Best Gyms with Free Weights near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The gym area is kept clean but the men’s locker room and bathroom are atrocious. They are not quick to fix equipment, some have been out of service for over a month. We all know planet fitness makes a ton of money, equipment should not be out of service more then a few days. The staff is very friendly and helpful 5 weeks now and the leg machine is still out of service. thanks for the response but fixing the equipment would be better a better response!

Solid planet fitness, always super clean and people at front desk to help. Does get crowded during peak hours, but very big and plenty of treadmills, bikes and machines to keep moving on.

There are lots of machines. Each machine has a diagram showing how to use it. The gym and locker rooms are nice and clean. There are always lockers available.

This gym is Always clean! Love the app. It tells you how busy they are... but what makes the South Philadelphia gym the best (are the employees!) They are all so friendly, kind, and compassionate! Course I have my favorites - But no matter what time you go in, you are greeted with a beautiful smile, words of positive energy making me feel like, I got this, let's get it done! Sometimes I him and hall getting there! Most times it takes some extra motivation... but every time I'm done, I'm always happy I went! "Walking out feeling pretty good about myself." :)

Art, Elliott, Jamie, and Amanda make this gym the BEST! I've been coming here for almost 2 years now and it's so nice coming in to familiar faces and staff members that say hey and ask me how I'm doing. I'd recommend this gym to everyone solely based on how welcome they make me feel.

Wonderful community space. The facilities are clean, the staff is helpful and friendly, and the pool has all day availability for lap swimming, plus aqua classes. So grateful to have the Christian Street Y in my community!

Just when i thought this place couldnt get any better, the lap pool was a perfect 80 degrees this morning. Heavenly. A godsend.

This place is great! We usually go for swim lessons. It is more than a gym, it is more like a community center, with even a place to drop off your baby for an hour or two to exercise. (I rarely do reviews, but accidental taps while on maps gave it one star. I saw their sweet response which prompted me to fix the error immediately. They are awesome!)

Majority of children activities are all set forth and scheduled. So one need to be prepared to follow their schedule in order to part take in most children activities. This mainly includes but does not disclose GYM. For the children's physical activities which varies different age groups and schools I would assume. I always thought schools had their own GYM activities at their own location? Not sure, why they hosting entire after school programs there at the Y? Much has changed since I came up. I guess if you can meet their schedule and pay extra for some activities, you can make it work for you and your family. The experience was an enlighten one, on the down side. Children were expecting a nice swim. So disappointed they both became, no pool nor GYM for that day. Their first time interacting. They do have some out going staff there especially in the children's day care center. Takes time to get used to it and aline your schedule around theirs or pay to fit in. It's like this one pink rose my four year old Granddaughter nursed to life again. It had to adjust and fit in once it was given the proper nourishment and location. I simply thought it was time to dispense it? Move on, but my Granddaughter decided to deal with it keep going at it. After playing with it for two or three days. Moral of this story, give yourself some time. To adjust to their schedule and grow as you go alongside of other's. This way you can adjust as your family are being nurtured into different activities. Shalom.......

Excellent staff and best value for money gym in Philly with a variety of equipments to try out.

I have been a member of this gym for nearly 2 years. It's the worst gym I have ever been a member at. The only reason I have stayed is the location and my favorite cycle class (shoutout to Abbey for being the entire reason I'm still a member at this gym). The space is cramped and they are always moving things around and doing renovation. They have a lot of space not used throughout the week in their Thrive studio, but they want to push everyone to be thrive members so you can't use it. Machines and equipment broken for weeks on end with 0 repair timelines. One of the two seated row machines has been out of service for a month. Assisted pull up machine down for over two weeks now. I've asked the front desk twice for a repair timelines and they don't have one. I assume they wait until enough equipment breaks to pay for repair. During this past summer, the sauna was down for nearly 3 months. Previously I had used the sauna 4x per week, and there was no discount for not having that amenity during that time. They are terrible at keeping gym members updated about hours on holidays. They won't post it on their social media for some reason. I've walked there when they were closed and ran into multiple members doing the same. It's not hard to post a story when you're closed, every other business in this city does that. Lastly this gym is filthy because they are cheap and won't outsource their cleaning. The sinks in the women's bathrooms are always grimy, and the water fountain has looked like this upstairs for two months. It's the most disgusting gym I have ever been a member at and it's definitely not the cheapest gym. If your New Year's resolution is to work out, go anywhere else.

