Working out in 2007
The New Year is fast approaching and you can tell from the Google Ads on Kitsilano.ca. Both Ron Zalko and Kitsilano Workout are advertising on our site in hopes of catching a few of you working on your New Year’s resolutions. I’m not one for the gym, but since Rich’s post on coffee in Kits elicited just a great thread of comments, I thought I’d ask for some feedback on where to workout in the hood. Vancouverites tend to have pretty strong opinions on this stuff.
Kits community centre. Laid back atmosphere where the only real machismo stuff comes from old old gym monkies who wear short shorts. It’s not a place to pickup on the other hand.
Kits Fitness World…always tonnes of machines available and friendly staff. Ron Zalco is also pretty good if you want to see celebs or pick up….I was working out sometimes at the Kits community centre, but there are never enough machines available and I don’t like how you have to sign up for them.
Westside Gym on Broadway. Great little gym, good classes, poseur quotient way low
First class if you’re looking to get fit.
Ron Zalko’s is the WORST gym I’ve ever been to in my life. Horrific gym culture and egos there. Nevermind the hyper-agressive sales staff. Do not spend your money there. You’re better off hitting the sea wall for a run.
well, i like kits workout. its cheap, all classes are included and theres no steroid monkeys to be found. Theres LOTS of classes, most of which are great, lots of machines too. However, its lululemon overload, but hey, this is kits. Oh, and jan. to march its crazy busy, but by april
1 the resolutions have worn off, and its back to normal again.
I am laughing my ass of at this forum! The world is about to go nuke in WWIII and you idiots are masturbating over where you can work out???… Hey, you want to work out in your own privacy??… Buy your own home and set up your own gym… you idiots! Oh, I forgot, you’re all a bunch of social animals that need the atmosphere of the gym to truly get your rocks off and flex your alleged physique for others to see. Lord help us if you muscle chasing idiots ever aquire real power.
Really, you are all pathetic!
Someone on this forum seems to have a huge hate on for this Ron Zalko guy.
Every couple of weeks there’s a new thread about what a dick this guy is.
I only know his name from this forum but it seems a little strange that all these threads hold him personally responsible for their bad workout experiences
Did you know that the Better Business Bureau is a private Business itself? They sell memberships in the same way that gym memberships are sold. Its obvious that members who buy their expensive membership get special privilege.
Better Business Bureau indeed is a private, but nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting fairness and honesty in the marketplace, encouraging ethical business practices…
I find it funny though that almost the next day after my comment BBB started updating its information on RZ. I’m glad that after public exposure RZ is taking its unsatisfactory record with the Bureau seriously and apparently initiated its review. … if only RZ Fitness could deal with consumer complaints as fast and effective as it responds to posts on this forum…Lets just hope that in the future this company will be more attentive to its members’ concerns, that it will finally end its high pressure sales practices and verbal misrepresentations of its contract terms. As soon as I see fewer angry RZ ex-members on this forum, I’ll be convinced that RZ cares about its members as much as it does about its public image.
I’m new to the neighbourhood and thus far my favourite has been Kitsilano Fitness World (24hrs Baby).
However, I would also recommend 12th Avenue Fitness World if you enjoy classes, as they have excellent “boot camp” style instructors, if you’re into that.
Best of all for free are the activities right outside your doorstep. Run or rollerblade on the beach, swim, walk, bike, and more…
azngal
Ron Zalko, is founder of Ironman Canada
Article by Jay Winans – Impact Magazine
Ironman Canada may never have happened had it not been for Ron Zalko, Vancouver fitness celebrity and entrepreneur. “I\’m the visionary, the founder, the first race director and the sponsor,†said Zalko. The very first event in 1983 grew out of Zalko\’s frustration with the cost of traveling to Hawaii to compete in the nascent Ironman event there. He organized sponsors such as Gatorade and Adidas, and approached Kelowna first, but Kelowna turned him down and Adidas walked. But Zalko didn\’t give up. When he met with the mayor and other dignitaries in Penticton, his idea for an ultra-triathlon event was warmly received, and they offered to help with volunteers. Zalko knew he had found just the right spot in Penticton-the hotel was right on the water, the weather and traffic were good, and the community was eager.
Martin Wanless, one of the founders in 1983 of the Tri Association of B.C., remembers Zalko standing at the back of the room at the inaugural meeting held at G.F. Strong Sports Medicine Centre in Vancouver and inviting attendees to come to Penticton for the first race. A number of people said they\’d come if Zalko put it on.
