Ballarat Genesis 24/7 Fitness/Gym (formerly Body&Soul)

Fantastic experience: I love this gym. I have tried quite a few in Ballarat and this is by far the best. I feel very welcomed each time I come in but the staff aren't overbearing at all. If you just want to go in and do your thing you can do that.

Negative experience: Went there once as a visitor. Cheap and nasty. Buckets everywhere when raining. Reply to owner: Just goes to show how good your records are.

Fantastic experience: Amazing Gym! Staff are super friendly, regulars are always willing to help and the group classes are perfect for those just starting or those needing that little bit of extra motivation!! Larissa is a superstar and will get you in shape in no time! 10/10 definitely recommend!!

Fantastic experience: Awesome gym has absolutely everything you need and friendly staff.

Negative experience: Good staff but equipment is so old it’s pathetic. I’m talking 5/6 Concept2 rowers not working for over 18 months… Plenty of other great guys in town. Don’t go here, they’ll take your money and you’ll never hear from them again.

Fantastic experience: The best gym in Ballarat, great staff and a huge range of equipment. There is so much space 10/10

Fantastic experience: Been going to this gym for years, very friendly and a non intimidating environment. Love training here

Fantastic experience: Best gym l have ever been a mbr of. I joined almost a yr ago and although l was a little anxious at the start the staff made me feel welcome from my first step through the door. They have a great range of classes constantly changing so you could never be bored. Andcthe instructor get to know you and make you challenge yourself its amazing how good you feel increasing your strength and fitness. I had a program set up but l do love the classes. The range of equipment us huge and you never have to wait. I've sign up and will continue to go because l love it. Thanks for your support guys

Negative experience: Gym is crammed with ancient equipment which makes it very hard to move around without bumping into something. I'd say, it's actually a safety hazard. Have been a member there for about 6 years and the situation is not getting better. Furthermore, any exotic equipment disappears over time and is replaced with more mundane and boring stuff, for example, monkey bars gone but more lat-pulldown machines in. Overall, not a very exciting gym. Reply to Response from the owner: First of all, Brad, I do not know what I have done wrong. I have never knowingly allowed anyone in. If the door does not shut properly and someone walked in, as was the case for as long as I remember, it is not my fault. It is your responsibility to fix the door. Secondly, on the subject of door not locking, it absolutely needs to reliably close for the safety of patrons exercising by themselves late at night. Thirdly, I tried to find out what went wrong during staffed hours, but your unfriendly staff just yelled at me to leave without offering any explanation as to why the fob was not working. Nice to know that one is being treated like a criminal even after 6 years of patronage. And lastly, your comment about the fob is a detraction from my criticism by alluding to me being a disgruntled ex-member. It is a fact, however, that the gym is crammed with equipment and yes, I have bumped my knee on more than one occasion. And most of the equipment is actually old.

Fantastic experience: This gym is amazing, with varied equipment suitable for beginners to athletes and great welcoming environment. Good service with friendly staff. Has a kids space too, which is handy for those with young children.

Fantastic experience: A great place for group fitness and gym workouts. Plenty of equipment including boxing bags and kick bags. My favourite space is downstairs because I can get in a strength and cardio workout in a nice open space.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely love this gym! The atmosphere is amazing. Everyone is there to work hard and support each other. The classes are incredible. They challenge you, make you feel strong and like you've accomplished something. Circuit, Boxing and Reformer are my go to classes and I can’t recommend them enough. Do yourself a favour and give this gym a go! It’s by far the best gym in Ballarat.

Negative experience: Kinda a bunch of scammers and dont care what the finance company does. I accidently missed a single $9 payment cause i got a new card and they charged me $110. Now, ive finished my contract and they charge a ridiculous lump sum. That was a few months ago, and they are now trying to steal money without consent. Good gym but the company is fraudulent

Fantastic experience: Atmosphere, Facilities, Staff, Attitude AAA+++. I am doing morning cycle class 4-5 days a week. These are the best (I had tried 2 other local gyms), and a great way to get my day started.

Fantastic experience: Bailey and the team are so knowledgeable and encouraging. Very excited about training here!

