We've been coming here for 4 years I believe. Great, smaller gym with lots of machines. Free weights, mats, etc. No classes available at this location but there is a movie room o help your workout go quicker! The pros for us are location, convenience and fabulous staff. The cons are this time of the year it's busy and "tenporary new years resolution" gym enthusiasts break the machines or sit on their phones pretending they are working out and that's the one machine you want to use. read more

Catalyst Fitness - Catalyst express - Gyms Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Yikes. Buyer beware, this club is eager to send your account to collections! I had attempted to cancel in person months ago to which the attendant at the desk said would be fine. Fast forward to today, I just received a debt collection call to pay 3 months of back dues plus a cancelation fee. Michelle who apparently is the only person that can handle cancellations (would've been nice to know at my branch?) said there's nothing she can do and I'll have to deal with the collections agency. 10/10 would not recommend. read more

Catalyst Fitness is currently at an ultimate low. BACKGROUND I've been a Premier member since '23 and upgraded to Ultimate in '25. I chose Catalyst as my main fitness hub in Buffalo because it was one of the better options available--especially due to the guest privileges and class access at Maple. A close relative was a Premier member from '18-'23. She cancelled for critical health reasons. Her cancellation was swift although I'm aware that is not the case for others. Another close relative has been an Ultimate member since '18. He has endured many price increases, membership switches, and perk changes. FIRST YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP I had purchased 35 trainer sessions. However, my first trainer quit without any notice to the trainees, and my second trainer was honorably discharged to the military. Unfortunately, I wasn't appointed a new trainer, even with 12 or more sessions remaining. Those sessions expired. Fortunately, I was able to outsource to a friend of mine who is a certified trainer outside of Catalyst Fitness. Shortly after I enrolled, the Elmwood club went under renovation. I was still locked into my contract and found myself commuting 30 minutes to Maple from Elmwood Village because there was no Colvin location at the time. The renovations finished just before the New Year's rush, and the club instantly became overcrowded during nearly all hours of operation--leading into the next issue. OVERCROWDING Since late August 2025, there has been a noticeable spike in unfamiliar faces at Elmwood, including in the typically quieter 9pm-11pm window. Regulars know each other, and this sudden influx--lasting from August into mid-October--became hard to ignore. Meanwhile, traffic at the Colvin location, which is one of Catalyst's larger clubs, has noticeably remained steady. Elmwood is one of the significantly smaller clubs within Catalyst Fitness; the machines are packed ludicrously close together. As an example of Elmwood's cramped layout, the hip-thrust machine has recently been positioned directly in the main walkway from the locker rooms--awkward and intrusive.. Instead of addressing the facility limitations, Jen Trees and Amy's "solution" to the overcrowding is to eliminate guest privileges for Ultimate members effective December 1st. I was only made aware of this today, November 22nd. Guest privileges--one of Ultimate's main selling points--allow just one guest per visit, yet Ultimate members are the ones being penalized. The Elmwood club is simply too small to accommodate every member tier, so overcrowding was inevitable with the significant rise in personal health culture. But removing guest privileges only penalizes Ultimate members rather than addressing the real issue: the club's limited space. CLASSES I choose to include this on my review today for the purpose of educating those curious about the classes at Catalyst Fitness. The close contending perk of Ultimate to guest privileges is the access to classes across most locations, rather than paying a fee for each class. But here are my judgments as someone who occasionally attends the classes: Maple (Amherst) - The crown holder * Judgmental members * Consistent classes * Quality classes (Go to Paige's yoga!) Elmwood - Even more money??? * Offers only boxing classes * Boxing classes require an additional fee * Fast matainence French (Depew) - Challenged * Unfriendly staff * Unkept facility * Classes frequently canceled Wehrle (Cheektowaga) - P.U. * Noticeable nauseating odor * Least variety in classes * Outdated and unkept facility * Unwelcoming staff Transit (Harris Hill) - No Opinion * Haven't visited and don't plan to * Feedback is mixed about the classes Express Locations - Nonexistent * Expected since these locations are "Express," therefore I don't mind FINAL THOUGHTS I genuinely wanted Catalyst to remain my long-term fitness oasis in Buffalo, but the decline in perks and overcrowding--paired with inconsistent facility quality--makes it difficult to justify the Ultimate membership. As an Ultimate member, I expected the perks I pay for to be honored--not quietly removed, especially considering I only learned of the change when I brought a guest today. Until Catalyst prioritizes transparency, proper facility management, member experience, and the fair treatment of its Ultimate members, I cannot recommend the Ultimate tier, nor can I confidently recommend Catalyst Fitness. read more

Catalyst Fitness - NOVEMBER 22ND, 2025, 11:27PM: Policy is not updated on website and there is no notice of this upcoming change. - Gyms Near Me - Buffalo, New York

