Charleston in Montgomery County isn’t the best place to be if you’re an avid gym-goer. Put simply, there are no gyms in Charleston. But you’re not out of options. In this gym guide, I’ve reviewed the best gyms near Charleston worth considering!
The Best Gyms Near Charleston Are:
- Best Fitness Schenectady – Best Gym & Group Fitness Classes
- Planet Fitness Rotterdam – Best For Accessibility & Affordability
- Retro Fitness Albany – Best No Contract Memberships
- CrossFit Aevitas – Best For CrossFit & Sense Of Community
- Orangetheory Albany – Best For Weight Loss
Willing to drive? Then definitely check out these gyms (especially Best Fitness Schenectady!). And to help you pick, I’ve listed the benefits, drawbacks, and membership prices, plus who should sign up and who should avoid.
Does Charleston Have Good Gyms?
Unfortunately, Charleston NY doesn’t have any gyms. But if you travel east towards the City of Albany (the capital city of New York State), you’ll find a good choice of gyms near Charleston in Rotterdam and Schenectady.
Gyms In Charleston: 5 Best Options
1. Best Fitness Schenectady – Best Gym & Group Fitness Classes
- Address: 2330 Watt St Ste 20B, Schenectady, NY
- Hours: Monday–Thursday 5am–10pm, Friday 5am–9pm, Saturday–Sunday 6am–6pm
- Price: N/A
- Sign up fees: N/A
- No lock-in contracts: Unknown
- Free trial: 30 days!
- Group fitness: Extensive
Best Fitness is a chain with nine locations in NY, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, so it’s popular but not too commercialized. And alongside this location in Schenectady, there are two more Best Fitness gyms near Charleston: Albany and Fuller Road.
What Are The Gym Benefits?
Best Fitness Schenectady has ample machines, dumbbells, benches, and a functional fitness area with battle ropes, medicine balls, kettlebells, and TRX straps. So it’s well-equipped and large, even boasting dedicated studios for Barre, yoga, and cycling.
And the classes are extensive: cycling, Zumba, yoga, Barre, BodyTone, and Pilates (to name a few), with up to 12 classes held daily. Personal training is also available, plus other services that include childcare, tanning, and a snack/merchandise shop.
What Do You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Membership?
Best Fitness doesn’t tell you its prices unless you contact them or visit in person. The good news? They offer a 30-day free trial – the longest free trial I’ve seen any gym offer!
Are There Any Drawbacks?
Not knowing the membership options and prices. And while this gym offers all the basics for strength training and cardio, it doesn’t have any equipment for weightlifting or powerlifting.
Who Should Work Out Here?
If you want to improve your general fitness and join group classes, Best Fitness Schenectady is the best choice in the area. But if you consider yourself a hardcore lifter and don’t like gyms that hush their prices, you’ll simply want to look elsewhere!
2. Planet Fitness Rotterdam – Best For Accessibility & Affordability
- Address: 1116 Altamont Ave, Rotterdam, NY
- Hours: Monday–Thursday 24 hours, Friday 12am–9pm, Saturday–Sunday 7am–7pm
- Price: $10/mo for Classic or $24.99/mo for PF Black Card
- Sign up fees: $59 for Classic
- No lock-in contracts: Available
- Free trial: 1 day
- Group fitness: Limited
Planet Fitness has multiple locations near Charleston: Rotterdam, Glenville, Clifton Park, Loudonville, and Sycaway. So it’s the most accessible gym in this area. But since Planet Fitness Rotterdam is the closest to Charleston, it’s the one I’ve chosen to review here.
What Are The Gym Benefits?
First, Planet Fitness has multiple locations (most 24 hours) near Charleston and you can access all of them with the PF Card Black ($24.99/mo). That’s cheap compared to most gym memberships, but there’s also a $10/mo membership if you’re happy to just visit Rotterdam.
If that’s the case, PF Rotterdam offers all the essentials for cardio and strength training, a snack bar, tanning room, and massage chair area. And like all Planet Fitness gyms, it has a no-judgment atmosphere since most members are new/casual gym users.
What Do You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Membership?
Classic membership is $10/mo, giving you access to one Planet Fitness gym with a $59 sign-up fee and 12-month contract.
Want to visit different Planet Fitness gyms and use all the tanning/massage facilities? PF Black Card is $24.99/mo. There’s also no sign-up fee or commitment on this membership, so it’s easier and cheaper to cancel.
Both memberships have a $39 annual fee.
There is a 1-day free trial, however, so definitely use it before signing up.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
Planet Fitness is a beginner’s budget gym, so don’t expect top-notch machines or consistently organized weights.
Who Should Work Out Here?
First-timers, beginners, and casual gym-goers who don’t want to spend too much on a gym membership. Planet Fitness is also ideal for how accessible it is! If you’re looking for classes or premium gym equipment, however, you’ll want to look at other options.
3. Retro Fitness Albany – Best No Contract Memberships
- Address: 1892 Central Ave, Suite 15, Albany, NY
- Hours: Monday–Friday 5am–10pm, Saturday–Sunday 7am–4pm
- Price: $19.99/mo for Flex, $26.99/mo for Core, $29.99/mo for Ultimate
- Sign up fees: None
- No lock-in contracts: Available
- Free trial: 1 day
- Group fitness: Limited
You might recognise Retro Fitness by its famous red and yellow branding. And if Planet Fitness doesn’t have the strength equipment or memberships you’re hunting for, Retro Fitness Albany is a step up as it offers weightlifting platforms and no-contract memberships.