Fantastic experience: Everything you need to just get on with it if that's what you want, but plenty of great classes too

Fantastic experience: Incredible gym and super friendly staff. - Sharna

Fantastic experience: Great variety of machines and free weights, easy to get a great work out done

Fantastic experience: What a great place to train. I have just joined after a 20yr break and Bailey and tha team are great very helpful reception to trainers

Positive experience: Staff are exceptional and so helpful. Group classes to suit everyone! Supportive environment where everyone can be themselves

Positive experience: Decent gym, feel comfortable using the gym floor. Plus good selection of classes

Fantastic experience: Amazing Gym, great deals on prices and a massive range of machines and equipment.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing place, you actually feel comfortable going here everyone is so lovely. They have so much to offer each individual need. I was actually shocked at how good this place is

Fantastic experience: Big sized gym with lots of equipment, they have literally everything you could ever imagine and with friendly staff and never too busy where you are waiting for a machine.

Fantastic experience: This gym offers fantastic facilities and a broad range of equipment, along with genuinely friendly staff. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, it's a welcoming environment for all fitness levels. It’s a haven temperature wise at the moment too!

Fantastic experience: Great place to exercise and get fit. Plenty of classes and fitness equipment to share. Staff are very attentive and easy to talk to. Very friendly atmosphere with staff and other patrons.

Fantastic experience: An amazing Gym that creates a welcoming environment for new comers (like me) to experienced members. Has a large selection of equipment and programs to use at the best prices Ballarat has to offer. highly recommend

Fantastic experience: I love this gym, they have such a good range of equipment and facilities. The staff are all lovely and they always have great deals going on. I definitely recommend!!

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff and great community!

Negative experience: The owner/manager Mel what a greedy so called person. She is a narsty person don't waste your time and money going there.

Fantastic experience: Professional, well priced membership to suit any budget great equipments and group fabulous fitness classes. The additional reformer Pilates classes as part of membership, you get to enjoy a circuit Pilates class that moves around the barre, Mat and reformer.

Fantastic experience: A friendly and welcoming gym, great community, and the group fitness classes are fantastic.

Fantastic experience: Genesis in Ballarat is an amazing gym and in so many ways. The layout of the gym is huge, there is so many different training areas that are fantastic and loaded with the best equipment. Having 24/7 access to be able to come in whenever you want is great and the staff are all extremely helpful :) I loved training there for the short period I was in Ballarat and look forward to when I can come back next.

Fantastic experience: I started a Genesis anout 3 years ago, it was originally just going to be a few months as a gym buddy for my daughter. Love it there and enjoy the classes that are on offer. All staff are amazing

Fantastic experience: Such a great gym and I can’t recommend it enough! The staff are always friendly and happy help with any questions and guidance! The equipment in the gym is awesome and you never have to wait for a machine! The classes are always great, and there are so many of them that you will never get bored!

Fantastic experience: They gym itself is huge with a huge variety of machines. I never have to wait to use a machine. The group fitness classes are amazing. The gym is very innovative and keeps the members inspired by bringing new classes (eg Les Milles Shapes, reformer circuit and in the past Sprint and Barre classes) and new equipment like reformers, coba, fitness benches and updating standard treadmills, stairmasters and bikes. Mel the owner is pretty is inspiring herself.

Fantastic experience: I have been a member for a very long time, I've lost count how many years. So much that I can say about my positive experience over the years. This gym is for everyone! It has a very comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. So if you are someone who is nervous about going to a gym, then this one is for you. There are people of all ages, shape and sizes. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. The amount of equipment to choose from is mind-blowing. If you love classes, like I do, there are so many to choose from. Mel is a wonderful gym owner as she is always updating the equipment, bringing in new equipment and trying out new classes to keep things interesting. The membership prices are amazing, with lots of specials through the year. They also have infrared saunas at a great price.

Fantastic experience: I love the classes at genius Ballarat! I love the variety of workouts and the instructions

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff, no judgement and affordable gym. Equipment is awesome.

Fantastic experience: Excellent variety of equipment and free weights multiple amounts of same sizes ensures there is always enough to work around each other and not have to wait for machines or free weights.

Fantastic experience: I have been a member of this gym since 2003 & have always enjoyed the great mix of classes - there’s something for everyone and fitness level. They respond to member suggestions & refresh Classes often. Some of my favourites are the 1/2 hour back to back morning classes eg. Coba, Steel training & Barre. We’ll done to Mel & her staff.

Fantastic experience: Very well equipped gym, plenty of room to move about. 24 hours

Fantastic experience: Have avoided Gym's for 60 years, thought that I'm just not that type! How wrong I was. Genesis staff made me feel welcome, and all the people I've met so far have been fantastic. I've been going regularly now for almost 2 years, and look forward to my sessions.

Fantastic experience: Excellent 24/7 Gym with an amazing support team !!! I am just impressed with the extensive range of equipments and the ample space inside the gym. Easily, the best gym I have ever been to. Keep up the good work!

