Virgin Active Health Club

I read the reviews and I am not sure i agree with them all; yes, the prices for virgin active are steep; but you do pay for what you get which is a great gym; clean, with a lot of different exercising machines, a large diversity of classes and a pool with steam room, sauna and jacuzzi. I have tried a lot of their classes and can say i am a fan; trainers are always very active and motivating pushing you to go the extra miles; locker room have everything you would need if you want to take a quick gym break during lunch and not look like a clown going back to work; all in all i really like virgin active and would recommend it for anyone who is ok with the extra ££ it costs

Ok.
Walking in here, this looks like a 5 star venue. And I guess it is for many people as its quite busy and popular. It’s also a 5 star price you pay.
I’ve tried it out a few times and really wanted to like this place. It definitely looks nice. And so do most people going there. Yes, if you want to show off, this is the place to go.
I dont easily give a one star. But here goes.
So I was discussing a possible membership here, and could try out a class for free. Nice! I got recommended to try out ‘Nova’ and 3 personal trainers told me how wonderful this class was. A modern mix of yoga and pilates and a great workout.
So, I was going to meet the person that would convince me to sign up 10 minutes before the class. Had to ask for her name at reception. I was nicely on time, but heard she already left. Weird.
A nice personal trainer took me to the changing room. Nice, apparently I needed to take a lock with me for the lockers. They could have told me. Oh well. Ok, I can leave my jacket behind the counter, that’s friendly. But I dont really like it with my money and phone in there. Oh well. Trust is a good thing.
Class starts, teacher puts mic on, music blasting. I copy the people around me take a mat, shoes off.
She informs us this will be the second to last class and then they will stop ‘Nova’. Nice, so they let me try out a class they are discontinuing? My doubts start to grow as this is the third weird thing (after my contact not being here and no info about taking a lock).
Ok, lets hope the class is any good and it can still be a 4 star venue…
Worst. Class. Ever.
Horrible.
I have been doing lots of yoga. This is no yoga. This is trying to create something entirely fake with poses that yes are stolen from yoga. I embrace and love creativity and love special new yoga classes like aerial etc… But this is turning yoga into… nothing.
The teacher with the classic fake enthusiasm you’ll mostly get at gym classes announces from time to time ‘and now lets go back to some yoga!’ ‘and now to pilates!’ ‘and now back to get some eastern in here!’ (referring to yes yoga poses trying to sound cool). In between the pop music and poses taken totally out of context we do some out of place Anjali mudras (hands together).
Ok maybe it is not my thing.
Maybe it irritates me they there to call this in any way related to yoga, where teachers were actually trained for at least 200 hours while this is probably a weekend course, who knows.
But the real reason for my 1 star review is that we had to ‘fall’ fast through our knees and bounce. again and again, knees pointing outwards. Sometimes getting down in 1 big movement, sometimes in 2,3 or 4 ‘jerky movements’. I have fragile knees but as in all other classes good advise and support is given I have not had an issue for YEARS. Advice like ‘dont put knees over toes’ etc, has always been given in the many many classes I’ve done in the past.
Here nothing of advice.
On the contrary, she was pushing to just do this horrible movement as fast as possible. Again and again. And then again.
And yes my knee hurts horribly.
Still.
What a horrible and totally unsafe practice.
I am not coming back here.
Ow yeah, and me and this a bit older lady were the only ones not wearing make up in class.
Enough said.
addition: they emailed me to ask how my visit was, I replied with the story what happened in the class and never heard back from them… this makes me want to give them a minus star, good looking place but how incredibly unprofessional and even dangerous! (my knee luckily got better with rest)