DO NOT get a membership at catalyst, they are incompetent and greedy. They messed up my original contract, it was supposed to be $30 a month and they were charging me $33 a month. Not much of a difference but I had to make them fix it and I'm not even sure how that happened as their plans are $20, $30 & $40 a month. Trying to cancel your membership? A fkn nightmare. I spoke to the front desk in April 2026 and they told me my membership expired on 5/27/26 (12 mo contract was up) and would not renew. They gave me an email and number for cancellations and told me to just email to confirm it ended 5/27. I emailed 5/4 and they say they have a 30 day cancellation policy and I will now be charged an extra month until 6/27 which directly contradicts what the front desk employees told me. To make matters worse, I see a $50 charge on my account, separate from the monthly fee. I assume it was a cancellation fee but there was no mention of any cancellation fee being charged and there shouldn't be as my contract was up. They do not care about you and only care about getting as much money out of you as possible. Save yourself the hassle and go somewhere else. The elmwood location is overcrowded asf anyway, you have to wait for machines and even treadmills sometimes and everything is super close together. read more

Work out here and get your vehicle robbed while performing your workout. (The thieves break your back window and steal your livelihood, in my situation anyways, my tool bags which is how I provide for My son and I )Speaking from experience. Then I try and cancel my member ship and be forced to pay the remaining months left on contract. (Disrespectful)proof is in my photo. (Please view) Work out here if you want to get robbed. God bless read more

Imagine if your parents had limited income in retirement but they loved Catalyst's cycling and Zumba classes and the instructors. Then without any prior notice as they checked in the facility, they were denied access and were told owner Amy BYemen had dropped coverage for Silver Sneakers. That's disrespectful treatment. That's disrespectful treatment of a group of customers at least because there was no advanced notice and no ptime to decide what to do. Catalyst is not having financial problems. Amy, what if that were your mother's situation? read more

They cancelled the senior fit benefits (Silver Sneakers and Silver & Fit). Simply stated they blatantly discriminate against seniors. Will never go back and will happily never recommend this business. read more

Boycott Catalyst as they dont care if seniors stay healthy as they took away all medicare advantage insurance! I practiced yoga there and am so sad I cannot anymore. Shame on them! read more

This gym is only about money! They have just informed all the seniors that our memberships are all canceled as they will no longer accept Silver Sneakers. Apparently the woman that owns all these gyms isn't rich enough. Please, boycott Catalyst Fitness as they have no soul. Oh, and the gym isn't any better than any of the others in the area (and can be more difficult to get on the machine you want). You're better off at LA Fitness anyway. read more

After cancelling my membership last year at the desk with a worker, this gym continued to charge my credit card the monthly fee for an extra 6 months (until I finally noticed). I don't doubt for a second that this mistake was 100% intentional considering the manager didn't offer any apology when he found out what happened. Seems like a way for Catalyst to steal extra money from members after they cancel and hope they don't realize. read more

Worst place ever. Playing games on canceling membership and having voicemail boxes full so no one can leave a message.

West Seneca NY. I thought I'd signed up for a 12 month contract. Halfway through, I had to have a medical procedure, and they did put a hold on payments for 3 months...but then (without informing me at that time) added them on, extending my time to 15 months because apparently it's a 12 PAYMENT contract. OK, my bad for not digesting the entire King James Bible's worth of tiny print before signing... yet (as another reviewer stated), there's also an "annual maintenance fee" - and I'm betting they're going to run THAT one by the calendar and charge me again on the anniversary of my original sign-up date. I was told that the only way "out" in the 12 months was to get a doctor's note stating why I would be unable to work out. Not only is that not the case (I had been looking forward to going back), but... Privacy laws, anyone???? I guess not. Shady. The staff (such as it is) are condescending, with grim little faces fixed in a "We got your money and are going to take more and there's nothing you can do about it" attitude. Pretty sure this was far from their first time at the rodeo, as all their responses were well-rehearsed. As for the gym- the machines are OK, but the place has an overall musty smell and sometimes they blast the music so loud you can't even use your own ipod. The one star goes 100% to the other members, who are clean, respectful and friendly- and the sole source of help I've ever gotten with any of the equipment. I'm going to ride it out and make the best use of the gym for the time I have left, but this place stinks. Based on the behavior of its minions, Corporate must be one helluva party. read more

Different locations have different amenities which sucks. The Seneca location has a massage chair that is horrible compared to the Broadway location which has a hydro massage chair and bed. It has all the equipment you need for a good work out. Staff is friendly at all locations. I usually visit the express locations as opposed to the main one on French which is nice. If looking for a personal trainer ask for Patrick. read more

I like this location a lot! Equipment is new and in good condition. Staff is friendly and genuinely cares about the clients. They are always keeping the place clean by either wiping down equipment or vacuuming. If a machine gets broken it's usually only down for a few days at most. The only downside of this location, being an express, they don't have do personal training and they don't have weights in less than 5 lb intervals. I wish they had 7.5 and 12 lb weights. They don't have an advanced scale like the other locations have. The cardio theatre is super neat! They have tanning too but I haven't tried it. Locker room is very clean. They also just added hydromassage chairs and tons of spinning bikes! Easy to find parking and never as busy as the Wherle or French locations. read more

