Gyms

Easygainer

Originally posted by Jak
Well while I'd have to agree with some points - I still think it is one of the best value gyms around.

Staff are pretty poor - but if you know what you are doing this is never really an issue as you can just ignore them. There are very few serious lifters in the gym, however that is not to say there are none, there's a handful I know including myself and brother who have been training since it opened and years before. Not so many big lifters (unfortunate as it pushes people on) but a few of us have reasonably respectable benches up to 200-230kg mark for example. Atmosphere is something you can bring to a gym individually in my view. As long as the equipment is there my single sessions don't require it.

Other things, well cleaners won't bother you if you tell them to stay away and 10st guys in tank tops are present in just about every gym nowadays, but will usually give you a wide berth. Em, water ... well I just take 2 litres with me and it lasts - tho yes it is annoying that the water is so far for some I guess. As for the chalk thing - that pissed me off a lot as well, but frankly I just ignore it and still use chalk. If eventually i get banned I will move out to TF or something.

I think it is a general trend though - many gyms are moving away from serious training because it is not good money - cardio or random trainers are a much better clientele.

Loughlinstown never really did it for me though, the benches are not the may west and the free weights area generally is quite small. Also I felt the inconsistent plates and incline were problems.

Anyway I can't be bothered going into that - all I would say is that having trained over in Gold's gym in Washington last week, I have to say we are gettin a raw deal over here. The gym seamlessly fused cardio with weights and the atmosphere was fine - despite the ever present 10st guys in tank tops.

JAK.

I've never seen anyone else bench over 100kg there! 200 - 230 if raw and natural is phenomenal - you could compete internationally with that. Anyway, The staff never venture downstairs but just as a general note they're poor if anyone is thinking of joining it.

Loughlinstown has a good ratio of serious lifters I find. However, as you pointed out we are being shafted on gyms in comparison to the US - on prices as well.

Jak

There's four people I know in UCD who had 1 rep maxes up to and over 200kg. Myself and brother are natural and I'm not sure about the other lads, but regardless they are very good lifters. I suppose in terms of competition lifting to get a clean slate we would all drop about 15kg off those totals though.

Right now my 1r. max is down to about 180/5kg but given that I'm down to 16st having lost over a stone on a months holiday - I'm hoping I can get it back soon. As for competition, well I injured my back a good few years ago on deadlifts and so I tend to either go very easy and generally work around the other 2 big ex's - squat and deadlift. So I wouldn't really stand a chance.

In regard to the topic, another issue I have with UCD is the lack of EZ curl bars, they bought in a whole load of pre weighted straight bars and not a single new EZ bar. Which is bloody annoying considering those straight bars crucify my wrists on some ex's.

JAK.

Guv

I concur with what JAK says regarding Loughlinstown.

All benches were raw and 2 were natural. However natural or not it does not matter, the lift is the lift. With a proper bench shirt, the gym lift would transfer to pl guidelines at the same weight. 180kg bench is quite common. Sh1t a mate who is natural is now benching 180kgs for 10-15reps!

Easy what is your total and bw?

Static M.e.

Hi all,

Read through the section, but I cant seem to find a Gym in Dublin City Centre
preferably around the Christchurch area < If that is possible > ?

Suppose im really just looking for an all around type gym, where they cater for the complete novice and can do the Chart ? Sheets and can help me plan how to get fit,
and stop me from having heart attacks while im doing it

Any help appreciated

Thanks
A

Brian Houlihan

Hey all,
If anyone is in tipperary area, a new gym has open in cahir.

Go to the hotel (cahir house hotel) and at the back of the place is a gym.

I shall go and check it out.

fjon

Read through the section, but I cant seem to find a Gym in Dublin City Centre

The Iveagh? There is a review a few posts up...

Easygainer

Originally posted by Guv
I concur with what JAK says regarding Loughlinstown.

All benches were raw and 2 were natural. However natural or not it does not matter, the lift is the lift. With a proper bench shirt, the gym lift would transfer to pl guidelines at the same weight. 180kg bench is quite common. Sh1t a mate who is natural is now benching 180kgs for 10-15reps!

Easy what is your total and bw?

Sorry haven't posted for a while my comp at home keeps crashing! Anyways at 19yrs I've a 140kg competition bench (ie w/ 1 second pause at the bottom) - I don't see how 180kg benches are common - if they are why aren't these people competing??? I know a couple of +200kg benchers and two of them are maximuscle sponsored world champions and the other a champion of champions in pling... all natural, all raw.

