Don’t you just hate it when your $900-a-month gym gets sucked into petty dramas? I mean, you might as well go back to your $500 gym if you have to put up with that kind of agita. Such is the dilemma befalling two Tracy Anderson gyms in the Hamptons. Members are organizing petitions against class changes and yelling at other members who don’t pay to reserve mat locations, while trainers seem to be beaten down by it all. Page Six broke down the details of a recent Business Insider report for us:
[From Page Six]This One Percent workout guru isn’t sweating claims that her Hamptons studios are in “chaos.”
A Business Insider report claims there’s a catty class war brewing at Tracy Anderson’s Water Mill and Sag Harbor studios between members—who pay a $900 monthly fee—and non-members.
The article says that in one skirmish, a member demanded that a regular weights class be “changed” into a dance class and that the gym complied, despite the protests of non-members who started a petition to have it switched back.
Meanwhile, it claims those who don’t cough up a $5,500 annual “mat fee”—which allows customers to reserve a spot in class—risk getting “screamed at” if they accidentally pick a reserved place.
“You can’t just work out; you can’t just enjoy it,” a former Hamptons trainer told BI. “There’s always drama.”
But it seems Anderson isn’t letting the kerfuffle harsh her endorphin high.
Her spokesman Steven Beltrani tells Page Six, “This has been our smoothest and most successful summer in the Hamptons as we’ve continued to grow and elevate our client experiences.”
He added, “The consistent high demand year-over-year is both humbling and greatly appreciated by all of us at Tracy Anderson.”
“This has been our smoothest and most successful summer in the Hamptons as we’ve continued to grow and elevate our client experiences.” Now that’s an artful dodge from the spokesman, because all of that can be true without negating any of the bad reports. This could be their “smoothest and most successful summer” and still be a shi*t show (or excuse me, a “kerfuffle”), just a slightly better one!
Looking into the Celebitchy Archives I found it’s been a while since Tracy Anderson has popped up (other than Gwyneth Paltrow name dropping her). But clearly the quiet years do not mean her frauding has stopped! I ran the math and that $5,500 annual mat free comes out to $459 a month, in addition to the $900 monthly membership fee. I am not rich and therefore cannot say for certain how I would allocate an abundance of funds, though I’d very much like the opportunity someday. That being said, I cannot imagine spending what could be a month’s rent on a gym membership. To those Hamptons fitness seekers, hear me out on this idea: may I suggest ditching the Hollywood fraudster, joining a Planet Fitness for a fraction of the price, and then donating the balance of what you used to pay to Tracy to others in Hollywood? Say the writers, actors, designers, crews, tradespeople, technicians whose jobs are on hiatus during the strike? Just a thought.
I also remember reading some time back that trainers at her gyms were pushed to exhaustion, leading to an increase in injury.
It might just be me but whenever I see the name Tracy Anderson, I just see drama. She has always seemed like a mess & her videos show exercise with no form & the potential for injuries. Another crappy Gwyneth by-product
I feel for the people who work there. I do not feel for the idiots who choose to pay to be anywhere near that woman’s businesses. Make better choices.
It’s like The White Lotus all over again – this time at a gym. Maybe they should set the third series there??
Love this idea! I’m here for the messy rich people drama.
So, if I was inclined to join a gym, which I am not, I would totally pay for a reserved mat spot.
The anxiety of where to set up camp is always horrific for me (autistic, yep, change is very hard to navigate).
So I’d love to know exactly where I was going & that I could see/hear, etc, for every class.
It’s very stressful. If I can’t arrive to a class early enough to know I can find a spot I like, I won’t go.
I feel like anywhere rich people gather would tend to be drama filled?
This! I am at my weekly yoga class before the doors are unlocked to get the back corner spot. And I can believe the Hamptons drama…I live in a touristy area in New England, lots of NY and CT people bought here during the pandemic. During the summer the barre/yoga spot I go is overrun with women like this and I ended up putting the membership on hold for August because the classes were so full and the summer attendees so unpleasant.
my gym has reserved spots since right before covid when they had to call the police over two people who threw hands over a spot
My yoga class had us choose specific mat locations, it was part of the COVID restrictions that they continued. Worked out nicely. And didn’t cost extra!