Catalyst Fitness - January special! - Gyms Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Came in to cancel my membership, the girl at the desk said they couldn't unless the manager was there. They said they would write a note saying that I was trying to cancel. Five tries later, I came in on a day the manager was working and he wouldn't give me a refund claiming that since I didn't fill out paperwork and the girl at the desk actually did know how to cancel a membership that I have to pay in full. What makes it worse is earlier during COVID we called and they said they wouldn't charge our card until they were able to speak with us. Great promises, awful management, and no follow through. The manager ended the conversation with "It's just business" and trying to give me a copy of their bylaws. Not even an apology. He also said it was likely the girl didn't know I was trying to cancel. no way. What a scam. It's all legit rules and stuff, but when you've been literally coming in every week to cancel on the one day you have off just for them to turn you down and then promise they won't charge you. Getting charged a few hundred dollars really is the icing on the.. whatever pastry makes you feel sick to your stomach and unable to sleep. Funny thing is, I know they used to rent movies from family video (before they closed) to show in their dark running room. They wouldn't return anything on time but would beg to not have to pay fees, and someone was nice to them in their time of need.. All take no give. If you want an experience that is decent while you're going, but then when you try to stop temporally they stab you in the back, here it is. Sadly the much better location near Starbucks on transit road, also has hired the same guy to teach a class. I would still recommend if you're going to go with Catalyst to drive a little extra for a different location since all "business deals" are done only at the location you have signed up, and it may save you a hassle in the future. As long as they don't switch management. It was 2.5 stars before the bad experience. read more

I had the worst experience ever, last November after getting a full year membership and in my first week. In the morning of the thanksgiving at the fitting room I felt intimidated by a white guy holding a gun and I've reported him immediately the manager at that time so the manager took the complaint and told me we gonna call you and I sent an email same day (attached), after 5 days they called my partner trying to sell him a membership and he simply refused and ashamed them for not calling nor taking the complaint seriously. Then a manager called me and start the investigation to reach the guy and after identifying him the guy just simply apologized and said "it's licensed" so they told me and I didn't feel safe to go back. Then 12/11/2023 I received a feedback email and I explained the same, the next day they called me and left me voicemail offering me a refund and I call them back the day after and said ok and confirmed my card number. I was so respectful and patient but this is too much to handle super unprofessional and disrespectful because until now they keep saying next week and week after week and I haven't received anything, I'm so traumatized even to go to a different gym and at the same time here we are January 12 and still nothing received! read more

Just joined the gym on Broadway, and it's amazing to me that none of the employees showed us around or even showed us how to use the equipment Also your supposed to wipe off equipment when done using and nobody does that's because the paper towel dispenser are always broke and there aren't enough spray bottles read more

This a great little no frills gym. Great selection of high end equipment, free weights, aerobic and universal machines. One highlight is the aerobic "movie room" where you can work out and watch a movie on the big screen. This room also is dark and provides some anonymity if you are just starting out and you're a bit self conscious. Staff there is friendly and the machines, the floor and the locker rooms are all kept very clean. There is no pool or sauna but that's not what this gym is designed for. Gets a little busy on Saturdays. For $10-$15 a month can't go wrong here. read more

I go to the location on French and Transit in Depew, NY 14043. Most of the staff is very helpful and friendly. The workout floor is very spacious which is nice when the gym is crowded right after work or on a Saturday morning. High machine variety and the womens only area is secluded and very nice with just as much variety. Their shakes at the shake bar are DELICIOUS, and you always get a little more than you pay for. They have two large fitness rooms where they hold many different membership-included classes. I have yet to try one yet, but my friends who go say they are a great workout in a comfortable atmosphere. Check it out! read more

This is an express gym, but it gets the job done. I go on occasion to change up my routine. It's really nice to have the option through catalyst to pay a little more to use all 4 gyms! This one in particular also has a movie theater while your using cardio machines. Its very dark and gets your mind off the repetition. The free weights go to about 80lbs but thats usually efficient for most exercises. read more

Just joined this gym and love it! The place is very clean, has new equipment, and a friendly staff. The price is very affordable compared to most gyms. They have some interesting features like the movie theater where you can exercise while watching a movie...it really makes working out fun and the time fly by. read more

I went to join the West Seneca location based off the commercials. The commercial fails to mention that you have to pay a $39.00 enrollment fee then 2 months later I have to pay another $39.00 for equipment maintenance fee. I told the person at the counter that the commercial does not say that and that it is false advertising. I walked out. The enrollment fee is a joke. No need to pay that much, especially when I am only going to use the facility @ 12 days a month. read more