JD Gyms - Ballymena Reviews 12

Since JD took over from Lifestyle Fitness it has been a step back. The gym is too cold. Uncomfortably cold. The changing rooms are freezing. To get dressed and undressed in them is just too uncomfortable. The previously fitted air conditioning units were removed from the changing rooms during refurb. What on earth was someone thinking who thought that was a good idea?? The opposite is true In the summer time when the gym is too warm and the changing rooms too warm. Myself and others have noticed a lack of equipment from the gym floor that was there previously. No pec dec is a massive disappointment. I’m not alone in my disappointment with JD Gyms. This could be a great gym but there is seemingly no appetite to act on customer feedback. JD as a company could learn a lot from Lifestyle Fitness customer value and satisfaction.

This particular Gym seems to attract the occasional testosterone pumped hooray henry that has zero respect for the other business's in the vicinity.
Parking irresponsibly like an entitled dough head whilst getting their "pump on".
Such a shame as the staff seem to be dead on.

JD Gym Ballymena has good facilities. The equipment is solid, the sauna is slightly smaller than before but still usable, and overall the gym itself is well set up. That part is not the problem.

The problem is the access system, and it has been a problem for far too long. A 24-hour gym should not restrict members to entering only once per day. I have personally seen multiple people stuck at the entrance, unable to get in, and forced to turn around and go home. For people who travel to the gym, this is more than an inconvenience—it’s a complete waste of time. There is also no out-of-hours contact number displayed at the entrance, so if the door system fails, you are simply stuck with no support.

I tried calling the number on the website during a quiet time to ask when this would be fixed. As expected, nobody answered. This seems to be a common theme based on other reviews.
My previous review was removed and given an automatic response. The same thing happens to many other reviews that mention the exact same issues. It feels like these concerns are not being taken seriously, and the copy-and-paste replies don’t reflect the reality of the problems members are dealing with.

Recently there has been some improvement in how the bumper plates are organised at the squat racks. Before that, it was chaotic, and it took far too long for anyone to address it. Meanwhile, the benches seem to get excessive attention for minor issues like plate placement, which shows an inconsistency in priorities.

This is a shame because the gym was good under Lifestyle Fitness, and it still has potential to be very good now. But these problems need to be fixed. Based on conversations with other members, I am not the only one considering leaving for the same reasons.

Most machines are an improvement however the lack of adjustments make it impossible to use ergonomically if you’re bigger. Bumper plates on the power racks are rarely organised meaning you need to solve a puzzle just to get the plates you need. Favouritism between staff and certain members has never been more prevalent frankly, picking and choosing when to enforce specific rules. Removed plenty of cable attachments during the renovation but never replaced them limiting the options significantly in my opinion. Lastly staff accusing/implying I lied when reporting machine faults that are never dealt with.

Great gym all tho they never put the boxing bag bag up, For me that’s a massive disappointment, loads of people used it, I don’t know why they don’t just put it back up, jd gym in Belfast has bags, All and all top class gym,

Have been at this gym for years no issues. It was recently taken over by JD Gyms. As I was out of the country for a month I decided to freeze my membership. Upon my return I had to re-submit all my bank details, within a day or two i got an acknowledgement that my membershipwas reinstated. After 3 weeks I still can't access the gym. They still haven’t re-activated my access App. All emails go unacknowledged. Absolutely pathetic customer service although they are happy enough to keep taking my money!!
23/10/25 - Having just read JDs reply to my review I think it is plain that they did not fully understand the problem. Now over 4 weeks have passed, numerous "query tickets" have been raised with the company all with either no reply or no result. As of yesterday 22/10/25 with still no gym access I cancelled my membership due to pathetic customer service.

Been going to this Gym nearly 20 years.
In that time it's changed ownership several times.
I feel they've got it right this time!
The Gym now is very spacious and clean.
The equipment is first class, with different options for the same part of the body.
The staff are very helpful and polite.
Our changing rooms, showers and sauna are well layed out.
All in All I feel JD Gym is the Best Gym in Ballymena!
Many Thanks
Robert

Super gym, lots of cardio and weight training options, friendly approachable staff. Large roomy shower and changing area.

Fantastic gym, the changes made following the rebrand have really improved what was already a great gym. The equipment choices are second to none, and there are amble dumbbells, benches, and cable machines meaning you never have to wait. The addition of the hammer strength plated loaded equipment have really improved the choice for chest, legs and back. The staff are also very friendly and attentive.

Have been a member of JD gyms Ballymena since opening in July.
The layout is fantastic and the staff members are welcoming and friendly.
The sauna in the female changing facilities is a great addition.

I’ve recently joined JD Gym and couldn’t be happier. The refurb is excellent – bright, modern, and really well equipped. The staff are friendly and helpful, and everything feels clean and well looked after.

The separate men’s and ladies’ saunas are such a great addition – a real bonus after a workout!

When I first joined, there was an issue with water not draining properly in the ladies’ showers, but it was fixed really promptly, which I really appreciated. The only thing still missing is a bit more vanity space for women getting ready for work, but hopefully that’ll come in time.

Overall, this gym offers fantastic facilities and brilliant value for the cost. I’d definitely recommend it.

Used to be the best gym in town. Always went at 4am before work, got the workout done then showered and left for work. Now it's impossible as the changing room isn't even open until 6am. Plus the changing rooms close at 10pm.

They do offer a small 24/7 changing room although this is only available for one person at a time and as the gym is still quite busy after 10pm can cause you to wait ages to get a shower. It also adds a security issue should anyone barge in as you are all alone and noone will be around to help until the door is unlocked again.

On top of this you can only use the gym once per day unless there's staff around to open the door for you. If I'm paying for 24/7 access I would expect 24/7 access which includes multiple times a day.