Edit(July): weighted battle ropes added and astro turf on sled track has been replaced. Changed the rating to 3 stars. As mentioned by other reviewers, friendly staff and members, 24hrs access is a plus, but just not a well maintained gym. Was willing to overlook a lot of the other issues that others have mentioned — broken lockers with no doors, dripping ceiling, poorly maintained weight machines, cardio machines held together with tape. But disrepair has now reached a point where I can’t actually complete my workout, and now have to look elsewhere to find a place to train. I enjoy training at other Fitness First gyms. Newtown is conveniently located so it’s frustrating that this is the one branch I can’t viably use. I’ll admit that my issue relates to specific equipment (eg weighted battle ropes and sled) which wouldn’t affect everyone. But the general lack of care in maintaining equipment in this gym is obvious and I think it reaches a level where some equipment is potentially unsafe. [attached images: rusted equipment held together with tape, cheap astroturf sled track worn down to rubber, more broken machinery, dripping roof, broken lockers, weighted battle ropes worn out and replaced with cheap unweighted version]

I loved this gym for years and have deliberated for so long before sending this. Individual lockers have been broken for well over 2 years and nearly all of them are broken in half of the male change room. Equipment is rusty and held with tape, many pieces are out of use at any one time. The nice looking sled track now has grass missing off the tracks. Plus they fixed the leaky roof by putting in new carpet. Worst Fitness First in Aus?! Staff and users are great but the gym is a joke.

Perhaps the worst maintained FF gym in the entirety of Sydney. Disgusting actually. Just a sample of lockers, toilets out of order. Plus their claim that the gym is 24hrs is a total sham. Friday afternoon at 5pm & saunas are locked because no staff rostered & gym users are expected to enter & exit the gym via filthy fire stairs. And they actively advise against using lockers when reception is unstaffed (which is most of the time) so good luck with your wallet, keys & any valuables! Save your money & go elsewhere. Almost any gym in Newtown is better than this dump.

Awful. Dirty. Unkept. Old equipment. This gym is just terrible, the gym floors are old and falling apart. The equipment is faulty and quite frankly unsafe. The change rooms are mouldy, smelly, with many showers, sinks and lockers unusable. Totally left to fall apart. No value for money and would not recommend to anyone.

Staffed hours are garbage. Thursday and friday you close too early for 9-5 people to work out and use sauna after work. Saturday sunday you close facilities at midday. That's four days a week that an evening person can't use key facilities they're paying for.

Echoing all the other reviews. This gym needs some serious money thrown at it. There is always a machine thats broken (every time i visit). Lockers don't work, theres a bucket lying around the gym because theres a leak somewhere. FITNESS FIRST NEWTOWN - if you continue to not maintain this gym, your members will look elsewhere (As they already are). Do better.

Ladies beware, harassed and followed around the gym by a male gym member who took photos of me. When I brought this to the clubs attention they did nothing and only offered to freeze my membership until I felt ‘safe’ despite their policy on harassment which is as follows: “Any Club user who acts in an intimidating, abusive, violent, or disrespectful manner may be ejected from the Club, and Members may have their Membership terminated with no refund of fees already paid.” This was all document on CTV abut they actually did not care. Would recommend newton gym as a safe and inclusive environment.

It used to be a good gym. There is no maintenance on the machine, it is frequent to find screws from machine on the floor. There are plenty of dumbells, barbells and accessories on the floor all over the gym. Half of the top lockers are not working and some are hanging There or removed. There is no air con, only temporary fans at each corners, there are leaks from the ceiling for years with buckets to collect water. The PTs are self-focused, drop their weight when they're working out, against their own rules, it is frustrating. You are welcome by good receptionists however they're are here just for few weeks. The gym is just unsafe and not maintained.

The facilities are decent but the staff are conning you from the very beginning. If you are new to working out or thought fitness first was affordable, think again. They scammed me. The man quoted a price for a month's length not knowing he would renew my subscription without my consent. He had called me to see about an extension and I had told him to call me back later on in the month. I did not answer the call so he automatically renewed my subscription. I then answer a call a month later to hear my about my debts and suddenly there the victims. All in all, would not recommend the gym unless you are dedicated to working out. Staff minipulated me with their fake smiles and secret agenda.

Was excited to finally start working out at this gym, until I went in to sign up where as a 17 year old at the time I was ushered by one of the staff into forging my mums signature right outside the building to sign a 1 and a half year long contract which is just completely illegal. Not to mention I have been lied to countless times about flexability with my contract, with each person giving different rules I need to follow, that was when I could get in contact with them after sitting on hold for over an hour sometimes. Also lets talk about the actual gyms quality, complete trash. Machine grips are in poor condition and are barely grippy, there is at least 1 machine always out of order, no air conditioning whatsoever, chalk barely ever gets replaced. If you are someone who intends to workout at least somewhat properly, avoid this gym.