Positive experience: Great range of equipment and friendly staff

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ballarat

Fantastic experience: stopped by ballarat to see family, the people on the front desk where super nice and took care of us would reccomend

Fantastic experience: Love our gym, heaps of choices for classes and loads of equipment if you want to do your own thing, affordable prices, great staff, friendly comfortable environment for all shapes and sizes for all genders.

Fantastic experience: Great gym with staff who are passionate about giving the members the best experience and helping them achieve their health and fitness goals.

Fantastic experience: Awsom

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Quality

Fantastic experience: Friendly, caring and affordable with great classes and fantastic community. A wonderful range of classes and equipment - non judgemental. Thanks guys!

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ballarat

Fantastic experience: If you're starting at the gym for the first time or getting back into it again, I couldn't recommend Body & Soul enough. Mel and the team are friendly, welcoming and will always go out of their way to help anyway they can. There's a huge range of classes suiting all experience levels, awesome facilities, welcoming members and you're greeted with a smile every time you walk through the door. You can't really ask for much more. If you're from Ballarat and need a gym, look no further.

Fantastic experience: I made the switch just over two months ago. I was reticent (didn't think I could live without Les Mills BodyPUMP) but was looking for 24/7 and the motivation of the MyZone app. Body & Soul had both and a great deal. Also large spaces, tonnes of equipment, lots of classes, virtual classes in a studio. We've largely been in lockdown conditions since I joined and I am so glad I did; it has been the best decision. From everyone including Sarah at the desk, Allena who did me a program, Rick, Cam and Gary in HNR, Anna who does amazing dance classes among other things - the in gym experience was amazing. I'm not fit, small or young and was a little anxious but not only were the instructors supportive and encouraging, the other patrons were as well. But the above and beyond community in lockdown will see me loyal as long as I live here. Live classes with real time feedback from your local team is amazing. Mel, Larissa and Sarah's FB Live classes are an amazing mix and it's been wonderful to try things I wouldn't have in person And the incredible machine Megan posting great work outs and offering boundless encouragement. Chan, Anna and Megan even did classes remotely. This has been a real community and it's been of significant importance to my Body and Soul (and mind).

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ballarat, great classes for every age. There is a large number of Gym equipment. Great Memberships to suit everyone. I have never felt uncomfortable . Excellent

Fantastic experience: Excellent Gym Highly recomend

Fantastic experience: Positive: Communication , Professionalism , Quality

Fantastic experience: Positive: Quality

Fantastic experience: Friendly atmosphere, approachable staff, great selection of group fitness and gym floor is huge

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ballarat by far.The owners Mel and brad have a wealth of experience in the fitness industry and are fantastic to deal with.The staff led by the always welcoming and friendly Sarah make going to this gym a pleasure 5 stars

Fantastic experience: Best gym in Ballarat by far! Mel and the team are beyond welcoming, such a friendly community environment, with a huge range of great equipment and classes! Thank you Mel for creating such a great space for people of all different experience levels :)

Fantastic experience: You'd be silly not to join Body and Soul! The club is HUGE and has every piece of equipment you could ask for. All classes are included and the instructors are amazing plus you get 24/7 access. No one judges here so you always feel comfortable when you are training, highly recommend checking the gym out! -You won't regret it!

Fantastic experience: If you're starting at the gym for the first time or getting back into it again, I couldn't recommend Body & Soul enough. Mel and the team are friendly, welcoming and will always go out of their way to help anyway they can. There's a huge range of classes suiting all experience levels, awesome facilities, welcoming members and you're greeted with a smile every time you walk through the door. You can't really ask for much more. If you're from Ballarat and need a gym, look no further.

Fantastic experience: Ballarat Body & Soul Genesis is a friendly, inclusive and motivating environment for people of all ages, shapes and abilities. The range of equipment is extensive. They have a variety of classes and I particularly enjoy Combat, Barre, and HNR boxing. If you're a bit anxious just pop in and have a chat to the lovely and knowledgeable staff!

Negative experience: When they advertise the $9 per week gym membership, they do not specify that it is a 3 year contract! When you go to sign the contracts thats when they do and they advise there is a $100 cancellation fee associated because of the 3 year contract. What they don't tell you is that to be eligible to cancel the contract you have to prove that you are either medically unfit or have moved away from Ballarat. You cant simply pay the $100 like I was told (which I am happy to do). The price is not competitive for a gym with sub par bathroom facilities, inadequate parking, low staffing hours, the roof leaks and its freezing cold in winter. I have been offered membership's at other gyms that are competitive for price, with NO sign up fee and a casual contract. pick up your game Genesis. I have been advised to sell my contract on social media. They didn't even ask why I wanted to leave.

