The Fitspedia Best Gym Comparison Guide 2023!

So you’ve decided to join a gym in 2023. Congratulations you’ve taken the first step by reading our 2023 gym comparison guide! With the fitness industry booming and so many types of gyms and types of fitness classes available, we know many are often left wondering “what’s the best gym near me?” Well, the Fitspedia team have gone to compare gym near you primarily in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria – so you don’t have to! You’ll not only get a feel for what each gym or class experience is like, gym membership costs (we know you’ll probably look for the cheapest gym near you), gym joining fees, gym contract options, free gym trials, free class trials and more so you can find the best gym near you. For those of you who are existing gym goers and looking to change gyms for better equipment or better value, you’re in the right place as well as our gym reviews will give you an idea of how your current gym compares to others! Lastly, if you haven’t read our Choosing the best gym near you guide, we encourage you to do so before you start comparing gyms against each other.

 

What is the best type of training for me?

Whether you’re looking to build muscle, lose body fat, increase your strength and endurance or simply work on your wellbeing and mental health, chances are there is a gym near you that’s the right one for you – so no excuses!

If you like weight lifting and are looking to build muscle either by yourself or with a training partner, look for a gym with plenty of weights and cardio gyms that is near you. This can usually be found in the form of a smaller 24 hour gym such as an Anytime or Snap Fitness, but if you’re lucky enough to have a much larger gym such as a Fitness First near you, or perhaps a even a Goodlife or World Gym, opt for one of these instead. Some large gyms near you such as Crunch Fitness even allow you to bring a training partner for free when you visit.

For those who prefer working out in a group setting and want to improve their body composition and cardiovascular health, classes only offerings are a good choice with F45, Orange Theory, UBX and BFT Training being some examples. Classes are a very personal choice, so we always encourage you to try a class for free (or a few if possible!) to see if it’s the right type of training for you. We’ve reviewed and compared the most popular HIIT classes and Functional Training classes near you and tried to highlight the major differences between different these classes.

But what if you’re not sure what workout is the best for you? A more traditional gym that offers a large variety of weights and resistance equipment, group classes and sometimes even massage chairs and beds, pool and saunas can be the best choice so you can try everything and don’t get bored. The best gyms for those that might be a little unsure are Fitness First, Goodlife, Crunch Fitness and Virgin Active.

 

Which size of gym is right for me?

The size of a gym can make a big difference between sticking to your routine and achieving your goals, to becoming demotivated and struggling to get a good workout. Think of a gym that is usually 1000sqm and over in size – this is typically what is known in the industry as a big box gym. These gyms usually have weights, resistance equipment, a dedicated group fitness studio, change room and shower facilities, astro turf functional workout areas and more. Some may even have a pool, child care or child minding, massage, tanning, spin studios, sauna and infra-red saunas and more depending on location. Some of these gym chains charge higher membership prices as a membership may include all available facilities and it may be a premium atmosphere. On the other hand, cheap gym memberships from lower cost operators provide value with a more basic fitout and equipment. Beware you may have to pay extra for some facilities (eg classes) which may make that cheap gym membership not so cheap after all! The advantage of these big boxes is the variety on offer as we’ve already mentioned, but its also the size and number of equipment pieces that can help you avoid a packed gym especially during peak gym hours and waiting for the equipment you want to use.

Small box gyms or studios are usually around 50-200sqm and some of them may only really specialise in one type of training. For example, most Anytime Fitness gyms fall into this small box category and are weights only, and F45 is another small box that only offers classes.  These small boxes can range from affordable to expensive depending on their offering and positioning. Be careful that many small box gyms often don’t offer change room or shower facilities, and because they only specialise in one form of training (e.g. HIIT, Boxing, Yoga, Pilates, Dance, Zumba or weights only) you won’t get the variety a big box offers. Also because of the small size, a small box can become crowded if numbers aren’t limited in some way. For example, a Yoga studio can limit class sizes but a weights only small box like an Anytime Fitness won’t typically limit the amount of people in the club at any given time, so being able to get good workout in can be a challenge. This is an important thing to consider when choosing the right gym for you – you’re more likely to stick to your goals if you can workout with the equipment you need in an atmosphere that motivates you. The advantage of small boxes is usually their convenience in terms of location and number of other locations you can use.

