Movement Fountain Valley

It has now been over one month with the men’s sauna being broken. Given the price point of the gym (over $100 a month!), it is absolutely unacceptable. There is always, of course, an amazing excuse as to why. It’s gotten to the point where I’m starting to think they’re just taking the members for a ride. It’s either that or they really can’t manage keeping a sauna despite other businesses seeming to have been able to figure it out. They keep on saying that they’re not raising prices for this year, but given the fact that the gym doesn’t seem to be able to provide the amenities that they advertise and that we pay for, how can that be seen as a positive? At what point does it just become false advertising?

I’ve been a member here for a while, and it’s disappointing to see the gym declining instead of improving. The men's sauna is constantly broken with no updates on when it’ll be fixed, and the showers are often out of soap. Instead of addressing these issues, the gym just puts up post-it notes saying they’re aware. For the price we’re paying, we expect better maintenance and communication. It’s a great gym in many ways, but these recurring issues are frustrating and need to be addressed.

Every once in a while, I tend to go to a different climbing gym than my usual one, and Movement has been one of my monthly add-on gyms. It's one of the best places to go in the area if you're into climbing and can afford the price. It is on the pricer side, but you can instantly see why the moment you walk in. The climbing section is huge! However; they only offer bouldering, so if you're a top roper or lead climber, they dont offer it at this location. There are several different climbing walls, and they all scale up a fairly high distance, too, so nothing feels too cluttered. Movement uses a phone app, Kaya, to help you figure out climbs if you're solo climbing, but it isn't required, and you're able to climb what you want. The gym offers yoga and climbing classes. Movement is also split with a regular gym that offers free weights, barbell training, plenty of bars for pull-ups, a stretching location, and tons of cardio machines. The staff is extremely nice too, always willing to help while staying professional. The bathrooms are always clean and offer lockers, showers, and even a sauna. If you're looking to get fit or to change up your usual climbing gym, I recommend coming to Movement. They offer many discounts, so check back every once in a while. Updated April 5th: This place is still good. Workers are super nice and helpful. Clean environment and community have gotten larger. This place gets super packed for the first Friday of the month now, haha, mainly because of the BOGO deal. It's still a cool place to go to and climb.

I enjoy this gym space for what it is and have been a member for 2+ years. While I think the employees are all good honest people, the sauna is at least 50% of the reason I’ve maintained this membership. It has been almost an entire month of the mens sauna being down. There must have been at least 8 weeks this year (possibly more) when the sauna hasn’t been functioning. I’m not sure how management hasn’t learned from the other dozens of times it has gone down. If it is so hard to find a technician or a piece to fix it then you need to be better prepared. We DESERVE an account credit for this amenity we are constantly not having access to.

Nice facility overall, but some notable drawbacks. The climbs generally feel too soft, lacking creativity and challenge for intermediate climbers. I often find myself breaking the beta, or the climb feels inaccessible to most people. It seems like the setting is either too easy or too awkward, leaving little for those in the middle skill range. One major gripe is the finish holds—why end the climb 3/4 up the wall? It feels anticlimactic. That said, the kilter and tension boards are fun additions, but they tend to be monopolized by the same clique, making it difficult to join in when there are several people waiting. The sauna and towel service are standout amenities, though you occasionally encounter odd behavior—like someone vaping in the sauna once. Still, most people here are pretty chill and friendly. If you're looking to prep for outdoor climbing, I’d recommend Rockreation, Sender One, or Aesthetic Climbing Gym instead. This gym seems to cater more to those aiming for competition climbing. Just my two cents!