What's the deal with the subscription offer at Fitness House?

The subscription offer at Fitness House allows you to visit different clubs without any hassle. You can book classes and track your progress online, and the staff are generally friendly and helpful.

How's the equipment at Fitness House?

The equipment at Fitness House is modern and well-maintained, with a great selection to suit different fitness levels.

Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time, but be aware that there may be some penalties for early termination.

How's the customer service at Fitness House?

The customer service at Fitness House is generally good, with staff who are friendly and helpful.

Can I get a refund if I'm not satisfied with the gym?

Yes, you can get a refund if you're not satisfied with the gym, but be aware that there may be some conditions and penalties.

How's the parking situation at Fitness House?

The parking situation at Fitness House can be a bit of a nightmare, especially during peak hours.

Can I bring a guest to the gym?

Yes, you can bring a guest to the gym, but be aware that there may be some restrictions and penalties.

What's the policy on guest passes?

You can purchase guest passes online or at the front desk, but be aware that there may be some restrictions and penalties.

Fitness House Gym Review: Pros and Cons

Hello everyone!

I'm in a bit of a pickle when it comes to fitness centers in my area - there aren't many options. I ditched this gym after a scandal in 2022, and the others either have low ratings or only offer six-month or year-long membership plans, which isn't really what I'm looking for. I've bought memberships multiple times, but I've never managed to use them even 10% of the time, and I don't want to go through that again.

I was interested in the subscription offer at Fitness House, though - it seemed like a good option. My only gripe was that I had to re-register and take a photo for the turnstile every time I visited a new club. It would be nice if they had a unified database, don't you think? I wanted to check out some other clubs, but the process was a bit exhausting.

For more details on the subscription, check out the website - link

The subscription is a membership plan with monthly payments that you can freeze or cancel at any time.

I paid 3500 rubles per month for regular clubs (1000 rubles for the initial connection and 2500 rubles per month), and a bit more for Prestige and pool clubs - 3900 rubles. I opted for the regular ones since they're the only ones available in my area, and I don't feel like traveling far for exercise.

Considering the price, though, I think 25,000 rubles per year is a bit steep, especially considering the 'bottom' tier.

Here's what's included in the membership:

Access to all clubs in the networkUnlimited access to the clubGYMGroup classesSaunas in the spa area of the clubIndividual lockersSafe deposit boxesTwo bonus workoutsGuest access for friends I was initially excited about the freeze option for 10 days at 150 rubles, but it got blocked for some reason after a couple of weeks.

Clubs

The list of clubs in the city is pretty extensive.

Blue - standard, purple - Prestige The two clubs that caught my eye in terms of location were:

35, 4th floor, Marshal Govorov St. 47, Lit. J, Stachek Ave.

Hours of operation for both:

Mon-Fri: 07:00 - 23:00

Sat-Sun: 08:00 - 22:00

I started with the first one, made it my primary club, and it didn't affect anything.

My first visit was a quick one - I went, worked out, and left for the next one. The parking lot is tiny, and since there's a business center nearby, it's bound to be packed during the day, and there's no space in the evenings either.

The locker room was the most pleasant surprise.

My gym sessions were cramped, with all the equipment packed tightly into one room. The cardio and strength training zones were right next to each other, which made for a pretty intense workout. I visited on a weekday evening, and it was packed with guys – the smell of sweat was overwhelming, and it seemed like the ventilation system was barely working.

The equipment was pretty grimy, with stuff splattered all over it – it was a bit of a turn-off. Some of the machines looked old and worn out, which wasn't ideal. I spent 20 minutes and bailed.

The next day, I headed to the second location on Stačka Street. I ended up visiting it 8 times in a month of subscription. I'll go into the details of what to expect when choosing a Fitness House.

How not to get a doctor's note at the gym

I'd never seen this before - at regular gyms (not the pool) they require a doctor's note. I found out too late, and when I tried to pass through the turnstile after registering for my first visit, the admin told me that I'd need to sign in and out with her until I got the note.

The note and examination, which includes a surface inspection of your hands and feet, cost 1,500 rubles at the club - that's a lot for a 5-minute procedure, especially considering it's for a month. If it cost 500-700 rubles, it would be more reasonable, and you'd actually want to get it done, rather than having to go somewhere else.

I was relieved to find out that if you skip the mandatory bonus workouts, you won't need a membership card. I'm not sure what the logic behind that is, but after doing so, I was able to walk through the turnstile without any issues.

Club layout and setup at 47 Stačka

I've been there at different times, both weekdays and weekends, and despite my initial concerns, there's always been parking available. The entrance is convenient, and if you're taking public transport, the nearest metro station is Kirovsky Zavod, just a 5-minute walk away.

Fitness House Stačka 47 review The building itself is quite nice, with large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The club has been open for over 5 years, but it still feels relatively new. The stairs leading up to the entrance are often slippery, especially in the winter. They've got special walkways to help with traction, but the rest of the asphalt is a different story altogether.

Fitness House Stačka 47 review There are two restrooms at the entrance, and you don't even need to be a member to use them... which might explain why they sometimes smell a bit off.

Inside, you'll find a sports bar near the entrance and a coat check area.

I had two women working in the wardrobe, taking turns. One was out sick, and the other just ignored me. Not super friendly when you say hello, thank you, or goodbye, and they don't even respond. I mean, there are a lot of people, but still...

