Bally Total Fitness

This is the best of the Milwaukee Bally Total Fitness locations. However, that isn’t something to write home about.
Of all four gyms in town this tends to be the most well organized, with adequate spacing between equipment on the workout floor and free weights areas. The pool is nice, and the staff are generally helpful at this location.
The locker room is adequate, and usually acceptably clean. That probably has a lot to do with the older gentleman who used to be employed at this location. He shepherded people toward right behavior, and kept the place up. He made sure folks took showers before entering the pool area, and that they wore something in the steam room – which I appreciate tremendously.
Now that they let him go the place has declined a bit on the mens locker room side of things.
We drive from Sherman Park to this location to swim and work out, above any other location, even though West Allis is quite close to our home. It’s a hike, but we’re making lemonade from the lemons that Bally’s gives us in general by making the drive.
Unlike the other three, this also tends to be less overcrowded. The lot is full at most times, but there isn’t a long wait for machines. And the people working out here seem to be relatively pleasant to one another.

.Obviously, I’m not from Milwaukee anymore, but when I visit for a week and a half, I need to offset the sloth and gluttony with some hardcore workout to the maxx, so I turned to the Bally that has been closest to my house for pretty much as long as I’ve been alive.
The structure certainly looks like it’s been around for a while, and I don’t think carpet should be used at all in a gym, but they jam pack the place with workout machines, so it should probably meet your needs, though you might have to wait a little bit. Me, alls I need is a tight treadmill and I can make do, and there are plenty in the aerobics area. So for me, Bally’s meets expectations.
I don’t know about other locations, but this one seems to have a clientelle that is older than me. Sometimes quite a bit older. More power to them, and it doesn’t make availability to the machines any more difficult, though the locker room experience might be muddled by a geriatric gentleman who has clearly given up on caring who sees him naked.
I signed up for a free week trial, expecting the hard sell that so many television shows and movies have led me to believe are typical in gym environments, but I was allowed to sign in and go to work immediately.
Ultimately, Bally’s has obviously been around for a while, but they don’t bother you about buying into the gym. Use it if you want, and if you don’t want, there are other places in the city.

Not a great gym if the little things bother you. So, many times there is not paper towels to clean your machine after/​before use. The lockers and locker room are disgusting. The equipment appears to barely ever get cleaned. And, I’ve watched so many people not clean their machine after use. The staff talk about inappropriate subjects at the main desk right in front of clients.
If you can get past that… It has a great indoor track, large sauna, and good pool for laps. They have plenty of free weights and equipment.
The trainers appear to have a great relationship with their clients… I have never enlisted the service of one. But, it looks like they do a good job of explaining the movements and put the person through a really good workout.
But, the deal breaker for me is the locker rooms… it is just nasty in there. The lockers are rusting holes, the whole place smells horrible, and don’t ever use the toilets.
WARNING: wash your hands or carry purel with you everywhere in that place. Don’t forget your shower shoes.

Let’s be honest, Bally Total Fitness (any location) is a dump. But the price is right, they have free weights, the parking is never an issue, they have personal training and group classes available, and if you forgot to bring something they have a retail area.
My biggest turn-​off with Bally Total Fitness? A small percentage of its clientele. Why is it that no matter which locker I choose, I find myself at some point changing next to the guy that smells like an onion in a pressure cooker? There could be two of us in the gym, and yep, I’ll unknowingly pick the locker next to Stinky McStinkerson. And when I’m done with my workout, there he is – Zoobaz pants and all!
Now, let’s get down to brass tacks. First, the price. I have an original membership dating back to when the club was Vic Tanny. Now forget that I (over)paid for my membership: $ 1,500 back in 1990 and that I was promised that I’d never have to pay another membership fee – EVER. The company has been bought and sold more times than a hooker turns tricks in a month. It’s still a damn good bargain at $ 90-​$ 120 per year. I note the «range» since Bally’s billing is like TJ Maxx – never the same twice. Ask one of the staff, or even corporate to figure it out, and it’s a complete mystery to them. It’s as if the place runs itself. I always end up with the better deal whenever I bring any billing question to their attention. The key is: Be nice! These people get harassed on a daily basis because their company is such a mess. They appreciate civility, since most members jump down their throats.
The trainers. I know this is an area where people can get burned, but I’ve had two excellent, albeit expensive, trainers. If you’re going to enroll in training sessions, go online and type «Bally personal training coupons deals incentives» in your browser and a whole bunch of crap will come up. Namely, the six sessions for $ 199. That is about as cheap as your’e going to get it. When they coerce you to renew and tell you they cannot give you the same deal again, hold out. You’ll get the same price again, if not even better. They do NOT want to lose you. If you do not feel like you are going to absolutely pass out at the end of your workout, get another trainer. There are good and bad at any gym chain. I’ve also attended a few boot camp classes. They are great for beginners, and if you use some heavier weights you can get what you need from the class. At any rate, you WILL burn calories.
The workout facilities. The free weight area is where I hang out, and I have to say it has everything I could ever want in a gym. There are plenty of bikes, treadmills, and elliptical machines on the first level. All but one racquetball court has been converted into studios for spin class or aerobics. Bally’s started out as Vic Tanny Health and Racquetball Clubs. Not so much, anymore. Gone are the days of racquetball, free tanning, child care, a juice bar and free towels. This is Bally’s, and it’s the Walmart of gyms. There is a pool area that, even though I am a swimmer, do not frequently use. It’s not the pool that grosses me out (with the exception of the downtown location, which is filthy), but the hot tub, sauna, and nearby steam room areas. There are always these «cruisers» that typically lounge around. I don’t think they even work out. It looks like a convention of Santa Clauses rolled in fur. Yuck!
The locker rooms. Okay, these are just nasty, and everyone has come to accept this about Bally. Know that the bathrooms are guaranteed to smell like Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks. It’s foul, and I’ve mentioned it to the desk so many times, but nothing is going to change. The layton location has the cleanest bathroom, and I’ve noticed they mask the rank smell with some type of industrial air freshener. The countertops are wet. All. The. Time. There are no paper towels. They have lame air dryers that never really get your hands dry, and that «foam» soap that I really don’t trust has any cleansing properties. The lockers have been repainted about 25 years ago from red to blue. They are all rusted, many of them having holes in the bottom where Wisconsin winter’s salt has done its damage. The tile grout is dingy with mildew. So if you’re entering the showers, wear foot protection so that you don’t get athletes foot. The steam rooms are absolutely disgusting and stink. See the mention of the «cruisers» above.
If you have a friend or family member who is visiting, there are always a plethora of 7-​day passes at the front desk. Did I mention that this is a budget gym? That is probably the best thing about Bally. The staff are a close tie. They are always friendly, and I have yet to encounter one that isn’t. Three stars for «you get what you pay for».