Fantastic experience: Good

Fantastic experience: This is an awesome gym with a great range of equipment and a large variety of group fitness classes. Regardless of ability, all of the instructors are welcoming and understanding. I would highly recommend this gym. I have done a few sessions in the HNR room and all members of that section were extremely supportive and encouraging. It makes the fitness journey easier having all of the positive people around, including the staff on the counter.

Fantastic experience: Incredible gym! Loads of classes at very convenient times, excellent and wide range of equipment, super friendly & helpful staff and trainers... what more could you want from a gym?! Awesome!

Negative experience: I didn't go

Negative experience: I stopped going the the gym after my son was born after promising myself i would go back for ages i come to the realisation that it just wasnt going to happen.. So I cancelled my membership.. then once it became genesis fitness i noticed payments were still coming out of my bank, after several attempts and repeatedly filling out paperwork it was still continuing.... then after complaining, i had the same Paperwork to fill out again (3rd time)... i spoke to my bank and they said the payments needed to be stopped at the other end.. So More phone called and empty promises of the problems being rectified, promises that the appropriate person would be contating me to help me with my concerns... That phone call never happened. My frustration got the the point that i closed my bank accout just after the last lot of paperwork and empty promises exchanged hands, so that they can not take another CENT from me. Just to get a txt msg months later saying my account is now over due... I thought i would email admin to sort it out. That way I have it in writing so that next time they tell me that i havent taken the "appropriate steps" to closing my account and they are unaware I was looking to end my contract. Yet i have been unable to find an email address and once again the phones are unanswered. ABSOLUTELY appalling efforts of business management and customer service....

Positive experience: I feel I have to defend this gym as a number of bad reviews are not my experience. Please note that those poor reviews, which may be true, the reviewers have 4 total reviews or fewer. That's not much. I would not say this gym is perfect but I would say it's completely adequate and offers amazing prices. It is above average in my experience. All the criticisms for direct debit I cannot comment on as I use a different kind of membership through fitness passport which has been easy. I haven't been incorrectly debited. I also thank them for accepting the fitness passport. The staff have been super nice and welcoming. If you're a bit threatened by super athletic staff, don't worry. They didn't give me that impression, I'm sure they're fit and know what they're doing but it's not a meat-head kind of vibe that I got at all. There is enough equipment here to never go wanting. There's stuff for everyone. I've not gone during the day very much, so I've not used their lounge much. There are different areas for different purposes and at night it's never too busy. One thing I will say is that it's pretty cold at night, but that's ok, just dress accordingly. Huge plus is the children's play area. I think it could be a bit bigger or nicer, but the fact that they have it is really important. If you're a free weights person or a machine person they have it here. 24 hours with the fob access is easy and another huge plus for me. Parking is not so great and there's no bicycle racks, at least none that I've found. Pretty limited on the toilets and showers but they are there. Lockers are good, although not many, just bring your own lock. The pigeon hole system is fine if you have no valuables. TVs everywhere and subtitles. Cardio machines with doo hickeys to plug your earphones in to control the space station. There's really not much more you could want. Perhaps the set up is a little daunting with so much gear as you get in, but if you're an experienced gym-goer you'll feel fine and at home. Think, substance over presentation in general is the vibe here. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who is local. Good gym. Has more than enough for me. Never too busy at night. Good prices. Owner is certainly making an effort here.

Negative experience: In response to Antifreeze's comments I can say that I have had the exact same experience. Money has been taken out of my account in all different amounts, when I have contacted the gym regarding this issue I have been told to contact Debit Success. The only answer I have been getting from them is that I have insufficient funds, despite the evidence from my bank that I have money in that account. When trying to cancel my membership due to it costing enormous amounts more than the agreed $8.95 a week, I was told I would have to pay $150 cancellation fee. I have been treated very rudely by staff regarding this. To this day this is still occurring and I am aware of others who this has happened to and we have all been told that there is nothing that can be done. I am moving away and am still being told that I cannot cancel my membership despite having evidence including bills with my new address on it in order to cancel it which I do not have due to just moving. And in addition to this would still have to pay the fee. This has caused me to lose significant sums of money and am receiving no answers for this.

