Talisman Centre

I have been a member of Talisman Centre for 4 years now and love it. I love that they maintain all the equipment and facilities to high sports standards. I love that I can run on a track, use the machines, get on weights, take a class, yoga it up, swim in 2 different length pools, and finish it off with a nice hot tube.
I also like that it is busy. Yup thats right, busy. There are people there all times of the day using the facilities and getting their sport on. But as with traffic on Deerfoot the peak times don’t last forever, and if you come outside of those time you will always get a machine or a swim lane. As one of the class instructors once said «Don’t hate that the gym gets busy, applause everyone for working so hard on being the best they can be health wise».
What keeps me coming back and not to a gym that costs less per month, is the amazing class schedule in both the yoga studio and in the gym area. They offer a wide range of classes and lots of them. You dont have to worry that you missed the only Ripped class that week, cause more than likely there will be one tomorrow. With online booking for limited size classes I am also able to secure a spot without having to be there 30min before.
I also love that every demographic can be found here. You may find the beautiful people at this gym, but they are working out too and not just looking pretty. Old or young, fit or trying to get fit, you find them all. No judgement and I like that.
The staff always have a smile for you and will answer all your endless questions, or direct you to someone who can answer them.
These are the reasons I keep going back and advocate the Talisman Centre over any other gym.

I first became a member at the Talisman Centre in 2003. Initially, not being a gym person, it was the awesome childcare that hooked me. As a busy mom, a break in the day was a precious thing! Not only are the child care staff very well trained and good people, but there is an outside window wall and one can walk into Childcare at any time. Parents walk in to sign in and sign out their kids at random times. I always felt safe with this very open situation. I was not willing to leave my child behind a closed door with a stranger and that is quite often how child care is. There is a Good Earth Café, a Jugo Juice and plenty of places to chill with a coffee and a bite to eat (your own or purchased). I started out with the gym workout and soon after began attending six days a week: then. varying fitness classes became part of my routine. I discovered yoga at the Talisman in 2008 — fell in love and soon after became a Yoga Teacher. Since 2010 I have been working as a Yoga Teacher at the TC. Every day I am grateful to be a part of this amazing place with such a positivity energy! Regardless of whether you are seeking a workout challenge or seeking some gentler fitness, a balance to your routine, or working with injury; There is something for everyone. The front desk staff are kind and will do there best to answer questions and assist you. The Ripped Classes, Group Power, Power Yoga, Cycle Classes, Zumba and some of the popular and more typical classes. Also popular are the plenty of mid-​range and gentler options such as: Restorative Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Yoga Blend, Deep Water Fitness and more. I recommend trying a variety. of classes with different instructors to get an idea of what might best suit your schedule and needs. The Talisman Centre is a big place and initially it might be a bit intimidating to some, but the staff are helpful and will do their best to ensure you are taken care of. It is worthwhile to take some time to adjust and really get to know the place. Weekends and peak times can be busy, especially when there are events being hosted.
Here is a list of great things about the Talisman Centre.
***Great Value.
***Large Gym (newly renovated)
*** Yoga Studio
***Several Pools, 2 hot tubs, steam room, showers, lockers.
***Free and Plentiful Parking.
***Central Location.
***Helpful and well trained staff.
***Top Notch Fitness Instructors.
***Variety of fitness classes from morning to night.
***Open early morning to late evening daily.
***Lounge areas to sit, relax and eat.
***Free Wifi
***Restaurants (Jugo Juice, Good Earth) and Vending Machines.
***Excellent Childcare at a good price.
***Registered Classes and Personal Training available.
***Preschool and Summer Camps available.
***Handicap Accessibility.
***Social Media Presence, website and Talisman Centre app.
***Easy Public Transit Access.
***Walking Path and beautiful Lindsay park, surrounding facility.
***Facility is regularly maintained and upgraded.