Great customer service when I signed up and the guy provided me his email address for contact. As soon as I signed up and had a query I emailed and got no response. I sent 2 follow ups and after my third (2 weeks later) I got a reply from someone else. I asked to have my membership cancelled and got no reply. I sent a follow up, no reply. I continue to get charged from Newtown FF. I tried calling about 5 times and the phone ends up hanging on me. I will now have to close my bank account to prevent further transactions from occurring.

Asked one of the staff in June to cancel my membership as I was moving houses - they said yes. Found out in November that the staff member did not cancel the contract. I called up and asked AGAIN, but as per usual I get an email on the 31st of December from debt collectors Debit Success saying that I owe $350 (payment since JUNE). Called up 5-6 times, hung up by staff, and sent multiple emails all for no help at all. Now threatened with legal action and uni student has to pay $351 due to staff error. Safe to say will not be going to Fitness First again

Fitness first debited an amount from my bank account after it was already confirmed that my membership was terminated. This happened not only once but a second time even after I notified them of the issue. This occurred in June 2023 and I notified fitness first immediately. Since June, I have emailed multiple times asking for a refund update and weeks go by before I receive a response. It appears that the tactic is to delay responding to my messages in the hope I forget about the direct debits and they won’t be refunded.

This gym is pathetic. Ever since I have been at this gym (1 year) the lockers have only worked maybe 10% of the time. I risk my things being stollen every time I go. When I cancelled my membership the staff asked for feedback. I told them about my issues with the lockers. The staff became defensive and told me that issue had been fixed months ago. This is not true. I am at the gym now and once again my gear is behind an unlocked door.

I have been patient and have been hoping things will improve at Newtown Fitness First. But things have not..... The Newtown Fitness First is very poorly maintained, most of the lockers cannot be locked, some without doors. I have complained before Christmas (ie more than 4 months ago). Apparently the management is aware but no actions have been taken. The receptionist team seems to be well aware of the issue and they have apparently conveyed the message to management. I have seen other Fitness First branch put up a sign that apologise if the particular locker does not work. One day, one of the members will have his belonging stolen from the unlockable lockers, who then is responsible? On other issues - water bucket is often seen to collect dripping water during rainy days, equipment has parts missing and no warning signs to say things will be attended to soon, the 24/7 side entrance smells awful, cleaning is seriously required, I question how frequently the shower cubicles are cleaned and attended to - empty containers can be seen the next day (I use the gym frequently sometimes), empty shower gel does not get topped up. The 24/7 access is convenient, but many other gyms are providing such access too. Surely there must be someone within Fitness First that cares? 18 February 2022 post.

I’ve been a member of this gym for many years but it seems it’s definitely time to move. Where to start: the men’s lockers have been in disrepair for months meaning unless you are early you won’t get one; the aircon currently doesn’t work (or is being left off); the water fountain is no longer cooled; a lot of equipment is broken; the steam room has been out of order for months. To add insult to injury the prices have just been increased! If you are looking for a gym in Newtown, look elsewhere.

I have been a regular client of this gym for around 5 years and I have never seen the change rooms in such terrible conditions. Almost all the lockers are broken. Door missing, lock missing, it's very very bad. The fact that you have to open almost all doors tp find out which one is actually working is pretty disappointing.

Possibly the worst costumer service iv ever dealt with please do not make the same mistake as I did and sign up with any kind of Fitness First. They are terrible to deal with and will most likely try and keep taking your money even tho you have cancelled multiple times. Complete scam.

I haven't found a better place to train and feel comfortable with my own body. LGBT friendly, so I always feel safe and welcoming.

Equipment isn't great, leaky roof, aircon was really poor in summer, it got very warm upstairs. I was told I could transfer my membership to someone else by 3 different staff members (also by the T&C's) but after 3 weeks of waiting, Fitness First went back on their word and told me it was misinformation. Not honouring T&C's is very poor, would avoid them at all costs

Been a member for a few years. It’s awful. Only giving 2 stars due to the friendly people and regulars who use this gym. It has no air conditioning and the old air con unit drips water from the ceiling all over the floor. It’s seriously got to be breaching health and safety regulations…it’s the peak of summer and people are in the gym absolutely melting with no air con. They put random fans throughout the gym which do nothing. Equipment is also old and there’s always at least one machine not working each week. Foam rollers are disgusting. Most of the lockers in the men’s locker room are broken. Don’t understand why they can’t do a reno. It’s close and convenient to home otherwise I’d be going elsewhere. I’ve used many FF throughout Australia and this is by far the worst.

