Built in the traditional standalone style that the company is known for, the LA Fitness club in Southfield, MI offers a serious fitness experience for those looking to get in shape but without the high price you might expect for all the amenities that are included in the membership.
Situated just round the corner of Telegraph and Twelve Mile Rd behind the Denny’s Restaurant, the gym is set in a prime location to afford easy access for residents in the area. Ask anyone who successfully trains how important location is for being able to make a consistent commitment to fitness and they’ll say that it’s crucial.
This particular LA Fitness location offers the full array of options which the company has established as the standard for each of their gyms. Step through the front door and you are greeted with a clean and lighted atrium and sign-in desk with staff ready to get you checked in and on to your workout quick. This entryway is specifically designed to give the impression that you are entering into a luxury experience even though you are not paying a luxury price. Clean lines are meant to indicate a clean facility. Does function follow form on this? Read the real-world reviews below in order to find out.
As for the offerings of the club itself, there is a full array of options. Free weights and selectech machines provide a varied approach to strength training and a full cardio zone allows members to burn fat and boost metabolism. Swimming is an option at most LA Fitness locations for those looking for an alternative form of fitness training via the lane-divide pool. At the Southfield, MI LA Fitness center, the pool is housed indoors so it can be used even during the frigid winters which Michigan is known for.
Both basketball and racquetball courts are on-site and organized league play for both is made available to all members who want the thrill of ongoing competition. Group exercise classes are also available for those seeing a high-energy workout without the pressure of competition.
Support services include the Kids Club which is open every day except for Sunday, a relaxing spa, and premium locker rooms with attached sauna. a full juice bar offering energizing healthy snacks, juice drinks, and smoothies.
Directions to the LA Fitness
in Southfield, MI
Click Here for Map & Directions
From the North – following Telegraph Road south is the most direct route for those inbound from the north side of town. Simply look for the Denny’s sign on the right once you pass 12 Mile and you’ll see the large gym set behind the restaurant.
From the South – Head north on Telegraph and keep an eye out for the gym on the left after you pass the Telegraph/I-696 junction. If you pass 12 Mile Road you’ve gone too far.
From East – Head west on Twelve Mile Rd. until you reach Telegraph. Turn right and immediately get into the far left land as you’ll be taking the turnaround so you can head south. Once southbound, get into the right lane as you’ll be turning right into the Southfield LA Fitness parking lot once you pass through the light at 12 Mile. If you are not located in the immediate area, take I-696 West to the Telegraph North exit and look for the gym on the left side of the street about the same time as you see the Meijer on your right.
From the West – take 12 Mile Rd. east to Telegraph and make a right turn to head south. The gym will show up quickly on the right just after Denny’s. Alternatively, you could take Northwestern Highway or I-696 East and get off at the northbound Telegraph Rd. exit and look for the gym on the left. If you hit 12 Mile you’ve gone too far and will need to double back south.
Reviews of the Southfield, MI LA Fitness club can be found below. Feel free to write a review of your own if you have a personal story or insight to share with others who may be thinking about signing up. Your input helps a lot more people make an informed decision than you know.
My reason for joining is that they have a pool asset. I stopped I to work out one afternoon because it was close to my house. The gym itself was not overcrowded at this time. As I proceeded to go into the locker room to change I found the ladies bathroom was awful. Every stall had toilet on the floor and not on the dispensers. Tolets not flush. It was so nasty it was ridiculous . I did though changed and used there swimming pool and whirlpool. Needless to say, I spoke with a staff member at the entrance . He said that at that particular time of the day no one was there. I felt that was a lousy excuse just like the lousy look of the ladies room.
The plus side is the pool. Don’t know if I will be going there again.
The facility has ample room for working out. Lots of machines. Very attractive facility. One challenge that the club is having is that some members get into the whirl pool and the swimming pool with tennis shoes and flip flops.( I know it’s really weird.)
Not only is this place outrageously expensive, the staff is rude and give out falsely information in order to gain more members. I think a gym should be somewhere anyone of any age can go to stay healthy. No wonder why most of young adults are overweight, it is because gyms like this put restrictions on who gets to work out at their gym and who doesn’t. My opinion is find somewhere else to work out. Chances are anywhere else will be less expensive and far more reasonable.
While I’d like to offer more words of praise, unfortunately the number of nice things I have to say is rather limited. Yes, this LA Fitness location does have all of the equipment and amenities that I would need in order to get myself into shape. Yes, the gym is clean and well maintained. Yes the staff is warm and encouraging. But that’s where the good of it ends.
The bottom line is that when I stopped in to evaluate the place on a free pass, I felt assailed by a group of hucksters where the sales staff was concerned. The manager told me that if I “signed up today” I would get a special discount. I said that I wasn’t sure I WAS going to sign up because it’s a bit of a far drive for me but he asked me to fill out a form in anticipation that I would and promised not to run the credit card unless I did sign up. I left after my tour and wasn’t quite convinced but when I checked my card status online the next day I found that they had charged the card regardless! I made a series of phone calls trying to get the issue resolved and the manager was always “busy” and in the end I had to drive up to the gym in order to get the issue worked out. Even then I had to get into a verbal argument with the manager before he consented to reverse the transaction. After all that, the charge back wasn’t processed for over a week. This has left a sour taste in my mouth and I’ll never be a member of the Southfield LA Fitness, that’s for sure.
In the end, though, this was the only major sticking point. If you need to get back in shape and the gym itself is close to you, I’d say to consider the place. Just don’t fill out any paperwork, and never put your credit card or bank information down until you feel that this is the right place for you and you’re ready to commit to going there.