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                                                            Registration No. 33-
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 25, 1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                 ---------------

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                 ---------------

                     BALLY TOTAL FITNESS HOLDING CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

            DELAWARE                                   36-3228107
 (State or other jurisdiction of                    (I.R.S. employer
 incorporation or organization)                    identification No.)

                           8700 WEST BRYN MAWR AVENUE
                             CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60631
                                 (773) 380-3000
           (Address of principal executive offices including zip code)

                                 ---------------

                     BALLY TOTAL FITNESS HOLDING CORPORATION
                          EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                                 ---------------

                                                             Copy to:         
           CARY A. GAAN, ESQ.                           IRV BERLINER, ESQ.    
 BALLY TOTAL FITNESS HOLDING CORPORATION               BENESCH, FRIEDLANDER,  
       8700 WEST BRYN MAWR AVENUE                      COPLAN & ARONOFF LLP   
         CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60631                     2300 BP AMERICA BUILDING 
             (773) 380-3000                              200 PUBLIC SQUARE    
                                                    CLEVELAND, OHIO 44114-2378
                                                          (216) 363-4500      

           (Name and address including zip code; and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                 ---------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE




- -----------------------    -------------------------  ------------------------    --------------------------  ----------------------
Title of securities to be  Amount to be registered(2) Proposed maximum            Proposed maximum            Amount of registration
registered                                            offering price per share(3) aggregate offering price(3) fee
- -----------------------    -------------------------  ------------------------    --------------------------  ----------------------

                                                                                                           
Common Stock, par value    250,000 shares             $17.4375                    $4,359,375                  $1,321.02     
$.01 per share
- -----------------------    -------------------------  ------------------------    --------------------------  ----------------------


         1 This Registration Statement covers an indeterminate amount of
     interests in the Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation Employee Stock
     Purchase Plan.

         2 This Registration Statement also includes an indeterminable number of
     shares of Common Stock which may be issued under the anti-dilution
     provisions of the plan.

         3 Estimated in accordance with Rule 457 under the Securities Act of
     1933, solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, on the
     basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on
     November 19, 1997 as reported on the NASDAQ (NMS).


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                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed or to be filed by Bally Total Fitness
Holding Corporation (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
("Commission") are hereby incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
in this Registration Statement.

         (1)      The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
                  December 31, 1996, File No. 0-27478.

         (2)      The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarter
                  ended March 31, 1997, File No. 0-27478.

         (3)      The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended June 30, 1997, File No. 0-27478.

         (4)      The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the
                  Commission on August 4, 1997, File No. 0-27478.

         (5)      The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter
                  ended September 30, 1997, File No. 0-27478.

         (6)      The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
                  Company's Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed with the
                  Commission on January 3, 1996, File No. 0-27478.

         (7)      All documents subsequently filed by the Company or the Plan
                  pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(a) of the
                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), prior to
                  the termination of the offering made hereby, shall be deemed
                  to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement
                  and to be a part hereof from the respective date of filing
                  each such document.

         Any statement contained in a document incorporated by, or deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded
for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement
contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except
as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration
Statement.



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Item 4.   Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.


Item 5.   Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.


Item 6.   Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law ("DGCL") permits
the indemnification of the directors and officers of the Company. The Company's
Amended and Restated By-laws provide that it will indemnify the officers,
directors, employees and agents of the Company to the extent permitted by the
DGCL.

         The Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides for the
indemnification of directors and officers of the Company, and persons who serve
or served at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or
agent of another corporation, including service with respect to employee benefit
plans, against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys' fees,
judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties in amounts paid or to be paid
in settlement) reasonably incurred with respect to any actions, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, provided,
however, the Company shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in
connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding
was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Company. In the event a claim
for indemnification by any person has not been paid in full by the Company after
written request has been received by the Company, the claimant may at any time
thereafter bring suit against the Company to recover the unpaid amount of the
claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall be entitled to
be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim. The right to indemnification
conferred in the Company's Restated Certificate of Incorporation is a contract
right and shall include the right to be paid by the Company the expenses
incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition.
The Company maintains insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any
director, officer, employee or agent of the Company against any such expense,
liability or loss, whether or not the Company would have the power to indemnify
such person against such expense, liability or loss under state law.

