Gold’s Gym

I went to this gym regularly for about one year when I was working in Frederick; it’s one of about 6 Gold’s Gyms I’ve used on a regular basis. I’m torn between a 3 or 4 star rating, I’ll go with a 4 since the good outweighed the bad and it was very convenient for me.
I agree with Terry about the «hard sell» — I also started going there via a great Groupon, and was very much pressured to sign up for a real membership immediately. I think a better way to sell your gym is to be low-​pressure and let the gym facilities speak for themselves. The rest of the employees were super nice and helpful though.
My other complaint is that the ladies’ locker room would frequently be closed for cleaning in the middle of the day, immediately following one of the classes I regularly attended (my work location meant I could pop over for a mid-​morning class, but I’d need to quickly shower off afterwards). The closure was clearly posted and regular, but it’d be nice if they had a female staff member that could clean the locker room so it wouldn’t have to close or if they picked a time when no one needed it.
The facilities are fine, seemed to be well-​maintained, and were generally very clean. Not the most extensive machine selection I’ve ever seen, but pretty good. The classes are great, I really liked most of the teachers, and the afternoon ones fit my schedule (the office workers/post-5:00 people) pretty well. There is a sauna in the ladies’ locker room, but I never used it.
One thing I LOVE about this location — and that I haven’t seen elsewhere — is the women-​only room connected to the ladies’ locker room, with mats, some weights, foam rollers, and a stationary bike. This means you can awkwardly stretch and roll out your muscles without worrying about guys staring at you.

This is a «Dr. Jeckel & Mr. Hyde» kind of place. I went in (had not been to a gym before) on a Groupon (best way to try it out without having to fork over a credit card, etc.) Had a very mixed experience. Let me explain
The good:
Great people, ready and willing to help, and show you how to use the machines! (ask for Brian — he is GREAT)
CLEAN.
Good machines, well maintained. Lots of them. You do not have to wait for a machine.
The BAD
PRESSURE TO SIGN UP. When I first went there, they knew I was on a Groupon. Still had to sit through the full «sign up now for a year» presentation; fairly hard sell. I kind of expected this, so was prepared for it.
The «Fitness assessment». This was the biggest letdown and source of frustration and anger I had. As part of the «coupon» I got a «free fitness assessment». So, I made the appointment and went in. Was supposed to take an hour, and was supposed to get a good idea of my fitness level, best type of workout, etc. WHAT A JOKE!!! The «assessment» took less than 15 minutes. I then had to sit through 45 minutes of why I should sign up for a personal trainer (at $ 300 + a MONTH). Needless to say, I declined. Felt very taken advantage of and «gamed». Was so angry I did not even go back for a week, until I calmed down.
Conclusion:
IF
you can get a coupon, and not have to sign up for a year, etc;
and
You do not need a trainer or don’t mind paying a lot for it
Then
The staff is very friendly, the equipment and facility is nice.
Would I do it all over again? Yes, but I would certainly skip the «assessment». As to their billing policies, I don’t know and cannot comment.
Will I join after the Groupon is over? Maybe. Will sure look for another Groupon first though.