“It was Ron Zalko\’s baby from day one,†said Michael Van Ert. “He did get the sponsors, he was the race director, it was his money that financed the race.†Van Ert explained that Zalko could not have done it without lots of help from people like Lynn Van Dove, Steve King, and a half dozen others, but proper credit goes to Ron Zalko, the man with the iron will, for creating the race that everyone\’s celebrating in Penticton.
DO NOT JOIN THIS GYM. I recently had one of the worst experiences with Kitsilano gym. I cancelled by membership back in August, and I have just learned they have been direct depositing monthly fees and it’s NOVEMBER! When I called to figure out what was going on with my account I was told what a nice “story” I had, that I was probably lying, that the person who answered didn’t want to waste any more of their “manager time,” refused to give me their name or the name of the owner, and hung up on me. I cancelled the membership in August because I moved to Victoria to go to school in September. It’s simply unfair and bad business sense to 1) continue to charge me and 2) be so rude to me. A simple refund for the last month would have sufficied—but I guess the extra 50$ in the Kitsilano bank is worth over $10 000 in fees they would have gotten had they retained my as a member (I’m moving back to Vancouver in the summer). It’d be nice to support an independent gym like this one…but I guess me and as many people as I can convince to join me, will have to go elsewhere.
I go, infrequently, to Zalko’s gym. I find the music inane and loud, the lockers and change room grotty. I won’t go after work as there isn’t anywhere to put a suit jacket. The machines are middle-level quality but the place is very convenient to my home in Kits Point. I will most likely not renew and search for a cleaner place when my term expires.
I too am a member of Ron Zalko’s gym, but I would have to disagree with you on it being dirty. Have you been to Kitsilano workout? It is downright filthy! I changed gyms and find that zalko’s is the cleanest gym i’ve used. Also, I heard they are getting new equipment soon.
I agree with Stephanie above. Kitsilano workout is crooked. It turns out I should not have believed anything they told me when I signed up – they’ve changed their policies and payment options with me about 3 times, and to top it off, they tried to charge me a year after I paid my membership fee by saying they didn’t charge me enough! The gym IS dirty, they don’t fix equipment quickly, and there aren’t enough good classes offered after work hours. Overall, biggest waste of money I have made in the last year. Also, see Better Business Bureau record on Kits workout.
I belong to Ron Zalco and I’m sorry but he is the biggest jerk I have ever met in the Health Industry and I have been working out for 18 years. I think he needs to be reminded that it’s a gym not a ballet studio, nothing again ballet people (if you went to that gym you would understand what I’m saying). He is very bad for customer service and treats his own staff horribly. I saw two customers quit within five minutes of being there. My contract is up in July and I will not give him another cent. Yes the gym is clean but only cuz you are lucky if Ron will let you sweat in there. The gym would be much better if he didn’t run it like a military camp.
Kitsilano Workout seemed to have nice staff but it’s a very small gym so it’s hard to get on equipment.
As posted by many other users, DO NOT JOIN THIS GYM. Very questionable business practices, once they have your billing information, they will conveniently forget to stop, even after your term is up and you ask them. Resolution of the issue is nearly impossible and as stated above dealing with them is very unprofessional. MANY COMPLAINTS AGAINST THEM AND THEIR BILLING PRACTICES!
Kitsilano Workout is just awful. The staff seems truly non-caring, the equipment is broken all the time, and the whole place, especially the change rooms and ladies only area, is grungy and gross. Case in point, the showers have hot water only 10% of the time. So if you’re like me and work out in the morning (and don’t have time to go home and shower) then it’s cold showers for you! I’ve spoken to them on many occasions about it and get ridiculous answers like “there’s nothing we can do, it’s to do with the building manager” and “I know, it’s been like that for a year now”…. Unacceptable, and they conveniently (for obvious reasons) leave these things out when you sign up with them. Don’t get stuck with these guys. They’re not worth a dime of your money.
1/10.
Staff are rude and treat everyone as a potential thief. Equipment is always broken, and whenever you voice a concern to staff, they tell you to call Chicago.(?!!?!) Apparently the place is owned by a firm in Chicago, which would explain the lack of maintenance, repairs, and care that this gym exhibits. Fees are high, the rates quoted are only for locked-in year memberships, and you must send your written notice via registered mail to Chicago to close your account, or else they keep billing you. I had to close my bank account and start a new one, because legally the year long membership i signed up for was a “legal one year minimum obligation” meaning they could keep charging me. They did.
Save yourself tons of trouble and find a better gym.
Oh, one more thing. total bro sausage fest, to any that care.
good luck and have fun.
My bad, thats Kitsilano workout I’m talking about.