What Are The Gym Benefits?
Like most gym franchises, Retro Fitness has all the essentials for cardio and resistance training in a large gym. There’s a functional fitness area at this location too, with the bonus of weightlifting platforms – ideal if you want to do heavy deadlifts and squats.
Where this gym also stands out is its group fitness classes, which rotate a standard strength training split (legs, push, and pull classes) with spin and Zumba. On top of that, there’s a juice bar here and the base membership doesn’t lock you in!
What Do You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Membership?
There are three pretty straightforward memberships at Retro:
- Flex ACH for $19.99/mo, which offers access to one club – no commitment.
- Core ACH for $26.99/mo, which offers nationwide access, extra equipment to use, locker rooms with showers – 12 months commitment.
- And Ultimate ACH for $29.99/mo, which offers Core perks with guest privileges, group exercise classes, and tanning – no commitment.
All memberships provide a free fitness assessment if you want it.
So there’s not a big price difference between these memberships, but there is a $49 annual fee for the two no-contract memberships, Flex and Ultimate.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
The no-contract memberships bill you for an annual fee – essentially a cash grab since you’re not committing. Another drawback is the number of classes here: some days have up to 5 classes while other days only have 1 class.
Who Should Work Out Here?
If you like cardio and strength training, basic group classes, or weightlifting, Retro Fitness Albany is worth checking out – especially for the no-contract memberships. But if you’d prefer a more diverse class schedule, you’d be better off joining a fitness studio in this case.
4. CrossFit Aevitas – Best For CrossFit & Sense Of Community
- Website: https://www.aevitasfitness.com/
- Address: 1 Charles Blvd, Guilderland, NY
- Hours: Monday–Sunday class schedule
- Price: N/A
- Sign up fees: N/A
- No lock-in contracts: Available
- Free trial: Free intro
- Group fitness: Extensive
Looking for CrossFit gyms near Charleston? You’re in luck as CrossFit Aevitas is located nearby in Guilderland, with a second location in Round Lake. In short, it’s the full package for CrossFitters, providing diverse programs, daily classes, and a great sense of community.
What Are The Gym Benefits?
CrossFit Aevitas offers CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and even Spartan obstacle training programs, so there’s something for every fitness level. There are open gym sessions too (four days a week), allowing you to go in and use the equipment for your own workout.
And the equipment is awesome. There are rowing machines, pull up rigs, gymnastic rings, weightlifting bars, bumper plates, and plyo boxes – all in a big warehouse gym. And like most CrossFit gyms, the community here provides a sense of inclusion and support.
What Do You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Membership?
CrossFit Aevitas wants you to fill in their online form or visit in person before telling you its prices. It’s not uncommon for CrossFit gyms to do this, but the good thing is you’ll get a personalized free intro to discuss your goals and needs.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
Not having an idea of what prices to expect is never ideal. The schedule has morning and late afternoon/early evening classes only, and although there are two locations (Guilderland and Round Lake), the membership might not let you visit both.
Who Should Work Out Here?
If you like CrossFit or are interested in starting CrossFit, CrossFit Aevitas is the best this area has to offer. But if you don’t like large community-style workouts or having to book a consultation to find out the rates, CrossFit probably isn’t for you!
5. Orangetheory Albany – Best For Weight Loss
- Address: 1704 Western Ave, Albany, NY
- Hours: Monday–Sunday class schedule
- Price: $59/mo, $99/mo, or $159/mo
- Sign up fees: None
- No lock-in contracts: Available
- Free trial: 1 free class
- Group fitness: Extensive
There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Orangetheory. And yep, there’s one near Charleston, located in Albany. Thanks to its high-energy daily HIIT classes, this is the best choice for weight loss – especially if you don’t know what to do in the gym!
What Are The Gym Benefits?
High-intensity interval training focuses on burning calories in a short amount of time. So although it’s more challenging, the one-hour HIIT classes here are great if you want to lose weight, don’t know what to do in the gym, or don’t have much time to work out.
It’s also ideal if you lack motivation, as the classes have a high-energy atmosphere with instructors who will encourage you. The workouts change daily to keep things exciting, and all exercises can be performed at different intensities, making it accessible for all.
What Do You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Membership?
There are three memberships here: Basic, Elite, and Premier.
Orange Basic is 4 monthly classes for $59/mo. Orange Elite is 8 monthly classes for $99/mo. And Orange Premier is unlimited classes for $159/mo. Extra classes on Orange Basic and Orange Elite are available for a reduced price.
All memberships can be canceled at any time.
Class packages are also available, priced at $199 for 10 classes, $359 for 20 classes, and $499 for 30 classes.
But if you’re brand new, you can have your first class for free.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
First-timers may find HIIT overwhelming. For fast weight loss results, Orange Basic and Orange Elite won’t be enough (unless paired with a good diet plan). Some Orangetheory members also find the music too loud!
Who Should Work Out Here?
Orangetheory Albany is ideal if you want to lose weight and like high-energy group classes. It’s also a good choice if you don’t know what to do in the gym. But if you don’t like loud music or think HIIT sounds too challenging, you probably won’t enjoy these classes.
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