My first day there. Place was spotless, staff was so nice and helpful. The locker room and sauna were beautiful! Honestly, just for those two amenities alone, makes the membership cost worth it! I enjoyed some weight machines and treadmill as well as looking in on a small group training class which I intend to join. I’m looking forward to my time at this gym! It’s also nice to leave with a caffeinated protein shake!

Pros: Good hours (open from 5AM weekdays), friendly staff, WiFi works, option to do classes Cons: Overcrowded in morning/evenings, could use more squat racks/bench presses/cable machines. If coming during these hours be ready to wait for equipment or adjust routine. Compounded by fact that multiple equipment is “under repair” for months with no updates/visible progress. They need to improve their maintenance workflow or be more transparent Seems like more emphasis is put into the premium services like the training classes than the actual gym user experience Overall: a convenient option for those living in Grad hospital who want flexible hours. But could be much improved especially considering the cost

City Fitness is a great gym. However, the Graduate Hospital location is not my favorite for a few reasons. First off, the positives; It has very friendly staff, very clean facilities, and a nice amount of amenities. They offer a full selection of classes and group/solo training, albeit smaller scale due to the lack of square footage of this location. I also really love the City Shakes protein shake bar. They have a wide selection of flavors and even protein coffee. This brings me to the negatives, the size, overcrowding, no full size towel service, and lack of weight room organization. Granted the smaller size I understand overcrowding is inevitable however during these times staff should be more present to ensure weights and equipment are being properly put away and stocked as people are moving items all over the weight room floor to find space to complete their workouts. My next major concern is again about weights/equipment not being in place. It seems regardless of crowdedness the weight room seems to be very unorganized and weights, mainly plates, are often not where they should be. The barbell benches are constantly in disarray with plates being in wrong slots or having only one of each size plate causing the user to have to constantly reshuffle plates and search the floor for the plates they need. The main concerns on this issue is Olympic squat rack plates and normal plates being mix matched, missing barbell clips (safety concern), and lack of properly stocked bench press plates (there seems to be less plates in general). Last issue with this location is the lack of full size towel service. Their excuse for this is that it is not a “full service” club. This seems unfair to the members because we pay the same monthly dues as a full service club and should at least receive this basic amenity. Overall a great place to workout in the neighborhood that just has a few key issues that need to be addressed to be a 5 star gym, even at its smaller stature.

Pros: 1. they have a good variety of free weights and machines, peloton bikes, squat racks, etc. 2. When I go at lunch, I largely can use what I want without waiting for it to become available 3. They have a sauna (when it’s not out of order) Cons 1. There have been many times where equipment is out of order. Sometimes weeks and sometimes months (the sauna was broken for literally 3 months in the summer of 2024). When things are out of order there is next to no communication on a repair timeline. If you ask the front desk staff, they will tell you they have no idea. Also membership fees are not reduced if a key amenity such as the sauna is not usable. 2. The place is not very clean. Whether it’s the bathrooms, the water fountain, etc. it feels like the cleaners are doing the bare minimum. They really need to outsource their cleaning. 3. Not good value for money. I pay like $70 a month. I don’t have access to any of the classes (that’s only for premium members), there is no pool, basketball court, the equipment is just basic equipment, and sometimes it feels like there’s just not a lot of attention to detail (for example the weights on the bench presses are always in random spots and all switched around). There have been a couple times where the bench press I am using does not have any 45lb plates on it, because they’ve been moved to the leg press machine and not returned. This is curious to me considering there’s always like 3-5 staff members hanging out behind the counter. Surely one of them can walk through once every couple hours and make sure things are in the right place. TLDR: City Fitness is not worth the price and there are better options (YMCA). I’d consider the ymca on Christian st. I recently switched and I’m enjoying it much more. They have enough equipment that allows me to do an identical workout that I do at city fitness. I get access to basketball courts, pickleball courts, a pool, a sauna, a variety of different classes every week - all for almost $10 less a month. The staff is also much more attentive. In the off chance a weight or two is out of place, a staff member moves it back as they do periodic walk throughs. The space feels much cleaner, and overall it’s just a better overall experience and I get way more amenities for less.

OBA is not only a great gym, but it’s also an incredible community where people of all abilities are welcome. I can personally attest to growing both my strength and confidence through the group classes they offer. Even in a group setting I always receive 1-1 instruction and feedback. With their new expansion the facilities are top notch and they have a full range of services to take care of your fitness needs. This isn’t just a gym - it’s a truly a community that can support your healthy lifestyle.

