Lakeridge Athletic Club

It’s pricey but does have a lot of amenities. The front desk staff is always nice and the towel service is handy. I use the gym for mainly the weights and this is where my main issue is. The weight machines are nice and updated, but the free weights are old and need to be replaced. Also, the cardio room feels like you’ve transported back to 1970. It’s not a meat market like OTHER gyms in the area and I like that, I can work out in peace and I rarely have to wait for a machine. I’m looking forward to taking some of their classes that come along with the membership.

Always feels like home when I’m here! Great family gym, some of these nicest members and staff I’ve ever met. Come try it out for a day and you won’t be disappointed!

Overall a nice club. The front staff is always so welcoming and always greeted. The bathrooms are always kept clean and towels are always available. There’s a big lap pool and kiddy pool. If you like tennis they have 4 remodeled courts with night time lighting. The gym has all the free weights and machines you will ever need.

I really wanted to like this gym, I just really wish their cost was at a reasonable price.
Pros: never super busy and nice pool
Cons: hella old people, old equipment with rust, rude employees, ac never works, gets super stuffy, no full body mirror in locker room for the ENTIRE SUMMER, over priced, smells old, broken mirrors in weight room, only one bar for squatting, equipment is rusty, and there are numerous gym equipments they don’t have.
Piece of advice for the owners:
If you’re going to charge an arm and a leg for membership then you should have your gym kept up to date AND at least have your employees put on a fake smile instead of giving people dirty looks. The older people are SOMETIMES nice but most of the young girls definitely aren’t!

I love this place! for me working out normally is not the most pleasurable. but I look forward to going their. The staff is professional and friendly. They make you feel like you are part of a family.

Yay we moved back to the area. It was definitely on my to-​do list to join again right away! Lots of familiar faces still there. The great thing about this gym is that it’s like a little community. Great for families. They do everything I can think of to keep their members happy. They even email small updates to let you know if a class has a different teacher or if there is an issue with any equipment.
They sell snacks and have a tv in the lobby if you just want to put the kids in the childcare and eat lunch without anyone climbing on you. They just updated the pool. They have basketball courts, pool, Jacuzzi, tennis courts, racket ball courts, free classes etc etc.
When I moved to alameda, I could not find a gym offering even close to what they did at the price. It’s really like a country club feel but completely laid back. It’s worth every penny.
Perfect for our family.

This is an awesome fitness center. The rates are ok ($ 10/​day for adults, $ 6/​kids incl childcare), $ 95/​month if you make a longer contract. You should not compare this club to a fitness center at Costco — as this actually is another target group.
A friend of mine invited me some times to the Claremont hotel, which has insanely high prices — and I think that Lakeridge can keep up with it (so what regards pool, fitness equipment). Of course some things have to be repaired or improved. But the Pool is simply great and I love to hang out there with my kids — there are a lot of other kids, so they can make friends too.

I would like to try them out but their rates are so high compared to almost every one else in the region
$ 20 per day
$ 150 per week
$ 105 per month for 3 months with $ 50 initiation
$ 95 per month if you commit for a year
compare this to planet fitness at $ 10 per month
or 24 hour fitness for $ 370 for 2 years at costco
so about 4 to 10 times as much as the others
and this is el sobrante. not the rich area of Lafayette or Orinda

I can see why some people love this gym but it is an overpriced gym. The gym is not worth the $ 95 a month price for what it offers. Yes there are not many people in the gym but still not worth that price. I sent in my 30 day notice to cancel since I wanted to join a different gym. The assistant manager told me my last day and gave me the form to complete. I turned it in and a week before the last day, they called and said… sorry but you still have 2 more months to pay for. They stated that the contract was that we are there for 14 months and not 12… even though the manager that got us the membership told us it was 12 months. Talk about tricking people out of money. I hope that when people are reading reviews to find a good gym… it would not be here unless youre rich and planning to stay there for a long time. You can go to costco and get a 24hour super sport membership and enjoy a better gym with more amenities for $ 25 a month and not just at one location… all over the bay!
ugh…stuck with this lame gym for 2 more month… definitely regret getting a membership here!

This is a great club made up of caring and courteous members. The GM has been there for I believe a decade or two. He cares about the club with a long term view. In fact all of the managers and staff are great. Really friendly. They like to take care of you! The setting of the club cannot be beat. When you park your car and step out you will be brought back to the last time you were in the mountains. The beautiful fragrance of pines and clean air over come you. Equipment is getting better and better as well as the full property.

I was here just for the pool, and I was soooooooooooo excited that they have a real lap pool! and it wasn’t even crowded (came here around afternoon) so I didn’t have to share lanes! (yes I am a lap hog) The pool was warm after worrying that it wasn’t heated. Pool has no lifeguards, so you will need to keep a watchful eye on your kids. They even have a steam room and a sauna! yess scoree!
It was crazy I haven’t been here since 12 years ago and nothing (except for remodeling) has ever changed! Only bummer is that you had to pay $ 20 each person if you aren’t a member, hence why the pool isn’t so crowded with kids on a hot summer day.

I wish the people at the front desk could answer my questions. I have tried to sign my kids ups for tennis and swimming and they never have the answers. They always say, the manager just left. If the manager is never going to be on sight after 2:30 in the afternoon, why doesn’t she train her staff to have some of the answers. Irritated in El Sobrante!

Great place to work out and relax. friendly staff and good equipment.

I like Lakeridge A lot because it’s very close to my house and so convenient for me to go to any day of the week! It’s a small local gym that has everything from a great pool, sauna, steam room, tennis courts, basketball area, raquetball and a list of all kinds of other sports and classes you can take. It’s fun going there because you know people! The community and staff there are cool. I would definitely recommend Lakeridge Athletic Club if you live close the area. It’s a little pricy, but well worth it!