I used to work at talisman 11 years ago. But recently I am back the last year as a customer and I love the staff and the facilities. Maria at customer service always has the access for me. She’s a great person to see when I come in. Aswell as the life guards that always seem to be doing a great job. I go in the afternoons so it’s quieter and they always have quick answers on what lanes I can use as I get frustrated when I can’t find one lol. The locker room stays a lot cleaner than years ago and I’m excited to go every day. I have a cleaning business and there’s nothing better than my talisman escape and all the great people!!! #getalifecleanerinc #talismanbestpool

This is one of the biggest fitness centres Calgary has to offer. For the price of a membership they offer some pretty awesome bang for your buck, especially if you’re into multidisciplinary fitness. I love being able to work out in the gym or catch a group fitness class and then hit the steam room and hot tub after.
The dive towers are currently closed to the public. This is sort of a shame as these have been my favourite feature since back in the days it was known as Lindsay Park when I was but a we diver.
RIPPED — I wind up at the ‘Ripped’class a lot with my room mate — she’s nice enough to do me a favour and drage me out of be at 5:15 AM so that we can be at the 6am class. While it seems there’s mostly women that get into the group fitness thing, this class is awesome for any fitness level as you can up your weight and the depth of your moves to get as much from the workout as you desire. It’s can be rather dancy, but I just forget about the hundred other people in the facility that can see me, get my inner Diva on an burn some calories. While by no means a strictly women’s class, this class sure seems to focus on my «lady problem areas.» My buns and triceps sure seem to take a sever beating whenever I do this class. I also wind up in a sweaty, panting puddle.

This is a sport complex with a wide range of facilities and activities that are all included in the basic, competitively priced membership. It reminds me a lot more of a university sports facility than a regular gym, since in addition to the typical weights, treadmills, and bikes they have badminton and basketball courts, as well as THREE pools (including 2×50m that are often split into 25m) plus hot tubs. It’s fairly busy here all the time, but the place is big enough to generously accommodate all of the individual and group activities going on. Except when there is a swim meet, parking is ample. The group exercise classes include Jari Love’s popular Ripped series, power (barbell), yoga, and more scheduled frequently from morning to night. All around, everything you’d want in a gym, unless you play squash!

WOW, I was so surprised to see Eau Claire YMCA got better reviews than Talisman! I am not sure how that happened but Talisman is one of the best fitness facilities in Calgary (if not the best in my opinion) Just the pool complex alone sets it apart from the rest… there are about 5 of them, I don’t know any other gym in the city that has that. The class schedule has lot of options and they are all included with the membership. The equipment is replaced often, I have been a member for 3 years and I constantly see new machines being installed or the old ones being replaced.
The staff is amazing, super friendly and helpful and the whole vibe of the gym is great. Working out at Talisman is super motivating! I don’t know if I would go to anywhere else

There really isn’t anything that I can complain about but feel that Talisman should keep on their toes and work to get even better. How about more space in the executive locker room? Sure, let’s go with that.
This is a GREAT fitness facility and all of the classes are included with your membership (unlike many other gyms that will remain unnamed). The instructors are top notch and the facilities themselves fantastic. Even on the busiest day or night you can get a locker and into the class of your choice. I’m a big fan and will be a long term member for sure.

I really like the Talisman Centre. It seems to be the only place that has no lack of equipment AND two olympic sized swimming pools. The pools are what keeps me coming back though. I used to have a annual membership here years ago, but now I choose to pay the 6 dollar late rate. After 930pm the facility has a lot less people and I haven’t had to share a swimming lane once.
The problem I have with the Talisman Centre is that it is expensive. Of course, they know they are the biggest and baddest place to get fit so it seems they charge what they feel they can get away with. Who would pay $ 13 to go during the day? Honestly the $ 69/​month if you commit to 12 months (this price goes up every year mind you) is not bad. They usually give you some extra passes (well, they did a few years go) when you do that.
I almost forgot why I have a problem… it wasn’t that long ago that the late rate was $ 3. I think it jumped to 5 and then finally 6. In that time they have had to do massive reno’s on the roof — and to charge the patrons for this is BS in my mind. I have no problem when the money they collect goes to things like new locker rooms (which they have done within a few years) and new equipment, but if there’s structural renovations to do, then reach deeper into your own pockets.
Saying that, I can’t imagine swimming in the people soup you see at other pools in the city (you will continue to get my business, Talisman). I just wish there were other facilities with 2 olympic sized pools open late, because then we would see competitive pricing. I also wish I was a little taller.