We also haven’t covered female only gyms in this article, as we’ve tried to keep the gym comparison guide as similar and fair as possible. Don’t worry we’ll review female only gyms soon!

 

Which gyms will we compare and review?

Fitness First
Goodlife
Genesis Fitness
Virgin Active
Crunch Fitness
World Gym
Body Fit Gym
Club Lime
Golds Gym
Planet Fitness
Fitness Playground
Anytime Fitness
Snap Fitness
Plus Fitness
Jetts Fitness
F45
Revl Training
Orangetheory
UBX
Body Fit Training

 

Compare gym membership prices

Of course the first thing to consider when you’re looking for the best gym near you is the gym membership cost. People may often look for the cheapest gym membership, but cheapest doesn’t mean it’s the best. You may have to pay extras for classes and specialty offerings so beware.  We’ve made it easy with the table below and we’ve also included all the important things like whether there is a joining fee, annual, fee, additional charges, whether they are 24/7 and if a free gym trial is available. We also included the business model of the gyms  – premium, value based, convenience (many locations and 24/7) or specialty classes. Because most of these gyms have multiple locations, you’ll still need to check out their gym that’s nearest you as each club will still differ slightly (or greatly!) even though it they are all part of the one brand.

Please note that prices and inclusions may vary from location to location for these gyms. Make sure you check with the gym you’re interested in and use this as a guide only. We did our best make sure the information is up to date and accurate but always confirm fees before you commit to joining!

Also note: The fees in our comparison table below ranges depending on your access level, length of membership and location. As with most gym memberships, if you join up on an upfront yearly membership, you’ll most likely be able to secure a much lower weekly gym membership fee.  Always check the gym location nearest you and what they are offering.

 

Gym contracts (IMPORTANT)

When you join a gym you’ll most likely sign a contract to become a member. It’s an agreement between you and your gym that should cover all the important details of your membership including gym access, length of membership, membership billing and fees, membership pause, cancelling your membership, marketing opt-ins and even conduct. Make sure you read and understand your contract. We can’t stress this enough. If you’re unsure about anything just ask the staff, and always understand what you are signing. Never leave without a copy of your gym membership contract in case you ever need to reference it in the future. So many disputes, especially when it involves cancelling your gym membership, can be easily avoided if you know what both you and your gym have contractually agreed to. A classic example is when someone simply emails their gym saying they want to cancel their contract and assume that’s all that is required and their memberships fees will stop immediately. You might have to go in person to cancel and their may be a notice period from when you cancel to when your membership billing will stop.

 

2023 Comparison Table

 

Now for the reviews!

 

Fitness First

Club location: St Leonards

Almost everyone who has been to a gym before knows Fitness First. With 60 Fitness First clubs in Australia there’s a good chance there is a Fitness First near you. They were one of the first big box gyms to come into Australia and are one of the largest premium gym brands. They pretty much always offer free gyms trials and visited Fitness First St Leonards as part of a 5 day trial pass.  The gym was modern and fresh, with a spin room and even a pool, however some parts of the gym and equipment showed signs of age.  Plenty of weights, machines, cardio and a cool functional area combined with professional staff made for a great experience. Fitness First have a reputation for being very hard sell, but we didn’t experience anything out of the ordinary when we said we’d have to think about the $39/week option which was the cheapest for a month to month contract. There was also a sign up fee of $79 but they were offering free weeks as part of the promotion.

