I have been working out at Absolute Fitness for over a year now and my wife has been for 2 years…read more We both love the 30 minute workout. Each workout is with a personal trainer that focuses on your workout one on one. They adjust your weights and routine to achieve maximum results. Believe me when I say this is the BEST most complete workout you can get in a half hour. What are you waiting for...check this place out! Next to Naturally Yours in the Metro Centre.

From the owner: Absolute Fitness is the premier Personal Training facility in Peoria, Illinois. read more

I've been going to Farrell's since October 2011 and have been holding off on reviewing it till I…read morewas sure about what I wanted to write, but I think I'll finally give it a shot. I'm going to tell you what it is, and then why I like it. What is it?: Farrell's isn't your standard gym, and it isn't your standard approach to a fitness plan. The program is a mixture of kickboxing and resistance training. Monday-Wednesday-Friday is kickboxing, and Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday alternates between Upper and Lower body band resistance training. The classes are 45 minutes, and you pick a time to show up 6 days a week. I chose the 5am class, but there are many options. When you first join Farrell's you are enrolling in the 10 week transformation program. Everyone that you see in Farrell's has gone through the 10 week program. This includes the people working behind the counter and all of the instructors. The instructors aren't personal trainers, they are just normal people that have gone through the program. When they aren't instructing, they're working out right next to you. You get a coach that's in your class for the whole 10 weeks to help you stay motivated and answer any questions you may have. There are 3 fitness tests during those 10 weeks. At the end of the 10 weeks the most improved male and female of each 10 week program wins $1,000. Seriously. With your enrollment you get a nutrition/workout manual, boxing gloves, and hand wraps. When I signed up it was about $360 for the 10 week session. What to expect: The first Saturday you will go to Farrell's for orientation. Your body will be measured. This includes body weight, BMI, and dimensions. They will take a before picture (Guys in shorts, ladies in shorts and tank/bikini). You will also do a step test to get your heart rates, and a reach test to check your flexibility. You will see how many situps and pushups you can do in a minute. Finally, you will run 1 mile outside. All new members do this. You will meet your coach and all of the new 10 weekers that will be in your class and going through the program with you. The nutrition program is explained to you, as well as how to put on your wraps and what to expect when you start the workouts. The first couple of weeks of workouts are focused on teaching the new 10 weekers the form and techniques of kickboxing and resistance training. The expectation is that you don't know anything about kickboxing or bands. The pace is slow and there are plenty of FIT members (graduates of the 10 week class that continue the program) that will help you and answer questions. You will be sore, and you will be tired, but everyone picks it up fairly quickly. As the 10 week program progresses, the workouts get more involved. With kickboxing you add in combinations of kicking and punching, aerobic sets in between combos, and 'fun fridays' that really push you. For resistance training you add circuits, drop sets, and super sets. At 5 weeks you take another fitness test to check your progress. The final test is at 10 weeks. There is a completion celebration that weekend when the winners are announced and everyone can appreciate their results. Why I like it: So if you've made it this far, the question is probably "So is this worth my time and money? Does it work?". My answer is unequivocally yes. During my 10 week session, I lost 20.5lbs. I'm much stronger. I shaved 1:30 off my mile time. I got great results, and so did most of the others in my session. I've tried some things in the past, but there are some reasons why I think this worked for me. First, staying motivated while working out is hard for me. This program kept the workouts interesting, and you had a support structure built in to get you to come to class. Everyone there is normal, and you don't have any of the gym rats or super buff people that often intimidate others. The $1,000 prize also provided motivation. I did not win the prize, but I felt that I could, and many others were in the same place. Like I said, everyone had great results. Second, the nutrition program wasn't a 'diet'. The program allowed you to still eat things you liked, but got you thinking about eating smarter. This is honestly where most of my weight loss probably came from. The meal plans and recipes made it easy to do, and even if you don't stick to it 100%, you'll still see some results. Finally, this program is fun. Kickboxing feels great, and the program makes it enjoyable (yes, enjoyable) to wake up at 5am. The way the program is set up you get to know and like the people you work out with. When you miss a day, people comment that they missed you at class. They motivate you to push harder and keep it fun. Farrell's worked great for me, and I've recommended it to everyone I know. If you're looking for something different from the normal gym, try this. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I have worked out in hundreds of different gyms due to travel and the fact I am old, and this is in…read morethe top 5 I have ever been to! The staff is so nice, it is always clean, most members clean after themselves and out the weights back, and you can leave your keys and bag out while your working out. They equipment is maintained, they have great variety and the recent renovation made it even better! I look forward to coming back to Peoria just because of Gold's!

