Ames Fitness Center- North

Fantastic experience: Very welcoming staff.

Fantastic experience: Steven is so knowledgeable and does such a great job. He takes his time to listen and shows me exactly where we will be working. He always checks in and never pushes too far. I have had massages forever and I am so happy I found Steven.

Fantastic experience: I have worked with Colton Mason as a personal trainer for ~10 weeks. Of note, he is the first personal trainer I have ever used. Colton has been the perfect fit for me. He has tailored our workouts to my objectives. Keeps each session challenging and interesting with new and different actions focused on increasing strength and flexibility in every day activities. He is very personable and makes me look forward to our workouts I have also been working with Nathan Schwartz as my nutritionist . The “program” has been easy to follow and Nathan does a great job of explaining things, providing guidance, helping to address challenges and helpful ideas to help build good habits. Very practical in his approach and clearly knows his material and adapts well to the client.

Fantastic experience: Cristina is an amazing personal trainer. I was really nervous to start, but she immediately made me feel comfortable and now I view her as a friend. She makes workouts that challenge me, but that are also really enjoyable. I always look forward to working out with her. She does a great job explaining what each exercise does and correcting my form when necessary so that I don't hurt myself. I love the improvements in myself I've seen during my time with her, and she always knows how to make me feel great about myself. I couldn't ask for a better coach!

Positive experience: I got in shape here!

Fantastic experience: Alisa is an awesome personal trainer. She’s super encouraging and gets you excited about showing up!

Fantastic experience: My personal trainer Alisa is enthusiastic about my fitness goals, has taught me how to use most of the equipment at North, and gives me a great variety of exercises. She cares about me personally and is a great communicator. I know I’ll feel welcome and encouraged whenever I train with her.

Positive experience: I've been very happy with AFC. Staff is quite responsive and facilities are clean. I've been working with Frank and Emily for quite awhile and very happy.

Fantastic experience: I have been training with Coach John Lewis for over a year. He is kind and compassionate yet firm with his "just one more"! I am 62 years old and have seen significant improvement in my strength and balance. Coach Lewis will modify workouts to fit my abilities and is very patient in correcting my form. With regular assessments he readjusts the routines to focus on areas that need improvement. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Coach John Lewis is my trainer. He is very knowledgeable and designs great workouts. He makes sure I perform the exercises correctly. He knows my limits and pushes me but not past what I can handle. His positive attitude makes training more fun.

Fantastic experience: Having Frank as a personal trainer is the best decision ever made! Tailoring the program to fit my needs and provide challenge is great. The Ames Fitness Center is a great place to work out with great staff, my trainer Frank, and the available equipment.

Fantastic experience: Has always been a GREAT place to work out. I've been at that stage of my life where it's hard to lose weight and working with personal trainer, Cristina, has been fun. This is something I should have done years ago but made too many excuses. Thank you, Cristina!!

Fantastic experience: I signed up for a personal trainer for the first time. What a pleasure it has been! My trainer Cristina evaluated my current level and has built a plan to meet my goals (and beyond)! She makes it fun and informative at the same time!

Fantastic experience: Just moved to Ames and signed up for weight training with Marisa. She is a super trainer and I feel great after every workout! All around a friendly place-never too crowded!

Fantastic experience: I do personal training with Frank Mirano 3 days a week. He’s absolutely the best, but all the trainers are fantastic and have great camaraderie. The facilities are fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough!

Fantastic experience: Frank is a great personal trainer! Christina always greets me with a smile. I’m I’m not happy with giving up space for the physical therapy business. Now the weight room is way too crowded. I have to wait in line for the floor mats. Please get some more floor mats. You could add more heat in the men’s locker room. The machines seem to be fine and well maintained.

Fantastic experience: Great trainers and helpful, knowledgeable staff.

Fantastic experience: Personal training is an investment to healthy aging. Strength training is so important as we age — Working with a trainer has greatly helped me in my active life. The twice weekly sessions are worth every penny.