Review #2 of Unilocal’s 30 Day November Challenge
I’ve been to the Talisman a few times now to work out and went again last night. They had a problem with their system so all admission was free so that’s was a nice surprise.
Pro’s:
Lots of variety at the facility, weight room, cardio area, gyms, pools, hot tubs, track, exercise class rooms etc.
Lots of space in locker rooms, you can also save $ 1 and bring your own lock
Drop in for $ 10 or membership available
Exercise classes are included in membership
Booster Juice on site
Large parking lots
Lots of cardio machines have tv and cable
Con’s:
Can get crowded
Location is a little difficult to get to coming from the south, there’s only 1 way in and there can be traffic
Lots of kids in pool area
Some areas like swimming lanes and track can be booked by groups so there’s not a lot of time open to the public
If it were more easy to access and was a little less crowded I might get a membership here. But coming from Glenmore to Macleod can get busy because of rush hour and make it kind of a pain.

The Talisman Centre really is a great gym and has everything a regular gym-​goer will need, along with designated weight rooms/​equipment for athletes/​athletic teams.
Pros:
–The variety of machines. There is a machine here for everyone and the customer service staff is helpful in helping you figure out how to use them if you need it. This includes both cardio and weight machines.
–Good hours. For those who want to work out at 5 AM before work, this gym is perfect. It’s open untill 11 durng the week which is nice too. It’s also open 364 days a year.
–The variety of classes. The fitness classes and the teachers are great. Really upbeat, good workouts, and a lot of fun. A very nice group atmosphere for those who feel the gym is a bit isolating/​big.
–Quality of the swimming pools. They have a two 50 m pools (which can be converted in 25 m) and really are just very nice, big, open pools.
–Location. Centrally located and near the downtown core, it provides easy access for businesspeople.
Cons:
–Can be very busy. The peak on their website are pretty accurate. I’ve found it’s busiest between about 10 – 1130 and between 5 – 630. If you go before 9 or after 7, you probably won’t run into any problems.
–Only have two AMT machines. While this is a fairly unpopular cardio machine, the people who use are typically very dedicated to it and if you get those people coming in at the same time, you can wait over an hour to use it. As well, a few times one of the machines has been broken, which only left one. When you pay your fees, you expect to be able to use the equipment you want.
–The timing of the classes. While most are well spaced-​out and I understand they can’t accommodate everyone, it’s frustrating when you want to do two classes and one starts at 9 and the other at 9:30. It’d be better in my opinion if they all started on the hour, which would give people the option to do workouts back to back.
–I haven’t done a ton of searching, but I do think it’s more expensive than other gyms. I have a student membership which is only about $ 50/​month and for that’s reasonable as I use the gym at least 5x a week. But if you’re only going in 2x or so, you’d probably be better off finding a cheaper gym or investing in home equipment.
I’ve been going to this gym for the past five years and I always return even though there are gyms closer to my place. The main reason I keep going back is because they’re the only gym I know of that has the AMT machine which I love (I told you, the people are dedicated!), good hours, and good variety of machines/​classes. The only really annoying con for me is the busy peak hours, but that may be to be expected at any gym.

It is a beautiful facility. I was not excited about the fact that when I became a member they never gave me a tour or told me how to enter center areas or what areas I could use. I found the front office staff to be lazy and at times seem to be careless about their job. I don’t understand why they have free spin classes but swimming classes cost money. This place has a lot of potential, it just needs to grow their customer service.