What we liked:

Everything you’d want in a gym, especially with this location’s pool inclusion

Staff were friendly

Lots of classes

Multiple club access is convenient

What we think could be better:

Expensive compared to other options

Some old equipment could be updated

This club wasn’t 24/7

Staff have traditional sales approach so can be a bit pushy but we didn’t necessarily experience this

 

Good Life

Club location: Indooroopilly

Another big box gym, Goodlife has a similar feel in terms of operation as Fitness First and it’s no surprise given they are both owned by the same parent company. The Indooroopilly gym we trialled for free while we were in Queensland for a week was one of their newer clubs and was pretty spectacular and felt super premium. Heaps of new equipment, dedicated reformer and spin rooms and gym floor had plenty of the latest equipment. Goodlife was also better value than the Fitness First we trialled with 24/7 access to the Indooroopilly club only for $26.99 a week. Staff were friendly but also the most eager to close a deal. They were willing to waive the $79 joining fee.

What we liked:

Premium feeling fit out

A lot of equipment, dedicated rooms for classes

24 hours

What we think could be better:

Multiple club access will cost you more

One of the more “hard sell” gyms we have encountered

 

Genesis Fitness

Club location: North Parramatta

We trialled the 24/7 Genesis Fitness club in Parramatta NSW and were pleasantly surprised as none of the Fitspedia team had been in a Genesis before, despite there being over 40 locations in Australia. The team were super friendly and knowledgeable and the gym was well equipped. Some areas seem slightly cramped in the weights due to the layout. We loved that they included 2 Personal Training sessions as part of the memberships. Great value, with membership as low as $13.95/week on a 12 month contract .

What we liked:

A lot of equipment, dedicated rooms for classes

24 hours

PT sessions included to help you start

Convenient parking

What we think could be better:

Certain areas could get crowded during peak times

Some areas a bit dated

 

Virgin Active

Club location: Zetland

Although one of the smaller chains in terms of number of clubs, Virgin have great brand awareness and the look and feel of the Zetland club we visited really felt on brand, both in terms of fitout and experience. The club felt very premium and had a pool, reformer room, creche and even a rock climbing wall. We loved that there was heaps of space and equipment, and the staff were very friendly and professional. It was also great that Virgin have no joining fees, but the memberships costs are high here. Even though memberships can start from $25 a week, if you want to use the gym more than once a week it would be $45 a week which is the membership staff recommended for us. A great club with everything you would need (and then some!) and probably the most premium feeling gym we visited, but you pay for it.

What we liked:

Premium feel with premium service

Everything you could want in a gym, and more

Staff were very courteous and professional

$0 joining fee all the time

What we think could be better:

Not 24/7

Expensive, but good for those that can afford it.

 

Crunch Fitness

Club location: Parramatta

The Crunch Fitness chain comes from the USA where there are over 300 Crunch gyms. In Australia, they have clubs in NSW and Victoria. The Crunch Parramatta club we visited was one of the newer Crunch gyms, and was definitely a stand out out of all the gyms we visited. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable and happy for us to take a free trial which we booked in online. There was no hard sell at the end of our workout and there are only 3 membership types. The club was very large and looked great despite being such a low cost gym, with cool graphics and was split over 3 levels. There were a lot of classes if that is what you are looking for, and Crunch also had hydromassage and Theragun massage devices which we hadn’t seen in other clubs. Value is great, with memberships starting at $10.95/ week for one club access. But take note, as with some other low cost gyms extras such as classes and massage are only available on their $15.95 and $19.95 level memberships. We loved being able to bring a friend for free every time on their highest level membership which essentially could cover the additional cost when compared to their cheapest membership. Joining fee varies and is usually $99 but we were offered $9 as part of a promotion.

What we liked:

Look and feel of the club was great

Very big club over 3 levels with heaps of equipment

Friendly staff and no hard sell

Great value especially if you are looking for weights only access at $10.95/week

Plenty of classes and nice inclusions which we hadn’t seen before

What we think could be better:

Joining fee but this varies

Hydromassage and Theragun only available on top tier membership

Not 24/7

Some additional debit charges but this was explained clearly upfront by staff

 

World Gym

Club location: Chullora

Another gym chain that has a global presence, World Gym is often associated with body building and it doesn’t disappoint if you’re looking for weights. The gym felt huge with weights and strength equipment as far as the eye could see. Some of the machines they had we had never seen in other gyms.  The gym felt like more like an old school bodybuilding gym rather than a more traditional big box and some of the members there certainly looked like bodybuilders! There were quite a few classes on offer as well and World Gym Chullora even had a creche and supplement store. It’s also 24 hours for those who can’t bear to miss a workout. We were offered a $19.99/week membership with joining and tag fee waived (around $200). They have club locations in NSW, QLD and WA.