Negative experience: What equipment they have is good quality, but they lack some very basic pieces: They have NO calf machine. no basic tricep dip bars, no hack machine, no prone leg curl, no prone flye machine. The desk clerks are nice, but the mgr. lied to get my friend to join and then refused me the discount that they were advertising that I qualified for. There is a small pool BUT lanes must be reserved several days in advance. Pool users are supposed to share lanes but they don't, leading to arguments because staff won't enforce the rules. Adults wearing diapers are allowed in the pool. When I saw that I knew I wasn't getting in that water. The best thing about about this gym is that it isn't PlanetFitness. UPDATE: Since writing the above review and reading the cavalier and uncaring reply I've cancelled my membership and joined a local gym that has actual customer service, honest management, a complete equipment lineup and cares about member's.

Fantastic experience: Lia made us feel welcome and offered wonderful customer service. She was very knowledgeable and we like the availability of later hours at the North location.

Fantastic experience: Great place to get a workout. Friendly staff, plenty of equipment, many classes and personal trainers.

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ames!! Love how clean and nice everything is! Reminds me of lifetime fitness back home. 10/10 gym in my opinion!!

Fantastic experience: I have worked out at Ames Racquet and Fitness for over half a year I am proud to say I belong to the best gym in Ames. This gym offers -3 facilities to work out at -Excellent equipment -Friendly and knowledgeable staff -Positive atmosphere Having previously worked out at Anytime Fitness for over 2 years I am so happy I switched and will never go back for as long as I live here. Since making the switch I have lost more weight and gained strength thanks to my trainer! My trainer gave me not only the knowledge on how to workout correctly but the confidence to do it efficiently every single time I am in the gym To the people that think this gym is expensive, you have obviously not had any major illness. The average cost of a heart attack is $50,000 and that is if you live. If you can't afford to pay less money for your health than for your car insurance..then you need to go back and get a refund on whatever education you received. You get out of life what you put in. I decided to put more money into my health by joining ARFC vs Anytime Fitness, and in return I have gotten more results and a better quality of life because of those results. Thanks Ames Racquet and Fitness!

Positive experience: The Facilities are top notch, and clearly the best in the area, however I believe that the membership prices are waaaayyy too expensive... $200 membership fee + $50 per month is out of a lot of people's price range. I don't really use any of the perks that ARFC offers.. I just lift and run so I feel like I'm paying for things I'm not using. Great facilities & staff however it's way too expensive, especially when other gyms in the area can give me what I need at a fraction of the cost.... 3/5 Stars

Fantastic experience: Ames racquet are the best in Ames

Fantastic experience: Very nice, clean gym. The machines are quite a bit nicer than other gym options in Ames.

Positive experience: The front desk employees are always very nice and the environment is usually clean. I love the sauna and steam room! I would like to comment on the improvements to the Kids Gym. From what I can see, the improvements are positive. When I worked there, I was in high school, and I wasn’t sure how to effectively communicate about the improvements that were very much needed. Since the improvements, I would now recommend bringing your children there for care.

Positive experience: Pretty nice gym! Great classes, specifically the class led by Mackenzie (I think it is called insanity). Nice clean pool, no basketball court though.

Negative experience: The pool is tiny. Only 4 lanes and 5 feet deep. Lane sharing is uncoordinated and awkward. Children sometimes take up half the pool. A pool so small should only be reserved for adults

Negative experience: The gym equipment is okay, but they have terrible service. I wanted a particular kind of weight and since I was new there, I couldn't find it. I asked the person at reception and she was not at all helpful and didn't even assist me as to where I could have looked for it. I'm going back to my old gym, I don't think I want to come back here!

Positive experience: The front desk employees are always very nice and the environment is usually clean. I love the sauna and steam room! I would like to comment on the improvements to the Kids Gym. From what I can see, the improvements are positive. When I worked there, I was in high school, and I wasn’t sure how to effectively communicate about the improvements that were very much needed. Since the improvements, I would now recommend bringing your children there for care.

Fantastic experience: Great fitness equipment, clean and tons of fun and challenging fitness classes. The fitness instructors are personable and modify to anyone’s fitness level.

Fantastic experience: Wonderful place the membership is more than most, but most gyms don't include all classes with the membership! I can try Yoga one day and Cardio Dance the next day with no extra charge! It's awesome!

