If you reading this review because you are thinking of purchasing a BuyWithMe/Gilt City offer, I am writing this to save you $59. I purchased the same BuyWithMe voucher last winter at the same price, which rewarded me three 45 minute personal training sessions. I should have known by first glance that this was a bad idea. This gym is located in a depressing parking lot and it gets worse when you walk inside. This place is in serious disrepair. We're talking faded, chipped walls and random garbage left in corners. If Ben Affleck decides to make Gone Baby Gone 2, he'd be wise to shoot the movie here if he wants to capture how depressing Boston life can be. I'm no Nancy, that my was my mother's name, so I can overlook the decor. My main problem with this place was the owner/trainer Norm. Perhaps a decent human being, but this man should not be a personal trainer or businessman. My first session consisted mostly of hitting a tire with some oversized mallet (probably stolen from a county fair), some kettle bell dancing, and jumping jacks. After about 25 minutes, Norm declared our session over and invited me inside his office. Once seated, I felt like I was at Ernie Boch Honda and about to get screwed. Norm gave me the hard sell on signing up for more sessions beyond the three I purchased. He questioned my commitment to fitness and asked why I was even there. I politely brushed off these statements and I said I'd decide after the next or last session. During the second session, Norm and I did exactly the same basic exercises. I barely broke a sweat. There was one new thing though. At the end of our brief (yep 25 of 45 minutes) session, Norm told me he wanted to show me something "special," and declared I should get on my back. Norm lifted my right leg, straddled it with his right shoulder and leaned in. HEAVEN. I can't even put into the English, the sensations I felt . Norm said that was "The Norm Stretch." If you happen to be reading this review after you purchased the voucher, the pleasure of the "Norm Stretch" can help make up for the lost money. It's the only reason I'm giving this place one star instead of zero, besides the fact you can't give zero stars on Yelp. Again, instead of giving me the full 45 minute training session, nearly half of it was dedicated to sales pitch. All I wanted to do was schedule my third pre-paid session, but Norm was like a Willy Loman that wouldn't quit. He tried to appeal to my emotions, painting a visual picture of a thinner, more muscular Nat, jet skiing on the Charles River with a few Harvard Hotties on my side. After that failed, he tried the insult route, saying the fact I wasn't signing up for more sessions (beyond the deal) was a sign I was not ready for fitness. He also added maybe I don't deserve fitness. While I should have been terribly offended, it was obvious Norm just did not want me to come for my third, pre-paid session. In the end, I decided to grant Norm's wish. There would be no third session, and of course no fourth or fifth. If Norm focused on the quality of his training sessions versus signing me up for a long term commitment, maybe I would have bought more. In the end, $60 for a regular price "45" minute session is just way too much to pay someone when the only value Trainer Norm offered was counting my jumping jacks for me. read more

I really let my health fall apart towards the end of college, and I'd never really done a proper physical training program. So I decided that some expert assistance was in order and, after shopping around, started training sessions at Fitness Together. Within a year, I'd lost that senior-year weight gain, built more muscle than I'd ever had before, brought my cardiovascular fitness up into the healthy range, and learned a whole lot about exercise. The trainers at FT were great at providing expert advice, encouragement, and an exercise program well tuned to my goals. The only downside is that one-on-one training is accordingly expensive (though reasonably so, and FT seems to offer a lower price than some places that offer training as a supplemental service). And, of course, training can be no better than the effort you're willing to put into it. But if you have some funds to spare and want the best effort multiplier for your fitness program, personal training is the way to go and I'd highly recommend Fitness Together. read more

I have been coming to FT for the last 2.5 years, and really enjoy working out here. The gym is clean, the patrons are nice people, and the trainers are great. They listen carefully to your goals and help you meet them. The workouts are usually challenging HIIT style workouts adapted to fitness level. They mix it up each session, so there is always a new routine for you. There are two options - private workouts and in a "pack" of up to four people. I've enjoyed both. The pack is a nice community of sane, friendly people who encourage each other to push themselves a bit further. The trainers are very invested in your total health, even providing advice about food. They recently did a clean eating challenge that was great--everyone who participated took photos of all of their food for two weeks and got feedback. The healthiest eater won a few free sessions. I would definitely recommend FT to anyone looking for a personal trainer, or a group to work out with. read more

I have been training at FT Cambridge for several years now, as have a lot of other regulars, some of whom are now my friends. It has been a huge benefit to my fitness level as well as a very enjoyable part of my schedule. I have worked out occasionally with different trainers (all good) but I usually schedule my appointments with Norm. Norm goes to a lot of fitness conference events, and always comes back with new ideas and (usually) interesting new equipment. His enthusiasm for health and for life in general brighten my day. I am saddened by an earlier review somebody wrote, which certainly does not reflect my experience. FT's staff is super, the music is pleasant (and you can ask for your own favorite kind), equipment is in shiny-good condition, there is always fresh fruit and fresh water on offer. They are always coming up with new ideas to make things better for clients, such as "pack training" and the new little coffee machine. I would recommend this to anybody who wants to get in shape and stay that way. I have bought many gym memberships in my life, a big waste of money for most people. There is no "membership package" or yearly fee at FT, you pay only for the lessons you actually schedule. If you travel or go away for the summer, no problem. All your unused sessions are just as good when you come back. I don't know of any gym where somebody will not try to convince you to buy some sessions in addition to freebies or coupons you walked in with. If you look at all the positive awards this place has received, most are from people who wanted the training, were motivated to stick with it, and got results that made them very happy. I feel that way too. read more