What we liked:

So much equipment

Very large layout

24hour

A good choice if you’re into bodybuilding

What we think could be better:

Can be intimidating feel for some, but motivating for others

 

Bodyfit Gym

Club location: South Eveleigh

A relative new comer to the big box gym scene, Bodyfit offers a fresh vibe that sits in the mid tier class. Not as large as some of the other big box gyms we visited, their South Eveleigh club was new and welcoming with plenty of weights, machines and astro turf areas. Cool protein shake bar along with sauna and creche and classes were on offer as well. Staff were very friendly and overall a great atmosphere with 24/7 access included. Note that there is a minimum 3 month membership requirement, so the for this club we had to join on their platinum membership at $29.95/week with a $50 joining fee, rather than their passport which starts was $16.95/week for some other clubs. Their clubs are mainly located in Sydney, with one in Shellharbour.

 

What we liked:

Great selection of weights and machines

Nice fitout and welcoming staff

24hour

Nice inclusions including Fuel Bar and sauna

What we think could be better:

There are 2 prices, depending on which club you join or which clubs you want access to

Expensive compared to some competitors

Not as many clubs as others but they are growing (9 clubs in total)

 

Club Lime

Club location: Rouse Hill

Very similar to Anytime and Snap in terms of the feel, Club Lime in Rouse Hill presented smartly with plenty of weights and machines and also has some classes on offer. There weren’t many staff on hand but we managed to get all the information we needed in the end with membership being $18.95/week with a few weeks free and no joining fee. 24/7 access is good. It’s a good option if convenience is what you’re looking for.

What we liked:

Nice selection of weights and machines

24hour

Convenient with good number of locations

What we think could be better:

A bit expensive compared to others with even more locations

Price jumped to $26.90 if you want to use multiple clubs in multiple states

 

Gold’s Gym

Club location: Fyshwick

Gold’s Gym is a worldwide brand made famous by its association with bodybuilding, and the Fyshwick club we trialled certainly felt like a bodybuilder’s choice. It was massive with a huge selection of weights and equipment, some pieces of equipment we actually hadn’t seen in other gyms before. Despite its bodybuilding heritage, there were classes on offer with 3 unique studios and even a creche which was nice. We also liked the merchandise store where you could get some cool Gold’s Gym apparel. We were offered a $12.95/week membership with the joining fees waived that included classes which made it really great value. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about the equipment and what was on offer.

What we liked:

So much equipment

Great bodybuilding feel from their heritage

Despite its heritage, is a very diverse big box with classes

Great value for $12.95/week with classes included

Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable

What we think could be better:

More locations would be good

 

Planet Fitness

Club location: Campbelltown

Similar to the Crunch Fitness chain, Planet Fitness also comes from the US. They have over 2000 clubs worldwide and was the cheapest gym we tired. Planet offer memberships from as low as $5 a week including classes. If you want access to all clubs in the world, massage chairs, hydromassage, spray tanning and some other offers you can step up to the $9.95 plan. When we visited the Campbelltown gym it was very large with a good level of equipment but they were missing squat racks, deadlift platforms and bumper plates. This may be to do with their famous “Lunk alarm” where if you make too much noise a siren sounds. For bodybuilders and people looking for functional training (there was also no astroturf areas) Planet might not be the right choice. But for those looking to work out in a quieter environment, with some nice perks like massage and tanning, Planet is certainly a great value option.