OBA is a phenomenal place to drop-in, I always love coming back and taking a class here! When it comes to gyms in Philly the facilities are second to none, but it’s the coaches and staff that make the biggest impression each time I visit. Joey, Matt, Emily, and all the coaches I’ve had in class are awesome people and make sure you have the best workout possible. The programming and merch are also great. 10/10 this gym and community are the best!

Jean and team did a great job with the CrossFit class I attended! As a first-timer, I really appreciated the patience and supportive tips. The class was communicated well and overall just a fun experience!

Coaches are incredibly nice!!! I am pretty bad at workout compared to others. Whenever I struggle with workout, they modify workout for me or come and explain again how to do. Also, when I am doing something wrong, coaches come to me and teach me again 😅😅. In addition, they always welcome me even though I can't come to gym frequently because of work schedule. Overall, I like this gym a lot!!! I highly suggest this gym if you want to try something new workout experience!!

Emily is not only knowledgeable but encouraging and supportive. Her cues continue to change the way I workout. She always offers scalable options and her attitude is ALWAYS positive. She carefully ensures everyone at class is comfortable with each movement and seeks out newcomers. I love working with Emily every class!

Fitness Works is my second home. My favorite thing about it is that this is a no-nonsense place to train, everything is well maintained and people are respectful. Nothing is overly fancy or hyped up. For the size of the space they offer an impressive variety of stuff! There are selections of dumbbells on both main floors and some in the classroom, weight machines on both main floors, plenty of cardio equipment, a very nice pool, and there is even an area for boxing training. The classroom is large with pretty decent mirrors and you can use it for stretching etc. when there isn't a session going on. This probably wouldn't be a first pick for more advanced powerlifting or Olympic lifting since the space is a bit limited with just 3 squat racks and 2 deadlift platforms. Great place for general training and bodybuilding though. You can buy snacks and drinks at the front desk too. My only critique is that I wish they were open later and that there was a second chest fly machine.

Happy overall. Been coming here for a few years. Some of the cardio equipment is way overdue for replacement. The life fitness treadmills whine and skip constantly and are way past their life cycle

Been a member since February, my only complaint is it gets HOT in there in the summer. Only two of the treadmills have fans. I do love that classes are included in membership!

This is a good gym with a nice staff. Equipment and pool are all nice. One note is the water fountains desperately need to be replaced. I wish they (like many other gyms) would not require a 30 day heads up for cancelling membership. Feels a bit predatory

Affordable, classes are amazing, equipment is very clean! Love this gym.

This is by far the best planet fitness I've ever been to.. even tho there are ones located closer to me I always come here. Clean, clean, CLEAN!!!

Gym Is clean, Fairly well maintained, Staff is friendly, And 24 hour scheduled days are highly and most importantly appreciated

If you can go outside of peak hours, it's a great place to work out

Good staff, equipment and I can almost always get a workout in with crowds

This location was quiet, (no loud phone conversations, no loud peer to peer conversations). The ladies room was delightfully clean and roomy. The cooling system was evenly distributed around the entire gym. Good job!

The staff at City fitness are all positive and engaging. My trainer Julia is very helpful and considers my condition and age with every routine. I’m 81 years old, but I still am able to do most of the exercises. Other staff are very helpful as well Giada Eli Christian to name a few are very positive and helpful every time I visit thank you very much for the extraordinary experience and engaging staff.

Beautiful gym. Clean, bright, all of the equipment functions. The sauna is a HUGE plus. The staff is great! The only thing preventing me from giving the East Passyunk location a 5 (wanted to give a 4.5) is the limited amount of certain stations (decline bench, flat bench stand out the most). Otherwise I’m very glad to be a member

Dishonest when signing up. No reason for that at all. Dishonest when attempting to cancel membership. Buyer beware. Read every single line of your contract. As the other 1-star reviews indicate, there is an extreme lack of explanation of anything when signing up. The sales team is clearly directed to be vague about pricing and charges. Save your peace of mind and go elsewhere for the same or less money.

Overall it gym is good. The staff is very good. Support for the staff from corporate has been a challenge. And the continued lack of the availability of large bath towels is an irritating

This loacation is great, GIANA IS THE BEST! So help when signing up for my membership, had a very pleasant experience, she was just amazing and sweet, A PLUS FOR ME the locker was extremely CLEAN 10 stars satisfied customer 😀 no complaints 👌 🤣

I’ve been a member of SH since the start and always loved the classes and instructors. They really hit it out of the park, though, during my pregnancy: each instructor was mindful of my needs and comfort, and offered alternatives to the routine that were best for my body at that time. I am grateful to have this in the neighborhood and am looking forward to getting back in classes soon!

