Decent gym inSydney

irelandsown

Can anyone recommend a decent gym in Sydney? Maroubra or Coogee area. I'm stuck in Thailand at the moment but hope to get to Sydney next week or the week after. My fitness has gone to pot with 8 weeks of drinking and eating. Need to find a good gym to get back in shape. Also does anyone know of a decent soccer team in that area thats open to foreigners?

watna

I would be very very surprised if any team would have a "no foreigner" policy.

Xavi6

They wouldn't necessarily have a 'no foreigners' policy but most teams are formed by ethnic groups. It's not like back home. You'll basically have Italian, English, Greek, Croatian and Macedonian clubs. They are very community based. It would only really become a problem if you were say an Italian wanting to join a Greek club. Us Irish are loved by everyone!

As for gyms, just don't join Fitness First.

irelandsown

watna wrote: »

I would be very very surprised if any team would have a "no foreigner" policy.

I didn't really mean it like that. Just looking for a game of ball on a Sunday, nothing too serious. Some clubs back home would be quite clanish and hard to get a game with.

watna

irelandsown wrote: »

I didn't really mean it like that. Just looking for a game of ball on a Sunday, nothing too serious. Some clubs back home would be quite clanish and hard to get a game with.

Ah, that makes more sense!

Coileach dearg

irelandsown wrote: »

Also does anyone know of a decent soccer team in that area thats open to foreigners?

Don't join Coogee Utd, they're our biggest rivals!!

Join this team: http://www.dunbarrovers.com
Big Irish connection and currently NSW champions.

Pre-Season starts in January!

irelandsown

Coileach dearg wrote: »

Don't join Coogee Utd, they're our biggest rivals!!

Join this team: http://www.dunbarrovers.com
Big Irish connection and currently NSW champions.

Pre-Season starts in January!

Cheers mate. Thats gas. I was actually browsing thru that site yesterday. Looks like a fairly good set up and plenty of teams. Have you been with the club long? Whats the standard like?

88show

irelandsown wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a decent gym in Sydney? Maroubra or Coogee area. I'm stuck in Thailand at the moment but hope to get to Sydney next week or the week after. My fitness has gone to pot with 8 weeks of drinking and eating. Need to find a good gym to get back in shape. Also does anyone know of a decent soccer team in that area thats open to foreigners?

there's a gym in the shopping mall in randwick upstairs above the vege market.
as for the sport thing don't know bout soccer but you can try the tag rugby or even touch that goes on down in the park in bondi junction beside centenial park. it's on tues and wed I think from memory.
cruise the parks and you can pick up games easy. just take down diff colour
t shirts, there's soccer down there but I don't remember what day they're there.

Coileach dearg

irelandsown wrote: »

Cheers mate. Thats gas. I was actually browsing thru that site yesterday. Looks like a fairly good set up and plenty of teams. Have you been with the club long? Whats the standard like?

I've played the last 2 seasons. There are 7 All Age Men grades, the premier and reserves standard is quite high. They play some great football. The other grades are still of a high quality though. Very competitive leagues, no matter what grade you end up in.

It's a great way to make new mates and do a bit of socialising also.

justfortherecor

Just made the mistake of popping in to Fitness First in Bondi Junction to enquire about possible short term memberships. Cue being given a guided tour around the gym (very nice one as well I must say) followed by the most intense 'hard sell' routine I've ever seen.

Now I know how these things sometimes work with fitness centres but this took it to a whole new level. I actually was genuinely interested in the offer but I wasn't going to hand over $300 plus on the spot. I therefore thought it was reasonable to say I wanted to think about it and get back to them soon after exploring my options.

Obviously not. Cue further hard selling (the rep I was talking to pretended to get her business card at the counter and instead came back with the assistant manager to help her in the assault) and enquiries as to what I wanted to get out of the membership. I tried to keep my cool, but any inclination I may have had to joining the place disappeared when I was subjected to this bull.
When she finished her spiel, she asked me did I have any further questions. I simply replied "are you finished?", got my bag and left.

Ridiculous. Swimming at the Icebergs will suffice for now.

hussey

Yes Fitness first are a mare!
I once tried to ask about a 3 month program and they simply would not answer my question - all 100% BS, I then said "dude 3 months that is all I have, how much or I walk" and they told me they could cut me a deal waive the joining fee and still tried to sell me a year package "ah sure you can cancel anything" but wihout telling me how much it would cost (cancellation fee + pay for the months I cancelled)

Like you I just walked out!

justfortherecor

Haha, the old 'waive the joining fee' spiel! I was also told that one, they said I was 'very lucky as we have one final voucher lying over from the weekend'. I too was also looking for a short term membership but quickly turned against the idea. The place resembles a pyramid scheme HQ moreso than a bloody gym.