What we liked:

Super value

Nice options like massage and tanning

Good level of basic equipment

What we think could be better:

Lunk alarm is love it or hate

No astro turf, dead lift platforms, squat racks, bumper plates

Colour scheme is a bit full on

Not that many locations in Australia

 

Fitness Playground

Club location: Marrickville

One of the Fitspedia staff is a long time member of the Marrickville Fitness playground and they believe it’s one of the best gyms in Sydney. The fit out is amazing and one of the most luxurious feeling gyms they have been in. Pictures certainly reiterate this opinion! The club has specific rooms for specific classes so if you’re into spin, yoga and pilates, barre, dance or boxing and don’t mind paying a premium, this is the club for you. The strength area is well equipped as well, and there is an infra-red sauna and wellness lounge as well. Our staff member pays $21.50 per week for gym access and 2 classes.

What we liked:

Amazing fitout, ultra luxury feel

If classes and variety of classes are your thing, this is a club for you

Good selection of weights as well

What we think could be better:

Each of the Fitness Playgrounds differ slightly, and this club is the most premium

Membership is expensive but you definitely get what you pay for

 

Revo Fitness

Club location: Southland

We were relatively unfamiliar with Revo Fitness and trialled the Southland club in Victoria on a weekend. Club was very quiet and there weren’t many staff on hand. Great value at $9.69/week but felt a little bare in terms of the environment with lots of white walls when comparing it to some of the other big box gyms we trialled. Good size and equipment and everything you need to get a great workout, but some of it was a bit dated even thought this club had just gone through a refresh/rebrand. Still, a very solid choice for those who know what they want in a gym and don’t want to pay more than they have to. This club being in a shopping centre was not 24/7 despite most of their other gyms having 24/7 access.

What we liked:

Good choice of equipment

Great value at $9.69

What we think could be better:

Could be a more energetic environment

A few more staff on hand

 

Anytime Fitness

The largest gym franchise in Australia with over 540 clubs, we’ve been to quite a few Anytime’s both as members and for a trial. Because of their franchise network there is bound to be an Anytime Fitness gym near you and that is one of the main advantages the brand has over all others. You’ll also get access to worldwide Anytime Fitness clubs as well. Depending on the location and age of the club, your local Anytime may rival some traditional big boxes in size (“premium” locations) or be quite small which is what most clubs were when the Anytime Fitness franchise first started growing. Memberships can range greatly from anywhere between $14.95-$19.95 and most only offer lock in 6, 12 or 18 month contracts. There is usually a joining fee and key fob fee which can set you back almost $200, but this can be negotiated down. Usually they key fob fee isn’t waived from our experience. In terms of facilities, some Anytime Fitness gyms now have limited classes (but not usually in a dedicated studio) and there are usually basic toilet and shower facilities rather than dedicated change rooms. The convenience you get from Anytime Fitness gyms is 24 hour access to the many locations in Australia and worldwide with just one membership. Service is somewhat limited compared to full staffed traditional big box gyms, but most Anytime Fitness clubs do have Personal Training services on offer. Sales staff can be a bit pushy and prefer not to disclose any pricing unless it’s in person, but this is also dependent on the franchisee.

What we liked:

Best choice for multiple locations and convenience (only allowed one club access in first month)

Good value in terms of being able to access all clubs

Can be great and cheaper alternative to traditional big box if your local club is a premium Anytime location

What we think could be better:

Experience is highly dependent on location and operator due to franchise model

Classes limited if any

Membership prices, joining fee and even key fob fee varies from location to location

Sales staff can be very pushy

 

Snap Fitness

Club location: Zetland

Very similar to Anytime Fitness and Plus fitness, Snap Fitness are another of the 24/7 small box gyms that has roughly half the amount of clubs compared to Anytime at 235. We trialled the Zetland club and were pleasantly surprised. Friendly staff, good sized gym and good level of equipment including boxing area, bumper plates, resistance bands and functional training rigs. It wasn’t what we were expecting for a small box. Price was a little over $20 per week on a month to month contract and all joining fees were waived which was nice.  Interior fitout was also nice and preferable to some Anytime’s we have been to.

