Crunch Fitness - Flatbush

I travel for work and can confidently say this is the most disgusting crunch I have ever set foot in the entire country. Here’s an honest breakdown for those considering joining, because employees will incentivize members to leave reviews with name drops to boost numbers. The biggest thing I’ll mention is that the machines are UNSAFE. Every time I have come in, I have found a machine to be broken entirely with no out of order sign. Be aware and triple check before you start a lift because there is a very serious chance of injury. Atmosphere: The first thing you’ll notice when you enter is the smell. I have volunteered at animal shelters for well over a decade and am practically nose blind with an iron stomach. The smell is so rank that at times I had to pause mid workout to stop from gagging. It smells as if you walked into a middle school boys locker room that hasn’t been washed in years combined with something that died in the vents. The second thing you’ll pick up is how dirty the gym is. You’ll see empty water bottles and energy drink cans abandoned on the floor, wipes everywhere on the ground, and machines covered in dirt. Garbage cans at any given time are overflowing with garbage on the floors around it and no wipes in dispensers to clean after a workout. Be sure to watch your step because you’ll have to dodge abandoned dumbbells left and right. You’ll have a blast playing scavenger hunt while you try to find two of the same weights. The options for machines are abysmal compared to all the other crunches. You’ll find missing staples like smith machines, and extremely limited benches. It’s a true rarity to see someone return their weights or wipe down a machine. The worst offenders are always the Crunch Personal Trainers. People: Plan to have to adjust your workout. The gym is crowded with very limited machines and your fellow members will be a treat. The person I went with (a man) had the pleasant experience of men laughing at him, in his face, over the weight he was using. I had a more eventful leg day as a woman. I saw members recording me without my consent, men staring so intently I could feel them undressing me with their eyes (including gross staring from the Crunch trainers here) and the best, a man with a hand on his crotch while watching me do hip abductions. The personal trainers behavior can be described as the type of behavior you’d expect from someone who’s only marketable skill as an adult is picking up heavy things, and treat others as if they are above them because they can move said heavy things. You’ll have the fortune of shaking your workouts up because you’ll find the Crunch trainers using two, usually more, pieces of equipment at once (which isn’t ideal for a gym that is missing a lot of typical machines in the first place). If you assume because there’s abandoned weights or a corner to work out in a packed gym full of unracked weights that you can use it, you’re in trouble. The Crunch trainers will make sure to not only raise their voice, but condescend in a way that you would speak to a toddler. Truly a deplorable way for employees to speak to paying gym goers that I have yet to experience at any other location across the country.

I’m posting this review mostly bc I read the review from A Flores just now that presents this branch of Crunch as a 1-star experience. I can’t speak to her experience here but I’ve been coming for some weeks and I think that’s too harsh and blanket a criticism. However, as a Crunch member who trains at clubs all over, I see exactly what she’s complaining about. This location is uniquely dirty and broken down in specific areas. In the men’s locker room, for example, half the lockers don’t close and the vent in the ceiling is falling apart. But these issues could be fixed by handing one guy and drill and giving him 5 hours to work. I really recommend somebody do this. It’s true that the weight machines show signs of rust and there are little issues with a bunch of machines, which A Flores pointed out. But everything basically works fine. It’s well laid out. The staff and people here are friendly and just doing their thing. To the management: just take a day or two fixing up little stuff mostly in the locker rooms and everyone will be happier.

Anthony is the best. He gave me the best tips, advice, encouragement and motivation. He goes above and beyond for the members. He played a huge part in helping me build more muscle and getting leaner. Great individual, respectful, cheerful, encouraging and dedicated to helping you reach whatever goals you have in the gym. He’s one of those employees that sees everyone and is very attentive to you and your goals in life. To sum it up, “if you have a question, Anthony got an answer.”

I called earlier today (12/14/24) for assistance with downgrading my membership. Someone picked up the phone and hung up. Instead, I decided to take a trip down there to ask for assistance in person. THE GYM WAS COMPLETELY CLOSED WHEN I GOT HERE AT 6:17PM! Just now I see that all of a sudden the closing hours changed today(Saturday) to 2pm on google maps, when it’s normally 7pm, as seen on their entrance(I checked earlier and before the closing time said “7pm”, so the change was just made within the window of me calling and checking later on in the evening. It is not the customer’s job to log onto social media or check Google maps every day to see if there’s a random/arbitrary closing). They could’ve at least answered the phone and told me they were closed earlier for whatever reason so I didn’t have to make the trip. Anyway, I will be canceling my membership, ASAP.

In just five months at crunch fitness, my transformation has been incredible, and I couldn't have done it without my personal trainer, Emanuel Best. His guidance, motivation, and expertise have pushed me to new limits, and the results speak for themselves. Thank you, Emanuel, for helping me unlock my potential and stay consistent on this journey! Here's to more progress ahead!