Best Gyms with Free Weights near Durham, North-carolina

Started coming here after moving to NC. Not only have I been able to stick with the classes for years but I have a community. Classes are very small so it sometimes feels like personal training. All the trainers are great at pushing you to your own limits at whatever level that is. They always have modifications to help if something doesn't feel right or you have physical limitations. I haven't been to many other gyms where the classes can be simultaneously for any age and ability while still pushing everyone to their own limit. Kat the owner is the best and has created a really amazing safe space for all female presenting individuals.

Aggg this place is The Best!! Somehow the trainers, who take GREAT care to meet you where you are, also make it incredibly FUN. Never ever thought I’d enjoy a *gym* or working out like this til I found Synergy!

Dr Birgit Reher is amazing! She helped with my plantar fasciitis (it's gone!) and has helped tremendously teaching me how to strengthen my knees. She's patient and extremely knowledgeable. I'm back at the gym and working out again! The staff at Synergy Fitness for Her is also terrific! Very helpful!

When I first started at Synergy I planned to go for 3 months only. It has now been 3 years and I still enjoy going to workout! The trainers are awesome and make the workouts fun. They will adjust the workouts for any physical issues I might be experiencing. It's also great to have a physical therapist available if you need those services. Working out at Synergy has been a wonderful experience for me!

Absolutely love this gym and everyone here! Amazing trainers, friendly community, clean space, great location. 12/10 🥰

O2 Fitness is an exceptional gym that offers a fantastic experience. The fitness classes, particularly Body Pump, Abs, and Stretch, are top-notch with excellent instructors. They strike the perfect balance, encouraging you to push your limits while offering modifications without any judgment. The facilities are impressive, especially the locker room and shower area. This convenience allows me to seamlessly fit workouts into my schedule before heading to work. What truly sets O2 Fitness apart is its staff. Their warmth and welcoming attitude create a positive atmosphere. There's nothing quite like coming in from the elements to be greeted by a smiling face encouraging you to have a great workout. Overall, O2 Fitness provides a comprehensive and enjoyable fitness experience that keeps me motivated and coming back.

This gym is great. Having a kids club is super helpful for parents, and my kids always have a great time there , the staff are fantastic with them. The gym staff are always helpful, and the classes and instructors are great too. The gym has everything I need. It can get packed at times, which isn’t an issue for me, but the parking can be a bit tricky sometimes since it's so popular. It might be worth considering opening another location nearby to accommodate the demand!

The staff there is great, from cleaning to management. The kids club staff are exceptional and are by far the best I’ve seen at any gym. The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because some of the equipment is getting a little dated, particularly the rowers. My biggest wish is that there were more than 2 bench presses, especially for a gym this size.

I recently just moved here from New York, I was originally going to retro fitness back home but when I found out that there wasn't any in the area I was very nervous about having to find a new gym as many know how hard it is to find a comfortable environment in a new area that you aren't familiar is, I had the intentions of just doing the guest pass but when I came in the assistant manager Skye gave me an amazing tour not only was she very professional but she also made me feel very comfortable and welcomed during the tour that It was a very easy decision for me to join right on the spot. And I'm very happy with doing so as the staff is amazing and always has a smile on their face no matter what day or time it is!! Hands down my favorite place to be in Durham!! even though the gym could use some improvements with equipment and other stuff it's definitely still got everything I need in the gym!! HANDS DOWN A REALLY NICE GYM!!!💪💪💪💪

The other reviews cover most of the great things about this specific gym. Cleanliness, equipment options. Classes, etc. So I am going to focus my review on a perk I recently took advantage of. When signing up, you get a free personal training session to work on whatever you would like. This ranges from building a workout plan to (in my case) fixing issues you have with a specific exercise to a ton of other coaching options. After over a year of lifting consistently, I worked with an employee named Mo to pinpoint what was causing me pain and subsequent weakness when trying to squat. Within 40 minutes he had found the issue(s) and put me on a path to be substantially better. I now have a warmup that will work the hip and adductor muscles I was (accidentally) ignoring, a plan to build up those muscles to properly squat, and some modifications I can make to my squat to continue drilling good habits while my body strengthens. I can't recommend the experience enough. If the other trainers are half as good as Mo, then this is a world class facility!