Person Trainers are very knowledgeable, certified and listen to what you want to work on. They work you and give you exercises that you can do at home, so the continuity is always there. Definitely worth going. read more

I've been going to Fitness Together for over a year, and I love this place. My favorite trainer, Brian, just became the owner and the place is looking and feeling great! They really know fitness. Jamie and Matt are great guys also. Due to a stupid fitness injury a few years ago, my lower back occasionally acts up and they give me exercises to make sure I don't hurt myself, while helping me build strength. The place is totally worth it, they will keep you on track in a fun and respectful way. Big thanks to Fitness Together Cambridge! They also have a new youtube channel at youtube.com/ftcambridgema read more

Trainers are very attentive to making sure your form is correct and safely done during exercises. Great mix of workouts each session working all different muscle groups. Wide variety of equipment to learn how to use properly too! I have loved my experience going to Fitness Together 3 times a week for the PACK workout. Half the time it's only me in the workout so I get a personal training session, but even when there are others it's never been more than 1 other person. I'll be sad to discontinue my membership in a few weeks (trying to save money), hoping I can get back in the FT again in the next few months. read more

I did not enjoy the training I received here and cannot recommend this place. The location feels like it was a former gas station. The general culture and vibe were off; perhaps the location played a part in that for me. It just felt dank and depressing. read more

I have been going to Fitness Together in Cambridge for almost a year now. Honestly, this has been the only fitness regimen that I have done that I have actually stuck with. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable personal trainer that you will want to stay with for a long time. read more

When I realized I had fallen way out of shape I decided that I needed some help getting motivated to get back on track. I checked out Fitness Together because it's location is convenient and it's less intimidating than a traditional gym. They offer personal and small group training sessions. You can sign up to work with a trainer for 2, 3, or 4 days a week and you are welcome to use the cardio equipment whenever you want. This was a great decision for me. There are plenty of things I love about this place. For starters, the workouts are challenging. Most days my trainer has more faith in my abilities than I do! It starts with some nice warm ups, a variety of different exercises that hit all sorts of muscles, then (my favorite part) the session ends with stretching so that you aren't dying the next morning. The environment is extremely supportive and non judgmental. I always work out with the same trainer but the other trainers are also friendly. The trainers are always a phone call or email away from answering any question you may have (seriously, from "how do I stretch this muscle" to "what should I eat before my workout"). My trainer knows what my goals are and works with me to make sure I will reach them. When I talk about a supportive environment I don't just mean the trainers - the clients are also great. I, a short girl with spaghetti for arms, work on in a Pack. Sometimes my Pack includes 3 guys...three strong-looking guys. At first I was intimidated but they were SO GREAT. We ended up cheering each other on. The place has a new owner, Brian, who is enthusiastic about his business. He's repainted everything and ripped up the old carpet. Small changes but the place looks great. If you are curious, go in to meet the owner and do a trial workout. You won't leave feeling like you were pressured to sign up. You will leave with tons of information about Fitness Together to help guide your decision. read more

I have been coming to Fitness Together for a while, over 4 yrs. The trainers are great and very knowledgeable about how to vary exercises and if you have a pr-exisiting condition how to work around it, what type of rehab or other advice. Here's the deal. I use to work out a long time ago regularly at the Cambridge YMCA. Yes, this is more money. But, 1. I have someone who pushes me to do my best 2. The routines are structured and vary so there is no boredom 3. If the exercises need to be different due to some issue, the trainer changes it up and knows what works. They are so knowledgeable that they can do this on the fly when needed. 4. The friendly support and encouragement keeps me coming back. I am a pretty dedicated person and will do what it takes to keep myself in shape. That said, Fitness Together has really helped push me to the next level where I have gotten much stronger and in better shape that I would have on my own. I know that some people view paying for a gym membership as an incentive to go,, i.e. if you don't go you're wasting your money. Fitness Together is more than that, it's a place where there's someone who is friendly, knowledgeable and supportive who will push me to do my best no matter what. The staff will also advise you on other healthy alternatives like diet. They want you to be in the best shape you can be and will do anything to get you there. I'm 53 years old and I'm in better health than I have been in for 15 years. Lastly, I mentioned that I have been coming here for over 4 years. Fitness Together has been through several owners. The current owner , owns at least 2 other Fitness Togethers. The current staff that was brought on last October has been great and all these comments are relative to them. I'm grateful that Fitness Together is here in Cambridge and that they have helped me get into the best shape I've been in. read more

