Leading Proxy Advisor Recommends Shareholders Reject Liberation's Stockholder Proposals in Bally Proxy Contest; Rebuff's Pardus' Attempt to Get Blanket Discretion on Liberation Proposals.

CHICAGO -- Bally Board Reiterates Support for Nomination of Eric Langshur

Bally Total Fitness (NYSE:BFT), the nation's leader in health and fitness, announced today that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended that Bally shareholders reject all the stockholder proposals put forth by Liberation Investment Group. ISS also rejected Pardus' request for discretionary authority to vote on the Liberation proposals.

ISS noted in its report, "While we support the context of providing shareholders with rights to affect change, it is important to balance this with the need for companies to operate without constantly 'looking over their shoulder' for daily approval from shareholders. A well-structured and functioning board should be able to provide this necessary balance -- keeping management focused on shareholder value, while providing a buffer against freewheeling attacks that may be made against management...Therefore, we recommend that shareholders do not vote on the proposals presented by Liberation."

Commenting on the ISS recommendations, John W. Rogers, Jr., Lead Director of Bally's Board, said, "We are very pleased that ISS has asked shareholders not to vote for Liberation's proposals and rejected Pardus' attempt to gain blanket discretion to vote on these proposals. Our Board remains confident that Bally's turnaround is working and that the current management team led by Paul Toback is responsible for returning the Company to profitability and setting it on the right path."

ISS also urged shareholders to vote in favor of the Company's proposed new Omnibus Stock plan, noting that based on ISS analysis, the total cost of the company's plan is less than half the allowable cap for the company. The Company was pleased that ISS rejected Pardus and Liberation's contrary recommendations on this proposal.

Bally also responded to ISS's recommendation regarding the election of directors to be voted on at Bally's annual meeting of shareholders on January 26, 2006. Rogers noted, "Regarding the election of directors, we urge that shareholders support the Board's proposal which includes two candidates nominated by Pardus, along with Eric Langshur, Bally's Head of the Audit Committee. Eric is the individual who successfully led our finance team through the arduous financial restatement process and helped restore integrity to the financial reporting process at Bally. Mr. Kornstein, Pardus' remaining candidate, in our view, is too closely aligned with Mr. Pearlman and Liberation."

Bally urges shareholders to vote for the Bally nominees by signing, dating and returning the WHITE proxy card. Shareholders with questions or in need of assistance in voting their shares should contact Bally's proxy solicitor, MacKenzie Partners, toll-free at 800-322-2885 or collect at 212-929-5500.

About Bally Total Fitness

Bally Total Fitness is the largest and only nationwide commercial operator of fitness centers in the U.S., with nearly 440 facilities located in 29 states, Mexico, Canada, Korea, China and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness(R), Crunch Fitness(SM), Gorilla Sports(SM), Pinnacle Fitness(R), Bally Sports Clubs(R) and Sports Clubs of Canada (R) brands. Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers.

About Institutional Shareholder Services

(ISS) is the world's leading provider of proxy voting and corporate governance services with over 20 years of experience. ISS serves more than 1,600 institutional and corporate clients worldwide with its core business -- analyzing proxies and issuing informed research and objective vote recommendations for more than 33,000 companies across 115 markets worldwide.

Forward-looking statements in this release including, without limitation, statements relating to the Company's plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, intentions, and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.