Fitness First UK Avis 

Horrible experience.

Gym I was signed up to is - Queens Park

Tiny, overcrowded, equipment is not 'state of the art' by no means.

I tried to cancel my account as I'm having financial difficulties and they didn't want to resolve it like HUMAN BEINGS. They pass outstanding fee to a debt collectors who charge even more. I have 2 months unpaid and they want to charge me £240 for what? For a contract that runs a year? A ripoff thats all they are.

Gym that doesnt even provide a better space than Pure Gym or other cheaper gyms.

Don't sign up unless you want to be bound to some ridiculous contract with an insane montly fee.

msg from Fitness First - (what a joke, boiler hasnt been working since last friday 30th May 2025)

"We want to make you aware that Fitness First Thomas More Square is currently experiencing a disruption to the hot water. We are working closely with our supplier to arrange for the installation of a new boiler as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a confirmed installation date."

Swimming Nature lessons at Fitness First Streatham have been cancelled four weeks in a row due to ongoing issues with pool temperature and chlorine. There’s been no proper explanation or make-up sessions. Fitness First just tells me to “contact the provider” — no accountability at all. Families are paying for lessons that never happen, and the venue does nothing to help. Avoid if you want reliable swim lessons.

That was painful all I wanted to know was how much they charge for the corporate membership fee, and all I got was loads of words except the monthly price in the end I just hung up and joined Pure Gym instead.

Fitness First Bedford is a gym of 2 very different halves, the classes and the facility. All of the instructors I've had so far have been great (BootCamp, Zumba, Aqua and Recharge), very empathetic to a gym returner after a few years off. The ABLE sessions were excellent and super informative, I discovered my flexibility age, and it wasn't prettty, but this definitely gave me a great starting point to work out which classes to join. The gym equipment is excellent and the generally vibe is super friendly and supportive. BUT I joined FF as I wanted to cycle to the gym and use the Yoga and Aqua classes. 1) This gym doesn't have secure bike parking, but it must have 100s of car spaces, thats new to me and pretty contradictory. Even the local Halfords has bike parking. 2) In the 3 week since joining, I haven't been able to book a Yoga Class in the AM and most AquaFit classes book super quick. Ive been told by other members, that you have to book these classes at 6am on the day they are accessible (I'm not an early riser), or you can't get a spot (the wait lists are extensive), even 6.05am is too late. If you have an issue like that, surely you need more classes. And 3) the other big issue I have with the facility is the opake shower screens, surely designed by a man.The first time I walked in there, I saw a lady 3 cubicles up drying herself, no details but why oh why opake glass, wheres the dignity? Again, it wouldn't be expensive to stick some plastic panelling up to give us our privacy FF! I do enjoy the gym, but there are some fundamental issues, most of which are easily resolvable. I wonder if anyone will read this and action anything? I hope so, as I'd really like to cycle to yoga in the morning at some point soon!

Gym was lovely when i joined 5 years ago, but now they are hydrox obsessed and have crammed it with equipment, making it claustrophobic and way too busy. Never anywhere to park.

I joined years ago on a rolling £38 contract. For the last year I opted instead to pay £35 by paying via salary deduction as a perk at my work. I have now left that job, and expected to revert to my contract, but arrived to find my membership revoked unless I pay the new going rate of £54 per month. I argued that I was a loyal customer who never stopped paying for the gym, and wasn’t aware told by anyone that paying for the gym through my work temporarily would end my old contract, but they refused to honour my price.

I am now with a much nicer, and cheaper gym. Don’t waste your money.

Fitness First Bishopsgate: I was surprised to be asked for 2£ fee to get a towel since I am using GymPass and not a direct subscriber of Fitness First. This lady at the reception has a horrible attitude and the only person who would ask for 2£ to get a towel. I decided to never step foot there due to this stupid reason. It costs more to use GymPass and still I can’t get a towel for free! Stay away if you aren’t willing to pay 2£ for a towel if using passes.

I’m extremely disappointed with how Fitness First has handled my membership cancellation. I submitted two written requests to cancel in February 2025 — one on the 11th and another on the 23rd — and paid a frozen fee at the end of January. I received no response at the time, no follow-up, and no clear way to unfreeze the account from my side (which they later claimed was required before cancelling).

Now months later, I’ve been contacted by a debt collection agency for charges I absolutely do not owe. Despite trying repeatedly to resolve this with Fitness First, I’ve been told it’s “my responsibility” to chase them, even though they never confirmed cancellation or even acknowledged it until I escalated.

They also sent me a supposed email “proof” that lacks any timestamp, headers, or delivery confirmation — and which I never received. Debtco, the agency they referred me to, even acknowledged that my membership was in a frozen state, proving the club should not have been billing as normal.

This kind of behaviour feels predatory and unethical — refusing to cancel a membership, continuing to charge silently, and then handing the matter to a debt collector. Absolutely avoid if you value transparency, fair treatment, and basic customer service.

All the trainers are very pleasant and welcoming. It has all the equipment I need also.
Very clean gym and I’m happy with the environment.

The equipment is in shocking severe disrepair nothing seems to be serviced most of the treadmills sound like a bag of spanner’s and don’t function properly or slip especially the skillruns

The messages from the assistant in the online chat portal came across as quite rude and made me feel a bit stupid, despite my original issue being caused by incredibly unclear UI / UX on their end.

