posite sentiments, but I couldn't find anything dirty
about the place, and believe me, I looked.
The carpeted area around the lockers as well as the
shower and bathroom areas were spotless. There was
not a dirty towel to be found lying around anywhere.
Nothing was out of place. And, had I forgotten my soap,
shampoo, Q-tips, mouthwash, hair spray or body lo-
tion, the locker room had an endless supply of these
products.
The only thing about the locker room that really
bugged me was that instead of benches, the JCC had
individual stools, about three in each row of lockers,
making it hard to find a place to put my clothes.
I can't remember the last time I went to the gym be-
fore work, but I wanted to experience the Center at var-
ious times throughout the week.
I arrived at the JPM building by 7:40 a.m. It was
empty. I saw maybe two or three other women in the
locker room and shared the health dub's exercise room
with three or four others. As a member of Vic Tanny (I
joined because I bought out a friend's membership),
I'm not used to seeing too many Jewish faces in the
Um.
Today I had to laugh as I over- Tanya Mazok-
heard
heard two women talking about in- Posner doesn't
have a problem
termarriage
termarriage and how so-and-so's finding
a free
child was marrying a gentile. While treadmill.
there is nothing inherently Jewish
about working out, being in an all
or mostly Jewish environment helps
foster a sense ofJudaism when you
least expect it.
Despite complaints by members
and the JCC itself that there aren't
enough young people using the club,
I saw someone I knew, a young at-
torney, and two other women who
looked like they were in their 20s or
30s.
Again the television was blaring.
This time, I watched ESPN while
also trying to read Snow Falling on
Cedars (a great book by the way) as
I rode the exercise bike. By the time
I showered and was ready to leave,
it was 9:15 a.m.. I glanced in the
workout room. It was actually
crowded by JPM standards. There
must have been five-seven people
working out.
• Throughout my two weeks at the
JCC, I noticed that the times I ex-
pected a crowd were actually the
least crowded, and off-times — late
mornings and early afternoons —
were busier.
It's funny. I keep hearing Julie
Edgar talk about how helpful the
staffis at Maple-Drake. I happened
to work out there with my dad and
found her observations to be true. I
can't say I've had that experience
at JPM.
Today I briefly saw one older gen-
tleman walking around wearing a
JCC staff T-shirt, but it was hard
to tell if he actually worked at JPM
or just happened to have a staff
shirt. During other visits, the staff
rarely left their offices unless ap-
proached for help.
rm starting to wonder who Barbara, Nancy and Su-
san are. As a creature of habit, I always gravitate to-
ward the same locker in the women's health-dub locker
room. It's in the same row of lockers as some of these
women.
But while I can tell you their names by heart now, I
have yet to see them at JPM. As far as I know, the JCC
is the only health club that allows its members to keep
workout clothes in a locker. Most gyms have signs warn-
ing members that locks are cut off every Friday or that
they shouldn't leave their belongings overnight.
rve asked myself whether I would join the JCC. It's
hard for me to answer that question because rm leav-
ing the area in a few weeks for law school. I've been
to several area clubs, almost exclusively as a guest, and
for the most part, they are all the same.
Sure, some are fancier and more expensive than oth-
ers, but the bottom line is as long as the equipment is
up-to-date and working, the facilities are clean and the.
price is right, there really is little difference.
I wasn't crazy about the JCC's equipment but, like
I said, rm a creature of habit. I found the health club
to be neat and clean. And, as for the price, rm paying
what amounts to about $12 a month — a price no one
can beat.
I haven't ruled out a future JCC membership en-
tirely, but for now it's a non-issue. ❑
Sports Club of West Bloomfield
• General membership: Initiation fee of ap-
proximately $150 (varies), plus $60/month.
•Aerobics: 55 hours per week.
• Equipment Trotters and Star Trac treadmills,
steppers, recumbent bicycles, rowing and climb-
ing machines, NordicTrack, full circuits of Cybex
strength equipment, free weights, Cardio The-
ater.
• Water 25-meter lap pool; 20-by-40-foot train-
ing pool; 50-by-60-foot children's play pool.
• Courts 14 tennis courts; 1 squash court.
• Hours: 5:30 am.-11 p.m. weekdays; 6 a.m.-10
p.m. weekends.
Franklin Racquet Club
• General membership: Initiation fee of $400,
but specials are common. Monthly fees are $95.
• Aerobics: 35 classes a week, plus hydrotone
and yoga classes. *Equipment Cybex Strength
System equipment, Gravitrons, THefitaess circuit
equipment, free weights, bicycles.
Water: 20-yard indoor'lap pool and 25-yard
outdoor lap pool.
• Courts: 16 tennis courts; 8 raquetball courts;
3 squash courts; 2 basketball courts.
• Hours: 6 am.-11 p.m weekdays; 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday; 6 a.m.-9 p.rn. Sunday.
Beverly Hills Racquet Club
• General membership: Without specials, fee is
$350 for a one-year minimum, plus $88 monthly.
• Aerobics: 40-50 classes per week.
• Equipment: Treadmills, sthpmills, 2 Reebok
Skywalkers, 2 cross country ski machines, bikes.
Cybex and Cybex free weights.
•Water 25-yard lap pool.
• Courts: 7 tennis courts, basketball court, ra-
quetball court.
• Hours: 5:30 am.-11 p.m. daily; 6:30 a.m.-10
p.m. weekends.
Jewish Community Center Health Clubs
• Membership: With current 30-percent off cam-
paign for new members, annual fees range from
$269-$294 for individuals 18 to 24 to $1,252 for
whole families. No initiation fea
•Aerobics: 45 to 70 classes per week, including
body toning and stretching, Hydrotone, yoga and
boxercise.
• Equipment: Gravitrons, Cybex and lc.arion
strength machines, NordicTrack, Trotter tread-
mills, recumbent bikes; Precor EFX 544 cross-
training machines, Stairmasten.
• Water 25-yard indoor and outdoor pools and
an indoor-outdoor pool for children and individu-
als with special conditions at Maple/Drake. In-
door pool at JPM.
• Courts: 5 indoor tennis courts; 3 outdoor ten-
nis courts; 8 racquetball courts, 8 squash courts.
• Hours: 5:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thurs-
day; 5:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; 1-7:30 p.m. Satur-
day; 5:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (7 a.m.-6 p.m. at
C.0
JPM).
CT)
0,
Powerhouse Gym
• Membership: $100 initiation fee, plus $30 to 7
$39 monthly, or $399 annually without an initia-
tion fee.
• Equipment: Cybex and Hammer Strength 021
machines and Bodymaster equipment. Tread-
mills, recumbent bicycles, Stairmaster 4000 Fr
series, free weights, weight-assisted machines.
• Aerobics: Limited number of classes.
• Hours: 24 hours daily; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. week-
e.nds. El
'al
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