VivaGym, Anytime Fitness, Metropolitan, Fitness Park and Synergym, compared by someone who has actually trained inside all of them. No commissions, no affiliate links, no need to keep anyone happy.
I’ve been training in commercial gyms for years and I still do, alongside running my own studio in the Eixample. I’ve trained inside VivaGym, Anytime Fitness, Metropolitan, Fitness Park and Synergym. This comparison is what I see while training there, not what their websites say.
One thing worth saying up front: none of these gyms is bad. They’re different products for different people, and the usual mistake isn’t picking the worst one, it’s picking the one that doesn’t fit you and quietly stopping after two months.
And the obvious disclosure: I run a private personal training studio, so I’m not neutral. That’s why I’ve tried to stay concrete about the checkable things (machines, dumbbells, opening hours, how busy it gets) and to be clear when I’m just describing a feeling.
| Gym | Indicative price | Equipment | How busy | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VivaGym | ~30–38 €/mo | Basic but workable | Rough in the evening | Starting out on a budget |
| Anytime Fitness | ~40 €/mo | Much like VivaGym | Quieter | Paying more for space and 24h |
| Metropolitan | 100+ €/mo | Underwhelming for the price | Club atmosphere | Pool, sauna and classes |
| Fitness Park | ~30–40 €/mo | The best of the five | By far the busiest | Anyone who prioritises kit |
| Synergym | ~25–35 €/mo | Lots of free weights for the money | Manageable | Value if you lift |
| Private studio (ours) | from €200/mo | Full kit, never shared | Never: 100% private room | Corrected technique and a plan that progresses |
Indicative prices checked in July 2026 from public sources (official sites and comparison portals). One detail that surprises people: low-cost chains don’t charge the same at every club, so the same VivaGym or Synergym can cost several euros more depending on the neighbourhood. Always check the specific club’s price before signing.
The low-cost option, and it does exactly what it says.
The machines are basic. There are a few benches and the odd extra the others don’t have, but don’t expect high-end kit. Training in the evening is rough because it fills up, though it’s not impossible: if you know how to reorder your exercises, you still get the session done.
What I did take away was a good atmosphere. People are friendly and there’s a real sense of community, which for a lot of people is the difference between keeping the habit and dropping it.
Almost the same as VivaGym, except you’re paying for fewer people.
Honestly, training there feels a lot like VivaGym. The difference I did notice is that it’s less crowded, which I think follows directly from the slightly higher price. Beyond that, I saw no real difference in equipment.
If your problem is waiting for a machine, those extra few euros buy you space. And the 24-hour access is genuinely useful if you work odd shifts or train at strange hours.
Beautiful, spotless and expensive. But you’re not paying for the gym floor.
The design and the views are in another league, and so is the cleanliness. Now the awkward part: the equipment disappointed me for what it costs. At the club where I trained, dumbbells topped out at 36 kg and the selection was limited. It’s no better than VivaGym or Anytime Fitness, and it costs three times as much.
The crowd isn’t the typical gym crowd either; it feels closer to a members’ club. What you’re really paying for is the pool, the sauna and the surroundings. The classes look very popular, though I never took one, so I can’t judge those.
The best kit I’ve used in Barcelona. And the most packed.
If equipment is what matters to you, this one wins. It’s the best I’ve trained with in the city, and the price for what you get is attractive. The design is decent and the opening hours are generous.
Something worth knowing: the lighting is very strong and built for filming. They actively encourage it as part of their marketing, so you’ll see people recording. Some love that, some hate it; better to know beforehand.
And the downside: it’s the busiest gym I’ve ever trained in, and that makes people short-tempered. I don’t argue with anyone at the gym, and there I had three run-ins in a very short stretch. It’s not a bad place, but the mood is different from what I’m used to.
None of them fit?
If you want corrected technique, a plan that actually progresses and zero waiting, try a free private session at our Eixample studio.
Book free sessionThe surprise: a lot of free weight for the money.
I was surprised by how well stocked it is on weight for a budget gym. The people are pleasant and the vibe is plain in a good way: everyone comes in, does their session and leaves.
On value for money I think it’s among the best out there. Just don’t expect high-end machines or a class programme that blows you away. You know what you’re buying, and you’re buying it cheap.
In all five I’ve seen sessions run well, by coaches who genuinely care about their client. I’ve also seen mistakes most people would never spot: a progression that doesn’t actually progress, a movement pattern that will cost you in six months, a correction that never comes because nobody happened to be watching.
It’s not that chains lack good trainers, there are very good ones. It’s that the standard varies a lot from one trainer to another inside the same gym, and you don’t get to choose. You buy a membership and someone gets assigned to you.
That’s exactly the problem we set out to remove when we built our own studio: one method, coaches trained the same way, and the same session whoever you get.
What if the gym
isn’t the problem?
If you’ve already tried two or three and you’re still stuck, come and train one session with us. It’s free, it’s private, and you don’t have to decide anything afterwards.
Book free sessionThe equipment, atmosphere and crowding assessments come from my own experience training at each of these chains in Barcelona. I still train in commercial gyms as well as at my own studio, so these impressions get updated over time. They describe the specific clubs I’ve used, and other clubs of the same brand may differ.
Prices are indicative, checked in July 2026 against the chains’ official sites and public comparison portals. They change often and vary by club, so always check the specific location.
Disclosure: I run a private personal training studio in Barcelona, so I indirectly compete with these gyms. I receive no commission from any of them and this page contains no affiliate links.