Skyline Sport&Health

This a well maintained gym with lots of amenities. Fitness equipment is very current with cable TV. Large open space with mini track and separate stretching area offers industrial feel. TNT classes good option too for efficient 1-​hr strength and cardio workouts. Nice tennis courts and clinic options. Updated locker room facility very nice as well. Free underground parking a bonus! Been a member for 15+ years. Thank you S&H.

Signing up looks great, but the front desk is not honest about the contract. They tell you you can quit anytime but they don’t mention you have to pay huge fines, or buy out your one year commitment. It is been nearly impossible to leave this club without large penalties, something I never would have signed up had all the information been told upfront. Then if you don’t use them for a month, they charge a fee and extend your contract by another month. They have you coming and going. There is a lot of turnover in staff. Every time I have gone in there new people are working. The women’s locker room isn’t always clean. They don’t emphasize cleaning equipment after each use. There is one handywipe station for the whole club. Lastly, there are people from different countries who don’t seem to know basic etiquette like when a shower curtain is closed, someone is using that space. My privacy has been violated by Sport and Health customers.

I inquired on line because i was looking for a gym with a sauna and steam room, and classes. So i signed up for the 7 day free trial. I never went. Why? Mike and another employee called my phone and texted every other day. I asked them to please let me come to them. They did not oblige me. Instead they continued to call and leave messgaes. I spoke to someone again and i said hey, u know, i didn’t really want to be contacted i just wanted to come check out the gym first and he replies smugly «umm this is what we generally do when someone signs up for a free trial, we call you». Then he tried to act like i wouldnt have another chance to try the gym out if i didnt hurry on out this week. That’s not true. But i knew i wasn’t going to go due to these games. A week later someone else called me…

First off, except for the photos taken by Keith Z and BigJim S, none of the photos in this Unilocal listing are of the Skyline Sport and Health– they are of the TYSONS Sport and Health. Skyline does not offer Pilates, their pool does not have windows to the outside, etc cetera. Minus half a star for sloppy behavior.
Sport and Health is apparently working on upgrading this particular club, which is in sore need of it. 10 months ago I’d have rated it a 1– some of the couches in the lobby were ripped up, the hot tub /​whirlpool upstairs was frequently out of service and the ventilation on the gym floor was awful, as well as being taken up by a basketball court that I never saw anyone use. A bunch of broken machines were along the side wall, and the rowing machines always had dead batteries in them. After my first visit there for a pool class, I developed a nasty cold. Not that great of a first impression, really.
Well, the ripped up couches were removed (that *technically* solves the problem of the couches, but that’s like using a hammer to swat a fly), the whirlpool is now functional a lot more, the basketball court is gone and replaced with astroturf and a large cage full of fitness equipment. A lot of equipment is either repaired or in the process of being replaced; they’ve replaced the old lights with new, bright lamps and the mass of fans that moved air like an asthmatic blowing through a straw have been replaced with two Big Ass Fans (that’s the brand name) that actually work. The track is still patchy, but I think they’ll be replacing that soon as well.
Personal trainers are expensive, but you get as much out of them as you put into it, and the incentive of not wanting to waste all that cash is something of a motivator. You do get what you pay for, at least. For the most part, they’re conscientious and respectful of your abilities and limits. You want to bulk up and get swole? They’ve got trainers for that. Want to lose weight and just «get fit»? They’ve got trainers for that. Mobility issues and injuries? Trainers for that. Want to train for a race? Actually fit and want to get fitter? Yep, they’ve got trainers for all of that. And the trainers actually seem to work well with each other (or, if they do have some sort of interpersonal friction, they’re professional enough not to let it show).
This is an old club; the elevators still have a light in them but no button for the long-​gone Skyline Mall, but they’re trying to spruce the place up a bit.
Gets crowded at the usual times you’d expect it to get crowded, but folks don’t leave weights laying around and they’re pretty good at wiping down the equipment. Parking is underground which is a great bonus for when it’s freezing, raining or snowing. I can’t speak to any financial issues because I haven’t had any reason to leave, but starting at rock bottom only means they can get better.

This company has made it so difficult to cancel my membership. My term was up in April and I have left messages and emails multiple times since April for cancelation and I continue to get charged. It has been so frustrating, it totally made the club which I once enjoyed seem like a complete bust. I would not recommend joining this club unless you would like to become a member for life. They technically owe me $ 199.96 from the time of my initial cancelation request which I am sure I will never see. My advise, look for a gym elsewhere.

