This is a great gym located on the Boston University campus (off the B-line). It pretty much has any type of equipment that a top-notch gym would have and is laid out to help accommodate spacing when it is super busy. Lots of cardio machines, strength machines, free weights, bands, and all that jazz. They have courts for squash and basketball, an indoor track, an indoor pool, and have fitness classes. Like any gym it gets busy at peak times, especially since it is a campus gym so lots of students. There are different membership options depending on if you're a student, faculty, or alumni. There are also guest passes and options for a day pass or seasonal pass (like winter break or summer). The membership is a bit pricey, but it is a quality gym and not that extreme compared to boutique gym prices (yikes!). read more

I enrolled my child (12+) in the Swim Club Senior Group at Boston University's Fitness and Recreation Center on 08/20/2024. The program was scheduled to run from 09/09/2024 to 12/12/2024, four times a week for two hours each session. However, the experience has been incredibly frustrating. Nowhere on their website or in the receipt was it mentioned that parents are required to stay during the whole program (two hour each day, four days/week). We only found out after the program had already started through an email, and my son was even denied entry to his class until I managed to arrive by taxi! It turns out this requirement is buried in a 33-page handbook that wasn't given to us during checkout or mentioned clearly beforehand. To make matters worse, I teach in the evenings and simply can't meet this last-minute obligation. I reached out to the business to ask for either a solution or a refund for the remainder of the program, but I've received zero response. While my child enjoys the actual swimming program, I am extremely disappointed with how this business is handling things. A little transparency and better communication would go a long way. read more

I've been coming here for years. This place set the bar for university gyms when it first opened and other universities began to adopt it in the future (the indoor track elevated over the rest of the gym is pretty awesome). Over the past few years they continued to invest in the equipment and shuffled things around to make it more streamlined (addition of two areas for Olympic lifts was awesome). Tons of cardio machines and Smith machines are here so you'll definitely find something that suits your fancy. There's also several basketball and squash courts available for reservations in addition to a large indoor pool with diving boards. Basically this gym has everything (also punching bags on the top floor). Do note that during the school year it can get quite crowded in the evening (in the weight area at least) so plan accordingly or be patient! Only street parking here but if you're savy there are places to park on the Brookline side! read more

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As expected for gyms, it gets crowded in the morning and evenings when all the students use the facility. That being said, the space is quite nice, with great natural lighting and ventilation. The floor plan isn't awful, maximizing usable space without overcrowding. The pool is beautiful and looks very clean, and the weight machines were very recently replaced (Sept 2022). Lots of staff members on standby who also occasionally clean equipment. There is a climbing wall, though it's a bit small and open to public for limited hours. I definitely think the gym is better than most I've been to, but just can get a little crowded. Towels are available for $1 to rent. read more

This Pool is really nice! My daughter had a competition there this past weekend. Plenty of space for the teams to sit poolside. Great electronic timing pads for competition. Scoreboard is large and in charge! Easy to see the rankings. As a person sitting in the stands... It's hot and if we had any more people viewing it would be standing room only. But the seats have great views of the competition! There is no area to get food except for a vending machine area here- be prepared! The changing areas and bathrooms are very nice, very spacious. read more

BU FitRec - Scoreboard (my daughter was 1st!) - Trainers Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is nice but has zero respect for basketball players. On a typical weekend, 6.5 out of the 7 basketball courts are used all day for activities that aren't basketball. I'm talking about things like karate, ping pong, and badminton. I used to be a member, but I canceled my membership because of this issue. It's really ridiculous. Hey BU, would it kill you to leave 2 basketball courts open for basketball during prime basketball time? Why spend so much money to build beautiful basketball courts if you're not going to let anyone play basketball on them? read more

I go here regularly. This gym fits my needs and has alot of extras that I don't utilize (pool, classes, rock wall, etc). The gym itself can get crowded so be prepared to wait during the prime hours. If you can't wait, no one will say you can't work in with them. Clean wipes are always available to wipe down equipment. Locker rooms are clean despite the amount of use they get. Parking may be tough since Comm ave always has constructions. And if you go at night time, look out for concerts at Agganis. read more

