Zum

I love Zum. I was intimidated to go at first. It was so nice looking that I thought that it meant snobby and pretentious, but I was COMPLETELY wrong. I have never been at a gym where everyone was so nice and down to earth. After my tour, I met a trainer Kathryn who invited me to her class the next day. I was scared to go, but I gave my word so I went. Kathryn remembered me, and the class totally kicked my butt and I joined the next week. The thing I love the most is that people really go to the gym to work out. I have been a member of 24 hour fitness and was a loyal member of Golds. I hated the meat-market feel, that people were more interested in how they looked or that they looked like they knew what they were doing more than working out itself. I also hated that it was so busy; I could never use the equipment I wanted. Zum is completely the opposite, its nice people who care about taking care of their health-not just how they look in their clothes. I am a younger member of the gym, and I was shocked at what some older members of the gym could do, they were more fit and strong than my 20s self. The most important part is the trainers know their stuff, and they care about you. Kathryn is amazing! My father played football professionally and is a football coach, and I was an athlete, so I came with a solid foundationKathryn worked muscles I didnt know I had, and I do things my father is impressed with, thats saying something. Lastly, it is more expensive, but my health is worth it. They also have discounts for groups, my company signed up, and I get a really good discounted rate.

I saw physical trainers for 6 months a ruptured disk and nobody helped me heal like Joe at Zum. He is the best!

Until I started going to Zum, I was never inspired to work out. Zum changed that for me. The trainers are fantastic, so professional, so down to earth. They actually want to get to know you, and care about your goals. The facility is also terrific -- spotless and visually arresting. I think some people mistake this for pretentiousness. It's absolutely not that way at all. It boils down to the fact that these people really care about creating an environment that inspires people. It's not because they're snobby. And shame on you, in the post below, for airing the dirty laundry of the staff members. That's really not fair. What does it tell you about a gym when its members feel such a connection to it, that they stick up for the trainers and staff? And I can bet other members who read this would feel the same way.

I also highly recommend Zum's massage services, Colleen's in particular. I've had countless massages at various places in the city, and Colleen's is by far the best and most effective. She's a total pro at what she does. And that means listening to your needs, keeping her focus and making you feel comfortable. I always leave thinking, "why would I ever have a massage anywhere else?"

I notice that most of the negative reviews are from people who haven't actually worked out at ZUM. Hmmm. ZUM ain't cheap, especially if you're comparing the costs of monthly membership to places like Bally's, Gold's, or 24-Hour Fitness. But ZUM isn't trying to compete with those places. At all. I can see that the place would be a little intimidating to a newbie. I was intimidated. Everything is pretty and shiny and new-ish. Once I got to know the place, however, and you know, ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING OUT THERE, I found that I really got into the vibe. ZUM does have a philosophy, rooted in core strength, and focusing heavily on proper form and diet. For someone like me, this is great. The amount of information my trainer (hi, Mo!) gives me during every single workout can be daunting, but many weeks into my program, a lot of the info is starting to sink in. I'm loving it. I can't wait for my next training session. There are lots of classes for all fitness levels, there is Yoga instruction and massage. One last time: it ain't cheap. But how much is your fitness worth to you? It's worth a lot to me, and that's why I'm a member.

I found Zum to be chic and phony, well suited to yuppies instead of regular folks. They are extremely expensive and seem to care more about the money than the people. Their staff is kind of weird, to say the least. The head guy, Peter, is not a bad guy, even though he is a recovering alcoholic who has had major problems with women. He just cannot stand overweight people. I found the place to be pretentious and would recommend it only for residents of Belltown.