Simply put: this gym is uninspiring. No atmosphere. I loved doing the HIIT class until I found out you have to pay extra every session for it. Why? The membership is also crazy expensive. I thought fitness first was top of the line for gyms. TBH this place needs a full renovation and new management. It has potential with its prime location!!!

Thought I'd add my own one star review to the growing chorus of complaints. I agree with the negative reviews about poor upkeep of the change rooms and gym equipment, and can confirm that nothing has changed over the last months. What hasn't been previously mentioned I don't think is that staffed hours on the weekends have been reduced to a paltry 8am-midday. Reception on the weekends is also frequently unattended, with staff seeming to prefer sitting in the back room under the stairs.

Wonderful team who always have your best interests at heart. Love coming into the classes, which are always so much fun. Would recommend for people new to working out, or those who are worked out for a while.

Staff is very friendly and helpful. Great gym to kick off your fitness goals.

I go to the gym almost every morning before work and really like the classes I take. I could never work out on my own (too lazy) but with the group classes I find the motivation I need. Only improvement I’d suggest (at least in Newtown) almost all lockers are broken. Fixing the lockers’ locks would really improve the experience.

This is such a nice gym and everyone is always very friendly. I especially like the group classes. They used to have extended staffed hours that have recently been reduced which means you need to take the emergency exit for 24 hour access (bit of a struggle after leg day) but overall very nice.

very clean and we'll organized

I came here to check out the gym. The staff was super friendly and helpful. There is a large variety of equipment, everything I need in a gym. Highly recommend

Not too bad, but to be completely honest. Other fitnesses have better deals, for example when you want to pause your membership when you go on a holiday, Fitness first still charges you. And fitness Newtown doesn’t have the best equipments compared to the others as well, they don’t have different ones and very often the ones in Newtown are damaged or out of order. I have tried different gyms like anytime fitness and snap fitness but fitness first in Newtown scores the lowest for me, I only joined because i love going to the sauna and steam bath and they have in Newtown, but the smell there is unbearable so i am not able to go anyway. I know that many of us have emailed them to do a better job in cleaning but it doesn’t seem to get better. I just don’t like the idea to sit in a steam bath and breath in the air of smelly feet.

Fitness First Newtown is one of the best gyms I've trained at. The staff are very accommodating and and community is very friendly. I highly recommend using the sauna and steam room after a workout. The group fitness class instructors are also very friendly.

Tried to talk to the manager Ashish Mishra, I called the gym 5 times in different days and always someone said he would called me in 5 minutes. When I called last time I was told he wasn’t in the club and he has something more important than talk to a customer. My issue wasn’t solved.

As with MANY others, it's pretty bad. The staff are nice however it's not a well kept gym and communication is bad. I've been trying to cancel my membership for more than 1 year and they will not. I've spent more time on the phone than actually at the gym. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid

There was a very accomodating man who explained to me how to upgrade my membership with all the necessary information I needed from the prices to the exact weeks left I had for my contract called Liam. He also came off very confidently which was a definite plus.

I've chosen this gym as its location is very comfortable right next to the train station so I can go train right after coming back from work. The venue is large and I can do my complete workout without problems, but more than half of the lockers in the male changing room are out of service and the calisthenics parallettes are ridiculously constantly missing. One star to the customer service which is a joke. They're all very nice when you sign up, and then they don't care anymore about you afterwards.

Newtown Fitness First would have to be the Worst Fitness First I have been to, besides the aircon on upper level not working during summer and unworkable equipments , the gym CANT even meet minimum standards of having a water fountain working on both floors

It’s a great place to train ,clean great equipment great stuff

Chris asian guy is the best staff Newtown has ever had. He was so helpful and accommodating. He has solved my friend membership issues that had been stuck there for ages. I am also sad that he said he would leave soon.

Well equipped space, many options of classes. However, the weights are often disorganized

Such a shame as a convenient location and has been a nice bunch of regulars. Although majority of people I know won’t go here anymore (even my trainer quit lol). It’s so so poorly maintained, I’ve reported numerous times the broken lockers and failing equipment and nothing happens, it just keeps getting worse. Managers have never responded to complaints or requests for help with billing enquiries / account holds. The worst gym.

Got signed up on an amazing deal by an employee named Mirsab. Was taken on tour of the gym and shown all it’s facilities in a professional and informative manner that made me feel welcome! Great gym to go to, professional staff and great equipment!