Maxim Health & Fitness

Recommends

Dave M.

Joined 1 year ago

Best neighborhood gym. Joined a month ago and i'm loving this place.  The staff is friendly and helpful. All of the instructors kick ass and their classes are amazing.  You should try Kyle's "11th Hour" class. They're currently renovating the locker rooms, and they added a bunch of new equipment. I totally recommend this place to everyone

Doesn't Recommend

HighlyPissed

Joined 2 years ago

BEWARE. It is discriminatory as a few reviewers mentioned. When I went in person to sign up for membership at first they gave me a price for a year contract and then when I didn't look interested the guy lowered the price to $76 its still higher than the reviewer who only paid $74. That was my first mistake. My second mistake is that I did not take advantage of their 72 hour time window that you have to cancel your membership. It should have been clear to me that for the price I was paying the machines are not worth it. They are old and don't offer much. I've stayed at economy hotels that have better machines than this place. The lockers are inconvenient. You would think that with membership you would get your own locker. but no you have to physically carry around a lock with all your belongings every single time. Deodorant and all. The worst part was b/c of the lack of vareity of machines and classses, I began to lose interest and started to gain even more weight than when I started b/c I got too bulky. Half way into my contract I stopped going all together. When my contract was over no one notified me of my account rolling over into month-to-month. By the time I found out they had charged my account six months worth of services $79/mo. for membership I was not even using. So basically, I spent $1500 to gain more weight and has taken me a year and half to bring myself back to where I was when I started. How much does that suck? Then to make matters worse, when speaking to the manager he refused to try to give me any type of refund and to add insult to injury b/c I did not notify them at least 30 days prior of cancellation they made me sign a cancellation form that says that I must agree to pay for the next month. Thats right im being charged for an EXTRA month of services for a month that has not even begun, for services I do not intend to use or want. Everything about their contract is deceitful and in the end im convinced people would pay more for their memberships than they think. Im curious to know if there are any laws that exist that would protect a consumer from this type of fraud.

Doesn't Recommend

moonstarnyc

Joined 7 years ago

Terrible Service. First of all, be warned by the fact that they won't publish their membership rates on the web or give them out on the phone. Then, when you get there and take a brochure with rates printed on it, the employees will tell you that not all of the services on the brochure exist or the prices have changed. Seriously, who needs this? Is this their way to discriminate against people since the only way you can get a price is by coming in person?

Also, I once scheduled a 6 AM meeting with a personal trainer only to find out after I got there that he was cancelling for being sick. Didn't even bother to call me!

For the price you could buy some nice equipment for your apartment and save yourself the hassle of putting up with their bad service.

Recommends

RachelBeider

Joined 4 years ago

Best Personal Trainers. The equipment is modern, its always clean, and I love the friendly neighborhood vibe.

Larry, the owner, is super intelligent and always helpful.

I also love to work out with Paul Kostas, and would highly suggest training with him.

It's an overall great experience!

Doesn't Recommend

Williegal

Joined 5 years ago

Needs a lot of work!. This gym needs a lot of repairs and training for its staff. The machines are from the 80's and the staff are just plain rude with their, "(Sigh), what do you want" attitude. Did they ever hear of 'customer service'?

Just wait until that Crunch comes around the corner and all will change. Bottomline is - they're overpriced.

Recommends

rharlow29

Joined 5 years ago

Best Gym around. I have been going here for about 3 years, It is one of the best fitness centers I have ever been a member of, and I have been involved with a lot of them. Larry recently sat down with me and drew up a fitness plan taking in mind my immediate and future goals, the staff is very knowledgeable and the facility itself is fantastic. Not cold like some gyms very warm and has everything you need and more. It seems as though they are adding new equipment daily to fit everyone's fitness desire from the serious power lifter to the normal trainer for men and women. Larry has a strong knowledge of and love for fitness and it shows in the constant evolution of this gym. I am happy to be a member and will remain one for a long time.

