Bob Builder

Review of Bethesda Sport and Health

For a commercial gym, Bethesda Sport&Health is not...

For a commercial gym, Bethesda Sport&Health is not too shabby. The front desk staff is for the most part amiable. It offers more than enough cardio equipment. The weight area is packed fairly tight, but has the basics. Here are my suggestions for improvement in order of priority:

1) Proper barbell maintenance. Lube them up to prevent rust/optimize performance. Clean them thoroughly. After a session of squats, the region of my white t-shirt in contact with the bar will turn brown. I've been lifting 10+ years with no such problems previously.

2) Overnight Locker Access. With a $70 monthly membership, I don't expect to pay $60 monthly to rent a locker for overnight storage. Please offer a financially feasible option.

3) Personal trainer etiquette. For the most part, the personal trainers are friendly, respectful, and focused on their clients. Keep up the good work. One problem I have is that sometimes they will grab one of the weights off the rack/bench I'm using without asking first. One individual in particular - Caucasian male, earrings - consistently does so and appears visibly annoyed when asked not to take weights. Mutual respect - if you need a weight, it's ok to walk a bit further to find one not being used; let's not inconvenience patrons.

4) A/C. Please improve the cooling of the weight area via fans or A/C. The gym is too humid and quite frankly, hotter than any other gym I've been to.

5) Heavier dumbbells. 100 lb dumbbells are sufficient for most exercises, but I'd appreciate 110s-150s, even in 10 lb increments.

6) Towel access. These used to be stored in the locker rooms. Please return them there.

7) Fix broken mirrors. There are shards of glass in the weight area (particularly by the kettle-bells and deadlift platform) 2/2 broken mirrors that have not been repaired for 6+ months. I understand the deductible may be high on your insurance policy, but this is not one area to cut costs.

Thank you for your support and willingness to improve, Bethesda Sport&Health