X Shadyside

Very nice gym in the heart of Shadyside. I never had a problem with non-​functioning equipment. Parking can be an issue if you don’t live near by. The only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars is because of the limited weekend hours. Closing at 6pm on Sat/​Sun is too early.

Great gym! Lots of equipment, not too crowded, pretty clean, friendly staff. I just wish they had a sauna. That’s literally the only downside to this place. People reviewing on here who are annoyed with parking… Welcome to Pittsburgh! It’s really not as bad as they’re saying. You’ll have to walk 2 blocks; consider it a warm-​up.

I walk past this gym a couple of times a week when I make my excursion to the businesses, coffee shops, and True Runner (yes, I am a runner) along Walnut Street. Before I got my membership, I had thought that this was a small gym with a hefty price tag. From the outside, I saw a lot of ellipticals and treadmills through the first-​floor window, and people doing bodyweight workouts and deadlifts through the second-​floor window. Next door, there was a small space that used to be a smoothie bar, but is now closed. At that time, I already had a gym membership on South Highland, but I really wanted to join a few classes like BodyPump and spinning. L.A. Fitness in Bakery Square was pretty close, but I heard horror stories about the facility and its membership contracts. Club One was closer, but I thought its member demographics would be a bit on the older side for me. So, I contemplated joining X Shadyside, which I found offered classes.
I walked in one day and a sign at the first-​floor desk said to go to the second floor for inquiries. Before I did that, I quickly explored the first floor. First thing I noticed was that there was an abundant number of cardio machines, from treadmills to ellipticals to stationary bicycles! My cursory estimate would be at least 30 machines total. There were also two small rooms to the side, the first being a mini-​weight room, and the second being a spin class room containing over 20 stationary bicycles.
I walked upstairs, which I quickly saw was for classes, weightlifting, and yoga and pilates. I spoke with someone at the front desk about its membership. They explained what their gym offers, including classes such as abs, spinning, BodyPump, BodyAttack, P90X, and Insanity. They also offer separate locker rooms with showers and lockers available to all and for rent for an additional fee (no towel service, though). I did a quick tour of the rest of the gym and found that all the machines were in clean, working condition; the bathrooms were clean (with some body odor, which is to be expected); and the classroom was fairly large and free to use whenever they are not having a class. I liked what I saw, so I asked for their membership fee. Because I’m a UPMC employee, they offered a discount. I paid a $ 49 initiation fee and the first month fee of $ 29; the monthly payments will be $ 49 hereafter.
I’ve been going to this gym for almost two months and I’m pleased. With the exception of peak hours, there usually are no lines for the machines and weights. I’ve attended their spinning classes and the trainers knew how to motivate us to push our limits. I always walked out feeling both exhausted and energized.
Some minor issues about this gym is that a few machines were broken (bicycle pedals, water bottle holders), not a TRUE ²⁴⁄₇ gym (M-​F 6 AM to 9 PM, Sat 8 AM to 6 PM, Sun 9 AM to 6 PM), and difficulty parking (not a big issue for me because I always walk/​jog/​bike here).

Terrible experience!
My wife discontinued her gym membership but she was kept charging for additional 3 months. Even after talking with the staff on the phone and having the complaint registered before, we still saw the issue.
Very disappointing and frustrating. Please watch out for your bank details, especially after discontinuing the membership. You might be the victim too!

Best Gym for the price in the area. Very convenient. Equipment and classes are great.

Been here for 2 years while in school. I walked to the gym, so parking wasn’t an issue.
Things I liked about X Shadyside:
— convenient, within walking distance of my house
— usually empty; I didn’t have to wait for any gym equipment or machines
— open almost ²⁴⁄₇ (I usually when to the gym in the morning and weekends, but walking past the gym at night, there were only a handful of people there past 8 pm).
— clean changing rooms w/​shower
— staff were helpful all the time when I had to put my membership on pause during the summer or winter breaks
Things I didn’t like about X Shadyside:
— pricey at $ 55 (no student discount, or annual membership discount)
— some equipment was worn out /​broke (one of the bikes’ pedals were broken the whole time I was there)
— no towel service (especially at that price)
Overall, I was pleased with the gym and the only major selling point for me is the convenience. I could’ve gone to my school’s gym, but it was further away and I didn’t have the motivation to go during the winter (walking through the snow, etc). I would recommend to a friend but would hesitate slightly to renew my membership due to the price.

This is an amazing gym with all the amenities. The weight room is very impressive and has all the machines you could ask for. The staff is very friendly and the facility is extremely clean.

This gym has been so fabulous for the past 1 (and a little more) years! I am only now leaving due to a move out of the Shadyside area. The people are extremely friendly, there are many class offerings (times and variety), and I have always found the equiptment to be up to date and working well. I chose X because of its location in relation to my apartment and I could not have made a better choice. There is something to be said for not «selling out» and going to one of the top name, nationally known gyms. At X Shadyside, I never felt like a number and I LOVED supporting a local, one-​of-​a-​kind buisness. If you’re on the fence about joining, just do it. Your body and mind will thank you, and you cannot beat the atmosphere and amazing environment that X offers. I am sad to say goodbye to this buisness!