Let me preface by saying I do like my Virgin Active membership. However, I –loved– my old gym back in the states. I think that here in Edinburgh you’ll be hard-​pressed to find the gym that hits the trifectra of sweet spots: good facilities, good price, and SPACE. That’s what makes my transferal from one huge, cheap, moderately decent gym in Tennessee to a somewhat pricey, less spacious, pretty decent gym here in Edinburgh a bit painful.
If you’re a working girl like me with a schedule that doesn’t necessarily permit a gym visit in the early hours of the morning when V.A. is normally at its quietest, you may want to rethink getting a membership here. I struggle weekly to find the time on my two days off of work, usually mixed throughout the week, to work up the gumption to drag my carcass to the gym. Ideally I would go three times a week, but I’ve found that the gym is positively SLAMMED in the hours after work, from 6 PM onward. If you’re interested in weight-​training at this point and are somewhat gym-​shy like myself, this is not the time to cram yourself in alongside other burly, sleek or otherwise, sweaty bodies using the limited weight-​training space. It’s typically (usually) fine in the mornings to do weights, but damn. Good luck in the evenings! I’m sure extroverted or more meatier heads than mine will find a gym this crowded no problem, but for me, I can’t say it’s ideal.
As far as the gym’s facilities go, they provide an excellent mix of activities for their members, which is a perk. Five stars there. Weights, cardio, offset rooms for a wide variety of classes, and one-​on-​one training sessions are available, not to mention a pool, changing rooms and showers, a café (that I have yet to explore, but that has a pretty decently priced menu), and places to plop yer babies. As for the last one: you will probably encounter hoards of children, especially on weekends, during your visit to V.A. If you have a phobia of children, you may want to rethink your life choices with regards to this gym. If not, or if you have children of your own, this seems an excellent choice for you!
It’s also worth mention that V.A. is just about finished with a wide expanse of renovations, all of which provide the gym with a nice, shiny newness, complete with refurbished bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, and then some. I have to say, I’m quite impressed with the overall end result of all of that. It’s a shame though that they didn’t somehow just obliterate some walls in the process to make way for some more squat racks, though – two squat racks? Seriously? What’s a girl gotta do to get her squat on in peace?
The trainers seem quite nice and knowledgeable, although I’ve never gone to any of them for their services (I like to embarrass myself all on my lonesome, thanks), so if you’re a newbie the once-​a-​month (?) free one-​on-​one session may be a good option for you. I do see them helping people figure out rather wilder exercise routines, like swinging from the rafters, resistance training with some questionable plastic bands, waving heavy jiggly bits, and jumping all round if you’re into that sort of thing.
All in all, this is a really decent facility with some good stuff to offer. HOWEVER – definitely only worth three stars in my book. Will remain that way until they offer some kind of notification on their website that has crowd warnings, like they have at the beach for swimming conditions. Green flag means go. Yellow flag means, okay you may have to squirm in amongst some sweaty bodies. Red flag means, by no means come to the gym at this time, you will be in for a world of misery, abort, abort!
If only. :)

EDIT: I’ve changed my rating of this gym from 3 down to 2, and I feel even that’s pretty generous at this point. Since writing my original review, the niggles I had previously have become full blown pains in the posterior.
The core issue is that the gym is WAY TOO BUSY for the amount of equipment they have. I literally haven’t been able to do a single squat in there for about two months, despite being in at 6:30am, three days a week, every week. Not only are the squat racks routinely occupied by girls doing things that aren’t squats, but the numerous personal trainers are often seen hogging three or more bits of equipment at once while they show their charges how to ‘superset’.
And on the weekends, I want to leave before I’ve even entered. The number of children is totally out of control. You can’t walk from the entrance to the changing rooms without tripping over a little Hugo or darling Tarquin. There is a «no kids» sitting area by the entrance and a «no kids» corner in the changing rooms, but these are roundly ignored by the mummies and daddies and not enforced at all by the staff.
Of course, I’m tied to a 12 month contract, but as soon as that is up I’ll be finding somewhere with a more reasonable people-​to-​equipment ratio and that doesn’t also function as a kiddy daycare centre.
My original review is below.
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It’s hard to know how to rate this gym, because your experience of it will largely depend on what you plan on using it for. One the whole, one would be justified in having quite high expectations of it because it is somewhat on the expensive side, with far cheaper options available in Edinburgh. However, it’s also not obscenely over-​priced, and you broadly get what you pay for.
Firstly, the gym is geared up as a ‘club’, with loads of ancillary facilities above and beyond the gym room itself. There is a large café/​breakfast bar with a spacious seating area. There are loads of computers that are free to use for members and are all very modern. There is some sort of crèche/​child play area, which seems very popular. There is a heavy emphasis on classes and instruction, with a wide variety of classes happening throughout the day. There are also one-​on-​one personal trainers available, with one one-​hour session per month available to use as part of your regular membership fee.
If any of the above sounds great to you, then Virgin Active at Fountain Park is probably a good option for you. However, if, like me, you just want a place where you can get in, do your own workout and get out again, then you may be paying over the odds for what you end up using.
The gym itself has recently been renovated and is reasonably well equipped. Almost all the gear and machines are brand new. For me, there’s not enough space in the free-​weights area, which does get crowded. There are only two squat racks, which are almost always in use. Seriously, even at quiet times you will be very lucky indeed to do be able to do any squats. There are a decent number of benches, but there isn’t really enough space for them to all be in use at the same time. There’s only one flat dedicated bench press, but that is normally available.
The cardio machines are pretty numerous and there’s always free space there, as far as I’ve seen. There are also TVs in front of the cardio machines, and you can plug in your headphones and select which TV you want to listen to, if that’s something that appeals to you.
The showers are great and there are plenty of them, but the rest of the changing rooms are not great post-​renovation. Although there are easily enough lockers, they recently replaced the large wooden benches with these small leatherette couches that just do not have enough space on them and you will have to compete with your fellow members for who gets to put their bag down. There are also not enough toilets by a long way!
Also, did I mention that there is a child crèche? At certain times (mostly Saturday morning), the gym can be FULL of tiny children. Screaming, crying, shouting little children everywhere. I think there’s a child swimming club or something on a Saturday morning, so the changing room can sometimes be flooded with hyperactive naked five year olds, which doesn’t make for a great experience honestly.
These are niggles, however. On the whole, the facilities are excellent but unless you plan to be in here 7 days a week, you may end up paying for more than you use.