When I moved to Boston for school, I was very excited about this gym. An indoor track? What excuse could I possibly have for not exercising in winter now? (aside from tons of school work-boo) This gym is pretty awesome. It has a nice pool and I heard there was a lazy river, though I never got to see for myself. I never went to the pool but I watched people swim while I was on the elliptical and it looked great. There are several areas for set aside for cardio and weights. The equipment is pretty new and is adjustable. There are also racquetball courts and basketball aplenty. The indoor track is 1/7th of a mile with views of the ball courts. There is a climbing area that can be rented out for big groups. The instructors are nice and patient and the wall has several different levels depending on where you want to start out. The exercise rooms where gym classes are held vary in size, but all have cubby holes for temporary storage. You can rent a locker for the year for cheap, but you need to get there early to reserve one. Otherwise there are day lockers you can borrow. Just don't forget your lock. Locker rooms / bathrooms are clean and require a code to enter. In inter, there are racks to hang your coat. They also have staff available if you get injured. I won't account my reason for getting hurt, but I will say, they are helpful and friendly. read more

Very nice pool, and not bad deal for guests ($12 a visit and free on school Vacation weeks.) Love going swimming here. Wish they had more variety in their climbing wall read more

Been going here 10 years. Many good points but gym equipment maintenance is extremely poor. I would expect much better, the monthly fee is not low. I have seen broken equipment not repaired for months. Reporting such does not seem to generate results. read more

Not sure why everyone thinks this gym is "wicked nice". My undergrad gym was better and it was a public university. Considering tuition here is crazy high, I'd expect more. I wouldn't come here but it's included in my tuition. Also, I wish students could have access to lockers inside locker rooms... how can we even shower... walk out to the hallway with public lockers half naked? I find people here working out inconsiderate too. They take their time on the squat rack with 5 min breaks in between sets. Sad thing is they could use a 65 pound weight instead of just using the bar with 2 10lb weight added. Why... And another story: some of the undegrads here are BRATTY. While waiting in line to use the power racks, a white blonde guy just walks up and CUTs and goes up to the squat rack and starts using it. EXCUSE ME?! Just because you're privileged, doesn't mean you can cut in front of 5+ people. As a petite Asian girl, I bravely went up to him (mind you, he was rather buff) and told him there was a line. His response? "Oh, I was switching off with the guy who just left" WTF. Thank you, brunette guy waiting in line after me, for standing up for me, although the stupid blonde guy ignored us both. I hope karma kicks you in the ass while you do your squats one day. read more

The may be the best thing about getting my master's at BU. Here are the facts: --Free for full-time students and for a very low price (much lower than any other gyms in the area, and better) available to part-time students, faculty, and alumni. --You can bring up to two guests at $10 each on weekends and holidays ($20 the rest of the time) --Free day lockers or yearly lockers in the rest rooms for yearly rent --Shower facilities with soap, hair dryer --Giant swimming pool with tons of lanes. Also the lazy river which I've never used but does sound pretty cool. --Family friendly, with lots of classes, that lazy river we talked about, and private changing rooms --Rock climbing wall --Elevated, open track which looks down on the second floor --several basketball/raquetball courts --Enough cardio and weight stuff for everybody. Even at the crazy busiest times I've never had to wait. --Staff that are helpful and actually read and respond to your feedback. I've submitted a couple of comment slips and noticed changes that pertain to them (a certain machine got fixed, they added more of this cardio machine that was really popular, etc). --Given the hoochies I've seen on the B line and strutting up and down Comm Ave, I give props to the undergrads that when they come here there are very few egos around. Rarely is there a grunting muscleman or a scantily clad, heavily made up coed to be seen. The other reviewers called it - the energy here is really about just working out hard and as its own reward. read more

The actual pool is extremely nice. The swimmers and staff are not. There are many secret, unposted rules here-- the ladies in the lane next to me had a near heart attack when I jumped in without a swim cap. Who knew you had to have one?! Ridiculous. I'll pass and go back upstairs now... Sorry to have invaded the private club. Additionally, the hours are erratic. It opens at 6am but closes mid-morning then reopens at 11:30am. Who can keep track? read more

I love BU Fitrec. It's an enormous, very clean gym, and it has way more to offer than the average gym in the area. It has a gigantic cardio area, a spectacular and huge pool, more courts than there are sports I play, a gigantic climbing wall, and a cool indoor track. It's also way more affordable than other area gyms. It's free for students, but there are discounted memberships for staff and alumni. Community members can get a membership if they're sponsored by someone affiliated with BU, too. I'm primarily a swimmer, and one of the things I really like about swimming here is that most of the other swimmers actually know how to lap swim. They know the etiquette for sharing lanes and follow it. If a lane gets crowded, it's a little stressful, but you don't have to worry about people crashing into you or yelling at you like some other places I've swam.This behavior extends into the fitness area, too. Everyone is civilized and shares without bothering other people. The only real downside of FitRec is that some of the amenities you might get at a more inclusive gym are a la carte here: towel rental costs money, and there are only a few free drop-in fitness classes a week. A pet peeve of mine is that the pool schedule will list the hours the pool is open, but not the number of lanes open, so you can't plan your swim around the crowd. FitRec has a pro shop that sells and rents all of the sports equipment you could need to participate in one of their classes, and they have a fancy snack bar. read more

