The first hint that Denver’s newest Life Time fitness location reflects evolution in the industry to a level far beyond your grandfather’s smelly old gym comes from the company’s promotional material, which describes it as a “luxury athletic country club.”
Another clue confirms it: Memberships cost $279 per month.
But, really, where else can you go for treadmill runs, a hair salon, an outsized weightlifting space, a nail salon, a Pilates studio with seven reformer machines, a café that serves hot food, 130 fitness classes a week, a coffee and smoothie bar that turns into a “bistro” serving alcohol at night with live music, ellipticals and stair machines, a library-like workroom with desks, open seating and a conference room, seven pickleball courts (three indoor, four outside), four massage rooms, two 25-yard pools (one indoor, one outside) and a recovery area that includes Normatec compression boots, CryoLounge recovery chairs, HydroMassage beds and massage guns?
Even a tour of the place is a workout.
“What do you get for $279?” says Jill Shusterman, athletic director at the new Life Time Denver West facility. “You get Orangetheory, you get CrossFit, you get CycleBar, Pure Barre. We just created boutiques within our ecosystem.”
Let’s be clear: They don’t actually have Orangetheory, CrossFit and the others on the premises. They just offer similar “boutique” workout regimes. And a lot more.
When Life Time asked prospective members to get on a “wait list” to tour the facility, which opened on April 1, the response was overwhelming. It probably helped that commuters got to finally see inside the massive three-story facility being built in recent months at 3301 Clear Creek Drive in Wheat Ridge, close to Interstate 70.
“We had more than 13,000 people on the original signup waitlist, which is one of our biggest of all time,” said Dan DeBaun, a public relations manager at Life Time’s Minnesota-based corporate office. “It was crazy.” Life Time has more than 170 locations in North America, including seven in Colorado. Another location is slated to open next year in Boulder.
What did all those folks see when they toured the facility? A massive weight room with a panoramic third-floor view of the foothills, 59 treadmills, 12 exercise bikes (not counting three dozen spin bikes in the dedicated spinning studio), 15 elliptical machines, 20 stair machines, several rowers, ski machines, and BikeErgs. The facility opened with more than 200 employees, and will be hiring more seasonal help for the summer. There will, of course, be an outdoor “beach club.”
Joy Detra of Lakewood had previously worked out at another Life Time facility on a guest pass. When she found out the building she saw going up in Applewood would be a new Life Time location, she and her brother were quick to sign up.
“I love the ability to take different classes,” Detra said, “classes that you wouldn’t have the ability to try unless you pay quite a bit of money at different studios. It’s all right here. I’ve done F45, I’ve done Orangetheory, I’ve done Pure Barre. If you pay separately for all of those memberships, it’s costly.”
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Her brother, Mike Roluti, is rather proud of being one of the first of thousands who signed up for a tour. His fitness goals are primarily in the weight room, and he’s grateful for the sheer scale of it.
“Though the parking lot is full, you don’t have to wait for a machine, which I think is the key to life,” Roluti said. “Then there is the recovery (area), which is something I’ve never had before. The HydroMassage is key.”
Rena Schomburg joined Life Time 15 years ago at a different location, but the new one is closer to where she works. More elaborate, too.
“There’s something for the whole family,” Schomburg said. “I have a little child; he gets to go to kids night out (Life Time calls it “Parents Night Out”). My husband plays pickleball. We do classes. It’s always clean. It’s a community. Everyone who comes here is always really friendly. It’s really motivating to have that atmosphere and the community. We spend the whole day, all summer long, when the (outdoor) pool is open.”
She also likes being able to grab meals in the café, which offers “build your own” bowls with grains, greens and fresh proteins cooked to order, along with other grab and go items.
“I think that makes a huge difference (compared to) a 24 Hour Fitness gym,” Schomburg said.
Of course, 24 Hour Fitness charges a fraction of what Life Time does for memberships.
Patrons work out at Life Time Denver West in Wheat Ridge on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
“There are certain models where it’s a lower barrier to entry,” DeBaun said. “We’ve found a lot of success where the price is higher — just being honest about that. With the programs and the communal aspect, we often find people stick with it a lot longer.”
And, after all, they want to be seen as a luxury athletic country club, with all the amenities and activities that implies.
“We want to keep adding programming and amenities so we can continue to give our members more things to do and more options,” DeBaun said. “This is a place where you can have an activity, it’s very social, you meet people, business partners — it’s almost like the new golf course for people.”