in the main building are clueless. The pool isn’t handicap-​accessible and there’s very little attempt to help folks who require extra physical assistance.
The children’s center is another thing entirely. Great management, but the counselors at summer camp are young and inexperienced. Well-​meaning, certainly, but there is absolutely no training or accommodation made for special needs kids, and they are seriously understaffed. 4 year olds can wander off and get into all sorts of trouble, and they give you no notice — not even 24 hours — when your child is terminated for behavioral issues.
That said, some of the staff — Whitney, the counselor/​bus driver, and several others — are really dedicated to the kids and are trying to make this a healthy and safe environment. It’s just so chaotic that I’m not sure they will be able to. But they are doing their best.
If you have an older child who is very well-​behaved and contained and doesn’t need much guidance or structure, though, this could be an excellent choice for after school or summer camp. They do fun stuff and have a big physical plant. The food is decent, and it’s affordable.

This place needs a serious overhaul. It is really out-​dated.
The swimming lessons for adults SUCKS for the following reasons:
There is no training plan.
The pool is crowded.
Instructor should know adult beginners are just that… beginners.
Basics of swimming should be taught.
We do NOT recommend taking swimming class here for adults.

My child had been taking swim lessons there for 6 months. We only got one progress report the whole time. They never moved him up a level. When I asked about it I was told that I should take him swimming to practice… umm isn’t that what I’m paying you for. We will get private lessons somewhere else. Waste of time and money.

It’s older (but the monthly membership fees are appropriately lower than other Ys), but I think that makes it feel comfortable. It has a pool (indoors, but with large windows and it’s heated) and a basketball gym, a gym filled with all the regular machines and a gym with free weights.
I’ve only joined up this last month, but so far I’m a fan. This Y doesn’t dazzle me, but it doesn’t intimate me either. It’s close to my house, the people are always friendly and parking’s a breeze. What’s not to like about that?

Great place for kids swim lessons. Ratio is either 6:1 or 8:1 for Saturday lessons. They have some really good caring teachers here! Bring goggles though. With the amount of chlorine they need to use *ahem*, its better to protect your eyes. It’s pretty humid in there so don’t dress too warm even if it’s cold outside.
We purchased a child’s swim membership for one year ($ 75) and pay an average of $ 35 per month for once a week lessons. Great deal for a heated pool! The lessons are year-​round so that’s a plus. If you stay an active member (sign up for lessons every month and not skip a month), you get priority registration over the public, and have a better chance of picking and getting the time slot you want. 10am and 10:45am on Saturday is the most popular and crowded. Activity slows after noon.
After the lesson, you can have your kid shower in the shower area. This part of my review is on the women’s locker room. They have about 10 – 12 shower heads and about 2 of those are hand held. They also provide and liquid soap in dispensers. 2 of the shower have shower curtains if you want more privacy. Bring your own combo lock if you need a locker.

After my experience with the 24 hour fitness at the K street Mall, this place was a BREATH OF FRESH AIR.
The Customer Service is spotless. Every time I walk in, I’m greeted with an actual smile and a «Hey! How are you?»
They don’t look me up and down and say «you don’t belong here» like they did at 24.
They treat me with respect! And I feel welcome every time I walk in.
Also, I am not ghastly afraid of asking them questions like at my previous gym.
They just got some new cardio equipment, which is really nice, but other than that everything is pretty standard. I’m not picky when it comes to that sort of stuff so it didnt bother me.
The main reason I joined (besides 24 hour sucking, and the excellent service here) was the Olympic size heated pool. I am a Future Navy Sailor and it was imperative that I get back into the water and practice my strokes, treading, and breathing techniques. The pool sold me!
One word of caution though: You will see a lot of naked people in those locker rooms… just don’t make eye contact and you’ll be fine
(PS– If you think you can’t afford the membership here, don’t fret! They have a program called Y– assist. This program allows you to get a YMCA membership at a WAYYY discounted rate. Just ask the front desk and they will tell you about it! :D)

I’ve only been using the Y for my kid’s swim lessons. They have been coming here on and off for over three years. The swim classes cost between $ 30-​$ 40 depending on the schedule if you are a member. Membership is $ 75 a year, so it is wise to become a member if your kids are going to take at least three months of swimming lessons a year… otherwise its $ 60-​$ 70 a month for non members.
The swim classes can be a little crowded. If you have the twice a week swimming lessons its 30 min a lesson, each instructor can have like 8 students so your child will be idling for several minutes between instruction. While idling they are confined to the sideline of the pool and can’t do anything. Its kind of a waste of time and they should set up other events they can do while idling.
The once a week class is 45 minutes, its only once a week on Sat, but seems like your child will get more instruction and have a more rewarding session.
The instructors are very good and they care about the kids. I have not seen any of them get frustrated or lose their cool. Even when the kids are freaking out or refusing to do the exercise, they do everything they can to calm the child and help them out.
The swim lessons are year round in an indoor pool, its a great event for the kids during the winter months and outdoor pools are closed. I recommend this as an economic way to get your kids exposed to swimming!