Current member. This review is just for this particular sport and health.
So this S&H recently took out the basketball courts to put in a new olympic training themed area. They got all this new equipment, I’m thinking okay, I liked the bball courts but all this new equipment is pretty nifty right?
Well today I go in to do deadlifts in the new training area since they bought 5 new hex bars and 5 other full bars, only there’s a couple other people lifting who are using all the 45lb plates (they only bought like 6 45lb plates for this area). I’m thinking cool, I’ll just go to the other side of the gym 20 feet away and use those 45lb plates since there’s 20 – 30 of them on the other side. Only issue is, I get stopped halfway through my walk and get told by a trainer that I can’t bring equipment from the new special area into the old one.
Now I understand he was just doing his job or w/​e, but why the F*** would a gym invest in all those new hex bars and squat racks and other nonsense and then only have 6 plates to be spread between them? Why would it artificially restrict the amount of 45lb plates available? There were PLENTY of 45lb plates not being used 20 feet away but I can’t use them becaaaaause? In my view this makes that whole new gym addition useless. It’s probably just some psuedo-​exclusive crap that S&H is trying to push on their trainers to impress clients. Like I can’t understand why a gym would put all that money into the area and then restrict the plates like that. And this was a Saturday afternoon. It must be completely useless on any given weekday after work.

Current member, but will not renew, despite the fact that location is good for me. Overall lousy gym and experience. Some older equipment (some of these photos on this site do not pertain to this location), very spotty responsiveness among staff. In some cases «paying» groups (the whole gig seems focused on getting you to pay more for individualized services, etc.) have priority to machines (e.g., the new-​ish «curved» running machines), and I’ve been told on a few occasions to stop using the machine (in the middle of a run) because a paying group had priority. When I spoke to the manager, he blithely suggested I come back at a different time, but my work schedule is pretty inflexible. The place can be dirty — they just can’t seem to keep the shower area free of mold or clean — and sometimes the hot water is hit /​miss. The parking scene is pretty tough too. One good point: if you work in the Skyline area, it’s convenient. Also, I had excellent experience with the Jackson PT Clinic that is hosted in the gym. As all things, though, your experience may differ /​be more positive, so may be worth a look if you work nearby.

I am a member for last 3 years and i had great experience
so far. There are lot of choices to pickup group classes.
I enjoy every minute while i am there from childcare (cynthia) up to the manager everyone is nice and helpful i strongly recomend it.

Horrible membership customer service. Non-​responsive and not professional, both at the corporate headquarters and at the gym (Gabe).
I have tired to address an annual maintenance fee issue with a phone call and multiple emails.
Beware that once you give them your credit card they will charge whatever charges they want to charge regardless of what is in the contract. And you cannot remove your credit card number from the online profile.
In terms of the facility and the equipment, as other reviewers have stated it is old. Group excercise classes are good. I think Jay is a great instructor.

Current member. There are plenty of cardio machines, but most of them are quite outdated (the pictures are of other S&H gyms, so don’t be fooled). They just got rid of the basketball court and replaced it with Cross Fit-​esque equipment and space. TRX bands available. Personal training is the most expensive I’ve enountered in the area, but very good. Andrea is excellent. Locker rooms are very nice and recently remodeled. Pretty extensive group class schedule.
$ 39/​month with an employer discount.
Overall, fine, but could definitely use some updates to cardio and weight machines.

Sport and health has been a great place to workout since I joined a few months ago. It’s much bigger and I don’t have to wait as long for equipment like I did at my last gym. About a week after I joined they took the basketball court out and put in an awesome new fitness area. No complaints so far.

The gym is a good facility. The sales reps, not so much. I was about to get a membership but did not get it because of Mike’s attitude. This gym just lost a sale, that would have been a paying member for years.

I’ve also had a similar experience to others regarding the contract. When I joined the gym in 2012 I explained to the manager that I was would only be living at that location for two years and needed my membership agreement to reflect that. He assured me that it would and that once I moved I would simply just need to let him know 30 days in advance. I was told that all paperwork would be mailed to me and the only information I received was a class/​pool schedule, my id tags and a parking sticker. A few weeks later when I had not received my paper work I went back to the manager and he stated that he would have it resent. it never came, I got busy with life and forgot about it.
Well, fast forward 20 months and that manager was no where to be found. When I asked at the gym I was informed that I needed to contact customer service, which I did. I e-​mailed them and asked that they end my membership effective May 2014. I received a message back stating that my contract did not end until 2015 and that they would end it after that. I called and spoke with a representative and conveyed what I was told by the manager and she seemed understanding and stated that she would reach out to the general manager and see if they could waive the early termination fee.
A few days later I received a message from another representative that «as a courtesy they would reduce my early termination fee from $ 500 to $ 300.» I called back and spoke with another representative who seriously lacked customer service skills who told me that there was nothing they could do and that relocation was not one of the reasons they would terminate the contract. I then asked to see a copy of the contract which she stated she would gladly send me. Guess what, it never came.
I called again, spoke with another rude representative and asked for a copy of the contract which I was told would be emailed to me. I also asked for the General Manager’s name and phone number which I was provided. To date I have called and left messages that have gone unanswered. Not sure if I was give the wrong number or he’s just ignoring me, either way, it’s disrespectful. Funny how they are quick to take your money and speak to you when it involves taking your money but not when you have a complaint.
My issue is not just with the customer service and my personal experience but also with the club itself. Facilities are sub-​par for the rates they charge and that mini-​pool they have often looks dirty and infected. Nothing about this place justifies the high «member» rates they charge. I’ve been a member of many other gyms that charged less and had much better experiences.
Needless to say, I have reported them to the better business bureau and am on a mission to warn others to not sign any contract with them. There are MANY other options for gyms in this area that offer the same equipment and classes for a better rate.
UPDATE 2÷25÷2015
The General Manager, Gabe Rosenburg, reached out to me and was able to resolve my issue for which I am greatly appreciative!