What we liked:

Great choice of equipment

24/7 and multi club access

Friendly staff

No lock in contract

Nice interior scheme

What we think could be better:

Not the cheapest there is at $20 per week when compared to some big box pricing

As a franchise model each club can vary

Not as many clubs as Anytime

 

Plus Fitness

Club location: Waterloo

After trialling Snap, we went to the nearby Plus Fitness in Waterloo. Plus Fitness are comparable to Snap in that they have over 200 gyms and are 24/7 with a small to medium box set up. Staff member was friendly and this 2 level gym also had a good level of equipment. We preferred the set up at Snap which seemed a bit newer and had a bit more equipment and training areas but membership here was only $16.95 a week with some free months and joining fee waived as well. There was a $29 access card fee but it was free to pause your membership which other gyms didn’t have.  Our trials of Anytime Fitness, Plus Fitness and Snap Fitness really highlighted the importance of the actual club, rather than the actual brand itself as franchise clubs can differ greatly even if they are part of the same brand.

What we liked:

Good choice of equipment

24/7 and multi club access

Good value

Free membership pause

What we think could be better:

Club was a bit dated but as with all franchise models each club can vary

 

Jetts Fitness

Club location: St Kilda

The last of the big 4 gym franchises, we trialled Jetts Fitness St Kilda which is one of 280+ clubs globally (with around 200+ being in Australia). Again, very similar to Anytime Fitness, Plus Fitness and Snap Fitness in their 24 hour access and small to medium box set up, the St Kilda club had a good level of equipment but we felt it was small compared to the some of the other 24/7s we had trialled. Fit out was high quality though, and still a decent range of equipment. Good value at $16.95 a week with no lock in contract but this club didn’t have their JSeries HIIT classes which is charged additionally at Snap locations that do offer it.

 

What we liked:

Good value

HIIT classes option at selected clubs

What we think could be better:

Club was on the smaller side but as with all franchise models each club can vary

 

F45

One of our staff members is an avid “F45er” and has seen great results from doing this worldwide phenomenon. There are over 500 F45 clubs in Australia, and over 1750 in the world.  It is a class only offering, with varying 45 minute functional workouts in small studios.  What they lack in equipment and amenities they make up for in intense HIIT, strength and functional group style training. The group workout environment can really push and motivate members to reach new heights and with classes having anywhere between 10 – 30 people, you can also get some personalised guidance.  The flipside is that the studios are pretty small so it can get crowded. The workouts are standardised and led by qualified instructors with video guides at each “station” as well with the option of a heart rate monitor to really track your workouts. As with many class only studios, when you join you’ll only get access to that one club location and F45 is pricey – it’s around $60 a week. When you compare that to some of the big box gyms such as Fitness First, Goodlife and especially Crunch Fitness we have covered, F45 does seem very expensive.  But their legion of fans, many who have made amazing body transformations, will say an F45 membership is worth every dollar and their classes can’t be replicated elsewhere. Also keep in mind that F45 is a franchise model, so some differences might still be seen from studio to studio even though classes are consistent throughout.

 

What we liked:

Proven results based workouts

Standardised workouts across the board

Video guides with heart rate monitor options

Great social aspect and group accountability

Plenty of locations

What we think could be better:

Price, it’s expensive and there are a number of growing alternatives

No multi club access

Beginners and those who are a bit self conscious may be slightly overwhelmed or intimidated at first being such a small environment

Classes can get full

 

Revl Training

Location: Brookvale

Our staff member who is an F45 member purchased a one time pass for $35 to try Revl.

She went on a Thursday night to try a “Sweat” class which focuses on cardio and conditioning. The Revl training model based on strength workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays (Move and Perform) with their Sweat classes on the remaining days (except Sunday).  Our staff member loved it – the biggest difference she found when compared to F45 was that the studio was much larger and more well equipped (almost gym like) and the class itself was very challenging. The instructor was also very active in his coaching and motivating. It was also a much larger group than she was used to at F45 as the studio could accommodate more people.  The downside? The cost. A weekly membership is $79.95 and if you were to purchase class packs the cheapest option was $300 for 10 sessions.