BTW dl is round 240kg (have done 230 but optimistic that max is rising) and squat 182.5 competition (I know poor but hey they are strict - hopefully +200 now out of comp)

Guv

What is your comp total?

550kgs or so? Are you a world champion? If so what total won you that comp?
180kg benches may not be that common but they are not rare. 500lbs natural is reasonably rare.

At the top level in all natural sports you have juicers, this is a fact of life. If they don't get caught and pass the tests then who are we to say they are not natural. That's a whole other debate, though.

You compete at what 110kgs or 100kgs? I'd have thought that at world level even natural you need a 700kg + total to get a look in.

Talk soon

Guv

Static M.e.

Iveagh Fitness Club

neighborhood: Medieval Dublin
tel: +353 (0) 1 454 6555
fax: +353 (0) 1 473 4121
address
Christchurch
Dublin 8 IE,


Thanks fwk !!! perfect

I had read the post but im new too Dublin so the name meant nothing to me, I though Iveagh was like a subarb or something ..

Anyway thanks again

A

Static M.e.

http://www.fitnessireland.ie/gymdetails.php?gym_id=97&gym_name=Iveagh%20Fitness%20Club&location=Dublin&osCsid=f25c8caba5ac2c90494381ff99a253b4

damn just read this

I think ill check it out formyself tonight tho..

Easygainer

Originally posted by Guv
What is your comp total?

550kgs or so? Are you a world champion? If so what total won you that comp?
180kg benches may not be that common but they are not rare. 500lbs natural is reasonably rare.

At the top level in all natural sports you have juicers, this is a fact of life. If they don't get caught and pass the tests then who are we to say they are not natural. That's a whole other debate, though.

You compete at what 110kgs or 100kgs? I'd have thought that at world level even natural you need a 700kg + total to get a look in.

Talk soon

Guv

700kg is Junior (u23) and 800kg or whatever is senior standard - teen can never be expected to be on a par! Senior totals can go crazy in the equipped sections - 100kg lifters totalling +850kg (Matt Saunders).

We're tested randomly out of competition and obviously in competition - drugs aren't too much of a problem and where there is any doubt a hardline is taken. I reckon by 23 I'll have a 700kg raw total at 110kg bw unequipped provided I don't injure my back again - that'd be 250/180/270 or thereabouts.

What age are you guys anyway, just to give me an indicator of what I've to aim for

Jak

Yah as regards the drugs thing, bear in mind that not all samples are tested, also even in the highest level competitions such as the Olympics, users are declared clean. Personally I'm natural, and I've mostly gotten over any feelings of bad blood toward juicers, if they are training hard and have good lifts I still think 'fair dues'.

If I can eventually get a 500lb bench natural, frankly I don't care what others may or may not be taking. For me it has been a case of reaching a level where I am happy with my own lifts and I don't begrudge others their choice. However, all that said, yes, I obviously believe a natural 500lb lift is more impressive than otherwise, but only marginally. I still would respect both.

As for age, well I'm 26. And I really think that although yes a 180kg bench may not be common, if you are training progressively for a good few years it's not that special. This is only my opinion, but frankly once I pass a weight it doesn't mean that much to me anymore, this is partly what pushes me up to the next level.

When I was a kid it was all about a big plate each side, then quickly enough about getting 100kg, 120kg, then 140kg, 160kg .... 200kg. 140kg has become something I would rep with alone, and it's important to keep it that way, because confidence plays a part. Once I get back to 110kg I would expect to be pushing back and above 200kg.

Finally, a thing to remember is that a lot of people don't compete, but weights is a very progressive thing. Even out of competition, for many trainers I know the only way is up. You never reach a point and go "grand, I think I'll pack it and just stay at this level". Hence some older trainers can have fairly savage lifts.

Also in my case, although I am working back to deadlifts and maybe squats, I am very cautious of screwing my back up again, as it would cause a break in not just weight training but sports and cardio. However even if I trained hard and and got my total up, I wouldn't win a senior international and so I have no interest.

Basically competition lifting doesn't attract me as a sport, whereas other sports would. I'd be happy with an exceptional bench and reasonable other 2, and just to stick with my current sports and hobbies.

JAK.

Easygainer

Originally posted by Jak


Basically competition lifting doesn't attract me as a sport, whereas other sports would. I'd be happy with an exceptional bench and reasonable other 2, and just to stick with my current sports and hobbies.