Now there is no basketball court at this location. It has been removed. But the price is the same. Great job again sport and health.

It’s the best gym in the area. The daycare is excellent, highly recommended my babies are always happy when I left here. The class are great, specially body pump and Zumba class.
A+++

Worst experiences at this location. Tried to get a personal trainer for over a week but they kept pushing me off saying that te director was: out for the day, just left, etc. and would call me back. Turns out– she was on vacation and they were obviously pushing me off until she came back. They clearly don’t care about business in terms of training. They also just let kids «play» in the gym area. I always see a kid idly on an elliptical to watch tv or goofing off around the track. Where are the parents? Why aren’t the kids in the child care area? I’ve taken it upon myself to drive the extra 10 minutes and go to the location in Old town. I was set up with a personal trainer within HOURS and they are always there to assist you with anything.

I joined this gym for a year and would recommend anyone looking to join a gym do their research. There are gyms now offering memberships without the one year commitment. Skyline Sport & Health is big, impersonal and hostile. The general manager here is GREAT and very personable, but is only one man amidst unprofessional staff in an organization with impersonal and hostile membership practices.
PRE-​PAID PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS EXPIRE QUICKLY
The membership dues process is deceptive, and for me, that’s a major deal breaker. During the membership sign up process, they may fail to tell you that your personal training sessions expire quickly. Be careful when you first join to note the expiration date of any personal trainer sessions you purchase. They may expire within the first 30 days of your membership ! Who knows if you’ll be able to get all three sessions in the first month and it should be up to you when you use them. I was told my membership manager did not disclose this point because she was new. It should be in BOLD letters on the contract, or you should have to sign something that states you were told and you understand your sessions have a time limit for use (which is ridiculous, IMO).
They will tell you this is because they want you to get a good start on your fitness goals, etc. It seems it’s about you, but really they’re hoping your don’t realize you only have a limited time to use your prepaid sessions and they’ll expire without you using them.
UNEXPECTED MONTHLY FEE INCREASE AT END OF YEAR
They also fail to tell you there is an increase in the monthly fee at the end of the year (e.g December’s dues) as a maintenance cost. So if you have an automatic payment arranged for the same amount every month, or you are on a budget, this can be a problem
Also, nothing about your membership can be handled at the location. You have to email a central office for anything concerning your membership. Very impersonal.
UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF
The staff doesn’t care about you. I had a personal training session arranged, and when I called the front desk to confirm the date/​time, they said I wasn’t on that trainer’s schedule and that the trainer doesn’t generally work that day. Apparently this was in error. I was on the schedule and the front desk staff member either did not provide the right information, or the trainer’s schedule had yet to update in the system. At any rate, I missed a training session for which I had paid and was not able to make it up.
When I talked to one of the sales managers about this issue, he said confidently it would be no problem to get another session arranged. A few hours later, I spoke with the personal trainer, and he had apparently had a huge argument with this sales manager about what was promised to me. This personal trainer was very agitated and seemed angry at me, stating that no additional training session could be offered based on their policy (adding that the sales manager had no business offering a new session to me).
I went back to the sales manager to find out what had happened, and at this point he had his tail between his legs and apologized for the misinformation. However, the unprofessional attitude of the personal trainer and his treatment of the sales manager left a negative impression on me. The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing in this place, and the member suffers the consequences.
UNSUPERVISED CHILDREN
Additionally, some members bring their kids to simply hang out while they work out. I was on a treadmill while a young girl played on the treadmill next to mine. She was eating a bag of potato chips and her licked fingers were going all over the equipment, and the chips fell everywhere. No one did or said anything. A gym is not someplace to let your kids «hang out» and eat while playing on the equipment. If they aren’t involved in a class, or on a court with others, they probably need to stay home. Not to be harsh, but they could get hurt. I’ve been a member at other gyms and have never seen this before.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK, ASK QUESTIONS — LOTS OF COMPETITION FOR YOUR BUSINESS
The competition for your membership is fierce among fitness centers in the area. Do your research, shop around, and don’t get roped into signing up for a year when other gyms offer memberships on a month to month basis. Getting a gym membership these days feels a lot like the car buying process. Be smart before you go in, and don’t feel pressured to sign up the day of your visit. If you really want that membership, the sales person will find a way to get you the same deal offered the first day you visited.
Also– read the fine print when you sign up, and ask about expiration dates, and specific rates (e.g. is the rate offered for multiple location use? Is there a lower rate if you just want to use one specific location? Sometimes they won’t tell you unless you ask. Very deceptive.).