What we liked:

Studio is premium feel with rigs, turf and equipment

Cool vibes

Great class program and instructor

What we think could be better:

Cost

Limited studios when compared to F45 with 16 clubs in Australia in NSW, QLD, VIC and SA

Might be intimidating for beginners

 

Orangetheory

Location: Haberfield

Another fitness chain from the US, Orangetheory uses heart rate based training in a 1 hour full body workout. You have to use one of their heart rate monitors and you’ll see your heart rate on various zones on screens around the club. We tried a class at Haberfield as they were offering a 1 week free trail which was nice. After downloading their app and strapping the heart rate monitor around our arm we worked through the 5 zones Orangetheory classifies your heart rate in. The primary equipment used was their water rowers, treadmill, bikes and some weights. We really enjoyed our workout and it’s great to see your actual workout stats and heart rate on the screen as you burn off those calories. However it felt like the workout was more focused on cardio vascular work rather than strength/muscle building. Orangetheory was probably the most flexible in terms of membership for a class only studio, with class packs and memberships options where you can do between 4 to unlimited classes per month starting from around $60 per month.

What we liked:

Technology and theory behind training is great

Can quantify your workout with the use of stats from heart rate monitor

Challenging but motivating workout

What we think could be better:

Might not be a beginners first choice as workout is quite challenging and can be higher impact (eg treadmill)

Equipment used feels somewhat limited

Feel like more of a cardio workout than strength workout

 

UBX

Our staff member used to be a member of 12RND before joining F45, and recently 12RND has rebranded to UBX. It’s essentially a boxing and strength and conditioning workout that utilises a 12 round circuit and runs for around 45 minutes. It’s also founded by world champion boxer Danny Green so you know it’s got credibility. UBX is a great class option for those who have an interest in boxing or are looking for an alternative to some of the more traditional functional based training options, and you’ll actually learn some proper boxing movements and techniques. Our staff member loved their time at 12RND and only stopped due to an unrelated shoulder injury. There are over 70 clubs in Australia so there should be one near you. Cost varies but is usually around $60 per week with no lock in contract

What we liked:

Unique way to train with boxing merged with strength and conditioning

Not just all about boxing – there is a focus on mobility, wellbeing and nutrition as well which some other offerings lack

Nice way to meet people when paired up for padwork etc

What we think could be better:

Can be high impact especially when doing pad and bag work

 

Body Fit Training (BFT)

Location: Leichhardt

We left Body Fit Training (BFT) until the end as it’s almost like an amalgamation of a lot of the previous classes we have tried. Body Fit Training has 13 different class types that focus on strength, cardio and functional training similar to F45 but in a 50 minute session. They utilise a heart rate monitor like Orange Theory and the workout and your heart rate is displayed at different stations. While it is very similar to F45, Body Fit has a few different focuses such as reps for time and reps for speed and rep targets where as F45 focuses a lot on as many reps in a minute. When our F45er staff member tried the Cardio U class at Body Fit in Leichhardt, she felt like it was F45 combined with Orange Theory combined with Revl in terms of the way the studio was set up. The training itself felt like an evolution of F45 training and there is even a boxing based class (like UBX) called Beast Mode so there is always some variety. Staff were very welcoming and friendly and she’d thoroughly recommend this for beginners as the coach was very personable and attentive to each members fitness ability and experience. Price was $65 per week which isn’t cheap, but it felt like you got the best of F45, Orangetheory and UBX in one membership.

 

What we liked:

Fun, challenging class with attentive coach

Membership is like a combination of F45, Orangetheory and UBX so could be considered great value

Great technology

Good amount of locations with over 200 studios

Feels like it is good for beginners

What we think could be better:

More membership options would be good

 

Conclusion

So there you have it, Fitspedia’s best gym comparison guide for 2023! Now you’ve got an idea of what each gym near you can potentially offer, the next step in your fitness journey is to go in for a free trial and see for yourself. And remember to most important point – always read and understand your gym membership contract!