As a shy person, I often refrain from putting myself out there or pushing my hardest because I’m worried what others may think of me. Gyms are my worst fear. I become flabbergasted by all the machines and buff bodybuilders. The people training for their third triathlon or ironman—while I’m just trying to get a good run in.

At the Wisconsin Athletic Club in Menomonee Falls, you do not become frigid as you walk into the gym. From the moment you walk in the door, you’re greeted by the friendly employees. They are always asking if you have a certain locker preference, which is nice because I prefer the larger lockers to store my swim bag in.

The overall atmosphere motivates you to get a good workout in. The complimentary classes are held in different rooms depending on the class, but the tougher ones are towards the front of the gym. As you’re walking to the locker room to change, you see these people putting in their all, sweating head to toe, and having a good time.

If you’re worried about judgemental people, you don’t have to be here because it is a independent environment. Everyone is connected to their phones through wireless headphones minding their own business. You plug in your headphones and workout like no one else is around. No one is watching you because they’re watching one of the many TV’s in the gym, or watching netflix on their phone.

My favorite part of the WAC is their lap pool. Being a swimmer since the age of six, I’ve grown to know a good pool from a bad one. There’s a total of four lanes which is plentiful, but at certain times in the day it can get busy and there might be two people per lane. Normally, around 4pm-6pm the gym in general gets really busy because everyone is getting off of work. It sucks when that happens because everyone is on a different level.

At the Menomonee Falls location, they have a nice outdoor pool. In the summer, my mom and I go there to tan and relax in the sun. You don’t realize you’re at a gym because you’re not working out, but you’re relaxing. There are many relaxing amenities included in the membership such as: outdoor pool, hot tub, massages, steam room, and sauna.

The $50 membership can be a turn off for this gym, but there are many ways to to get your bang for your buck. I’m on a family plan and my mom pays an extra $20 for me to have a membership and I get all the amenities. For the price, they include amenities such as: outdoor pool, indoor pool, lap pool, sauna, hot tub, steam room, massages, complimentary work out classes, etc. You get a plethora of amenities for the price you pay.  

From the moment you walk into the WAC, you have a smile on your face and are ready to crush your upcoming workout. It’s a whole different world inside the gym. You’re separated from the rest of the world because you’re focusing on you and not having to worry about anyone else.