Gyms around the Arabian Ranches

Well, I got no responses so I decided to take matters into my own hands and go and check out all the gyms for myself. I'll report back to you ladies in case someone is interested in knowing what each gym offers. First gym I went to was Fitness First. I called and scheduled an appointment with one of their consultants. Here is what I found out: - Fitness First at Motor City is very spacious and has plenty of places for parking, unlike the DIFC gym that I have visited in the past. It is not a platinum gym, but personally I don't think it makes a difference really.. - There are 2 fitness studios. One is dedicated for cardio classes, such as: Body Pump, Zumba, etc. The other is for Mind and Body Balance: Yoga, Pilates, etc. - For those interested in Cycling/Spinning there is a big area for classes. You can also go cycle there on your own and use the big screen to simulate a ride through a certain country (i.e. Switzerland) - or you could plug your ipod/iphone in and listen to your own music if no one's there. - There is a TRX section which I found very interesting. They also run classes there where you can have personal trainers teach you how to train. You use your own body weight to perform various exercises. It looked challenging but quite fun! - They have a sauna and shower room too. - Excellent view of the autodrome race tracks (if you're interested). The gym is new and clean and wasn't crowded at ALL when I went there. The prices...oh well, its expensive. There best deal seem to be for 12-18 months. They also told me there is a charge for startup fees, charge for Admin fees and then a charge for personal training session when you start off (3x). Add to that the annual fees. My advice is that you should try joining as a couple as it means you get better rates. Also, ask them to waive the fees - as the annual payment is already BIG. In addition, you might want to ask them if they offer you a special rate for your work/your hubby's work. Basically, don't settle immediately to the price they give you. They gave me a much better rate, but I still want to do my tour of the other gyms before I make a final decision. Will report back. Cheers, CD