Really don't want to let the secret out on this one, but Amy G.'s Classes whittle the pounds right…read moreoff! INCHES...TALKING INCHES PEOPLE!!! Truly motivational training. Just when your muscles feel like they are bursting out of the skin Amy G gets on the mic and yells "no one's legs have fallen of yet, keep pedaling!! Grrrrr "are we still friends?' " fiesta timel". "no more Peanut Butter cup Eggs!" Love it Amy. You're an inspiration to us all! Thank you!!

I have never in my life experienced customer service like this -- and I don't mean that as a…read morecompliment. Walked in ready to sign up, walked out ready to write this. Basil, the guy at the front desk, greeted me with the enthusiasm of a DMV clerk on a Monday morning. I asked about membership options, and instead of answering, he just pointed vaguely at a wall... that had nothing on it. When I asked a follow-up, he sighed like I had just asked him to run a marathon in flip-flops. At one point, mid-conversation, he started scrolling on his phone and chuckled at a meme while I stood there waiting. I left feeling less like a potential customer and more like an inconvenience to his day. If you're looking for a warm, welcoming, and helpful staff... keep looking. Long story short work on your costumer service.

Best gym!! Great facility and employees! 24/7 access is convenient and so is the smoothie bar!read more

My first impression here was pretty sour due to racism. A staff member showed me around and when I…read morewas in the weight room, some gym members started making random Asian noises and laughing with each other. The guy showing me around didn't say anything. Made me hesitant to go back until a month later since it's near where I live. Reception here is very weak, most of the time I do not have a signal. There is a trail nearby which is nice. Also an outdoor basketball court and bar gym. The equipment is in good shape. The bathrooms are clean. Front desk employees always greet me with a smile. But that one experience with racists is something I just can't brush off. I wish the staff member would have addressed it.

I am at a conference for work. I wanted to be able to continue my workout routine while I was on…read morethe road. I emailed the YMCA about requirements to bounce from one YMCA to another. The lady at the registration desk was so friendly and helpful. She completed my paperwork in a timely fashion so I could get to the workout class on time. I was immediately greeted by the instructors. I went to two classes and I was greeted the same way in both classes. My fellow work out partners were friendly and helpful as well. I stopped at the desk to ask about lap swimming and classes for the following two day. This attendant highlighted classes that she thought I might be interested in attending.

Great place! I took Muay Thai there years ago. Couple years afterwards I was going to start taking…read moreBJJ but unfortunately my schedule changed then job changed making it impossible to. One day I'll go back and take BJJ. Brad is a great owner and just a genuine good guy...someone who keeps his price low because he cares about the martial arts itself instead of just taking peoples money like most martial arts places do. Give PAC a try!

This place is top notch with REAL black belts. Don't be fooled by other local places claiming the…read moresame. You will EARN your ranks here by showing up and working hard! A+ all the way. The folks in the school are good people too. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose? And remember REAL black belts and world champions.

It's got the basics. Plus the price is right, and it never closes. It has all that i need with No…read moreextreme extras. Of course a pool would be excellent-- but not here. Meet Kyle, he is the main man at the desk, more than willing to give you a tour or a training session! There are 1/2 a dozen treadmills, stationary bikes, olipticals, precores with a few extra special cardio machines; octane and rowers. Not to mention the other 2/3 of the gym with weights. Machines and free weights (all the muscle men too). There is also a large center that's carpeted for stretching, yoga and a few evening a week there is an aerobics class. Extras: Complimentary coffee, child care area (uncertain of the cost) locker rooms with lockers, bathrooms and 3 shower stalls plus a scale. Main gym has mostly mirrors around the permeter; with many flat screen TVs with Direct TV (no Sunday ticket) but the remotes are scattered around the machines to change the channel as you like. They have water fountains, plus sell Hinkely bottled water for one dollar. There is also an assortment of weight-training GNC type products to buy. Did I mention that it's open 24/7? With your key card, it's never too late for a jog. Prices are reasonable too; $50/mon for a 3 mon trail contract or $50 start up fee and $20/mon for a year. There are other options.... But you will need Kyle for that info. Long story short- its a gym. A typical gym but with friendly, personable staff with above average equipment. Fair warning; as any gym it's the most crowded Mon-Wed 5-7 pm, with it tapering off Thur-Sunday at various times.

I dropped in to Fitness America just to use the gym for the day when I was visiting for a wedding…read more I absolutely love this gym. If I lived in Peoria I would definitely be a member. What I particularly love is the "CrossFit" area in the back. It has absolutely everything you need for Olympic lifting (bars, bumper plates) and tons of stuff for the high intensity workouts. It was only 5 bucks to drop in for the day. Wish I had this gym where I live in Kansas I would be there everyday. The manager (maybe owner?) who was working when I went was very nice and welcoming. Five stars!