5/5
(Long and detailed, honest review)
I have been a member at this Hilltop Workout Anytime location for about a year now. I do not think there is any one perfect gym, as each person should pick a place that aligns with their goals (and price point). I do think, however, that this specific location for Workout Anytime has done a really great job with supplying equipment that can benefit anyone at any point in their fitness goals (beginner, intermediate, advanced) for a great price ($25 for basic membership at the time of writing). It’s the cleanest gym I’ve ever been a member at, and the staff are all super nice. It’s about a 7 minute drive from Sage Meadows, so it’s perfect for anyone living on the NE side of town (and so much nicer than the A-State gym for any students reading this).
I’ve included my personal rating for a few different programs (for this specific Hilltop WO location) below:
General Fitness: (10/10): For 95% of the people who will use this gym, there is more than enough cardio/weight equipment for anyone interested in getting and staying healthy. Trainers are very knowledgeable and there are a ton of testimonials from other people who have had a lot of success using their programs.
Weight Lifting for Strength (9/10): Unless you are a VERY advanced lifter (600 lb+ lifts) and start needing niche equipment/racks to support that type of weight safely, this gym is great. A ton of free weights (only up to 100lb dumbbells), two squat racks (one w/ a deadlift platform), two bench press stations (one is advanced and moves to align the elbows over the shoulders which is nice).
Weight Lifting for Hypertrophy (8/10): For anyone who has been lifting less than 5 years, this is a 10/10. For those who are late intermediate or early advanced, this is a little lower. The gym has great machines, and I really mean that. However, there is limited space in this gym with only so many places for machines. They do not have SOME of the machines favored for more advanced hypertrophy lifters, like hack squat, chest supported t-bar row, pendulum squat, or unilateral machines like leg curl/extension, bicep curl, or converging shoulder press. (To be fair, many gyms in Jonesboro don’t have these machines anyways.) As an intermediate hypertrophy lifter myself, I do still think there are an adequate number of machines to make up for these that they do not have, you just might have to be more creative when it comes time to build more variations into your program. The cable systems and dumbbells are two MASSIVE advantages here and honestly make up for the machines they lack. They have one large 8 station pulley system, and another smaller 2 station pulley catered more toward chest flys, so you have a bunch of variations and never have to wait on those. They have a good number of grips for these too. They also have two separate massive dumbbell racks that start at 5 lb and go to 100 lb, which I had never seen in a gym this size.
HIIT/Crossfit (6/10): This location has almost all of the equipment that you would need for these types of workouts, but there is very limited space for this style of workout. There is also no turf in this gym or space for sled-work.
Overall advantages:
-Very clean space with new (3-4 years old) equipment
-A ton of windows and natural light, and mirrors on almost every wall
-Open 24/7
-Free group classes offered to members throughout the week
-Generally not packed (some busy times)
-Sufficient equipment for 95% of people, regardless of training style or level
-Personal trainers are great and many are honestly probably overqualified for their positions
-Staff is very nice and knowledgeable
-TVs are all over the gym
-A few other perks for more advanced membership packages (tanning, dry sauna, HydroMassage)
-It’s next to a Crumble Cookie if you need a pick-me-up after a hard workout
Things to consider:
-Limited space (though still possible) for things like stretching or workouts like HIIT/Crossfit
Overall, I would (and do) very highly recommend this gym. Go in and at least try it out!