LIFE DANCE: LAS VEGAS ATHLETIC CLUB

Las Vegas Athletic Club, commonly known as LVAC, is one of the best and most popular health clubs in Las Vegas. My second home, I could say. There are several LVACs in Las Vegas and in Henderson, but I go to the one on Rainbow Blvd. & Lake Mead, just ten minutes from my home.

The club opens 24 hours, 365 days – yeap, my kind of gym.

The Rainbow facility is a two-story building with approximately 48000 square feet and it's a fully equipped gym. The cardio room is full of treadmills and elliptical machines. In the front wall, there is a big screen showing musical videos. The background music of the gym is from these videos. There are six smaller TV monitors on each size of the larger screen showing local and cable tv programs in mute. Some machines have their own TV with an iPod connector. The music and audiovisuals really make the time go faster when you are on a treadmill or elliptical machine.

The club offers a plethora of classes from early morning until 9 pm. There are three exercise rooms, two on the first floor and one upstairs. Some of the classes, to name a few, are Zumba, kick boxing, MRT (muscle resistance training), pilates, yoga, body pump, HotHula, Sh'Bam and Piloxing.

The indoor running track is upstairs and circles around the building. While I’ve never used the track, I understand that it’s 7 laps around to make a mile.

And for families with children, there is a kid's playroom where the parents can leave their children while they workout. A reservation is required and there are monitors around the club showing the playroom in case parents want to take a quick glance at what their children are doing. No extra money for this service, this in included in the membership.

One of the things that I like about this gym is that it has a women fitness area. This is a small gym within a gym. All the machines that I use are available in this area, so I have no need to use the rest of the gym. I usually do the cardio in the the big cardio room, and the rest of my workout in the women area.

The lady’s locker room is ample, well kept and clean. The cleaning ladies on the premises do a good job cleaning up our messes. Inside the women locker room, there’s a smaller room exclusively for the VIPs. I have no access to that room, so I guess I’m not a VIP. Also, in the locker room area, there is a sauna, a steam room, showers and two vanity areas. From the shower area, you can walk to the Jacuzzi and to the swimming pools. H o w e v e r, the Jacuzzi is Co-Ed. I personally don’t like to use Jacuzzis in gyms and especially if they are co-ed. I don’t know who created co-ed. I will never use anything co-ed, but many people don't mind.

For those who like swimming or water exercises, there are two indoor swimming pools adjacent to each other. One is often used for the water classes and the other one for lap swimmers. As much as I like water, I find the water exercises too easy for me. Whenever I've taken one of these classes, I feel as if I didn't exercise. I would rather swim.

And my favorite spot in the gym is: tadaaa… the Juice Bar. Aaah, after a good workout and a good shower, there’s nothing like a delicious, under 300 calories, protein shake. This Juice Bar is so convenient. After the workout, you don't have to think where to go for lunch or dinner, you can eat right there.

My protein shake - I’ve got to have it! It’s part of my gym ritual. I always order the same one, a small Power Lift. I never get tired of it. Every now and then, I try the Berry Me and the Tropical Treat, but I always return to my Power Lift.

In addition to the protein shakes, the juice bar has natural juices, smoothies, salads, Panini, water, power drinks, even healthy tamales (chicken, pork and pineapple). Sometimes, maybe once a week, I’ll have a shot (1 oz) of wheat grass. Yaak! This is the cow in me.

To pay for your food at the Juice Bar, you can use cash, debit/credit card or, my favorite, the Juice Bar card. This way, you don’t have to bring any money to the gym. I do that. At the beginning of the month, I put the money in my card that I know I will spend during the month, and that makes it so easy.

I don’t bring my wallet nor my cell phone to the gym. As far as I am concerned, the world can fall apart while I am at the gym. I just don’t care. Nothing is important enough for me to interrupt my workout. Of course, I don’t have children or an immediate family here. I also take care of business before the gym, so I can enjoy peace. When I'm done with my workout, I'll check my emails in my car. I have a great ability to disconnect from the phone and social media. And I like it that way.

LVAC members enjoy a number of perks where you can get discounts in stores, shows, medical, massage, and many, many others. LVAC also publishes a seasonal magazine several times a year.

The parking lot is huge and although it may look daunting from the outside, it's not a big deal to park. On peak hours, it may be a little bit harder to find a parking space, but normally you will find parking without problem. The worst that can happen is that you have to park a little bit far, but there will always be parking available and security going around the parking lot.

I'm sure that I'm forgetting about extra features, but this will provide a good idea of where I spend hours and hours during my week and ultimately during my life.

I have visited many gyms in US and abroad. To me, this is the best gym. Of course, I can only speak for the Rainbow facility. I’ve never been to any other LVAC and I understand that the oldest ones are not as big. Obviously, different people will have different opinions about health clubs. For instance, I have a friend that prefers the small family-type club.

The moment I enter LVAC, it's like magic. The music, the energy, the great amenities, all add to a wonderful workout experience. No doubt, this is the right place to workout, get fit and have fun.

Is this the perfect gym? No. No gym is perfect. There's always room for improvement. But for me, it's all I need and more.

Working out is a lifestyle I adopted long time ago. LVAC, with its spacious facilities, is the place where I forget about everything. In this place I can free my mind from my own problems and the problems of the world.

My membership allows me to bring one guest per month, so if you are a local or if you are visiting Las Vegas, hey, be my guest.