This would definitely be a five star review if it weren’t for the parking and for limited equipment. This facility is clean and well organized, the staff is friendly and helpful, and people that workout here are somewhat reasonable. Parking accommodates about four people and there is only one of each piece of weightlifting equipment

Great gym at a great location!! Very nice and always clean. Great selection of fitness classes. Everyone that works here is very friendly. I have a little one and use childcare and they are so great with my kid. They are always energetic and excited to see my kid and have fun activities for him to keep him busy and entertained. One thing to note is they have somewhat limited parking (though I’ve only once had a problem finding parking, just something to keep in mind) and that there are certain evening hours where it is very busy.

The lakewood ymca is a gray place for kids and families I love this Ymca this is our go to Ymca my daughter did a week of soccer camp and I signed her up for a second week. We love the lakewood ymca and the staff is so very nice I would highly recommend your kids doing sports here or joining the gym and making this your main YMCA that you visit I absolutely love the staff here the location is very convenient it is very easy to get to from where we live and I just wanna let everyone know at lakewood ymca that I appreciate you.

This is a really great Y! The staff here is super friendly and keep the facilities clean and the machines are almost always in working order. It does get a bit crowded at times, but it is nothing compared to some of the bigger gyms out there. Would recommend to anyone in the Durham area! Edit a few years later - still a great gym, but the parking and crowdedness is out of control. I can't even find parking half the times I visit these days. We need a bigger YMCA in south durham!

I have never been at this particular YMCA. I was greeted by AJ who showed me the place and talked about their enhanced cleaning procedures. He treated me like an old friend whom he has not seen in a long time. I guess because since Covid-19, the place was almost empty. The gym has all the essential equipment to do a well rounded workout. Small but substantial. The best part was the friendly welcoming. I will try to go back in the future.

I absolutely love working out at Orangetheory MLK! As someone who enjoys group fitness, the energy and atmosphere here are incredibly motivating. The sense of community and team spirit make it such a safe and supportive space to push yourself. The coaches and staff are amazing—always friendly, approachable, and encouraging. I also love how the workouts take all the guesswork out of the way. Every class is different, so it never gets boring, and the heart rate monitoring and real-time tracking help me stay on top of my progress. It’s so rewarding to hit 12+ minutes in the orange zone and know I’m getting the most out of my workout. I’ve definitely seen improvements in my strength, endurance, and even on the treadmill and rower! The music is great, the studio is always clean, and the equipment is well-maintained. Orangetheory has truly made working out fun, and I actually look forward to my classes!

Wonderful community - the classes are great and the coaches are consistently motivating, knowledgeable and friendly. Both the 2G and 3G classes are awesome and this studio also offers strength and tread classes. The schedule is varied with lots of morning and evening offerings, and I appreciate that there are 5am weekday options and a 7am Sat option. My experience with other gym members is that they are friendly, considerate, and fun people to workout with! Love this location.

I started going to OTF again earlier this month and I love this studio! The coaches are intentional about getting to know the community, listen to you during the class, and offer tailored support during the session (I have an injured ankle). High energy & worth the investment.

Not only are the workouts great but coaches like Anna and Jaay have made it such a fun workout environment! The front office staff is out of this world despite the pressure that they deal with at the studio. I joined OTF 2 years ago and 2 years later it has become my community and family and wouldn't change it for the world!

I've been going to Orangetheory Fitness for many years, and the MLK location is my favorite! The energy is incredible, the workouts are always challenging yet fun, and the community is very supportive. Manager Della and Head Coach Erinn are exceptional—they make every class motivating and welcoming. If you're looking for a top-notch OTF experience, this is the place to go!

I go because it's close to home, and it WAS a well kept gym. But recently, lots of machines are broken and not fixed promptly. And the leather is cracking on most seats. Update 12/17/24: This week, out of 13 treadmills, SEVEN are broken! And many other machines are broken too. I'm sad, because it used to be a nice gym. But it seems like the current owner is not invested in upkeep. Update 12/23/24: Many of the machines were finally fixed this week! Waiting to see if this is the beginning of an improving trend....

