Which gym is best? A guide for high school students

As an avid gym goer and self-proclaimed gymrat, I have spent a lot of time this past year in different gyms to get my workouts in. With the wide variety of equipment, price ranges and auxiliary benefits that different gyms offer, it can be overwhelming to choose the one that best fits your needs. To help with this, I visited popular gyms in the Bay Area to rate them based on a few specific factors in this review: environment, proximity, size, ability to walk in without a membership and overall ambiance.

Fitness 19 (Campbell) Overall rating: 1.5/5 Falcons. Only worth it for the low cost 

Starting off weak with the absolute worst gym I have been to is the Fitness 19 located off of Campbell Avenue. With the amount of people that go here, this gym is too cramped and has no air conditioning. It is always burning hot inside, making an effective workout nearly impossible (unless you’re a fan of hot-box yoga). 

The weights are all rusted and look like they have been rotting outside for decades. This gym is truly the definition of “you get what you pay for,” with a low price point of $14 monthly or $50 annually. This is a big steal, especially if you aren’t an avid gym rat who has time to go every day. However, if you plan on working out consistently, I would not recommend this gym because of the small space and minimal equipment. Instead, a bigger gym with more space is a better investment if you plan to use the membership consistently. 

One pro is that Fitness 19 is only a convenient 10-minute drive away from school, making it accessible for many students. It is also easy to simply walk in as well (without a membership) because the employees don’t seem to care and assume you already have a membership if you act like you know what you are doing. 

Crunch Fitness (Sunnyvale) Overall rating: 3/5 Falcons. Crowded but reasonable price 

Located just off Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road in a small shopping complex, Crunch Fitness has multiple locations dispersed throughout the United States and is a colorful gym with a blue interior. Starting at just $15 a month for the basic membership, you have access to the full gym and all the equipment. For a “peak” membership, you pay $25 a month for access to their fitness group classes in the studio.

I have visited this gym twice, and in both of the times I’ve gone, the gym has been overcrowded, making it extremely difficult to find space for my workout. Though I may have just visited at the worst times, the gym isn’t very big and all the equipment is packed together. The squat racks were shared by two people to make use of the space. 

Despite the spacing issues, the equipment is very well-maintained for the number of people using the gym, and the price for the membership option is fairly inexpensive, making it a fine choice for those who want to save some money. 

This gym is relatively easy to walk into without a membership during rush hour. But as always, be careful not to get caught. A good excuse is saying you had a free pass and thought you could just walk in. The location is pretty convenient since it’s only a 5-mile drive away from the school, but make sure you go at any other time than between 4-8 p.m. Otherwise, you may not even find the equipment you need. 

UFC Fit (Oakridge Mall, Almaden) Overall rating: 3.75/5 Falcons. Expensive and far, but high quality 

Significantly better than Crunch Fitness, UFC Fit is a United Fight Club-themed gym with blue and white equipment that provides a uniform atmosphere. The walls are plastered with motivational quotes and the gym is spacious for the number of people who go here. Every time I have gone, it hasn’t ever been overly crowded and there are a myriad of different types of equipment and machines to choose from. 

The gym is well air conditioned with relatively new equipment to choose from. There are also different classes that members can join free of cost. The overall cost per month is relatively higher than Fitness 19, coming in at about $59. However, this membership not only gives access to the gym, but also to the group fitness classes that run on a daily schedule. Members can also upgrade their membership from a “fitness” membership to a “contender” membership, which gives access to amenities such as spray tans, cryotherapy and red boot light therapy. Additionally, the gym has a smoothie bar with an extensive menu, where you can purchase handmade drinks at the end of your workout for recovery.

This gym is surprisingly the easiest to walk into without a membership because the majority of the time, there is no one behind the counter checking if you have checked in. The only downside is its distance: 9 miles may be too long a commute for Saratoga residents. However, considering the gym’s high quality features, it’s worth trying out. 

Fitness 19 (Meridian) Overall rating: 4/5 Falcons. A bit out of the way, but the quality of all the equipment is solid and the price is unbeatable 

Completely opposite of the Fitness 19 on Campbell Avenue, the Fitness 19 off of Meridian Avenue is located in the Hacienda Gardens shopping center close to many restaurants. For the same cost as the one in Campbell, you have access to a gym at least four times the size and multiple rooms for posing and group fit classes. 

Though it seems like the whole world goes here, the gym experience becomes that much more fun when you can run into people you know. It can be quite crowded, especially from 4-8 p.m. 

The squat racks at this gym are dispersed throughout, which is a small downside for me, but the number of unheard-of machines near the wall of treadmills and stairmasters is a huge plus to this gym. 

With a spacious, clean bathroom and amazing lighting in their posing room, this gym’s affordability and cleanliness makes it one of my favorite fitness venues, even though it sometimes takes a bit of waiting to find equipment. For premium access to all Fitness19 clubs, the membership comes to $25/month, making it very convenient to get your workout in no matter where you are while also providing various amenities like recovery and tanning — similar to UFC. 

This gym is a bit harder to walk into without a membership because most of the time, there are people behind the front desk. But if you walk in with a group of people who are checking in, it can work. For most Saratogans, this gym is a bit far considering it is an 18-minute drive; however, the drive is worth it for the low cost and the quality which it provides. 

49ers Fit (Westgate center) Overall rating: 4.5/5 Falcons. The gym is spacious, clean and provides many services for members.

Saving the best and most reliable for last, 49ers Fit takes the number one spot for the best gym. Located off of Saratoga Avenue, 49ers Fit is a fully red themed gym that’s located directly in Westgate Mall. Though this gym is costly, the $59 monthly membership is well worth it if you utilize it to its maximum. 

The quality of the equipment is top notch and every machine is extremely clean. The members in this gym are friendly and will always encourage you to put in your best effort. Members are also particular about wiping down their machines after use to ensure cleanliness. This gym has all the machines you need for an intensive workout and is double stories with spotless locker rooms, a yoga studio and HIIT workout rooms downstairs. 

Since the gym is so large, it never feels too crowded. Personally, I wish there were more benches and squat racks because sometimes you have to wait for one to open up, but the majority of the time you can find one right away. The hours that I would avoid going to this gym are generally from 5-7 p.m. — it’s way less crowded and a perfect workout environment at other times. 

This gym is almost impossible to walk into without a membership since there are always people checking at the front, but since I have a membership, this doesn’t prove to be too much of a problem. A certain downside is that guest passes are $20 a day, which is quite pricey for one day of use. The location is quite convenient for students since it is just a 10-minute drive from the high school.

My overall ratings are based on personal experience and first impressions of the gyms’ facilities. Though everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, my review can be helpful when choosing what gym may be best for you depending on your priorities.

 If you are new to the gym and want to start somewhere that is inexpensive but still relatively good quality, Crunch or Fitness 19 Meridian are great options to begin with. If you are more involved with lifting and going to the gym is a must in your daily schedule, switching to 49ersFit or UFC are great ideas because you can meet more like-minded people who can give you great advice, as well as pay for a quality membership that doesn’t disappoint. 

 Lifting is one of those activities that can be done anywhere if you are passionate about it, but working out in an environment that suits you can prove to be beneficial for your overall workout quality.