Why does the gym need to charge for it though?
Rich people need places where they will only run into other rich people and not risk running into us, peasants 😉
This sounds like an entitlement problem with the patrons (compounded by employees understandably not wanting to deal with them). I can’t even imagine asking that a class be changed to an entirely different type of class. I also do not have that kind of money, but still, wow.
I live through this scenario at least thrice a week. Rich entitled white women who want to exercise in a “fasted” state running on white wine vapors from the night before. They get so mean and the only thing that feeds their hunger is getting their way or pitching a fit until they get their way.
The studios are also allegedly filled with mold and bacteria since they heat them to 95 degrees with 75% humidity.
I will say the Water Mill NY (the main Hamptons) TA location is beautiful and the time I was there was very clean. No, didn’t take a class, thought about it since I was in the area overnight for work but gasped at the price. Did get a tour because the person I met with for work was friendly’ish with TA; he was at the studio to do some measurements and got the ok for me to tag along.
This sounds like an excellent way to lock the too rich in a building where they have to put up with each other. If I were paying $1,500 a month, I would also be mad to not be able to use the spot I pre-reserved, but I suspect these members are intolerable entitled twats 100% of the time.
Shouldn’t these rich people have their own gyms at home?
Who would they take their privileged outrate out on if they stayed at home?? Ha Ha! I have to work with entitled wealthy white ladies on occasion and it’s not fun…
I’ll start with something nice: I’ve done a few Tracy Anderson workouts and I thought they were honestly pretty great. I burned so many calories (especially when I added arm and ankle weights), I was a hot sweaty mess by the end, the movements were fun and intuitive, TA is a good coach, and I felt great afterward. I didn’t listen to nor did I follow any of her diet recommendations so I can’t speak to that (although given the number of calories burned, I would expect to eat A LOT afterward). That said, were the workouts $500/mo. fantastic? Absolutely not. It was basically P90X with a greater emphasis on dance-like movements.
I used to work out with a trainer. I shared sessions with two friends and we did it 2-3 times a week. He was great and it was very effective. That said, I haven’t been able to rouse myself to go back to the gym for years now.
I can’t understand paying that much money for a gym if it doesn’t include all sorts of perks. I know some people in the Hamptons are obscenely wealthy, but still. There are so many ways to work out at home now. Tons of free videos for yoga, aerobics, Pilates, etc.
I understand why people want to go to another place to work out. Some people need the motivation, want to socialize, want someone there to advise them. But you can get it for less than that! Good Lord.
Ridiculous waste of $$$–i pay $25/month for my gym membership and $15 per class. If I want a specific spot in the studio, i just show up earlier, no extra $ required! TA’s target market pays these kinds of fees to guarantee they won’t have to breathe in the same airspace as any poors or rub shoulders with anyone who isn’t white.
Some people just have too much money.
Lol I hate gym drama. I don’t go to the gym anymore- I exercise to you tube videos. Works all the same especially if you have some basic equipment like free weights and a yoga mat. Also much easier to motivate yourself to actually do it that- just roll out of bed and exercise. No need to get dressed. (I live alone)
My old gym had drama but it was mostly douchbros hogging the machines.
You can hire a decent personal trainer for less than that a month. This doesn’t even make sense…. the problems of the rich.*shrugs*
Years ago I borrowed a book/DVD Tracy Anderson workout from the library (I am definitely not TA’s desired clientele) I do have to say my body looked crazy good after just a few weeks. I couldn’t maintain it as it was atleast an hour of work a day but for a few months I had Hollywood looking body.
I never did follow the meal plan which if i remember correctly literally included Baby food. Like, I’m supposed to subsist on half a cup of pureed apple. I think at the time I counted it out and it was about 800 calories for one of the daily meal plans.
I think TA is a scumbag. But her workouts have merit if you’re going for a certain look.
With that type of money I would rather travel the enjoy a walk, hike and other activities while I enjoy the landscape of a foreign country.
Being stuck in a gym ..pass.
Grifters gonna grift. TA has always been a grifting creep.