I have been in a lot of competing gyms... WOW!, Healthworks, Planet Fitness, Mike's Gym, BSC... and not one of them comes close to the awesomeness of this gym. you have to be affiliated with BU (faculty staff student alumni) to even get a membership... and the fact that I pay $40+/month to go to a gym full of undergrads that go for free kinda makes my eye twitch.... but for $40+/month you get things like an indoor track- a gazzillion cardio machines that get replaced every 3 years or so, a GIGANTIC pool, and 4 weight areas. classes aren't included in the membership, which is crazy. I can understand that undergrads taking a class for credit should have to pay extra (since they don't pay for a membership at all) but i would like to see the paying members offered some basic classes for free. spinning, cardio kickboxing, zumba... ya know? it would garner 5 stars- but this place gets SO busy during peak hours that you have to wait for cardio machines. go before 8am and its a ghost town. read more

This past spring we signed up our then 6 month old for swim lessons at BU. We attended 5 of the 6 weekend classes, due to a previously planned trip. As only 1 parent is allow in the water with the child at a time, my fiance and I would alternate the classes. During the classes we would sing songs like 'If you're happy and you know SPLASH your hands' so the activities were fun and age appropriate. The kids would splash around, put their faces in the water, and reach for duckies floating in the water. Near the end of the class everyone would go around the 'lazy river', which was just off to the side of the main teaching pool. She was the smallest, and youngest, in the class (6- 18 months) so our teacher, Ali, would make some alternations to the program for her. We all enjoyed the classes and are hoping to be able to sign her up for more classes in the future. read more

Awesome place for families with kids. Love this gym. Nice family changing rooms. Open swim restricted hours however. read more

I go to BU, and I know how lucky I am to have a beautiful facility like this to work out at, included in tuition ( I can't bring myself to say free, because I'm sure I am paying for it indirectly...) Anyways, the cardio equipment is well maintained- it does get very busy weekday evenings but usually after a few minutes you can find the open machine that you desire. None of the machines have TV's in them but there you can get audio for the TVs that are hanging from the ceiling. Most people bring Ipods though, of course. Some of the elliptical machines overlook the pool- it can be fun to watch the diving teams do crazy jumps. I have taken two classes here Squash and Aqua Aerobics. I loved Squash- our instructor was great- I'm not that talented but I can now play jokingly with some friends and it's a great way to burn calories. And seriously, how many other colleges have racquetball and squash courts? My Aqua class takes place in the Rec. pool, not the big one where the meets are. The class really helped tone my up- especially my arms. We do crazy things like run against the lazy river while listening to pop music from two years ago, but the time goes by fast and I like the results. During the weekend there must be lots of classes for kids, because the place becomes overrun with adorable toddlers and kids running around. If you get thirty the smoothies at the little food place on the 1st floor are very good- they have a 100ish calorie mango one that I like, that's made with splenda. read more

This is a great facility for the BU Community. If you are in any way affiliated with BU: Student, Faculty, Staff, or Alumni (yes, that's right even Alumni can join), get a membership! Of course it's free for students, faculty and staff pay $40 a month and alumni pay $50. Much cheaper than any other gym in the area. There was a lot of overcrowding here in January (New Year's resolutions perhaps?) but now things have quieted down. I could go on about the atmosphere: you walk in and you just feel energized and want to work out. It's all good. read more

Great gym, but a bit pricey and can be crowded at times. Members should make sure to take advantage of everything the gym has to offer, especially in the mornings. This gym is massive. There are five floors and more recreation rooms than I can even mention. I've been using it for four years and still haven't seen all of it. Despite being big, clean and glamourous, it can still get very crowded. From what I can tell these are a few trends: Basketball courts Free most of the day, packed after 6pm. There are more courts in the basement, but those are also used for indoor soccer, ping pong and some classes. Squash and Racquetball Busy after 6pm, but watch out for classes. There are a ton of regulars who don't mind playing red robin style. Weight Room Busy on Fridays, and Mondays after work. Less congested in the summer. Cardio Machines Plenty of them! The ones in front of windows and TVs get taken pretty quickly. Pool Check the schedule carefully since it's a bit weird. Less busy in the mornings, afternoons and just before closing. read more