JAK.

LOL I know what you mean, I only ever get asked what I bench, wish they'd ask what I deadlift though only just started back at that - turns out I tore/badly damaged the sciatic nerve

fjon

Anyone a member of the Total Fitness opposite Lamb Doyle's and want to post a review up here?
I would be interested in knowing a bit more about this place...

LazStanaridis

Anyone recommend a gym in the Tallaght (or general) area.

vibe666

just joined Jackie Skelly's in Clarendon St (Just behind Grafton St.) and while it's not the greatest at the moment, they are due for a big refurb this summer.

i got a great deal too (pretty sure it's due to the impending refit) me and the g/f for 800 odd for the year which is about 35 quid per month each. sounds good to me.

had an induction type thing yesterday and today, which was good. the guy went through our targets and the whats and whyfor's of everythign we needed and wanted out of the whole gym 'thing'. very impressed overall.

gibbie

I'm currently at Riverside Fitness and I like it. It's a small facility but has all the basic machines, free weights, treadmills, elliptical machines, bikes, etc...

The spinning classes are really good but the other classes leave a lot to be desired.

The staff is really friendly though and there doesn't seem to be a lot of the body-beautiful types that plague some other gyms.

It's €49 per month and I didn't have to pay initiation fee.

On another note.....I recently moved here from Canada and at the gym there they offered classes by Body Training Systems (Body Pump, Body Step, etc). Has anyone here heard of them? On their web site it says that they don't operate in Ireland (just the UK) but I thought I heard that they Westwood Fitness has those classes. Anyone know for sure? I really miss those classes because they were really good but Westwood's membership is a bit steep for me, and it's out of the way anyway. I need to be somewhere in walking distance of city centre.

sprinkles

Does any one know of a site that has a list of Dublin City centre gyms. I just moved into a flat along the quays and am looking for a nearby gym.

olaola

LazStanaridis wrote:

Anyone recommend a gym in the Tallaght (or general) area.

Citywest Gym is in the Tallaght area. There is a nice pool/spa area. The floor has sufficient equipment to make sure everybody gets a go. The weights area is kinda disappointing, and they don't seem to encourage female participation.
The instructors leave a lot to be desired, I wouldn't trust any of em..
I have seen them handing out some appaling advice to members.

olaola

I have to say Riverside fitness was a great gym. Its a bit on the small side, but the enthusiasm and knowledge of the staff more than makes up for it. I had to leave it, which was a pity, cos my office re-located.
The classes were great, and the atmosphere was also very supportive.

tomdublin

Crunch Fitness at UCD is definitely going downhill. About one-third of the machines is either out of order or has some kind of defect (staff often seems unaware that something is wrong with the machines until its pointed out to them by a member, and sometimes it's quite dangerous such as worn-out cables or broken pins). There does not seem to be a proper check and repair schedule, with some machines having been "under maintenance" for more than a year now, supposedly awaiting delivery of spare parts. Also, some machines have been "repaired" incorrectly, rendering them more or less unusable.
During term time the gym is often overcrowded, made worse by the fact that new members receive almost no induction and are thus often unable to properly use the equipment.
Staff is friendly but generally incompetent and indifferent.
It's still relatively good value (about 30 a month), even though the rates for UCD staff members and students have doubled over the past years and it doesn't have a pool. All in all, a mediocre gym at a mediocre price. There are better alternatives.

Carobar

Hi, anyone know much about this place? I'm thinking of joining - membership is very reasonable - only €240 for a year. I know its pretty small but that doesn't really bother me as i've never been to a gym before and i want to start of with something small.

seamus

Trying to decide between two gyms at the moment..

Crunch fitness in UCD or
The Fitness dock - http://www.coralleisure.ie/fitness_dock/index.php

I'm familiar with UCD and it's cheaper, but the Fitness Dock isn't much more expensive due to a corporate deal and is literally a 30 second walk from work.

I'm looking to join a gym around the end of the month as the third and final part of a weight loss/fitness plan. So it'll be mostly cardio stuff I'll be doing - rowing and cycling machines ideally, cos I've dodgy knees. But I want to do some weights as well for upper-body toning and strength.

Whatcha think?

