The Big C Athletic Club

My advice here is see if you can get a trial week before you sign up. I toured the Big C and told them I was looking for one gym to get my Yoga, spin classes, and workouts in one place. I emphasized how important classes were for me and asked if they were challenging for every level and not just beginners. I was assured they were hard classes and that this gym is modeled after the Bay Club in SF which I was a member at when I still lived there, so I signed up on the spot!
Poor judgement on my part. I signed up for a couples membership for $ 100 per month. I started going to classes and immediately noticed they were geared toward the older crowd. Maybe it was the times I was going but I was not getting much of a workout at all. The tipping point was when I went to a 90 minute Yoga class on a Saturday morning and the first 45 minutes were warm up stretching and then the teacher laid down and told us how bad her week was, in detail, which opened the dialogue for the whole class to gossip. I have done my Yoga teacher training, and this is a big no no. I didn’t come to spend 90 minutes listening to the teachers problems. I want to turn off and be present. On top of this the steam room never worked, so really I was paying $ 100 to use one work out room. Planet fitness can give me the same thing for less then ¼ that price. I ended up paying the $ 250 to get out of my contract. Back to Yoga Works for me, I’m sorry I ever left!

I’ve been a member here for about 3 years now and if it was anything less than a satisfactory experience I would’ve quit. I like the atmosphere of this place, it’s welcoming. It’s a very clean place, I try to enjoy as much of the club as
I can since there’s so much to do. The food at the café is pretty solid, the tournaments held for various different sports are really awesome too. All the staff members are really friendly. The only thing I could ask for is later hours but hey this isn’t a gym, it’s an athletic club so the more traditional hours are definitely understandable.

Dang, is all I can save THE best Zuma class I have been too! The water makes it a treat not a work out!!! Thank you very much for such a good experience… I am HOOKED!

Absolutely love the Big C. I joined mainly for the pool, I do admit that pool is my favorite part but what I really enjoy is that there is not a million people there, you can enjoy the gym.

Back in my hometown of Austin, Tx but just wanted to say how much I appreciated this gym. Austin is a pretty fit city but I haven’t been able to find a gym that compares to the Big C. I am back in a gym but I’m finding that the services that were provided with my Big C membership were second to none. If you’re looking for a gym that provides it all, this is definitely the one. If my travels take me back to the Bay Area I will absolutely join again. Any chance you guys can open one up here in Austin?. Happy New Year and best wishes to Sandy and the rest of the Big C staff.

I have been a member, left for 8 years and then returned when I moved back to the area. I have always loved this club. Seldom ever feels crowded. Nice mix of men and women. One area is almost entirely used by women, although men can use it, though I think it is rare. The pool is great — in the summer, you may share a lane but otherwise, you can get one easily. The front desk staff is always friendly — with a smile and attentive. Tim, a male spin instructor, plays some bad music and had an attitude a few times so I just dropped his class. I don’t pay to have him attempt to embarrass me in front of other members. The other spin teachers are great. There are enough choices so you can find what works for you. I think I will get a trainer this week to help me with motivation and technique. Parking is easy, changing rooms are clean and well stocked with towels. Overall, a good deal in my opinion.

TL;DR: Well equipped gym with relatively low attendance means open machines and no feelings of judgement!
Been going here for about a year now after scoping out several gyms in the area. There are cheaper options, to be sure, but I really liked the look of the place when we first did a tour.
The first thing that struck me was the fact that the place resembles a country club. From what I’ve heard, Ken Behring was involved with the gym in some way, which makes sense when you walk around the place. It has squash ball courts, a pool, a restaurant, weight rooms, cardio equipment, as well as a number of classes available. Some are free, some require an additional expense, but the options are varied enough with the free ones that you can find something that suits your taste.
My only complaints with the classes are the scheduling. I work in the city, so getting home in time to enjoy them is a challenge. The majority of people who attend this gym seem to be individuals of a more advanced age, however, so I guess they have a bit more free time.
That point needs to be touched on a bit more. While there certainly are individuals in quite good shape here, the gym is not heavily populated by meat heads, which I find amazingly refreshing. I don’t get that competitive/​judgmental vibe from the place, like people are looking down on me if I’m not lifting a gazillion pounds.
The facilities are clean and well kept, and this place would get a 5 star rating, except I have some issues with the locker rooms. While they have a spa and sauna, the mens showers offer 0 privacy. I’m not a locker room kinda guy, so even a modicum of shielding while I’m trying to clean off my sweat would be fantastic. Also better/​larger towels.

I thought I was joining a better health club only to find the rudest ass people here as well. Getting in my way while weight training and now when I am in the pool getting in the lane I am using. If I had known the people were so damn inconsiderate and rude I would if never joined. Now I am stuck in a contract. Never again will I join a gym with a contract.

Customer service is amazing! The front desk girl, Jena, knew everything I needed to know and was very friendly. She went over all the possible classes with me (even dealt with all my annoying questions). I am for sure telling all my friends and family to join this gym!

Amazing club, I can actually get a great workout here and not have to wait for machines. It’s never packed in the evenings which was a huge plus for us. We love this place!!!

I have been going to gyms for over 42 years… The Big C is probably the cleanest, best maintained gym I have ever belonged to! The staff is welcoming and eager to help you with your fittness needs. The negative comments I have read here sound as though these customers are young, and are looking for things in a gym that are very hard, if not impossible to find. You want a body pump class? Do it yourself with what is offered at your gym, don’t always depend on someone to lead you around like a spoiled brat! I went to the UFC, I left, didn’t like the «fight cage» or the «roid» mentality… if that is a «gym» …you can have it!.. I’ll take the Big C any day!

