Thursday, August 23, 2012

Gym Hopping on Vacation - My Reviews

Some people think that because you are in vacation, you need to take a vacation from everything.  FALSE.  If it has been a part of your lifestyle, you'll find it's difficult to say away :D

One of my fav things to do while on vacation is do drop-in's at gyms I've never been to before in my life.  It's just so exciting for me.  It's kind of like being a kid and going to a brand new amusement park.  YUP, I get that excited!

Sam and I took a mini-vacation to Leduc, Alberta (just south of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) for 5 days.  Mind you, 2 days were just used driving there and back from Winnipeg, Manitoba (UGH long drives are a pain).

The first gym we went to was in the City of Leduc.

(via City of Leduc)
Leduc Recreation Centre is a MASSIVE 9000 sq ft facility, which has everything under the rainbow when it comes to anything sport related (swimming pools, skating rinks, indoor field houses for various sports, curling complex, run/walk full-sized indoor track and of course a gym).

This place was just breathtaking.  We got lost at first because we went through the back entrance but soon found our way upstairs to the gym floor.





We arrived closer to 7 am to find not too many members/staff, which was a good thing (MORE EQUIPMENT!!!).  Drop in was $8, which was very reasonable for this state-of-the-art facility.      
     
(via City of Leduc)

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:
  • Quiet, clean & spacious
  • Tons of functional gym equipment (no unnecessary equipment on the gym floor)
  • Squat platform
  • Large windows throughout the facility (natural lighting) to see the amazing view of the Leduc community while doing cardio
  • Showers were surprisingly strong for water output (because no one wants "weak" shower)
  • Treadmill incline goes up to 30 (YIKES my hamstrings!!!)
  • Toilets were cool (ya I know that sounds weird).  There were two separate dials for liquid waste and solid waste.  

Overall, I really enjoyed it there. Nothing to complain about.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the city.  
5 stars *****

Gold's Gym at West Edmonton Mall was our next stop.  

I was super hyped up about going to this HUGE franchise that the great Arnold Schwarzegger made famous.  

When I got the response from the girl up front to my question of how much the drop in was, my immediate thought was..."$20 BUCKS?  DAMN that's expensive!"  But the girl advised us the drop in fee was good for a 24 hour period, which then made sense.

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:
  • Had all the basic equipment a gym would need
  • Cool juice bar at the front with a small store for apparel
  • Members seemed very dedicated to their goals (no fussing around here)
  • Inside the women's change room, there was a little mirrored area for weight lifting, as well as a few cardio machines (SO NEAT!)
  • New Cardio Cinema (closed off room playing movies in the dark) with many choices of cardio machines
  • Change rooms were clean & tidy...kind of small though.
  • No windows and short ceilings made me feel a little claustrophobic 
  • Small, busy, cramped with a tiny weight-lifting area (too much cardio equipment)
  • Not enough mirror space in the weight area, as well as walking room
  • Drop in fee was kind of pricey  

Overall, this gym didn't live up to my expectations.  It definitely won't deter me away from hitting up other locations though.  My whole experience was just so-so.  
3 stars***  


On our way back home, we stopped in the small town of Yorkton, Saskatchewan.  Sam had been raving about this gym for sometime now (since he had been there on several occasions).  WE HAD TO CHECK IT OUT!!!  
Forever Fit is a 24-hour card accessible facility.  A small gym, but boy did it amaze me.  Drop in here was $10, which is the average price for most gyms.  For a small town, (to my surprise) the gym was somewhat busy on an early Sunday morning.  Good for you Yorkton!!!    

Here are the things I loved/disliked about the gym:
  • Just the essential gym equipment/machines on gym floor
  • Sturdy bars/equipment
  • Mirrored ABS studio, MMA studio, large group class studio
  • Easy-to-put-on clips for barbells
  • Clean & tidy (the owner was cleaning up every couple of minutes..TOO CUTE!)
  • Sold supplements & apparel at the front
  • Motivational & inspirational quotes all around the gym, as well as inside each locker (LOVE IT!)
  • Showers has a dispenser for shampoo, conditioner, soap and body wash.  

Overall, no complaints.  I really love this gym.  Small space but jammed with just everything needed to get into tip top shape.  I would DEFINITELY recommend this to anyone passing through SK.  Props to the owner for bringing in this great gym.  It's a must-see!!!  
5 HUGE STARS *****


Hope you enjoyed the read.  Thanks for stopping by.  

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