I am in no way affiliated with BU, but I used to live down the street so i started taking a couple of classes there to kill time, and I have to say, I heart the gym. Sure, in the women's locker room you might hear some random chick spazzing about how she hasn't worn a bra for EVA and what not, but it's clean, pretty and got just about everything that you might want to do. The classes are very reasonably priced (even for us non affiliated ppl) and there's quite a variety (swimming, climbing, raquet sports, you name it, chances are they've got it) to choose from for the PMs and some weekends. The quality of instruction for the classes vary quite a bit and is no where near uniform, but I've always had fun so I'm not complaining. read more

Addressing the parts of the gym that apply to me, I think it's a rather nice gym. I use the basketball courts which are full size but the only down side is they get a tad crowded at times when all the students use it at the same time. You can rent a basketball for free if you're a student there at the Pro Shop in the basement where the rock wall is. The rock wall is pretty decently sized with varying difficulty tracks. You can boulder or you can climb on ropes if both you and a friend have gone through belay training. Or if it's not too busy, the staff can belay you too. They recently got new mats so that the whole floor is nicely covered. For the swimming pool, it has both lanes and a recreational pool. The larger pool with lanes is colder than the rec pool but has nice features as depth, diving boards, and a bubbler sometimes. The rec pool is nice for afterwards as it is warmer and has a short lazy river. The locker room is rather needlessly cold though, especially once you get out of the pool. read more

My toddler has taken two series of swim classes at BU. The facilities get five stars! The family locker rooms are very clean and well organized. The pool is fantastic! The lazy river is a lot of fun for kids. The instruction, however, is quite poor in comparison to lessons at The Evelyn Kirrane Aquatic Center at Brookline High School. The classes can be disorganized with limited one-on-one focus. What makes Brookline's lessons so much better than BU is how the instructions help the parents to ensure they know the right techniques and approach to getting the kids prepared for future swimming. Also, there are just too much reliance on toys at BU. I found this distracting for my daughter. At Brookline, we can focus on the lessons and the drills without having a rubber duck float by. We will certainly go back to BU, if it fits our schedule better than Brookline. Like I said, the facilities are what you would expect from a D1 Swim program. read more

If you can't find a space to play soccer when you find Nickerson field is occupied, you might find some people playing here. But the turf is not suitable for soccer so you might get injured. read more

Fitrec is a classy sweat box for people affiliated with BU. The monthly rate for alumni is great (and for recent alumni it's even better). The gym is well equipped and recently underwent a renovation. Power Racks, kettle bells, expanded weights, and an overall redesign of the gym space. There's a nice Rock Climbing Wall (more difficult than it seems), basketball courts, and a pool. One of my favorite aspects is the elevated track--beats the hamster wheel (aka treadmill). The only downside is that during the school year it gets really crowded (it's wonderful during the summer and winter break). It's so crowded at peak times that it's hard to get a work out in. Also there's a lot of undergrads "working out" here which comes with its own travails. read more

As a whole, FitRec is great and state of the art. Unfortunately, I think it's a bit of a rip off to go swimming here as an alum. My boyfriend paid $10 to use Faneuil Pool on Babcock Street. There were at least four people working when we were there and at most 8 swimmers. read more

I really only go here for my dance body conditioning class, which I feel the need to heartily recommend...The instructors alternate each week. One is really focused on kicking your ass into shape, and the other is more focused on form. Very different styles, but I can always count on an hour and a half that leaves me relaxed, slightly more informed about anatomy, and in better shape. Sometimes I'm also left massaging cramps in my hip flexors as I walk up the stairs, but nothing some stretching and ibuprofen can't take care of. Facilities are nice, although it looks like the ground floor level gets packed sometimes. read more

This has everything you want. Only thing I think thats a bit odd is that there is a NO cell phone rule. Really? How can you even enforce that? The indoor track will give you ankle tendonitis. I've known several BU students who have gotten AT because of the track, including myself. I suggest staying away from it. read more

The Bu Fitness and recreation center is a fairly impressive building which houses a gym, swimming pool, and cafe, and if you are at at the University which is associated with fitness center then this is a great resource to use. The gym facilities are very good and there is staff on hand to provide assistance as and when is needed. The pool is almost Olympic size ( I'm a bit exaggerating : ) which is great either for a thorough workout or a good cool-down session. All in all this is probably one of the best Fitness Centers in the Area. read more

