Personal trainer Kenneth Burks, whom I've worked with since he joined the staff last summer, has brought his great breadth of knowledge to my fitness plan, along with a large dose of fun. Each workout is different, and adapted to my goals. I've worked with trainers in other states over the years, but what I've learned from Kenneth really stands out. He's also clearly invested in my success. I look forward to every workout with him, and my gains have shown their benefits!
Brett at FPH
Dec 17, 2023
5
Fuel Fitness in Durham is on the upswing with new features and services like the power plate, hydro-massage, the body composition monitor, PT... Kenneth Burks, Fitness Director, brings a new level of professionalism, outreach and focus to personal training and the center overall.
Ben Lasley
Oct 16, 2023
5
I just started at fuel fitness and I greatly enjoy it. Nice facilities with a variety of equipment and a great director of training, Kenneth - he was compassionate and really took the time to get to know his clients. I love the cycling class Monday nights with Jerel Bonner - he has a great workout and playlist and it's a highlight of my week. I wish he had a class later in the week!
Frederick Cooper
Sep 11, 2023
5
Love this place to death! The staff here is kind and care about your progress. Ken has been extremely helpful with training. I’ve been able to increase mobility in my injured shoulder thanks to him.
malcolm ford
Sep 5, 2023
5
I love fuel fitness so much at the durham location. Such a diverse group of people that all form such a comforting environment for me to work out at! Kenneth Burks the athletic director always makes sure to check in and keep me on my game, so with good staff and a good environment, this place always makes the gym the best part of my day! I highly recommend this place to anybody who loves going to the gym and wants a supportive staff!!
Kyle Rosinke
Aug 31, 2023
3
This review is for 3 months in the summer of 2023. I only used the weights and cannot comment on the classes or personal training. As a reference, I've been weight training for 18 years, mostly at public gyms.
Positives - Usually not too busy and don't need to wait for equipment
-Abnormally large selection of kettlebells
-Good selection of dumbbells, except for heavier ones
-Older machines are nicer than newer models that you find in many commercial gyms
-The staff allows people to take shoes off and use lifting chalk, meaning they care about performance more than vanity
-They offer a week free trial without any hassle, which is nice; many gyms don't offer this.
-Steel plates, from 2.5-45lbs are much nicer than rubber coated plates for most lifting. They have old school deep dish plates, which are nice.
Negative - Only 3 squat racks and no deadlift/olympic lifting platforms. Nowadays, it's expected that a gym has lifting platforms.
-Very old bumper plates with sharp steel edges. I've never seen bumper plates like this before.
-The floors are lumpy, making deadlifts and cleans annoying (since there are no lifting platforms)
-Given that they have twice as much cardio equipment as they need, parting with this equipment provides ample space for additional lifting platforms and squat racks. The use of space in the facility could be easily improved.
-Most, if not all of, the barbells are bent. In addition to new bumper plates and platforms, they need some nice new bars.
-They recently changed their hours and are only open for a short time on Sundays. Sunday afternoons are no as busy as rush hour on a Monday (not sure what they are thinking here)
-This gym is relatively expensive. They market as $30 per month, but that isn't accurate. I signed up June 21st and it cost me $95.21 (monthly fee, sign up fee, undisclosed fees). I was billed $29 on July 1. I was Billed $78 on August 1 (annual fees). I expect to be billed $29 on September 1. In all, my monthly cost to attend this gym was $77. If it wasn't for the convenience I would have chosen to go someplace else. I have a membership at Crunch Fitness ($16 per month plus a $50 annual fee), but that would have been a longer drive. As a note - Crunch Fitness has an abundance of bumper plates and lifting platforms (are you paying attention, Fuel Fitness?).
-They require over 30 days notice to cancel a membership and not have the next months fee deducted. Feels slightly predatory.
Overall, this isn't a bad gym, but needs to make improvements. All it takes is for a Crunch Fitness or another cheap chain to open a location in Durham to put this place out of business.
