Most hated
Equinox
30.7% of its 15,972 Google ratings are one or two stars.
America's most
hated gym chains.
People have left 2.7 million Google ratings at America's 11 biggest gym chains. More than 370,000 of them are one or two stars. We ranked the gym chains by that share, the proportion of one- and two-star ratings, in every state. Higher share, more hated.
Explore the state mapKey findings.
Second most hated
Life Time
24.0% of its 75,986 Google ratings are one or two stars.
Least hated
Snap Fitness
8.1% of its 33,300 Google ratings are one or two stars.
Highest state result
Equinox in Texas
37.5% of the 1,040 ratings for its Texas gyms are one or two stars.
The most hated gym chain in every state.
Hover a state for a preview, click to pin the details.Tap a state for details.
The national ranking.
All 11 gym chains ranked by the share of their Google ratings that are one or two stars.
| Rank | Gym chain | 1-2 star share | Recent share | Gyms | Ratings analysed |
|---|
What people complain about.
What reviewers say in their one- and two-star reviews, sorted into seven complaint types. These are members' words, not ours.
Most common complaint from reviewers
The lowest-rated individual gyms.
The lowest lifetime Google star ratings in the study, each with at least 200 reviews, ranked as published.
Select a gym's name to open its Google Maps listing.
Methodology and sources.
The ranking
We collected Google Maps ratings for every gym chain in all 50 states on September 16, 2026. A listing counts when it carries the gym chain's name, is categorised as a gym and has at least 20 reviews. A gym chain is ranked with 10 or more gyms nationally, or 3 or more in a state. The table shows the share of one- and two-star ratings; every eligible rating counts once. The recent share uses the 100 newest reviews per gym, a different sample.
Two gym chains or one
A state shows a single leading gym chain only when the lead is at least two percentage points, passes a 95% test and survives removing the leader's worst gym. Otherwise both gym chains are shown. Alaska, Maine and New Hampshire have one eligible gym chain, so no winner is assigned.
Complaints
One- and two-star reviews with text are sorted into one of seven complaint categories against a written rubric. A blind re-check of a 300-review sample matched 91-92% of the labels.
Limitations
Google reviews are self-selected, not a representative survey of members. Counts are listings found in our searches, not official brand totals, and searches may miss locations. Complaint categories are imperfect, so treat complaint shares as directional.
Corrections
Every figure is reproducible from public Google Maps listings. If a gym chain believes a listing was miscounted or a location misattributed, email hello@bespoke.fit with the listing and we'll review it and note any change here.
Sources: Google Maps via DataForSEO, September 16, 2026; boundaries from US Atlas, US Census Bureau.