Fuel Fitness is hands down one of the best gyms I've ever been to! The facilities are top-notch, and the overall vibe is welcoming and motivating. But what truly sets this gym apart are the trainers, especially Allison. She's an incredible trainer who really knows how to push you to your limits while making sure you stay on track with your fitness goals. Allison's motivation and support have made such a difference in my progress. She’s always there to offer personalized advice and encouragement, whether you’re a beginner or more advanced. I highly recommend both Fuel Fitness and Allison if you're looking to take your fitness journey to the next level!

Been a consistent gym member here since around the time ownership has changed hands. Firstly, location is great, staff is very friendly and the price is fair, but for the past year or so maintenance and upkeep of the gym equipment is seriously lacking. Treadmills are abundantly "out of order", upholstery for many machines are ripped and torn and some cable machines are frequently broken and unusable. With the current ownership I have not seen significant moves towards the upkeep of this gym as of lately. This is an emerging issue that needs to be addressed.

DO NOT PURCHASE A MEMBERSHIP HERE. AC/Heat has been broken for over a year. Several TV’s have been broken as well for roughly the same amount of time. Dirty, old, worn machines and pads. Frequent broken equipment. Today alone I noticed 10 treadmills “out of service”. No paper towels to sanitize machinery! They upped my membership two months ago without notifying me. I was told the annual fee’s I paid were used for the general maintenance and upkeep of the gym… that is an absolute lie. I’ve worked out here for seven years. I was fine with the older equipment for the cheap membership but this place is falling apart because of its new management. They were too busy opening up NEW gyms and didn’t fix something that was already good.

I mostly use the personal training services here and Alex has been an awesome trainer. He is attentive, knowledgeable and kind , and has been a blast to work with. I would recommend him highly , as he makes work out challenging yet fun

Ive been training with Jae for several months now and have nothing but positive things to say about my experience. My work schedule is ever changing and Jae has been very easy to work with. He is a great communicator and accommodating to my needs, which is huge! Jae created a plan incorporating my personal goals with the best mode of action to achieve them. Every single workout was very organized and targeted a particular body part. The workouts were short, but also so challenging. Jae was also very informative with nutrition and creating an easy to follow guideline of good vs bad. I highly recommend Jae and his Fitness program

I've been training with Jae for a while now and the experience has been great! He's flexible with scheduling and is always encouraging me to push myself more than what I think is possible. His experience and knowledge of fitness is top notch. If you have any fitness goals for this year, I highly recommend reaching out to Jae for a consultation. He's the best!

My son has been boxing with Jae since beginning of this year. This was our gift to him for Christmas last year and it was the best decision and we could’ve made for him! He has grown so much in the last eight months! He’s learned how to box from the very best! I’ve never seen him work himself so hard, and in the best way! There’s nothing like the one on one training he’s received, which has advanced him so far ahead. My son has gained such confidence and has learned so much from his trainer and we recommend Jae to any and everyone looking for a trainer! Thanks Jae!

I had bought my wedding dress in April 2023 at an online store, and it fit me perfectly. Fast forward to November 2023, I had gained about 15 pounds and I really let myself go. When I tried my wedding dress on in November, the dress did not go above my hips. I was in a panic and was so upset at myself. I had a fitting appointment to alter the length of the dress in 4 months and the dress needed to fit me. I knew I needed to get help in losing the weight I needed in such a tight time frame. That’s when I met Jae and contacted him. I started immediately, and he took all my stress away and assured me I would get back into my dress well within the timeframe of my first fitting. I worked with him two days a week, as well as workouts he gives you to do at home, and followed a strict, clean eating plan that he advises. I love how Jae pushed me with my workouts, and always checked in with me to make sure I was eating good foods since that was the key to the weight loss. Fast-forward to March 2024, four months after working with Jae, my dress fit me even better than when I had it on in April 2023. I have lost 4 inches off my hips and 6 inches off my waist. I can’t thank Jae enough for getting me back into my dream dress. Losing weight is not easy, but if you follow Jae’s plan and do what he says you will get the results you want and FEEL like a whole new person; physically and mentally.