From there, you can also enter the neighboring salon and other organizations:

But honestly, the entrance often smelled like food, and not in a good way. Then you go through a turnstile with face-ID, and that's when things get a bit more interesting. The turnstile is right next to the admin desk, and the girls there are just sitting around, waiting for customers to come and ask questions. They look at you straight in the eye, but don't even crack a smile.

Inside the club, the renovation could've been done in a more welcoming way. To be honest, it feels like you're either in a hospital or a government office – it's just not comfortable. It's not minimalism, it's just being cheap.

Window between 1 and 2 floors Staircase to the second floor in the locker room Staircase to nowhere

The one thing that really gets to me is the overwhelming amount of advertising everywhere - both from the club itself and external sponsors. I'm talking about the grooming stations, the theatrical and musical performances, and all the rest. The first floor has a pretty cool vibe - there's a schedule of classes and info about the trainers. You can chill out and grab a snack from the vending machine, which has everything from UAE cola to sports drinks and energy bars.

One thing that really stood out to me was the lack of group classes. I mean, they do offer some additional paid sessions, but even those are pretty limited. I haven't actually taken one, so I can't speak to the quality, but the timing just never worked out for me.

Гадость)) One thing that caught my eye was the little storage shelves for small items, a computer to check your membership, and a bin for used towels (they're paid, but I didn't look up the price).

The changing room is on the second floor, which isn't super convenient - you have to go up two flights, change, and then head back down (there aren't any treadmills on the second floor).

The changing room is actually pretty spacious. The women's room is on the right, and the men's is on the left.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, the last section of the bathroom was a real stinker. It smelled like someone had left a present behind, and I'm not talking about the toilet. The weird thing was that it smelled like a pool or chlorine, which was actually kind of pleasant. I'm guessing it's an issue with the drainage system in the sink area. Sometimes the smell got so bad that I didn't even want to go near the sink to wash my hands.

The toilet was pretty gross from around lunchtime until the evening. I'm talking trash, stains, the whole nine yards. And don't even get me started on the state of the floor in the locker room on a dirty day - it's like nobody even bothered to clean it up all day. It wasn't until the club closed at night that someone finally bothered to sweep it up.

The sinks were always clogged and covered in hair. I'm pretty sure there was hot water in the shower, but every single sink on every single floor was ice cold. There was never any soap, the dispenser was broken, and forget about paper towels - there was only one sad little towel warmer on the wall.

I've lost count of how many lockers there are in the changing room – they're flimsy, and the electronic locks are finicky. Sometimes they refuse to close, and other times they won't open on the first try, making me wonder if my stuff has vanished or if I'm just getting my locker mixed up. I've taken to leaving my valuables in the car.

The changing room has a sauna, which I haven't used.

At the far end, there's a corridor leading to the pool, showers, and sauna. The sauna is always packed, and when it's not, it's often out of order – I've not tried it, but I'm guessing it's a hit with the regulars.

Fitness room

The gym equipment is modern and decent, unlike the one on Goryovo Street. I'm no expert, but the state of the machines is good, and there's a wide range of options – unless you're a serious athlete, I think you'll find it sufficient.

There are several rooms.

Room 1 is a spacious 'waiting area' (an extension of the corridor) with 4 stationary bikes and 4 treadmills. These are always in use, and people seem to love sitting on them for hours, glued to their phones.

Kids, I've got to say, after a month, they still haven't fixed the broken pedal straps on two out of four bikes:

And before that, there's a pocket on the sofa with a phone in it - it's like they ran out of space on the bike)

2 - around the corner, there's a whole bunch of bike lanes laid out in a grid. It's always packed on weeknights, but I did manage to find a free spot one time.

There were a couple of rowing machine-style treadmills in the corner, but they were often out of commission because the screens would be dead (no display of time, load, or distance traveled, for example).

3 - the group fitness room. I popped in just to check it out when it was empty. Inside, there's equipment for all sorts of sports - hurdles, benches, balls, mats, and so on. And the best part is, it's open to non-members even when there aren't any classes scheduled - a rare find in some gyms, I've noticed.

4 - the basement gym, which requires a trip down the stairs. No windows, but it's surprisingly well-lit and not depressing at all. There are plenty of mirrors to create the illusion of more space.

I really like how the lower level is divided into different sections for cardio and strength training - it's super convenient. I didn't experience any issues with ventilation, the space always feels fresh. It can get a bit chilly, but that's a minor complaint.

I've used a lot of the machines, and I'd say 95% of them have clear instructions on how to use them and which muscles you're targeting.

It's crazy how busy some of the equipment can get, but after waiting 5-10 minutes, it usually frees up, unless you don't feel like taking turns or suggesting a rotation schedule)

Some machines were out of commission for weeks, but that wasn't a big deal for me since I had no idea how they worked, and all of mine were functioning fine)

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In the end of the month when I decided to cancel my subscription, the admin of the club, who was basically twiddling her thumbs, told me to 'just go to the member's portal and take care of it yourself.'

Customer service? More like 0/10. I mean, why even bother asking if they're just going to shrug you off? They'd rather just poach new customers who haven't experienced the lack of service yet.

For me, fitness just didn't stick during the winter months. And even in the summer, there are so many other activities I enjoy - cycling, kayaking, hiking, and more. Plus, you've got to enjoy the experience. When the place is dirty, disorganized, and the staff doesn't care, what's the point?)