Recommends

badback

Joined 7 years ago

Locally owned, very knowledgable, very non-jock-friendly. The staff at Maxim has the knowledge, experience, and attitude to help you get fit. Larry Betz (one of the owners and head of the personal training program) is up to speed with the core principles of fitness and the latest stuff like Kettle Bells and CrossFit. Larry hooked me up with one his trainers, Anna Leszczynski. I have mobility problems from a back injury and quit exercising years ago, and Anna crafted a program for me to get fit and flexible. I have never used a personal trainer, assuming it was just for Hollywood stars and Wall Street widows. I was wrong. My everyday sessions in the morning were the highlight of my day. Each day was focused, within my capability, and best of all, effective. I was motivated to continue working out and my eyes were opened to what discipline and applied knowledge can achieve. Anna kept it fresh, fun, and challenging. Thanks Anna!

The facility itself is clean, inviting, and the equipment is quality. The vibe is distinctly "come as you are". I never had to wait for equipment. Everything we needed for exercises was available (kettle bells, ropes, weird rubber wobble things, a freakin tractor tire, etc)

Unfortunately I moved out of state in the spring of 08 and have desperately been trying to find a gym similar to Maxim but have had no luck. It is very difficult to find a gym with an on site owner like Larry Betz and enthusiastic staff. I miss you guys!

Recommends

liljbella

Joined 5 years ago

Honestly, how can you complain?. I have been a member of this gym for over 3 years and I love it. Yes, sometimes a machine is broken.. guess what? it gets fixed as soon as possible plus there are tons of other machines in the facility that you can replace it with. For those people who are complaining about Maxim, there is the YMCA 20 minutes away however it is dirty, smells, and their equipment is from the stone age or Otom in Greenpoint where you can work out with "OTB" Polish "juice-heads" yet clearly nobody would like to demote themselves down to that. It is unfair to compare this gym to the ones in the city for it isn't part of a chain, it is privately owned. The owners are always more than happy to help someone out if they are approached in a polite manner (not attacked!). There are plenty of machines which are always available and plenty of average people who won't look at you as if you're inferior or a "gym- retard". Both the equipment and the overall facility is clean and there are even sanitary wipes mounted on the wall so you can clean your machine before using it or for those people who are rather considerate, wipe the machine down after your done using it. The staff is very friendly and have no problem answering questions. And one time when the girl at the front desk couldn't answer my question, she was kind enough to call one of the owners and have him answer my question for me. The gym is a little pricey but I definitely think that you get what you pay for. I'm 3 years in and not planning to quit any time soon.

Recommends

nicokwan

Joined 5 years ago

A Comfortable Gym for Real People. I've never really been a gym person because I always hated all the muscle heads & fitness "girly-girls". Maxim is nothing like that! It's a great gym for real people like me-neighborhood people who work out after work, before work, late evening. You never have to wait for a machine and they'll put just about anything you want on their flat screens!

I just started working out with Larry the head of Personal Training and am learning how to correct all the things I was doing wrong in my workouts. Plus, they have this online nutritional planning service that builds daily menus based on your weight goals & foods you like. I love it!



There's always an owner around to answer questions about workouts, machines, or whatever. There also seems to be tons of improvements going on, which I love! They're happy to hear suggestions & usually will look into making those changes. It's the first gym I've felt comfortable in & I think you would too!

Recommends

Hargasm

Joined 5 years ago

By far the best Gym in Brooklyn, maybe all of New York for the price.. -First off: it's gorgeous. Hard-wood and exposed brick, the entire second floor of an old converted warehouse.

-Second off: the equipment is state of the art and they're getting new machines it seems like weekly

-It's NEVER crowded. Even at their busiest (seems to be weeknight evenings) there is never a wait for equipment.

-The personal trainers are exceptionally knowledgable and way more important than that, there is a large variety of personality and body types to choose from. None of those brain-dead Maguillas that seem to be the exclusive trainer type at other gyms.

-The head trainer and part owner Larry Betz is a fitness GURU. Even if you are too poor for personal training (like me) he is always available with tips and tricks to improve your workout and keep from hurting yourself.. and more importantly than that, he genuinely seems to want everyone he meets to be able to shape up like him (he's a bit of a brickhouse)

-It's a neighborhood gym where most of the members are from the neighborhood. There is a super-friendly, super laid-back vibe that just makes working out there all the more enjoyable (if you like friendly and laid-back that is)