I have moved around a lot over the past two years, so it was always hard to stick to an individual health routine - plus I don't have enough interest in it to put in the time and effort to plan my own workouts, track progress, etc. Enter trainers. I started working out with a trainer when I lived in Colorado, and I LOVED it. He was really intense, no two workouts were the same, and I saw results right away. He didn't give me false praise (hate that), and he spent significant time trying to pinpoint my exact fitness goals and then tailoring the workouts to my goals. After that I was hooked. I have since moved to Cambridge (used Fitness Together), then to Chicago (found a trainer there), then back to Cambridge (FT again). I like Fitness Together for the following reasons: 1. The trainers know what they're doing. I have trained with Norm (the owner), Sam (left FT to go train Olympians in Colorado :( ), Brian (the current manager, an AWESOME guy), and Chris (another trainer, and awesome). 2. It's close to my home and my office. 3. They have been flexible with me: It seems the existing model was that you guy X number of sessions at a certain time slot and then you have whoever is working on that day and time. That doesn't work for me because: 1. My work schedule changes almost daily. 2. I really wanted to have the same person every time (another reviewer was right - changing trainers all the time makes it hard to have consistent, tough workouts. You need to build a rapport with a person) I talked to Norm and he immediately changed the system so that now I just buy 10 sessions and I use them whenever I want. I can call or email FT to schedule my sessions. I have to give an extra PROPS! to Brian -- Not only is he a great trainer - cares about form, all about stretching, preventing injury, diet...BUT he emails me workouts for the rest of the week, so that while I only train with him twice a week, I get four awesome workouts a week. He tracks my progress, changes the workout structure both daily and over 8-week cycles, and is constantly checking in with me about injuries (I play volleyball and hockey), how I'm feeling, how I look, my progress. I am a graduate student at MIT so price is important to me because I don't have a lot of money to spend on things other than food and rent. I can say that in terms of one-on-one fitness, Fitness Together is the same price or cheaper than basically everything else in the area. The only place I have found that's cheaper is MIT, but their trainers are definitely sub-par, so I would recommend spending the extra money if you can and getting a FT trainer. Also, FT is trying to put together group workout sessions so that people can have the benefits of a personal trainer and the benefits of the team-building environment and work out at a reduced cost compared to one-on-one fitness. It sounds awesome. Other nice things: they have fruit, coffee, and gatorade for the customers (seems small but matters a lot more than you think), and the shower facilities are really nice. So yeah, overall: price, quality, flexibility, location, quality of equipment/showers - all good things at FT. Happy Fitness! read more

I went to FT for 8 months, during which time I worked with the trainers three times a week. Over this time, I lost exactly 0 lbs and 1/2 an inch. I repeatedly asked for suggestions on how to increase my chances of success, and every time I was told to "try harder". When I asked about seeing a nutritionist, I was told I could see a sports nutritionist who could design an eating plan for me. $300 later and all I got was a handout with boiled-down diet advice and one meeting with the owner of FT. Finally, I realized that I would never achieve my goals with FT and I ended my sessions. FT is extremely expensive, and in my opinion it is not worth the money. The equipment is old, the space is small, and although they were very nice, the trainers were no better than those you could find at any gym. For the past month I have been going to a gym with better equipment and more knowledgeable staff, and I have already made more progress than my entire 8 months at FT. What else can I say? read more

Great 1-on1 attention for working out. Really help you plan out your fitness goals. One downfall is that they have a hummer with a fitness together logo on the side that almost ran me off the road...watch out! read more

I like the individualized attention. The structured sessions coupled with trainer encouragement are strong motivators for me. Dan and his team know just how far to push me without it being overwhelming. And I like FT's non intimidation/non judgemental attitude. They really want you to succeed. I encourage all ages and body types to check it out. I've been a satisfied client for 8 years, & haven't regretted a minute of it! read more

These guys are great. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible schedule-wise. I had a package deal that was also pretty affordable. Dan and Vahid were both great. I was training to get stronger for martial arts, and they were super helpful. Recommend these guys highly! read more

I trained with Norm, Chris and another trainer and they were all excellent. The gym itself is small so not sure if you could call this your weekly gym and personal training center, seems like you would have to belong elsewhere as there are only 2 rooms. read more

I am so, so glad I signed up for training with these guys. I called them on a whim because their Hampshire St location was close to my apartment, and the NEW OWNER, Brian, is so reasonable, accessible, and sincere even over the phone that I decided it could hurt to go to the free introductory session. After a couple months there I can attest these guys are so kind, they really push you without ever embarrassing you, they definitely know what they're talking about (not just with cardio and strength training but also alignment, nutrition, and many other aspects of the body), and they meet you wherever you're starting in life....which sounds like a slogan but they do. They've each got a good sense of humor, and they're extremely thorough in creating an individualized plan for you. Signing up may not be cheap but there are a variety of options, and I needed to be accountable to someone or I wouldn't get the work done - and it turns out the work they do is worth every penny. PLUS you get to use the cardio equipment even when you're not training, so you're not JUST paying for the (awesome) sessions. They've been so aware of the health issues I've been dealing with and how to push me within my personal constraints, and even called to check in on me when they knew I was going through a rough time. I mean....c'mon, who's that lovely? Give them a try, you'll be very happy. Sidenote, I read that 1 star review from March of LAST YEAR, BEFORE Brian took over, and it doesn't remotely reflect the current facility/staff with which I've been training. read more