MrNuked

Buzz Fit in Rathgar is the nearest gym I know to Ranelagh, in response to Dónal's query.
It is fairly well equipped. the equipment is old and comparable to Loughlinstown...same sort of atmosphere as there. You see some very big guys training in Loughlinstown, in Rathgar you don't get that. Membership is afforable, or you can pay and train for €6 a session (what I'm doing at the moment). Classes are included in the membership price, mainly aerobics and circuit training, but they started a beginners course in Karate (don;t recall which school, not Shotokan) recently.
They have separate rooms for CV, weight training, and for stretching and toning. The only thing that irrittates me about the place is that they play awful repetitive pop music stations.

edit: just noticed there are no very heavy weights in the gym. Bench press machine only goes up to 90kg. There are free weights, but I don't think they go all that much heavier.

rphair

I've been a member of David Lloyd since December of 2003. I think it's one of the best all-around fitness clubs in Europe... for someone whose goal is massive lifting and gargantuan physical development, this probably isn't the place for you. It's more of a place that has almost everything for the well-rounded athlete. (The Leinster Rugby side trains here regularly, so it can't be all bad.)

I consider its highlights to be a large (25m) indoor pool and a slightly smaller (20m) outdoor pool that's open and heated all year round. The workout area inside is large and comprehensive and there are well-qualified trainers with a wide variety of specialities. They regularly give classes in things like spinning, yoga, pilates, weight training, and other things... the classes that address "specialized knowledge" have a modest charge, while the ones that don't are free.

They also have an enormous cavern of indoor tennis courts.... but if you're into racquet sports I'm sure you don't need to hear this from me. I'm not a tennis expert but I've heard that David Lloyd is a well-established tennis stronghold in Dublin.

The rates are reasonable considering the size and diversity of the facilities... €68 per month is what I am paying now for a weekday, worktime membership (early morning to 17:30 afternoon, Monday through Friday). Currently the corresponding rate for a membership that includes evenings and weekends is €105 per month. I have heard that these rates will be going up in October, so feel free to call the number in the web link above if you have any sales oriented questions. The joining fee is roughly 3x the monthly rate.

For the month of September 2004, I've been given a certificate that gives you €200 off the joining fee. I'd be happy to give it to you freely if you can come to Ballsbridge to pick it up (as a benefit, I also get €200 off my membership). My partner may also have one of these certificates available, so there could be €400 available if you're planning on joining with a partner or friend.

Please respond personally if you'd like more information. This is a great club and I go there five days a week... I'm not a rock-breaking bodybuilder, just someone who loves a great swim in a spacious pool (especially outdoors) and a good, friendly club that seems to have everything for someone who's trying to fit fitness into an otherwise busy Dublin city life.

cheers,

Robert

p.s., I just tried to send a test email to myself through this BB but it failed, even though I specified that I wanted people to email me. So I've created a temporary email address fitness@cosd.com that you can use if you'd like to claim the free €200 coupon(s). Please note that they're only good for September 2004.

MrNuked

I'll probably try the Iveagh gym for a month because it's convenient to where I work, so i should be able to avoid the crowds and use an off-peak membership too.

Is there a squat rack there, apart from the smith machines?

€48 off peak per month with no minimum membership seems very reasonable, especially when they have a pool! €70 a month anytime membership is good too.

On bride road, off patrick street.

MrNuked

Iveagh needs a joining fee. Went to YMCA instead. €5 to pay and train. Decent facilities. Crowded.

Miharu

Has anyone tried out Sheldon Park Leisure Club?
I am thinking of joining as its quite near me and would like to hear an opinion, thanks

gaillimh

Hi, this is my first post here.Not sure if this is the correct thread to post this but here goes.My 12 month membership in WestPoint gym in Blanchardstown has run out and I'm looking to buy a home gym machine so that I won't have to attend a gym anymore.Due to the fact that I had surgery for a serious knee injury 2 years ago, I need to continue doing weights on my leg muscles but am finding it difficult to make the time to go to the gym. Basically, the gym machines I need to continue using are 1.Leg Extension 2.Leg Press 3.Leg/Hamstring Curl 4.Adductor 5.Abductor.
Does anyone here know of a reasonably priced home weights machine that I could buy which has these exercises?i don't really need any other exercises apart from these. Thanks in advance.

Nietzschean

anyone know of any decent ones out near grand canal dart station area?

Slothy

Hi,
Anyone know a gym near donnybrook....
like with heavyweights etc.....

also with casual membership, as I wont be here in 4 months?

???