I was a member of X for five years until I had to cancel my membership this month due to moving outside of the city. The gym was really great for me and always extremely clean. The staff there were friendly and willing to help and the gym offered a great variety of classes. Also, the price I registered for 5 years ago was locked in for my account and as such was not increased once during the duration of my membership. One of my favorite aspects of this gym was that because the membership fee was slightly higher than other gyms in the area it really eliminated the type of people who came to the gym to socialize or try to impress other people. The regular gym-​goers here are mainly young, business professionals who want to get there work out in and get on with their day. I am sad to have to leave this gym.

I chose this gym because of the proximity to my apartment but stayed with them for the employees and atmosphere. I can not remember ever having to wait more than a couple of minutes for a machine or bench and usually just did something else until it came free. The staff always helpful and makes sure to greet you every time. For people who are serious lifters like myself it was a great place but also not intimidating for new or sporadic gym goers. The hours are convenient for any work schedule. I recommend to any friends in the area.

This gym is great. If you live in Shadyside/​Bloomfield the location couldn’t be better. I got my membership without the sign on fee which was a huge bonus. I mostly used the cardio equipment which there is a lot of.

I never thought I would say this but… I love my gym. Okay, there, that wasn’t so bad. Why do I love it? The classes — they keep me coming back. From Body Pump to Barre to Yoga to Spinning to … you get the idea. The teachers are great. You can tell they really love what they do, they have a passion for it, and they love to get to know who comes to their classes.
X’s 6am classes work really well with my schedule as most of their «after work» classes are either at 5:30pm or 6:30pm which are too early for me. Yes, the classes to fill up quickly on the weekends so just get there a little early.
I typically go during peak hours and I have never run into a problem getting a machine — elliptical, treadmill, bike — there is always a machine open.
Moral of the story: This is a solid gym and absolutely worth the money if you take advantage of the classes. Oh, and it’s clean, which is huge in the wide world of gyms.

It is a good gym for young professionals. It is a little pricey if you opt for a month-​to-​month membership, but they have nice, well-​maintained equipment. Although it is a little pricey for a gym, consider the location. The staff is helpful and friendly. Being open over nights Monday through Thursday is nice if you want to avoid peak times. I wish they were 24 – 7

I just moved to the neighborhood and joined.
Pros: they offer great hours during the week (24 hours M-​F), nice updated cardio theater, good selection of group fitness classes (I’ve enjoyed the Body Attack and spin classes), good selection of free weights. They also offer month-​to-​month memberships which are convenient.
Cons: limited weekend hours, gets very busy after 5pm on weekdays and sometimes difficult to find open free weight benches but cardio machines always available

This gym offers a great selection of classes; however, there are more negatives than positives with this gym. Parking is difficult to come by, and you have to pay. The staff is not so friendly, it’s expensive for the quality of equipment, and I wish someone was sitting at the desk downstairs instead of upstairs.
I can’t wait for my contract to end; I regret signing one now. There has to be better gyms in the area.

I have been a member for a year. Pretty crowded, lot of machines that do not work and not open all time during week ends. Obviously, compared to a $ 10 membership at Planet Fitness, the choice is quick … The reason you would stick to this gym is the classes. If you want a spin class or a yoga class, it coul dbe worth it. If you are only looking for treadmill and machines, membership cost is not worth it.

Terribly overrated. Deceptive contracts abound. The staff are all snotty and think they are the gurus of all exercising. The actual equipment is ok, but the locker rooms are pretty bad. I would stay away from this gym, mainly due to deceptive contracts and high price.

I love this gym. The equipment is kept up-​to-​date. The classes are fun with very energetic and helpful instructors (Bodypump is my favorite).
They don’t supply towels, but the gyms I’ve been to usually charge extra for a towel fee so I always brought my own, making this a non-​issue for me unlike some people.
The only negative is the lack of parking, but that happens all over Pittsburgh so I’m not surprised.
A huge plus is the staff. They are all super friendly. I recently started having sessions with a personal trainer, and I have seen a DRASTIC improvement in my fitness based on the exercises he has me do. Before I couldn’t even hold a plank for 60 seconds. Now he has me using bosu balls and other nifty toys to make different exercises more difficult without piling up a whole lot of weight (weak shoulders).
Overall, I love XShadyside. Unfortunately, I am moving back home (cancellation process was no hassle at all like I’ve read on here!), but I will definitely miss having a gym like this.

I love this gym everybody there is soooooo nice and helpful

X Shadyside is a no frills type of gym (no pool, sauna and hot tub) but gets the job done. They just revamped the entire first floor with more workout machines and weights. A downside of the renovation is that there are less tv channels to choose from (no more Bravo). The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful; and the bathrooms are kept clean (what more can you ask for?).
The convenience of being able to walk to X Shadyside especially in the winter and their flexible hours are huge pluses so I’m okay with the monthly price that I am paying.
I am looking forward to Planet Smoothie opening next door.