I maybe biased since I attended BU and have gone to the gym there for 6 years now but for a mere price of 42 dollars last two years as a young alumni member and only 50 dollars for the next year, it is so much better compare to BSC at a similar price and Equinox where you have to pay triple the money for the same luxury. You can swim, dive, run, box, do yoga or spin classes, play ball, and lots of other things. Make sure you check it out whether you are unsatisfied with your current gym or just want to try a healthier life style, this is definitely a good place to start. read more

This place is always busy on a Saturday! From swim lessons, dance classes, a rock wall, and so on there is a lot to choose from. The facility is overall very clean which i feel can be hard for a gym to accomplish. Can't wait to see what they will have next! read more

really expensive for a gym, but its totally worth it! if you come here more than 4 times a month, you should definitely get a pass because a one time pass is $12. they have a swimming pool and hot tub, multiple basketball courts, a ton of machines, a rock climbing wall, squash/racquetball courts, and probably a ton more areas im missing. so many options for your workout needs, so i think its totally worth the price! street parking is available, and depending on the school year, it gets really busy, but in the summers, it is really nice and empty read more

You pretty much can't get better than this. BU finally didn't cheap out on its students and steal their money. This place is a few years old now and still looks brand new. I would have to give credit to the people who are in charge of maintenance at Fitrec. I am sure BU had some underlying incentive to build this place, probably to recruit athletes, but all the students benefit from that anyway. The cardio and weight lifting facilities are great and you can find pretty much anything you need. During busy times, there may be a wait, but what can you expect from a school of 16000. There is equipment on multiple floors and also oddly enough in some hallways. There is also a beautiful elevated track overlooking the basketball courts. Fitrec has a nice spacious swimming pool and the famous lazy river. I still haven't met anyone that has gone in the lazy river, but people talk about it a lot. There are also raquetball courts, ping pong tables, smoothie bar, plenty of classes to sign up for, and probably more that I forgot. The main reason I go here is to play basketball. There are a total of 7 basketball courts. 4 courts on the upper level and 3 courts on the lower level. During the weekend nights, these can be packed and you can wait for a while before stepping on the court. Not a huge fan of some of the people that play at fitrec. Some of them think they are Kobe Bryant and believe they can dominate, but really they just end up throwing up air balls and bricks. I sometimes feel bad for these people. So misguided. Anyway, this is a great place to work out and have some fun. Don't feel intimidated when you just start to work out. Everyone had to start somewhere. read more

rock climbing wall. check. an Olympic-sized pool. check. an indoor track? check. a clean, state-of-the-art locker room with showers and hair dryers. check. full-sized courts for basketball/volleyball, etc. check. smoothie/snacks stand that serve the most delicious smoothies (the mango chiller is highly recommended). CHECK. fitrec is not your average college gym. as a BU alumnus who desperately wishes to be a student again, i encourage every undergrad here to take advantage of this incredible resource. you're not paying $50K a year for nothing. read more

Great for Families with Small Kids. Both my kids (5 and 3) have taken multiple classes from tumbling to tennis to swimming and the facilities are as good as the teachers. I have to say the kids pool with the family changing rooms make it a lot easier with small kids. Also the kids pool is great and even has a lazy river. read more

I purchased a week pass while on campus for a conference. The gym is very clean, friendly service and lots of machine and equipment for workouts. I loved that they have machines with a view of the pool. It was inconvenient that towels were not provided but available for $1 on lower level. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

I've been playing badminton here on Sundays for 4 years now. The courts are decent although some time the sun light came in the large window make you miss the shots. read more

Really beautiful indoor basketball courts and excellent competition!

My daughter has been attending the Moves & Grooves beginning dance class for 3 to 4 year olds this semester, offered through FitRec's Family Recreation classes. She LOVES it! For some reason I pictured that this class would be just music playing and kids running wild, but it's FULL of actual dance content. The children are learning basic skills like balance and using their bodies to express themselves, but also kicks and spins and basic positions. The teachers, both BU students, are incredibly kind and patient. Every day when I pick my daughter up from school, she asks if we are going to dance class - I can't imagine a more satisfied customer than she is. read more

State of the art facility! Everything you could possibly need to workout. Olympic sized swimming pool. Squash rooms. Workout rooms open for use and the smoothie bar is delicious! Easy to get to (right off the green line of the T) the only drawback is that membership is expensive. Discount for Boston University employees and students get in for free but everyone else pays full price. read more