The most disgusting and horrific establishment, intent on defrauding and taking people's money at all costs. Refused to refund me £95 though I cancelled within my 7 day cooling off period. The gyms are overcrowded and disgusting in general and the customer service is abhorrent. Give your money to ANY other gym. I would give -0 stars if I could. Cannot believe the level of mistreatment from these disgusting people.

I have been member for a while and I had the worst gym experience ever!

They take weeks to answer emails when you have an issue and it is almost impossible to talk with the membership team. They pretend to be transparent but they are not.

My partner also had an issue with Fitness First Clapham Junction. They cancelled her account without any warning. Five months later she is having problems because Fitness First had sent her to a debt agency (asking her for almost £1,000 debt) and this whole thing is being a nightmare.

The membership team(Robyne) just apologized for not answering back when this occurred months ago because "they were to busy".
Now they say they cannot doing anything and she just have to face the problem with the debt agency.

This is how they really work! Unbelievable!

I would not recommend this gym. Never again!

I’ve been coming to the gym for two
months now and I’m really enjoying it. The staff have been fantastic, especially Will, who helped set me up at the start. The classes run by Jitka, Luke, Stu, and Danny are excellent, and the A.B.L.E. programme helps keep me on track. It’s a great environment overall.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a nice experience with this gym (Fitness First Clapham Junction). For some reason, my membership was cancelled months ago, I tried to contact the gym to ask for it and I did not get any response. Five months later, I have been sent to a Debt agency which is asking me for nearly £1000 without the gym prior contacting me or anything at all.

At first, I was excited about the idea of using the gym - the staff have all been very good, polite and helpful.
I mainly wanted to do Pilates classes but unfortunately it’s a stressful experience to get a session. Sessions are released very early in the morning and are gone within hours. Even when you book, the room is cramped and uncomfortable with way too many people in it. You end up with someone else’s feet in your face. The gym itself is tiny but usually clean.
My biggest complaint is that I cancelled my membership and received no communication. Months later I received an email from a debt collection agency about overdue fees. I contacted fitness first as I was unable to access my account (they had blocked it) in order to pay out check the status of my account. They informed me that I had to pay the fee before they would cancel. I paid the fee and emailed membership.services @fitnessfirst.co.uk to confirm my cancellation as I STILL could not access my account in order to complete the cancellation form they detail on their website. I’ve had no response. Don’t join this gym, it’s not worth it. I bet in 6 months I’ll get another email saying I owe some crazy amount.

I’d like to take a moment to highlight the outstanding team at Fitness First The Strand – specifically Lucas, Alfie, Weronika, Henrique, and August. These individuals are nothing short of exceptional at what they do, and their passion for fitness and helping others is evident in every interaction.

From the moment you walk in, their energy is uplifting, their professionalism is consistent, and their support is unwavering. Whether it’s during a class or a solo session on the gym floor, they are always attentive—ensuring your form is correct, pushing you to do your best, and celebrating your progress every step of the way.

Thanks to them, I’ve truly fallen in love with fitness. Their encouragement has transformed not just my workouts, but my mindset. Every time I train with one of them, I leave feeling stronger, motivated, and proud.

What stands out most is the consistency of their excellence—I’ve never had a single bad experience. Their dedication doesn’t go unnoticed, and they create an environment that is both welcoming and empowering.

Fitness First should be incredibly proud to have such a remarkable team representing their brand. They are a true credit to the club.

The staff at this gym are attentive and polite. The classes they offer are plentiful and well suited for all levels. In the gym there is plenty of equipment, so you are never waiting to use certain machines. There are many different activities to do in the gym such as swimming, a space to sit and have a coffee and a spa. Well worth the money and they offer a blue light discount too.

I visited the Fitness First Marylebone, and honestly, I’m shocked this is supposed to represent a flagship club. The layout is chaotic and makes absolutely no sense. The design forces members to constantly bump into each other while working out, and the placement of the Hyrox rig right in the middle of the strength area just makes the congestion worse. It’s not only inconvenient—it’s a safety hazard.

The changing rooms are ridiculously small. Even when the gym is quiet, they feel overcrowded. It’s hard to move around, let alone change comfortably. And don’t expect any guidance—despite counting at least seven staff between PTs and reception, no one offered any help. I had to wander around the gym just to find the changing rooms.

The sauna is the size of a shoebox, barely fitting a couple of people at a time. The ice bath is also tiny, and since it was covered, I couldn’t even tell if it was functional. Lockers are a joke—one is barely enough for a small rucksack or a laptop bag. Realistically, you’d need two or three lockers to fit all your stuff.

For a gym that charges premium prices, this is a massive flop. Facilities are subpar, staff are disengaged, and the space is dangerously cramped. I don’t know how this passed any sort of health and safety review, but poor spatial design in a gym environment should be a serious concern.
To make matters worse, I also tried the Hammersmith branch before this, and that location had its own safety issues—a broken locker door under the bench in the men's locker room and dangerously slippery gym floors.

It’s becoming clear that safety and user experience are not high on the priority list for this company.

Save your money. There are far better options out there.