Lake Norman Branch YMCA

YMCAs are overall amazing. So why the 3 stars? The fields are shot. The parking is limited. It’s just old and needs to be updated and brightened up. The staff is friendly enough and the kids programs are good.

The Lake Norman YMCA is not your typical gym. You aren’t going to find meatheads there. It is a place of enrichment. Sure, there is a pool and a weight room and basketball court. .but there is so much more. The after school program is prefect for working parents. The summer camps have great options for any kid. The sports programs are unrivaled. The YMCA supports those in their backyard that are in need. Lake access and activities.
But none of this great without the staff that work/​play there. Always accommodating. Passionate about spring the good causes. And not too long after you get to know them, they become like family.

The Lake Norman Y is very good for a quick workout. I often go there when the trip to downtown is not feasible. It would be great if the Y offered a larger free weight area. Parking is good. Locker room recently remodeled and is clean.

This Y is ok for family sports and people looking to hang out and talk, but for real fitness not great. The classes are old fashioned, really need to be brought up to date. The workout studios a little crowded. They do have good spin classes and a good training group for the Lake Norman tri.

Love the workers. They are all so nice and friendly. Now if we could just get the men in the gym to wipe down their machines I would be in heaven. I don’t also understand why they need to have sports on so many of the TV’s. To get HGTV I have to hunt the workers down. No one even looks at the ESPN channels.
The place always seems to be neat and clean though

I typically attend the 2pm Spin class on Sundays. So far, I’ve enjoyed every class with the same instructor although they can rotate. She takes you on a nice ride that suits me. I don’t go for the extremely fast spins when sitting and standing. Her workouts help you build strength you didn’t know you had. I feel like my game has been enhanced after just two classes at this location. Besides, they have a dedicated cycle room where the bicycles are arranged in a semi-​circle and are not to be moved as they have been calibrated to give you exact results. Lastly, viewing the Lake as you come and go is always soothing and the staff members are quite informed and helpful.

Usually do not venture up this way very often to go work out, but as it turns out I had done a 40mile bike ride near Mooresville and needed to freshen up afterward to attend a wine tour. Did not really spend too much time in the facilities other than the locker room and shower, but the staff was friendly (I had a guest) and we were in and out of there in 10 minutes.
This Y location is really sort of hidden, but it does have some lake access and it is nice that the Charlotte Metro Pass includes this branch.

Joined the Y months ago and I think my experience with the various branches, including this one, has been mediocre. This branch isn’t a whole lot different from the Lowe’s YMCA in Mooresville but a bit smaller and laid out strangely. I’m wondering who designed the place, it’s almost impossible to get around in here.
But when you’re upstairs running on the treadmill or cycling the view through the big windows out over the lake are wonderful. There aren’t a lot of machines or weight lifting options but the lot they do have is packed tightly into a much-​too-​small space.
Staff is nice of course, something that can always be expected at a YMCA. I probably didn’t think twice before going into a YMCA though because it turns out to be a very conservative and religious place. This location is much closer to home than the Lowe’s branch. But I think after experiencing the two at length and with the high price when compared to a standard chain gym I’ll probably be cancelling my membership soon.

I just joined the Y today and was ecstatic to see that it was better than expected. I was a member of 24 Hour Fitness in San Francisco for four years and considering location and price difference, I feel like the Lake Norman Y really gives more for the dollar.
I don’t have kids but if you do have kids, there are a ton of activities and summer programs to sign them up for. In the hour that I was at this location, I crossed paths with multiple kiddies and they were doing everything from arts and crafts to swimming, and looked like they were really enjoying themselves.
I just wanted to use cardio and free weights and they have two spaces for both. Upstairs is the main area with a decent number of treadmills, bikes, ellipticals, etc. There’s also a good sized weight area. There’s also a similar smaller room downstairs in case you prefer to be around fewer people or like a bit of privacy. In the area upstairs, as soon as you walk up, there’s a sitting area with lots of magazines and also quite a strong row of flat screen TVs hanging from the ceiling.
The staff is friendly and the energy is good. I am looking forward to going to the Y more.

Great location for a YMCA, although the facility looks nicer from the outside than from the inside.
Seemingly built around an old gymnasium, which could use an update and an extension of the basketball courts, the structure seems like it would have more room than it does.
The Nautilus room is decent, with plenty of exercise bikes, treadmills and Stairmasters. The weight room is a bit crowded however, which is puzzling given the amount of room dedicated for other things.
There is a large gymnastics studio located off the back of the gym, and an decent-​sized outdoor pool as well.
What makes up for the lack of space inside are the outdoor fields and the building’s proximity to the lake, which allows the Y to to sponsor water-​based events.
I really expected a bit more from the interior, but overall it is a decent YMCA given the location and the activities available.