Austin Axis Guide to Health Clubs

Version .90b

Last updated September 24, 1996

Austin Axis welcomes all comments about Austin-area health clubs. Please send remarks to:

Brian Combs (combs@awpi.com)

Comments will be attributed to their author, unless he or she requests otherwise.

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Big Steve's Gym & Aerobics Center
1126 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 445-2348

Reader Remarks


Body Business Fitness
2700 West Anderson Lane
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 459-9424

Reader Remarks


BodyWise
1310 South FM 620
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 263-5519

Reader Remarks


Chasen Fitness
2804-A Bee Caves Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 327-1705

Reader Remarks


Clean and Lean
4225 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 458-5326

Reader Remarks


Crenshaw Athletic Club
5000 Fairview Drive
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 453-5551

Reader Remarks


Figure World
1925-A Peyton Gin Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 454-5891

Reader Remarks


Flowmotion Pilates Conditioning
4201 Bee Caves Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 328-7204

Reader Remarks


Future Firm Inc.
8620 Burnet Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 453-5331

Reader Remarks

Syed Taqvi (8/20/96)
This is regarding Future Firm Health Club. They have got absolutely the worst customer service. They are extremely unhelpful and the only thing they are concerned about is getting your membership dues. A place which should be avoided be everyone.
Marjohn Parish (9/24/96)
They have ZERO customer service. Once you've signed the "dotted line", they have you; hook, line & sinker. As most previous members know, Future Firm, Inc., had a problem w/ billing (over-billing, of course) more than 1 year ago. I have yet to see one penny of the >$300.00 they owe me. Oh, the last thing they said to me was, "I'm sorry, we can no longer accept telephone calls from you." Yes, that is a direct quote!


HQ Fitness
No. 1
9638 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 339-5331
No. 2
2215 E. Riverside Drive
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 440-7711
No. 3
7045 Village Center
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 346-3237
No. 4
1020 Walsh Tarlton Lane
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 328-5593

Reader Remarks


The Hills Fitness Center
4615 Bee Caves Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 327-4881

Reader Remarks


Hyde Park Gym
4125 Guadalupe
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 459-9174

Reader Remarks


In Training with Nicco Personal Fitness
3027 North Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 451-7867

Reader Remarks


Ironsmith Body
1700 West 34th Street
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 454-4766

Reader Remarks


Johnny Keel's NW Fitness Center
No. 1
8127 Mesa
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 345-8800
No. 2
10700 Anderson Mill Road
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 258-1800

Reader Remarks


Q The Sports Club
10616 Research Blvd.
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 794-9151

Reader Remarks

Paul Walhis (12/26/95)
Probably the cleanest, best facility in town. About $40/mo. Great equipment. Large pool. Sauna, steam room, clean hot tub, nonmeatmarket, serious atmosphere. No sports like handball or basketball, unfortunately. Very "down to business" atmosphere. Great aerobics classes including salsa, yoga, tai chi, and water aerobics. Great trainers. Padded track. And a place on the Internet to discuss your fitness plan and workout program (url on request).


St. David's Health & Fitness Center
900 East 30th
Austin, Texas
Tel: (512) 397-4263

Reader Remarks


World Gym
Southwest
Oak Hill, Texas
Central
Lincoln Village Shopping Center behind Highland Mall
North
North Lamar
Downtown
At 6th & Brazos in the Littlefield Mall
Tel: (512) 445-1999

Reader Remarks


General Remarks

Anonymous (4/17/96)
Hi, regarding your request for comments about Austin Health Clubs. In a nutshell, most of the step aerobics I have found in Austin suck. What is the problem? The instructors seem to be under the misimpression that the faster the music, the better the workout. The fact of the matter is, it isn't true. However, the faster you go, the greater the liklihood of injury to the stepper though. The other problem is the extreme lack of attention to cueing. It appears most (almost all) instructors do not wear microphones and try to scream over the music. Needless to say, this doesn't work. Most of those who do wear a mike, scream into it and pay no attention to the timing of the cue. They also spend a lot of time babbling so you can't tell if they are chatting with the group or cueing a move.
The clubs I have been to are Q-Fitness (crooks in my opinion) and Future Firm. The reason I have not tried more is due to the 'less than legitimate' method of membership in Austin. It is obnoxious at best to require someone to pay heavy signup fees and sign long contracts. I believe this is at the heart of what appears to be 'no reason to improve things.'
Please do not use my name as the people I work out with might recognize it. Thanks for letting me vent.
I started step aerobics almost 6 years ago and the club was professional (owned and run by Jeff Stover of the SF 49ers) and the instructors were almost all experts in their field. My favorite was Jean Stoner. She was working on her PhD at the time. You could follow these instructors with your eyes closed and you sweat like a pig.


Contributors:

Marjohn Parish (Marjohn@worldnet.att.net)
David Smith (bladex@bga.com)
Syed Taqvi (syed_taqvi@sdt.com)
Paul Walhus (terry@moontower.com)


Created and maintained by Brian Combs (combs@awpi.com).

Copyright (c) 1995-1996 Austin Web Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

The comments made in the document are the opinion of their authors and may not reflect the opinion of Brian Combs or Austin Web Publishing, Inc.