The staff is very friendly and the club has a wide range of classes. The night manager is very nice and was given a bad review. Not True, I enjoy the club’s large pool. The private trainers are great. I have been a member for over twenty-​five years. Also belong to 24hour Fitness and use the Lakeridge more.

Okay, let me try this review again, since the first one got yanked.
The positive: the outdoor pool ROCKS. It is so, so good. Clean! Lanes for lap swim almost always available when I want to swim. Water temperature is just right – warm in colder months and pleasant in warmer months. I come to Lakeridge to swim, so this is important for me.
The «just fine»: Locker rooms, cardio and weight equipment. No complaints.
The so-​so: Some of the staff behind the desk aren’t the friendliest. I’ve been going for two years and one person has yet to smile at me. Maybe I inadvertently killed her puppy, or something like that, but I think I’d remember. (I haven’t killed any animals – that I am aware of – ever). I love animals, as pets or for dinner.
What else? I love the hot tub after a swim, even though it can smell strongly of chlorine, but I guess that’s a given in any public tub.
There is one thing that is a pain in the ass, but Lakeridge has no control over it. When you leave the club anywhere around evening rush hour, good luck to you trying to turn left onto San Pablo Dam Road!
Finding a health club with a really good swimming pool is hard in my area, so Lakeridge gets major snaps for that.
How’s this review? Are we good now? Can it please stay up?

First of all I got to say is that the management and staff are the best I have ever delt with. One person who sticks out the most is one Robin LemMon. Everytime i go in there is greets me and talks to me like I’m the most important man in the world. Shes always sweet never rude and is chipper than anyone I have ever met. The pool is huge and heated. They have a steam room which is very very cool. The workout area is insane (in a good way) and is never never crowded. I love the place and love the staff even more.

We just joined and I like it… the edges here and there are a little rough, but the pool is wonderful. It is warm, surrounded by a sweet grove of pines and always almost empty… my kind of pool! The locker room could use a little paint, but again… always plenty of room. The people have been super friendly despite the ‘country club’ feel. Best of both in my book… plus an arrangement with Mira Vista Country Club allows golf access. The club includes tennis, pool, tons of weights and machines, sauna and steam! No excuses for me now ;-)

**UPDATE 8/​15/​2014**
The club has undergone renovations since I wrote my review over four years ago. For example, the club got a face lift during Spring 2013, and now the showers in the women’s locker room are new and updated! New elliptical machines were put in as well.
As I am no longer a member here, I can also attest to the hassle-​free termination process. I had to end my membership on July 31 because I moved, but the general manager, Bruce, was so good about accommodating my request and even let me stay a few extra days past my «expiration date.» He and assistant manager, Robin, have always been so helpful and will do their best to accommodate you and your family’s needs. However, you do need to do your part of the termination process and give at least a 30-​day written notice, unless you’re in one of their specials or summer programs where it might be different.
In my 10 YEARS here, membership rates went up just ONCE from $ 90/​month to $ 95. I paid the monthly $ 95 for at least seven years; that should say something. I have been a member of Bally (impossible to terminate ethically) and Fitness 19, and have also worked out at Oakwood (Lafayette) and 24 Hour. This place may be more expensive, except for Oakwood, but it doesn’t do the termination BS or fee gimmicks that Bally does.
My only complaint about the gym is about the summer membership members, who crowd the locker rooms and pool and don’t always know the gym etiquette. But they come in after Memorial Day weekend and disappear by Labor Day weekend, and then the regular year-​round members have peace again. I made a lot of friends without even trying while I was here, and you will too if you become a regular.
**END UPDATE**
This is a great place for families, singles, couples, teens, senior citizens, anyone. I’ve been a member since 2004, but had come as a guest many times before. You want it, you’ve got it: bikes, cardio, treadmills, stairmasters, weights, sauna, jacuzzi, racquetball, tennis (outside), pool (outside), basketball (outside), personal trainers, and classes. Other features include towel service and child care. Personalized service and very family-​friendly.
Nice members too. They are considerate of you as you work out (read, they don’t hog machines or get in your way while you’re trying to exercise). Lots of social events for members and non-​members alike like an annual holiday party at Christmas, wine and cheese tasting, and also the annual Lakeridge anniversary party in October. Also lots of children’s activities, including summer camp and their own holiday parties, movie nights, and Easter egg hunts.
If your gym budget is less than $ 50/​month, this is not the place for you. If I could rank their pricing, they’d get a $$$. However, if you can afford a little more, you’ll definitely see a difference in the quality. Also, they are upfront with you and extremely reasonable about membership fees– no sneaky sales gimmicks or gotchas that those inferior cheaper gyms try to lock you into. Personally, I think this gym is El Sobrante’s bright spot.

When I moved to the East Bay, I had a really hard time trying to find a gym where I felt safe and where I was getting the most for my money. Yeah, there is 24 hr and the YMCA on Hilltop. You try and get a piece of equipment during primetime.
I FINALLY happened upon Lakeridge. It is a small, privately owned health club that has a full gym (with new equipment), indoor racquetball, indoor and outdoor basketball, outdoor tennis, sauna, jacuzzi, child care and my personal favorite, a great big heated outdoor swimming pool. Lakeridge does have classes. They are okay. They also offer towel service. They have very nice staff members and gym patrons who actually remember my name. I always know someone there. Someone always asks how I am. I like that. After all, I am a small town girl living in the big bay area.
I am hoping they will fully take advantage of their amazing facility at some point. I will add the 5^th star when they do. If you are looking for a gym in the bay area near Richmond, El Sobrante, Pinole, etc., I would highly recommend Lakeridge.