Equinox Orchard Street

I don’t write reviews often because people have to earn them from me. My Equinox coach at Orchard Street, Jason Ihli, earned this testimonial from me. I’m not someone who likes sales pitches. When I did my Equifit and the CPT session with Jason, I was cautious. I didn’t want to be just a statistic. If I’m paying serious cash, I expect real quality and effort. In that first CPT, Jason proved he knew exactly what he was doing. Nothing gimmicky, just skill, attention, and intention. I left thinking he either knew exactly how to coach or he just hypnotized me with that big confidence. I don’t know, maybe he just has impressive charm, maybe he really was telling the truth about his knowledge, or maybe it’s Maybelline. Whatever it was convinced me to sign up for two sessions a week. I’ve always wanted to gain weight and get stronger, but I never pushed myself to start. Last year I was in a car accident, and that made fitness more complicated. I didn’t just want to get bigger anymore, I wanted to recover my shoulder and finally build the body I wished for before the pain got worse. The sharp pain in my right labrum made me think the gym would only make things worse. I signed up anyway because I wanted to see if I could rebuild myself through my own version of physical therapy. That didn’t happen. Instead, Jason made me a program to incorporate strength training with shoulder recovery. He found safer angles, smarter movements, and alternate ways to hit the same muscles without irritating the injury. He paid so much attention that I joked he knew my shoulder better than any doctor I saw, which is funny because none of them ever diagnosed my shoulder correctly. I ended up understanding my own injury through Jason, and for the first time since the accident I felt like getting stronger was possible because I finally understood what precautions to take. And just so it doesn’t sound like I’m hyping him up without proof, I have the numbers to back it up. My first InBody scan had me at 127.7 pounds with 64.8 pounds of muscle. 96 days later, my next scan showed 135.9 pounds with 68.8 pounds of muscle. That’s over 8 pounds gained with 4 of those being pure muscle. Jason told me most beginners only put on 1-3 pounds of muscle in that time frame, and that’s without an injury. I managed 4 because of him. He kept my body fat steady, guided me through clean weight gain, worked around my shoulder limitations, and programmed training that made my metabolism rise as my lean mass climbed. The progress is real, measurable, and it happened fast because he knew how to get me there. Three months from when I started, I’m stronger, more confident, and understand how to train the right way. Jason taught me real form, consistency, and how to push myself safely. He teaches with intention and patience. He notices every detail and reads the way I’m moving before I even say anything. He also survives my dramatic commentary during workouts, especially when I start spiraling about not measuring up to the attractive people around me. He always shuts it down by telling me I’m already there and only getting better. He coaches with a focus you feel even when he’s just adjusting your position, and it makes you want to push heavy and hard. I can confidently work out on my own now because of everything he taught me, but I still choose to train with him because there are still times where I feel like I’m just a boy trying to figure out how to play with the toys in the room despite everything he’s taught me. But he’s not just a coach. He’s personable, reliable, easy to talk to, and makes you feel like you belong in the room. He shows up every time, pays attention, and genuinely cares about your progress. Twice a week with him is something I look forward to, despite how damn expensive it is, someone should change that. Overall, I enjoy being his client and hope he gets the recognition he deserves. If anyone is looking for a trainer who understands real goals, limitations, and growth, Jason is the one.

I had a great experience with the Aescape robot massage. It was super relaxing and I was pleasantly surprised how close to a human massage it felt. The screen guides the experience so you don't feel unsure about what is coming next, and you have full control over music, massage focus areas and massage pressure. I'll definitely be doing this again and would recommend it!

it should not close as early as it does on Saturdays or Sundays.

Honestly equinox is not worth it. It's just a gym. No way it should cost $300 / month. And they're barely ever open. Close early

Really enjoyed my experience with Equinox from their needs assessment to the cleanliness of the location itself. Stand outs are the robot massage (unique to this location apparently?) , the view for people watching when stretching, the friendliness and helpfulness of the membership person Sean (I even recommended some friends). Overall this gym tries hard to create a great experience and the classes are some of the best I've taken in my life . Extremely skilled instructors and personal trainers quickly demonstrate the value as well. The sauna and option for laundry service really sealed the deal. And for those skeptical of a robot massage, at least try it before you write it off...