OKAY, this was a paltry stop in my travels. Even among YMCA’s this is not a highlight of workout versatility. I drove about 20 miles because I am a member to the YMCA. This gym did not suit my workout needs. The weight room was small, sparsely equipped and with what equipment was there was, was OLD school Arnold style body building equipment. I’m not saying you couldn’t get the job done, but I am saying its not worth driving 20 minutes to use it. The pool looked pretty decent, but its temperature was too warm for my liking.
It did have a lot of indoor basketball courts, a crap load of different instructor lead classes and a helpful and friendly staff. So overall gets a 2.5.

This is probably a bit worse than the standard YMCA but I give it four stars for just the concept of a no frills type club. Even though the building is old and not kept up very well, there are a few things I really like about the club:
1. Huge gym. Full court basketball with 2 courts that run the width of the gym. Total of 6 rims with a «soft» wood floor. Good for older knees!
2. Nice pool. Kept very warm so there is no shock when you get in. Never too crowded.
No meat market here. There is a downstairs free weight area with some pretty old and dated weight machines and free weights. Upstairs is a cardio room with about 6 – 8 treadmills, some bikes and some other weight machines.
1 person per month is around $ 45/​month and there is an initiation fee.

This is just for the swimming lessons…
The pool is an indoor pool so there are swimming lessons year round for people of all ages. You can go to the YMCA’s website to download their swim schedule and see their (very reasonable) rates.
I am very impressed with the swim instructors. They know their stuff and work really, really well with kids. They know how to re-​direct naughty behavior and obviously like working with children.
I didn’t give it a perfect 5 stars because the teacher per kid ratio is a little higher than you’d find at private clubs. That said, the lessons are cheaper too, so it’s a trade-​off. I know some parents might want more individualized attention for their children though. My kid and most kids would be fine with the larger classes (about 6 kids per 1 teacher).

I haven’t been on a piece of exercise equipment in years. Like 5 or 6.
So, I decided to join a no frills gym– you know… in case I felt like slacking… plus, I’m not into the meat market 24 can be (or was those years ago)
I like the Y. They hook it up M-​F from 4 – 7 with «child watch” — fo’ free if you have a family plan. A third of the cost compared to a «regular» gym. The machines are new– some even include TVs, air, and ipod decks… very rad. I’m a few blocks away from a pool this summer, and couldn’t be happier! I haven’t checked out how packed the 530 am club is, but the afternoons and Friday after work crowd is awesome and scarce. I’m not really sure how the weekends are yet either, since child care isn’t offered on those days.
Aside from the huge guys groaning and slamming weights back onto the ground, improperly working out– (I haaaaate when folks exercise incorrectly, especially when making a spectacle of themselves) I guess my only complaint, is that the pool is indoors– but that will come in handy this winter, eh? The noodles and water weights room make up for it.
There are plenty of fitness and swim classes, camps for kids, clean locker rooms (plenty of space) and friendly staff. Ive been only four times so far, (in a week, what??!) and just like it more and more. Especially when I bring earphones. UUuUUUurRaAGgHh!!! *SLAM!

Unless you’re young or old, there are definitely better gyms out there, and for better prices.
I was a member during high school and it worked well for me because the Y has tons of machines, there was no joining fee, and it is in a convenient location.
Sadly, this was not the case when I came back after my freshman year of college. They wanted to charge me $ 50 for joining, plus my $ 25 monthly fee — $ 125 for 3 months! I knew I could find a better deal than that.
In addition, the building smells and I am constantly being sketched out by the other people who work out there. One time I decided to try the ab-​blast class, but the instructor never showed up and I ended up sitting outside the room for about 10 minutes.
Overall, it’s a good gym to join if you leave nearby or are younger than 18 or older than 55. Otherwise, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

I am on a Y board. There are so many good programs for youth and seniors. Look into NYPUM FOR TEENS. Now looking for new fund raising opportunities. Any ideas?

I’ve signed up and I’m so happy to do it! I live really close to here, so the travel time is cut down and so are the costs. So… if you happen to want a gym and a community, join here!
Super friendly staff, no frills gym that has everything you need, without the «meat market» atmosphere. The best part? NO CONTRACTS! and you can put a freeze on your account for up to 6 months if suddenly you feel the need to be a lazy butt and not go to the gym, which I admit to being… uhhhhh…but this gym makes me WANT to come here! A bit of a downer is that they are remodling their pool, so it’ll be closed for a couple of weeks, bummer.
I’m really excited to try the spin classes at 6:45pm, perfect for an after work workout. That’s downstairs along with a weight room and the pool. As for the equipment, yeah, typical… but one note is that you can play iPod videos on their TV screens, I thought that was really neat. Yes neat! That’s the Y in a nut shell.