Dropped in here with a friend yesterday, and man, what a great vibe. The owner was extremely kind and welcoming and the members were friendly. It was overall such a great atmosphere that immediately made me feel comfortable. The conditioning class was a great workout and felt like it went by so fast! I’d definitely come back here the next time I’m in the area.

I became a Strength Haüs member after over 6 months at another kettlebell gym and I’m so glad I switched! I left my plateau and gained muscle here much faster. I also corrected a form issue that was causing my lower back to hurt. I came in thinking that 12K was my heavy bell, but after just a few months I use 14K, with 16k as my heavy. I feel so strong! My friends are all commenting that my butt is looking especially good. The coaches are fun and welcoming. Everyone is great at demonstrating without being intimidating. They challenge me but also encourage everyone not to have an ego so we don't get hurt. There's a big variety of strength levels in the classes with modifications offered to make things harder or easier. The community is welcoming and the playlists are on point. Lastly their online booking system is easy.

Jon, Molly and their crew have made an amazing, welcoming space in the heart of South Philly. Their classes are fun and challenging. I've been a member for about 3 months, and the benefits are great. I take advantage of extracurricular gym use and I get to use all the equipment at my own pace. They use the "Somble" app for scheduling. It is a bit clunky, but functional, and allows easy booking (and unhooking for when my plans change). Their cancellation policies are very reasonable, and they also don't have draconian membership contracts. Very happy to live nearby this excellent community space with friendly, driven, compassionate people!

Can’t say enough wonderful things about Strength Haüs! I’ve been working with Jess for several months and am so thrilled to have found an incredible coach in a very cool, dynamic and welcoming space. Jess is a master at all she does, is great at explaining and demonstrating things, is insanely knowledgeable, and puts me at ease— an all around gem of a human and trainer. She’s supportive and encouraging, and always available to answer questions. I am amazed with how much progress Jess has helped me make with my balance, mobility, and strength (after being derailed by an injury a bit ago). Jess, Jon & the team are so fun and down to earth— I truly look forward to my visits to SH. I highly recommend checking out SH for 1-on-1 coaching with Jess or for classes— it doesn’t get any better!

I was struggling to get into a routine with exercise for years and decided to try a trainer. I was matched with Kelly at Train and Nourish, and it’s been a great experience. She’s positive, encouraging, and always changes up what we’re doing so it never gets boring. Kelly also strikes a great balance of challenging my limits while still respecting them. I’ve been working with her for a few months and have noticed positive changes in my posture, day-to-day strength, and confidence. I also feel like I’m learning a lot of general knowledge I can use when exercising by myself. Kelly is also flexible scheduling-wise which has been helpful with my work schedule. Very happy with my experience here!

I am beyond grateful that I found Train & Nourish this Summer. As a middle aged client with bi-lateral knee and a spine surgery, I was worried I would not "fit in" to a fitness routine. I worked with Sloane - the most amazing and kind trainer. I exceeded my goals with her gentle, yet rigorous routines and fantastic coaching. I have never felt more welcomed and comfortable in a fitness situation. Thank you so much. I can't begin say enough about how wonderful my experience has been. I can not wait to return and work with Sloane again!

I’ve been fortunate enough to be trained by Kelly for a few months now, and it has been life changing. She is so sweet, knowledgeable, and patient when teaching me proper technique and pushing me to go harder than I thought possible for myself. I highly recommend giving training a try if you’ve been thinking about it! Shout out Kelly!!!

I started working out at Train & Nourish back in August of 2023. I was recovering from injuries and wanted to get back into exercise in a way that would allow me to strengthen and recover. I had the pleasure of working with Marta, who has been crafting personalized workouts for me and has shown me that I am stronger than I ever knew I could be. As someone who was new to working out in a gym setting, Marta was patient and demonstrated how to do the exercises correctly, so I could properly heal and gain strength. 11 months in and I can tell you that I arrive early for most, if not all of my sessions, because of the positive and amazing community at Train & Nourish. I have never felt more comfortable walking into a gym and I genuinely look forward to working up a sweat. All of the trainers are friendly, kind and motivating women -- if you're looking to get into a supportive and personalized gym, this is your spot!