Friendly is about the only good thing bout this club.
The pictures displayed aren’t even what the club really looks like.
I chose this club because it is convenient to where I am living.
Equipment is worn down/​old.
When I first joined I was mostly interested that they had classes that worked with my job schedule and the manager told me that the classes are never jammed pack because you have to be on the sign up sheet (classes being too crowded was my biggest concern because my last gym and me always having to wait in line for a treadmill/​stairmaster), but when you get your name on the list, the lady hardly ever checks people in so the classes are still over crowded. So I stopped going to the classes all together.

I checked out several clubs before I joined Sport and Health at Skyline. I chose this gym because it seemed friendly and casual, with a varied mix of people of all different fitness levels.
As someone who was in bad shape and barely able to walk, I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to benefit from a gym because I was afraid I would just make it worse. In speaking with the manager while making my decision whether to join, he told me about Trigger Point Massage Therapy. It is a type of massage that works on areas of muscle that become stiff or injured from disuse or overwork. He said he knew a person who would be a perfect fit for me named Marc Rabin, and Marc could do massage combined with personal training. They had a special for four sessions, so I joined the gym and purchased the additional massage package. It was going to be my last ditch effort to try to see if I could ever be an active person again.
I was dubious about the benefit of the massage, but decided I’d give it a try. If nothing else, I figured Marc could at least get me familiar with some machines and make some suggestions.
All I can say is wow. Just wow. I was astonished how much better I felt after the first session. The massage itself isn’t pleasurable — it often hurts, but it seemed to ‘wake up’ my muscles and tendons to where they began to function better. Marc is supportive and encouraging, and never once made me feel bad about letting myself get into such bad shape. His ‘this is now and now you’re doing great’ attitude has really helped me expend my energy on improving instead of wearing myself down with negativity. I had thought this Trigger Point stuff was just going to be another fad, but its done wonders for me.
The gym itself is adequate and there’s plenty of free parking in the underground garage. With your membership, there are lots of free classes for many different interests. The main workout area has super high ceilings and ventilation that keeps the air fresh and flowing freely. They are renovating the women’s locker room at the moment, but its still clean and usable. I also really like Jackie at the front desk. She’s always kind and cheerful.
The gym is nothing spectacular or fancy. Its reasonably priced for the area and has just about everything you need for a good workout, but the best thing for me at Skyline Sport and Health is Marc Rabin and the trigger point therapy. So, for Marc: 5 stars. For Sport and Health: 3 stars.

Careful… this company will lie to make a sale. The one and two year memberships are priced so ridiculously high… which in many ways pushes one to commit to a three year contract. I got suckered in and purchased a three year contract but was told that if I moved, I would be able to cancel.
Additionally, because the hourly childcare was so high, I was coerced into purchase a membership for my child as well, even though he was not allowed to use many of the services.
Two years into my membership, the company I worked for moved and so did I. I tried to cancel and this was when I discovered that I could not. Apparently, the fine print in the contract stated that only if I was in the military could I cancel. So I then asked if I could pay the difference in dues of a two year contract, since I was already 2 years in and was told No. I was told I could pay the difference in dues of a one year contract for the two years I was a member and this would apply to both my membership and my son’s membership, which exceeded the amount due for the remaining year.
No one would work with me. I corresponded with their corporate office and was always responded to in a snippy patronizing manner, like you should have ‘read your contract’. It really left me with the impression that the company was hard up for money. So I pay every month even though I live out of state.
So my advice to anyone considering a membership, don’t do it! There are plenty of other great gyms in the area that do not require yearly commitments. I think there is an X Sports right up the street that is newer, cleaner and allows one to pay monthly for a reasonable fee. My friend works out there and if I only knew what I know now. But its not too late for you.
As a side note, the parking outside is scarce and the under ground parking garage is bit scary for a woman. When was there last year, the locker room had a leak in the ceiling that had a bucket under it for months. The indoor track had odd lumps that would cause a person to trip. My personal opinion was that it was just not well kept and did not represent health.