Item 7.   Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.



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Item 8.   Exhibits.

         4.1      Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
                  (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's
                  Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed January 3, 1996,
                  Registration No. 33-99844).

         4.2      Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (incorporated by
                  reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Registration
                  Statement on Form S-1 filed January 3, 1996, Registration No.
                  33-99844).

         4.3      Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation Employee Stock
                  Purchase Plan.

         5.1      Opinion of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, Counsel
                  to the Company, regarding legality.

         23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants.

         23.2     Consent of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
                  (contained in their opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this
                  Registration Statement).

         24.1     Power of Attorney (included in Part II of this Registration
                  Statement).

Item 9.   Undertakings.

                  (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                           (1) To file, during any period in which offers or
                  sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this
                  Registration Statement;

                                  (i) To include any prospectus required by
                           Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                                 (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or
                           events arising after the effective date of the
                           Registration Statement (or the most recent
                           post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually
                           or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
                           in the information set forth in the Registration
                           Statement;

                                (iii) To include any material information with
                           respect to the plan of distribution not previously
                           disclosed in the Registration Statement or any
                           material change to such information in the
                           Registration Statement;

                  provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do
                  not apply if the Registration Statement is on Form S-3 or Form
                  S-8, and the information required to be included in a
                  post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
                  periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Section
                  13 or Section 15(d) of the

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                  Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by
                  reference in the Registration Statement.

                           (2) That, for the purpose of determining any
                  liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such
                  post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
                  registration statement relating to the securities offered
                  therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
                  shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                           (3) To remove from registration by means of a
                  post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                  registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                  offering.

                  (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
         purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933,
         each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a)
         or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable,
         each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
         Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is
         incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed
         to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under
         the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
         controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing
         provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the
         opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification
         is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore,
         unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
         such liabilities (other than payment by the registrant of expenses
         incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
         registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding)
         is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
         connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will,
         unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by
         controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction
         the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
         policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
         adjudication of such issue.



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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on the 21st day of
November, 1997.

                                      BALLY TOTAL FITNESS
                                      HOLDING CORPORATION
                                      (Registrant)


                                      By:/s/ Lee S. Hillman
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Lee S. Hillman
                                         Chief Executive Officer, President and
                                         Director


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                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Lee S. Hillman and John W. Dwyer, or
either of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power
of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in
any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents
in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting
unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact, agent,
or their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the
Company in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ Arthur M. Goldberg
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Arthur M. Goldberg
                                           Chairman of the Board of Directors

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ Lee S. Hillman
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Lee S. Hillman
                                           Chief Executive Officer, President 
                                           and Director

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ John W. Dwyer
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           John W. Dwyer
                                           Executive Vice President, Chief 
                                           Financial Officer and Treasurer

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ Geoff M. Scheitlin
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Geoff M. Scheitlin
                                           Vice President and Controller

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ Aubrey C. Lewis
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Aubrey C. Lewis
                                           Director

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ J. Kenneth Looloian
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           J. Kenneth Looloian
                                           Director

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ James F. Mc Anally, M.D.
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           James F. Mc Anally, M.D.
                                           Director

Dated:      November 21, 1997              /s/ Liza M. Walsh
                                           ------------------------------------
                                           Liza M. Walsh
                                           Director



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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------



EXHIBIT NO.                                 EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION                                            PAGE NO.
- -----------                                 -------------------                                            --------

                                                                                                       
4.1         Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated
            by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement
            on Form S-1 filed January 3, 1996, Registration No. 33-99844).

4.2         Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company (incorporated by
            reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Registration Statement on
            Form S-1 filed January 3, 1996, Registration No. 33-99844).

4.3         Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

5.1         Opinion of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, Counsel to
            the Company, regarding legality.

23.1        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants.

23.2        Consent of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP (contained in
            their opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement).

24.1        Power of Attorney (included in Part II of this Registration
            Statement).