I’ve been a T&N client for nearly 2 years and I am so thankful for this space! My current trainer, Marta, is a total badass and I am so proud of what I’ve achieved while training with her. She’s incredibly knowledgeable in physical therapy and body mechanics, and always takes the time to demonstrate the proper movements and explain the goal of each exercise. When I was working through an injury, she adjusted our workout and made sure that I knew how to properly rest and rehab my body between sessions. I am so glad that I got to work with Marta and will miss her a bunch when she heads to new opportunities next month. T&N trainers are talented, patient, and motivating. It is welcoming and safe space for women - highly recommend.

This place is awesome the staff is amazing very professional. The facility is clean and they put a few new pieces of equipment in.

There’s no quality control; some of the machines are out of order—it’s just awful.

This place has become so much worse than it used to be. People should avoid this place as they don’t maintain the environment as usable. The massage chair has not been working for two months and some other equipment on the floor. People use the dumbbells but forget to put them back on the rack. It's very unclean when it gets busy. Not recommended for new customers… unless they fix everything

Very nice place. But, I am lost. Just wanted to work out when possible. My experience could have been better if I was allowed to just signed up. They have all the equipment. As far as customer service, oh boy , that's not good for me.

Staff was knowledgeable and very friendly... The gym was very clean and organized...The vibe was very welcoming and positive...

I’ve been coming here for years. Love the new equipment. The water machine needs to be fixed. Doesn’t produce cold water and the filtration seems off. Mentioned this many times to employees and management. Other than that great environment.

Gym good place , but you can’t park you truck , yesterday they try open my truck for tow , be careful

I just wanted a shout out to the beautiful Queen who helped me get a 2 weeks guest pass for my aunt the other day while I was visiting her in Philly. My aunt enjoyed the Hydro Massage and love the fitness bicycle. She truly misses riding her bicycle in (Southern) Vietnam when she was younger, everywhere. A big city like Philly makes it really difficult. Again, much respect and love for the wonderful folks in management working here...thank you!

Small but it’s clean and everyone is friendly and super helpful. I went during the day and overall, it’s a nice little vibe. Every team member was ready to assist, there’s more than enough equipment and the locker rooms and bathrooms are in tip top shape 👌🏾. It was my first time but I’ll definitely be going back. I felt like I was gonna pass out but they had me laughing and was supportive.

I love the vibe, but they gotta change the water filter on the fountain... Water taste like Schuylkill Punch

This YMCA is wonderful! The facility is clean & the people are friendly. They've done some very nice upgrades. The employees are always respectful & helpful. Update! With a membership, you are offered services for which the member pays. It's a disservice when all the member benefits are not given. Due to health issues swimming is imperative to my weightloss. In saying that, showering afterwards is also imperative. However, the hot water hasn't been working since last week. I asked the man at the front desk anoyt the water this morning, "notices were sent out about the hot water"... I didn't receive a notice & I couldn't find a notice on the website. This is what should've been said with sincerity to ease the frustration of members " I apologize for the inconvenience, we are working on getting the problem fixed"!!! Be honest about the situation! I appreciate honesty! I have Lupus Dry eye syndrome, etc...Showering is very important!

Hello. Everything is more or less normal. But people visiting the sauna, a big request not to talk on the phone in the sauna. You can chat for hours, but what should I do, I can't listen to it for hours. Some of the chatters leave, the negotiators come. Have pity on my ears and other people. Very boiled, these people cannot understand what is disturbing others.

Hi, I wanna redo my suggestion about this place, I would like to tell you all of my experience in this place, 1. I would like to talk about the people and or the staff. The staff in the front door is very nice welcoming others, the staff in the gym, pool, and others are nice too, BUT sometimes the people are bad, I don't like when people around me say bad words and I hear how they talk and sometimes how they act. But the stuff is 8/10 2. The gym 🙌, the gym is beautiful, I wasn't here last year, but I know how the people work hard to make others feel good in this place, it has changed in a lot more better way. The gym is 9/10 because sometimes May have some issues. 3. The pool🏄, the pool is 10/10 it's perfect. 4. And I want to compare all, this place is very kind, the people who built this place who recently upgraded this place, who really want to make it a good place for family, I really appreciate you for what you're doing for all of us. Thank you.

Awesome , extremely friendly and helpful staff! All areas are pristinely clean, and they have lots of healthy activities to help lead a healthier life!

Clean environment, competent and friendly staff, great hours and tons of class offerings makes the Y a wonderful place to go to improve and maintain my health