I love this place. From the very start my boyfriend and I got our tour we completely loved it. We didn’t feel pressure to join at all. Just a pleasant introduction to the gym.
Five months into it, we’re still here. =) and we’re proud to be Members of the Big C.
The staff is super helpful and friendly. Specially the trainers and cleaning staff =) speaking of cleaning, this place is always clean and well stocked with everything you might need in a bathroom. Hair gel, body spray, ironing boards, mouthwash etc., and every time I need assistance with one of the machines I can always count on one of the trainers to come to the rescue and teach me a few things.
The ambiance is very mature, which is what my boyfriend and I were looking for and very happy we found it here at the Big C!
Well, this is getting pretty long… the point is that I recommend the Big C to everybody! =)

Love, love, love this club! Couldn’t be happier! Has everything you could possibly need to get back into shape or to maintain what you have.

I joined Big C on the Groupon and now am a full time member. I think the club is great although I wish they would remodel the women’s locker room (put in wider lockers that fit gym bags) and increase the water pressure in the showers. I love, love, love Annie in the locker room. What a sweet person and so nice to have someone available all the time (I hope she gets paid well because she deserves it!). Also, Karen. A super nice lady and trainer. This is a great club and I’m sure will only get better. I like that it’s more of a luxury type experience and not just a no frills gym. The perks make it easier to come back everyday.

I recently joined this club. I have been in many clubs but this is by far my favorite.
The atmosphere is mature, and laid back. The club is clean and well worth the price.
I wish they were open on Saturday nights and until 6:00 on Sundays-​only reason I did not give them 5 stars.

Big C has the worse open gym in concord. One, it is expensive to get in if you are not a member. Two, you might think that the presence of a sports coordinator will even out the skill level of the teams playing against each other during open gym. NO! Sports coordinator is totally bias because she has friends playing. Of course she will always put her friends in the strongest team.
They also have a league here every Thursday. The referee is the sports coordinator also. Where did you see a referee sitting on a chair while reffing a game? Duh! They have poorly written rules. Rules that you will never find anywhere else except here…

The Big C is a decent value among the higher priced fitness clubs — you get excellent classes, a locker room with a jacuzzi, steam room, and dry sauna. There’s a pool, and several exercise machine areas. If you’re a guy, and interested in racquetball, it looks like they have a decent program. I think, a year ago they were a very good value.
The downsides —
1. We joined a more expensive club to have more of a ‘spa experience’ — the hot tub, sauna, etc. Over the past year, the club seems to be cutting amenities and delaying maintenance. Things do get fixed eventually, but today, for example, in the 8 women’s shower stalls, one had its light out, and two had the shower doors missing. The place used to look squeaky clean; recently not so much. If you are charging for more luxurious amenities, you can’t successfully nickel and dime down to smaller towels, etc.
2. The club is stuck in the 70’s for most of its ancillary activities. There is a restaurant, but the last time we checked, nothing was very up to date on the menu. Want a latte? A range of salad options? Nope. Still, you’re good to go if you want a hamburger. I vaguely recall seeing a sign that they are cutting the restaurant’s hours; maybe, instead, they should have asked their members why they don’t go there…
3. The Internet… they have a website, which has adequate but minimal information. Every month members get a generic email about ‘healthy lifestyles’, of the ’ remember to eat more fiber’ variety. What they should email is :
When the club is going to be closed for maintenance and holidays
Profile of the classes, with suggestions for which to combine for certain outcomes
Profiles of some of the equipment and what it does
Special events and programs — the club has a ton of them, that are only ‘advertised’ by 8×11 fliers on a bulletin board. There were several I’d have followed up on, if I’d spotted them in time.
Um… Maybe soliciting member feedback?
I have no idea what their membership/​marketing staff does, but it’s not impressive.

Went here today on a Guest Pass with my co-​worker. We participated in the Total Body Conditioning class with Juli. Boy, was the workout intense. Filled with a little bit of cardio, weights and abs. I truly enjoyed the class. Please note this isn’t a gym where you will find the body builders or the people with hot bodies walking around like other BIG gyms. This is the gym for the «mature» crowd. I like it because you can actually get a good workout without all the EXTRA. There are plenty of group classes, swimming pool, cardio machines and a restaurant. I was highly impressed, I am very much considering canceling my membership at another gym and joining this one! IF you are lucky you can pick up the Groupon for $ 45 if it’s still available. It includes 1 month membership with 1 personal training session.

I will never join this gym again. I decided to cancel membership because due to work schedules and having a baby, I haven’t been able to go to the gym for over a year. I paid my dues a year in advance. I decided to just let the membership run out and not to renew this year. When I called, they told me I needed to cancel my membership in writing and it has to be 30 days advance notice. So I would still owe all the months that have past for this new year that I have not used at all. I have never heard of that. It was probably in the agreement that I have signed but logically it doesn’t make sense. They didn’t incur extra costs because I didn’t cancel in time.
I didn’t have to do anything to cancel my membership at 24 hour fitness. To me, this is very unreasonable. Especially when they can see that I have not used their gym in over a year, which means that it was pure profit of $ 600+ for them. They have lost a customer permanently. I will be looking into other gyms when I’m ready to work out again. Plus their equipment is OLD.

Do you like the 80s? Or are you in your 80s? If you answered yes to either of these questions this is the club for you. The club has not been updated in decades and caters to the geriatric community. It’s like a time warp.
BELIEVE THE WARNINGS ABOUT CANCELING YOUR MEMBERSHIP – They make it very difficult and expensive.