My review is based on my experiences at this gym from last summer. Based on the website, it looks like things have changed significantly since then. They previously offered a variety of classes, including Olympic weightlifting and kettlebells, and had several coaches, whereas now they offer only one class with the owner. So, my review may be outdated, but I suspect some of it still applies.
Power Up caters to people who are competitive and results-oriented. Unfortunately, that's not me at all. I work out to boost my mental health, and not because I want to look a certain way, lose body fat, compete with other people, lift heavy for the sake of lifting heavy, etc. In retrospect, I was a very poor fit for this gym.
When I signed up for classes, I was often the only attendee. Other reviewers (on Google Maps) have highlighted the tiny class sizes as a benefit, maybe because they're looking for personal training. But I definitely wasn't. Sometimes classes would get cancelled without notice, because I didn't sign up early enough, and there were no other signups. And when I did sign up in time, I found it extremely stressful to be the only person in class. The coaches often pushed me to lift far more than I felt comfortable with. One time I strained my back from deadlifting, and the coach told me the pain was "normal" because the "our backs have the biggest muscles." Totally unhinged response. I'm no fitness expert, but I know my body. I can tell the difference between DOMS (usually a good feeling!) and strains from overtaxing my muscles and exercising with poor form.
They have lots of fancy devices that track things like how fast you rise during a squat set (Perch, iirc). My numbers went down at the end of each set, which was just demoralizing. I really did not need a device to tell me how much slower and weaker I got when I was fatigued.
Their rates are astronomical. I suppose they have to justify the cost of the equipment and rent (and the extremely low attendance numbers), but it's way too much money. I spent $79 on a one-week trial and then $316/month for three months. They discounted the price slightly because I agreed to a longer period of time. The month-to-month price was even higher, like $350/month.
Anyway, I canceled when the three months were up. I told them I could no longer attend classes due to my work schedule. This was true, but I would have made time somehow if I'd enjoyed my experiences there.
I do lots of fun cardio workouts now. Serious fitness people might turn up their nose at my new routine, but I'm a LOT happier. And healthier. And if we want to discuss numbers: all my Apple health metrics are better than last year, including VO2 max, resting heart rate, flights climbed, steps taken, etc. I may not be able to lift as much as I did when I was a member of this gym, but I guarantee I'm in much better shape.
YMMV of course. Power Up has a bunch of five-star ratings on Google Maps, so I'm obviously in the minority. If you're into goals and gains, this could be the gym for you. read more