I joined Body Masters out of curiosity more than necessity. I already had my Leejam membership for strength training and had spent months at Fitness Time for classes. But friends kept mentioning Body Masters with a particular tone, as if describing something that required experiencing rather than explaining.
They were right. Body Masters Ladies operates in a different category than traditional fitness centers. Whether that category justifies the price depends entirely on what you are seeking.
Understanding What Body Masters Actually Is
First, let me clarify something that marketing materials obscure: Body Masters is not primarily a gym. It is a wellness center that happens to include fitness facilities. This distinction matters because judging it as a gym misses the point, and potentially wastes your money.
The Kingdom Centre location I visited includes: a full gym floor, yes, but also dedicated yoga studios, a pilates reformer room, a spa with hammam and treatment rooms, a juice bar, and recovery facilities including cryotherapy and compression therapy. The fitness equipment exists as one component of an integrated approach.
The Wellness Philosophy in Practice
My first visit included a consultation that no other gym had offered. A wellness coordinator spent forty minutes discussing not just my fitness goals but my sleep patterns, stress levels, work schedule, and what I actually wanted from my body beyond aesthetics or performance metrics.
This conversation shaped a recommended program that combined morning yoga twice weekly, one strength session, one cardio session, and a weekly spa visit. The suggestion felt holistic in ways that pure gym memberships cannot address.
"The most valuable thing Body Masters gave me was permission to treat recovery as seriously as exertion. I had been training hard and recovering poorly for years."
The Facilities Themselves
The gym floor is smaller than Leejam's but meticulously curated. Equipment selection prioritizes versatility over volume. You will not find fifteen identical treadmills, but the eight they have are premium models with individual entertainment systems and superior shock absorption.
Weight equipment focuses on functional fitness: cable machines, kettlebells, TRX systems, and barbells with quality plates. Dedicated powerlifters might find limitations, but for general strength training, everything necessary is present.
The yoga studios deserve special mention. Natural lighting from floor-to-ceiling windows (properly screened for privacy), cork flooring, temperature control that actually works for hot yoga sessions, and a sound system that fills the space without overwhelming it. I have practiced yoga in many settings, and these rooms rank among the best.
Spa and Recovery
The spa is not a marketing afterthought. The hammam experience follows traditional protocols: warm room to open pores, scrub treatment, hot room, cold plunge, rest area. Therapists are trained, not just hired. My monthly deep tissue massage became something I scheduled around, not something I fit in when convenient.
Recovery technology includes:
- Whole-body cryotherapy (three-minute sessions at -110°C)
- NormaTec compression therapy for legs and arms
- Infrared sauna pods
- A dedicated stretching room with assisted stretch sessions
Membership Structure (November 2025)
Monthly wellness membership: SAR 800-1,200 depending on included services
Spa treatments: Some included in premium tiers, others charged separately
Personal training: SAR 200-350 per session depending on trainer level
Guest policy: Limited to one guest per month per member
The Cost Conversation
Body Masters costs roughly three times what Leejam charges. This is the unavoidable reality that determines whether the experience makes sense for you.
I justified the cost by calculating what I was actually using. If I visited three times weekly for fitness and once monthly for spa services, the per-visit cost approached premium boutique studio rates. If I underutilized the wellness components, I was essentially overpaying for a regular gym.
The membership works financially when you embrace the full offering. Using Body Masters exclusively for treadmill time wastes money. Using it as an integrated wellness practice, fitness plus recovery plus stress management, starts to make the pricing rational.
Who Should Consider This
Body Masters Ladies makes sense for women who:
- Have discretionary income for wellness investments
- Value recovery and stress management alongside fitness
- Prefer quality environments over maximum equipment access
- Want spa facilities without visiting separate establishments
- Appreciate smaller crowds and more personal attention
It makes less sense for women who primarily want gym equipment access, prefer group fitness class variety, or need to maximize value per riyal spent. Those priorities point toward Leejam or Fitness Time respectively.
What I Took Away
After my time at Body Masters, my relationship with fitness changed. I stopped viewing exercise as a standalone activity and started seeing it as one element of broader wellbeing. The spa visits were not indulgences but maintenance. The yoga sessions were not "light days" but essential balance.
I eventually returned to Leejam for my primary gym membership since the cost difference was substantial. But I kept a reduced Body Masters membership for monthly spa access and occasional yoga classes. The hybrid approach let me maintain what I valued from each environment.
Body Masters is not the best gym in Saudi Arabia. It is not trying to be. It is attempting something more ambitious: a complete wellness ecosystem for women who want to invest in holistic health. For the right person, it delivers something no traditional gym can match.
Questions about my experience? Get in touch or read more about my fitness journey.