A large and spacious gym with lots of treadmills and bikes and a decent choice of classes.

Member of Virgin Active Fountain Park & so far really enjoying it.
Pros:
— Decent kit, including newer /​trendier things like TRX, PowerPlate, Kettlebells etc
— Great wee spin studio
— Best range of classes I’ve seen in Edinburgh
— Instructors and staff are really friendly
— Pool area is nice with 2 jacuzzis and a decent sized steam room
— Free parking which is rare for a city centre gym in my experience
— Yoga & Pilates classes included in membership. These were extra at previous gyms if offered at all. Given that classes can cost £5 £10 outside of the gym, this is a big saving for me.
There’s also an okay café area though can’t comment much on the food as only had a few smoothies /​tea & coffee, but that was fine.
Cons:
— It can get a bit busy, although I’m lucky enough to work 5mins away, so can work around that
— Fitness classes get booked quickly, although the online sign up is great and gives everyone equal chance to get into a class as you can only book a week ahead
— Changing area & showers in particular could do with a bit of tlc
alsoworth noting that whilst the gym equipment is in decent nick and quite new, you don’t get some of the fancier settings, TVs etc. offered at some premium clubs, but IMO this is reflected in a slightly cheaper price than e.g. David Lloyd.
Also, gym, Nandos & a film at Cineworld makes for a decent night out after work.

Horrific customer service! Pool is constantly full of kids and I was told by an ex-​member of staff that the water in the pool is soooo dirty that none of the staff would dare go near it, let alone swim in it! Desperate to get you to sign up, if you have any questions they just get angry! Went for a short while and jumped ship by telling them I had an accident (had to write a fake doctors note) to get out of the contract. Worst gym in Edinburgh by far!

Virgin Gym at Fountain Bridge is alright but nothing special for what you pay! Wouldn’t recommend paying a lump sum for the year as you might not like it! It’s far too busy at peak times (5 till 8 during the week) and you struggle to get the machine you want! The classes are good although you have to make sure you book up the week before, people book and don’t turn up! It can be sometimes far too hot and smelly next to all the sweaty people, needs better ventilation! Probably better gyms out there if you look hard! Their website is rubbish!

This is my home gym. The facilities are what you would expect from a decent gym, the staff are friendly, and they have a Starbucks. My only gripe with the facilities is the showers, which have a tendency to turn off after 1 minute of using them and not really wanting to go back on (or coming back on boiling hot). Other than that, they lose 2 stars due to the other customers; if you get annoyed with screaming children running about the place when you’re trying to get changed, or gaggles of foreign exchange students gabbing away in Spanish or Italian, then this probably isn’t the gym for you and you should consider the extra tenner for the much classier Omni center branch.
Obviously Virgin can’t change their customer’s behaviour, however I think this informaton is important for anyone considering which gym of the two to join!

I’ve been to many gyms before, but this was the first time I’ve actually joined one. I originally joined to use the 25 metre pool (it’s amazing how few decent sized pools there are in Edinburgh), but find myself more often in the fitness classes and weight machines.
I really like the fact that all the classes are included in the monthly membership fee, which, yes, is probably higher than other gyms around town. I have an off-​peak membership, so outwith Saturday afternoons, I never really have a problem with overcrowding or waiting for machines. The pool is normally deserted and the slow swimmers are usually good about skedaddling over to the slow lane when I arrive and actually swim with my face in the water.
The facilities are always clean, and I never go a visit without seeing staff cleaning up in the changing room. The front desk and fitness staff are all friendly as are most of the patrons.
The only criticism is that there are a great deal of classes for the morning early birds and after-​5 work crowd, but not much happening in the early afternoon. I know I’m paying cheaper rates for the off-​peak membership because I work non-​standard hours, but I am keeping out of the full membership payers’ way during busy times, so a few extra classes would be great.

The facilities at this Virgin Active are good — a good range of machines in the gym section, an excellent range of classes at sensible times, catering for all needs, spinning classes, a 20 metre pool with jacuzzi baths, sauna and steam room, large changing rooms with separate cubicles for the modest, a lovely café and good facilities for children.
The main problem, however, is that Virgin is very keen to admit as many members as possible, meaning that the facilities are somewhat over used, especially at peak times, and occasionally there is quite a wait for machines. Additionally, there is a drive to persuade members to employ personal trainers, meaning that those who don’t are slightly overlooked. I was a member for many years but quit owing to the overcrowding.

Having had many gym memberships die the death in the past I knew what I was getting myself into by joining the corporate jungle that is Virgin Active gyms. I have so far found the gym a relaxing place to hang-​out, the only thing missing being windows as the gym’s in the basement, so you can feel a bit penned in. I was particularly impressed with the crèche facilities for children from 6 weeks old to 10 years old. I’m planning to introduce my baby to water early and make use of the crèche for short sessions while I work on my yummy mummy figure! Helpful and infomed staff and personal training to hand should make all customers feel well-​looked after. Arrange a tour and you might find yourself offered a no-​joining fee deal which helps the purse.