I have been working with Will from Jae's Personal Training for a few months and have lost 20+ pounds. I feel better, and I am wearing a pants size I haven't been able to fit for years. Will is a great personal trainer and pushes me to my absolute maximum, giving me great workouts and expectations on eating to continue my weight loss journey. He’s super flexible with time, and I recommend him to anyone trying to lose weight or to better themselves.

MLK location in Durham NC has many of the treadmills not working correctly or defective. Control panel partially fell off one of them in the middle of my run. Locker/bathroom not clean and smells offensively like a football stadium dirty urinal area. Also, water fountain outside lockers has been trickling a slow leak for over a month wasting a huge amount of water. This location appears to be going downhill over the past months. Phone calls to the corporate office has made no change so far. I don't easily give negative reviews, but I've tried the lines of communication available with no change or improvements seen. Update 10/2024 with increase from 1 to 2 stars. New treadmills have been installed unfortunately they appear to be compart treads and not user friendly for 6 foot tall people like myself. Locker/bathroom is slightly less unpleasant. Seems like there's an effort to make it better. Front desk people are better but still find front desk empty frequently late in the even and have to go hunt down an employee to get help.

This is a great planet fitness. Always clean, has showers and a good locker room. Staff is friendly and wonderful.

I want to give a huge shout-out to the trainer, Dashaun, for making my Planet Fitness experience amazing! His guidance, encouragement, and personalized approach have really helped me stay motivated and achieve my fitness goals. He takes the time to explain everything, makes workouts fun, and always pushes me to be my best. Thanks, Dashaun, for all your support—you’ve truly made a difference!

I come with my daughter since she can have a guest and I’m planning on moving back to my home state soon…… Everyone there is very nice and personable EXCEPT the girl who works Monday-Thursday nights she has an attitude, never smiles, and acts like we’re a bother to push the button for the massages!! She changes our attitude just by saying Hello to her because she doesn’t even barely respond!!! I don’t think that’s what members expect from her position.

Didn't get any sort of email or notification that the gym was closed (9-6-24) and it ruined my day and all my plans. I was pissed! (Edited my review): Sometimes the equipment has issues and sometimes the bathrooms are dirty. But overall a really great gym, and the new equipment makes it even better!

The gym is a little small but they do a good job with the space they have. They just got fancy new treadmills. The best thing we like is the child care. My son always has a great time there and they do a good job keeping him occupied while we're working out.

The gym itself is very small but will do in a pinch. Parking is easy. I highly reccomend Li's Yoga classes on Saturday mornings. She is such a good teacher. I always leave feeling refreshed and invigorated!

This review is only for the tennis coach David! He is very professional in teaching and in playing, he corrected tiny mistakes that might otherwise go unnoticed. He is friendly but firm to all students. I truly enjoyed his class, and highly recommend him!

This gym is very small! * Not at all recommended for anyone looking to do even basic lifting: i) I could not find 15lb weights. ii) The lifting area is tight for more than 2 people. iii) No squat racks iv) Not even weighted barbells. (They had very cheap not weight short barbells.) v) the incline bench i was using had a loose back so constantly rocked. The other one was badly torn. vi) Laughable hours.. ! Smelled strongly of body odor (= poor ventilation, too too small, not cleaned..?) There were 2 cameras prominently placed right by the mirrors that made for an unsavory vibe. The space felt very public despite bing at the back w staff coming through 4,5 times in the short time I was there. And the water bottle filler/ fountain had a very mildewy attachment. Arrived here for the first time because I recently moved to the area. Positives, parking was ample. Very pretty from the outside. There werent that many people.. some newer cardio machines if that's your thing. Doubt ill be back again despite it being very conveniently located.

Great location and friendly staff. I'm able to get a full body workout in the gym, and the pool is great in the summer. Would get a 5th star if the gym was open past noon on the weekends, as this is when I have the most time to workout.