Q:
A: I guess it depends on what you're looking for. I tried Bally's in Brighton and hated it. There were plenty of treadmills but you couldn't listen to the TV sets unless you brought a radio tuner and the selection of weight machines was poor. Of course there were free weights, like every gym has, but that area wasn't as large as I've seen at other gyms. Also, the classes for that gym can only be taken at the Cambridge location and they are not included with your membership. Since then, I've tried Boston Sports Club. They have several locations, including downtown gyms and gyms in some of the outer parts of Boston. It's about $70/month but it's worth it. Each treadmill/cardio machine has it's own personal TV. You control the station and volume, which means you don't get stuck watching CSpan or Telemundo (which is only good if you speak Spanish...I don't). There are plenty of exercise machines, a basketball court, four squash/racketball courts, an ab & stretching room, a large free weight room, and a seperate area where you can work in private with a trainer. If you like classes (they have strength and boxing classes that men seem to like), they have a variety and they're free with your membership. You also get one free training session and you can purchase more for a pretty reasonable fee. I've heard that some of their other gyms have pools and more bball courts, if that's something you like. There are a few other Boston gyms that I've tried. I found most of them to be overpriced. The Ring, on Comm Ave., is a good choice if you're looking to change up your workout routine. It's all boxing classes. Even if you've never had boxing experience, they'll train you. You choose your goal, whether you're just toning up, losing weight, working on your muscle, or wanting to box competitivley. It's a nice program for about $100/month. I'd recommend giving it a try. Hopefully this helps you out a bit. I've been trying to find the right gym for a year now so I'm pretty happy that I finally found the BSC. Good luck in your search!!