Negative experience: Had such a bad experience here and the owner was not very friendly at all. If you’re new in Ballarat and want a free trial to suss a gym out, don’t bother with this gym because they falsely advertise about their free trials and they don’t actually do them. You’ll have a much better time at D2E gym which is like a 5 minute drive away. The owner also lied about the gym being “at full capacity” (when it wasn’t busy at all) but then happily went on to let us in if we paid the $12 fee.. If the gym was at “full capacity” you shouldn’t let anyone else in even if they paid for it for occupational and health safety reasons; it just seems so money hungry to me. If I could give this gym zero stars, I would.

Negative experience: I was a very happy member of this gym until late last year when I realised they out source their direct debit payments to a company called Debit Success which is know for it's fraudulent behaviour. I was on a 24 month contract at $18 taken from my account every fortnight. When I entered the second year of the contract, I was charged $38 without any notice and then the money was returned a few days later. I contacted them. I was told it was Debit Success who I needed to speak to, the staff members I spoke with in that situation told me I owe a lump sum of fees for my second year even though my contract states I would be paying $18 per fortnight as normal. The over charges have happened every single fortnight since the original problem in December and it's cost me a lot of bank fees when I only leave $18 in my account for debiting. As of this week, I'm $180 ripped off in bank fees due to Body and Soul, and Debit Success. I've been back and forth via emails with staff for weeks on end with no resolution. I've been treated like an absolute waste of time. They offered me a way out of a contract by paying a $100 cancellation fee, have a doctor's certificate to imply I'm not able to attend the gym and pay the lump sum they fabricated. I could not even fathom how this is reasonable customer service. I'm disgusted by the service from staff and their stand over techniques. Not once could they supply me with a reason as to why their banking error happened or where the sum of money came from, let alone to accept responsibility for it. Please DO NOT sign any contracts with this gym, it's not worth trusting them with your banking details, let alone having to try to explain to the staff why the customer is not at fault for a banking error. I find it funny that I can't post a review on the Facebook page because it seems that I'm not the only one who has had this issue. I'm not into name calling or bullying but the truth is the truth. As a customer having to respect a contract, a business has to respect their end of the contract and this is VERY clearly a breech. UPDATE 30/04/2019: I visited my bank a few weeks back, asked them their opinion on the situation and they blocked the direct debits. Now I've just received an invoice from debt collectors on behalf of Debit Success/Body and Soul for $1,100 Not only is that number absurd, it's more than the value of my entire contract with the gym. I'll be posting this on Facebook with proof that I haventh received a phone call or an email back from either Debit Sucess or Body and Soul in months

Fantastic experience: This is an awesome gym with a great range of equipment and a large variety of group fitness classes. Regardless of ability, all of the instructors are welcoming and understanding. I would highly recommend this gym. I have done a few sessions in the HNR room and all members of that section were extremely supportive and encouraging. It makes the fitness journey easier having all of the positive people around, including the staff on the counter.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic atmosphere, great range of class options, plenty of equipment to use.

Fantastic experience: Great gym.

Fantastic experience: Great place to work out and friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Great gym! Has an awesome atmosphere, friendly staff, and everything you need plus more. definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience: Body and Soul is the best gym I've been to by far! The staff are always very helpful and supportive of reaching your personal goals. The new Hiit and Run area/classes are AWESOME!! I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a gym in Ballarat.

Fantastic experience: Best in ballarat

Fantastic experience: Great gym with a great atmosphere! HNR room has everything you need with amazing instructors!

Positive experience: Has had a name change

Positive experience: Get facilities, classes and friendly staff plus really affordable memberships.

Negative experience: Not a very good experience would not recommend . P.s you can’t take me to the police for having an opinion hahah

Positive experience: Great gym great people with possibly the biggest range of hammer strength equipment in oz. Motivating place to train

Fantastic experience: Good vibe, plenty of equipment, good classes

Fantastic experience: Awesome classess and reasonable prices and great staff

Fantastic experience: love it ,im a member and they have everything there that you could possibly need

Fantastic experience: My one stop shop to get into shape! Gym has everything you need! Amazing deals and prices

Fantastic experience: Great friendly staff and atmosphere

Fantastic experience: Staff are friendly and helpful. This place gets busy but only because it is well equipped and has a lot to offer. They also have great deals.

Fantastic experience: Heaps of modern equipment

Fantastic experience: I have been a member for the past 4 years. Can't live without it. Always something new there. Amazing staff and outstanding equipment.

Fantastic experience: Great gym. Staff knowledgeable and friendly.

Positive experience: Friendly staff

Positive experience: Perfectly serviceable gym

Fantastic experience: Great atmosphere and value for money membership.

Fantastic experience: Best gym in ballarat, with up to date equipment with a variety to for all fitness levels, where it feels like a community.