I like the Talisman Centre. It’s near my house, my membership includes my classes, there’s a pool, a track, a dive tank, three gyms, two weight areas, lots of parking and a friendly staff.
Talisman gets a bad rap for being expensive ($ 66/​mo starting Jan 2012) but I actually think the membership fee is worth it considering everything that’s included.
Talisman is so popular that the classes are top-​notch, the equipment is quite new (or very well maintained), and there’s also Jugo Juice, Good Earth and a child care service on site. It’s also nicely located along the river very close to running paths and parks. The membership includes all the classes they offer, full use of the facility and when I signed up, I got a gym bag and 12 free song downloads.
There is one downside to this gym. It’s busy — I am not sure I have ever been in the Talisman when it’s not quite full. But to be fair, there has only been once that the busyness effected my workout — I was kicked out of the pool in place of a water polo class before my swim was over — but that’s been it.
The Talisman Centre is a great gym with good programs, good equipment and a large variety of services. It can be intimidating to go alone, but once there you quickly forget the gym is packed and settle into your routine.
T.

Located downtown with plenty of parking this is one of the largest fitness centres in Calgary. It has recently undergone remodeling adding a new area with a 2^nd lap pool + 2^nd larger hot tub, and also a new weights + gym machine area overlooking the river! (new equipment with individual TVs!)
There are plenty of machines to choose from (weights & cardio). They also have cleaning solution + towels available to clean machines after use (which I appreciate). I’ve also seen staff members going around wiping down the machines periodically which is nice. I also like the running track.
It can get VERY busy during peak hours (after 4pm).
They also have courts for basketball, volleyball, badminton, etc, and a diving pool.
At the front lobby they have ‘Good Earth’ and ‘Jugo Juice’ for your convenience.
If you are visiting Calgary, there is a c-​train stop right across from it.
The stop is ‘Erlton Station’ (of course you still have to cross Macleod Trail).
One thing… I wish they had soap/​shampoo, conditioner dispensers in the shower stalls for those days you forget… something is better than nothing.

I work out here sometimes when my coach isn’t available at my regular gym. This place has a lifting platform with bumper plates and an IWF certified bar bell, which is key to my workouts. Unfortunately there is only one lifting platform and one IWF bar, so sometimes I can’t get my lifts in. Aside from that, the place is great for swimming, badminton, cardio and other types of body building style workouts. My only real complaint about this place is that it is extremely humid due to the pool and open ceiling design; I prefer a cooler and dryer environment.

Seeing as the only review here doesn’t really cover anything but a bad experience with the entrance staff, let’s get down to business & get a real review going *ahem* here are the basics:
— It’s a great gym with the best equipment I’ve come across. That said I enjoy speed & power training. So the track and plethora of strength equipment are fantastic. I really enjoy the hammer strength brand machines, they are just the most solid machines out there with the best ranges of motions. The free weights are amazing & rarely am I waiting on weights. The one thing lacking: kickboxing bags.
–Swimming pools, hottubs, and a yoga room — with free classes are also here. I rarely use them, so somebody else should review these.
–It can be busy, but people are quite accommodating and will share equipment; make some friends ppl :)
–The staff will teach you basically anything for free & there is some serious experience kicking around. Some not so experienced too, so just be choosy, as always.
–I’m only giving it 4 stars because it is a huge facility and lacks a certain social or community atmosphere. It is what you make it, but the size of the facility can be a bit daunting at times. That said, for coming in and getting your workout done, it can’t be beat.
–I’ve been going here as one of my gyms for 3 years.
JS

Well No Doubt that this place is probably calgary’s best fitness facility but I’ve gone 3 times to sign up for a membership and was told to come back another time…“we’re short staffed”
Thats a piss off cause I’d really like to give you my $ 60/​month for a facility that’s half shut down due to construction.
Usually gets uncomfortably busy during peak hours but that should be expected I suppose.