Fitness First

Since changing jobs in January I have been a bit of a Fitness First gypsy while I decide to settle on a new gym as my old stamping ground of Broadgate is that bit too far away. The branch at Gracechurch Street has a lot going for including recently refurbished changing rooms which take the combination padlocks.
The gym is well laid out and makes the best use of the limited space, with stretching areas laid out in a corridor by the cross trainers. The free weights area is probably the worst area, it seems to be one short of everything i. e benches and bars which can be frustrating at busy times. I would recommend going on Thursdays or Fridays as it is significantly quieter after everyone has worked off their weekend guilt on Monday.

So, a review about a gym. Yep, since I just signed another 12 months of my exercise life (about £500) away to Fitness First I thought it’s time I put a little thought into it. We start with a bit of brainstorming.
What makes a good gym? The facilities (fairly obvious) are the usual place to start but then again you can have different views based on your goal. A guy wanting to bulk up is going to care a lot more about the size and variety of free weights than the availability of a treadmill. Conversely, a marathon runner is going to want more cardio options than dumbbells. Then of course there are things such as opening times, peak times, quality of showers and lockers, PTs, and general atmosphere.
For me, a good gym has most if not all of the above items and a great one finds a good balance. The FF at Gracechurch is potentially a great gym in my humble opinion. I’ll preface this by noting I’ve got a fairly average mixed set of goals. I want to: i) lose that Xmas turkey I’m carrying around the middle, ii) put on a bit more muscle particularly on the upper body, and iii) increase my endurance. So for this I need a good set of cardio options as well as a full range of free weights to play with.
Free Weight Area
An easy place to start I think. It’s about 20’x20’ with a mirrored wall and railings to cordon it off from the rest of the gym. There are 5 benches although 2 are usually at the squat and safety press frames. Free weights range from 4kg to 50kg (there may be a 55 or 60kg set too) going up in increments of 2kg.
Cardio
Approximately 12 treadmills, 8 ellipticals/​crosstrainers, 6 upright cyles, 2 seated cycles, and 4 rowing machines. There is also a spin class room (spin classes 2−3x a day, 5 days a week) and a studio for a host of other cardio classes. I confess I haven’t tried any classes primarily out of a misguided macho idea that guys don’t do classes that was ingrained in highschool and still not quite out.
PTs
I haven’t had any training sessions with the PTs at this gym but I’ve seen several sessions going on and talked to quite a few of them. As you would expect, everyone is ridiculously fit with the guys looking like they could walk through brick walls and the girls slim, smiling, and sociable yet leave you with a sneak suspicion they could also go through aforementioned walls. Needless to say, they know their stuff and even if you aren’t paying the high rates for session (I think it’s around £30−40/hr) they will give you pointers if they see you doing something wrong.
Atmosphere
I like the feel of this place. It’s large enough to get a good workout in without having to wait for ages yet small enough to be comfortable. The staff are very friendly and there is one guy who usually brings in his laptop to play a better selection of music than the standard FF cd. You can usually also see him practicing his hip hop moves during quiet times behind the desk. Plus, there is a decent selection of eye candy to provide some… motivation.
Other thoughts
This peak times are between 6.30−9am, 12−2pm, and 6−8pm so I would highly recommend going at other times if you want any sort of efficiency to your workout. There isn’t a pool or squash court (the nearby Black Label at London Bridge Cottons has both of these) but for the typical workout it’s damn near perfect. Also, despite being underground, it doesn’t feel stuffy in the way Cottons does which is an added plus. There are bike racks right outside although these fill up by 9am during the week.