Fantastic experience: The best in town! 3 locations, but only go to the North location. Staff is friendly, and facilities are clean and well kept. Offering personal training, all the normal cardio and weigh equipment, as well as a 4 lane 25 yard pool, sauna, and steam room. Updated: The new South location opened, and it is exceptional. Indoor running track, spinning studio, yoga, modern locker rooms and showers. Cardio, free weights, and weight machines. It has it all. So now, both North and South locations are "thumbs up".

Fantastic experience: Great place to work out! Many choices to add variety to your fitness routine. I really like the separate weight equipment room for more privacy when doing machines. There are lots of classes and the staff is friendly and helpful. It's so nice that they offer the kids' area too. My kids have always loved going there - they have a great time and see lots of friends. Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Received a massage from Rhet. Very nice guy and a fantastic massage therapist. Will definitely be back monthly.

Negative experience: I've been going to this gym for 8 months, I moved out of town and came in to cancel my membership. They smiled and asked if I would come back to their office, which I thought would be their attempt of persuading me to stay, instead I was told I couldnt cancel because I was on a 15 month contract. When joining this gym I was told it would be a month by month contract that I could cancel at any time. It is tecnically true that you can cancel at any time, however when you do decide to cancel they just charge the rest of the payments in one lump sum. Then the staff member tried to tell me all gyms are annual contracts. By the way what gym does a 15 month contract? Anyways I was told the only way out of the contract was to move 50 miles away. I moved 49 miles away and they told me that their hands were tied. This gym screwed me.

Fantastic experience: Love the Saturday Zumba class

Positive experience: Nice facility, but it is always too busy. Especially troubling is that the pool is generally so busy that sharing a swim lane is a must. I wish the new facility was going to include another pool, because this one is already beyond capacity. And for some reason the AC constantly drips into the pool and ,depending on what lane one uses, drips directly onto swimmers. Yuck!

Fantastic experience: Really professional staff and a great place to work out.

Fantastic experience: When I first went in at this center, I was like 20 pounds heavier than my normal weight. Thank God I am now back to my ideal weight.

Positive experience: Great facility, although it is too busy around 6 PM to reliably find a treadmill.

Positive experience: Nice fitness center and very clean

Fantastic experience: I personally think this is the best gym in Ames. I loved the classes and equipment. The locker room is great. I love swimming laps here in the evenings. Sometimes it's really busy but I found times when I had the place to myself.

Positive experience: Great facility

Fantastic experience: Good gym, quite busy and great classes

Fantastic experience: Had to go over winter break and I was skeptical but the gym had every piece I needed for my lifts and was very pleased!

Fantastic experience: Love Group Power class.

Fantastic experience: They just got all new equipment in! I love the group fitness too. There's a lot to offer for all fitness levels.

Fantastic experience: I'm an avid runner and have been a member of ARF for about a year. I have really started to enjoy my membership this winter. The Somerset facility is extremely clean, the equipment is in great condition and I have yet to wait for a treadmill to become available. It is a great place for a quick workout, in and out. I look forward to continuing my membership here and to the opening of a new location closer to my home!

Positive experience: How are people saying this place is expensive? I bought a two year membership, and it worked out to be less than $30 per month. The more you buy in advance the more you save! I'm guessing the people complaining about price pay month-to-month? Which should rightfully be more expensive because I imagine there would be more administrative work that has to be done to keep up on those accounts. This place isn't as clean as it could be though. Staff is friendly.

Negative experience: Terrible. We bought a week membership and they never told us it would be closed on Memorial Day. Waste of money.

Negative experience: I really enjoyed going to the gym, but the price did brother me a great deal. College students get a discount, and there is no check and balance to their system on this. I have over a dozen friends who are out of college paying the college student fees, and I was paying almost double there monthly fees. How is that fair? (and I did confirm this as of the date of this writing). I don't except to pay the price of "Anytime Fitness" but a little closer would be nice. The South and North gyms were always clean, but I found the East location to be dirty and the staff of college kids would just hang out verse clean.