[Will]

Ok well like the title says i'm looking to leave my gym (virgin Active) as it is just a nightmare to workout in and I can't take it anymore. They have good bumper plates and a properly floored free weights section and I still can't drop a barbell, can't use chalk, only has a gravitron no real pull up bar etc. So its just alot of hassle to use really.

So in order to buy some equipment to use at home I need to leave and save up for ages. Can you recommend some good pieces of equipment to have at home that don't really take up much room, as I still live in my parents house I can't really be taking up much room (ie really can't have a squat rack or barbell and weights etc.

I have some rings and I'm getting 3 sandbags 2 25kg and 1 50kg for starters. I was thinking making a plyobox, skipping rope and some paralettes also a pull up bar. Will I be able to get an effective routine with this kind of stuff? If you have read my rugby post you will know at the moment I really need to put on some size as I am 18 now I play with the adults and I get knocked around too much lol.

If anyone could suggest a better gym aswell that would be great; i've looked at CF Surrey and it's in caterham which is like a 40 min drive for me so it's not great but I think I could get there once or twice a week maybe. Thats if they respond to my email and let me know their address.

So yeah any suggestions from any of you guys would be really helpful.

[Chet]

Heres a wee thread to get you started dude...

Home Kit

[Mark]

Bud, find a spit and saw dust bodybuilding, they won't give a dam what you do, and you will find they will more than likely be interested.

Mark

[Chet]

CrossfitDerby, on May 4 2008, 09:08 PM, said:

Bud, find a spit and saw dust bodybuilding, they won't give a dam what you do, and you will find they will more than likely be interested.

Mark

That's pretty much what I do TBH.

I have a range of kit at home - pull-up bar, rings, KBs, sledgehammer and tyres etc etc.

But I dont have a barbell/rack etc ATMfor barbell stuff, using the C2, etc, I am a member of a wee indie bodybuilding gym down the road. Can use chalk, make a racket, folk barely blink an eyelid at the stuff I do in there, the owner even lets me hang rings on the pullup bar, etc - and its cheap.

Have a hunt around bud, my gym is hidden away in a wee backstreet and doesn't advertise so might need to do some digging.

Sounds like a good plan to see if you can sort something out with CF Surrey too

[Will]

Yeah I just have no idea where to look I mean I have access to 6-10 globo gyms all of which suck. I can't seem to find a good gym anywhere that I can get to easily. Does anyone have a list of "real gyms" in the uk? I have tried countless searches with google to no avail so far. I'm sure something will turn up. I refuse to believe that there isn't one local to me.

[Chet]

Epsom any good for you mate?

[Will]

would need to take 2 trains to get there its too far to fit in with my current schedule of work and studying.

[nickyhusky]

What's a globo gym, anyway?

I haven't got any suggestions really. Mine's a VirginActive too, and as far as commercial gyms go, it's a good one, but all their policies on equipment etc are decided nationally, so if you want to get new equipment it never happens.

There must surely be a BB gym near enough for you to get to - it's just a question of how to find out about them...

[Will]

It's a gym which is more focused on making money than actual exercise and fitness. I am alos sure there must be a BB gym near me somewhere I just need to find it. But I just have no idea where to look really.

[Davie]

Globo Gym America Corp from the film Dodgeball

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=zEhUSgd2dgI

[grole]

Will

I was bored so I thought I would try typing

free weights body building gym croydon

into a Google search

which did turn up London and south east Gym guide

This listed a page for Ryan's Gym in Sydenham. I don't know if that is any good to you. Also the page lists an 0181 number so it may relate to a gym that doesn't exist any more.

Anyway, hope that helps.

Peter

[Will]

grole,

Thank you for taking the time to search but Sydenham is unfortunately too far away for me to travel. However I think I may have found one (well my friend did) so I will be checking it out today on my lunch break.

[chrisap]

I can really empathise with you here. I currently have a year membership to a Cannons gym. It's a total waste of money in most respects, I only go there to use the c2, treadmill and to do deads. There is no squat rack and bench, just a smith machine. The money I have laid out in membership so far could have been spent on some really good equipment. There is another gym down the road, it's just getting to it that's the problem, but I am looking into it.

[Mark]

As we are also talking about raising the profile of British coaches on another thread, how about this.

Don't think it is to far from you for once or twice a week??

It is Brian Hamills gym (BWLA) the coach who is doing the Oly lifting seminar for me this weekend.

Woking Centre of Excellence (Weightlifting)Address
36 Rowtown, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 1HQ
Telephone
01932 705359

Mark

[nickyhusky]

Where exactly are you, anyway, Will?

If you're too far to go to the gym Mark suggests, it would be worth ringing them anyway as surely someone there would have knowledge of other decent gyms in the area.

[Chet]

I grew up in Weybridge - its the next town from where I am ATM in Walton On Thames, about 2 mins away

If you are coming through to these parts...

...there is also the gym I am a member of (Physique Warehouse), and another (mainly powerlifting?) gym in Sunbury (right next door to Walton too), which I am yet to see but will update when I do. I know the Sunbury one is ridiculously cheap too - PM me if you want more details mate Oh - and you are welcome to come train at my place too!

[Will]

I would gladly travel that far to get oly lifting advice from a qualified coach as this is something that I cannot do and is great conditioning for rugby. I could go on most wednesdays and a saturday if it's open.

I'm in Sanderstead which is near Croydon, Purley and selsdon. It's quiet a busy place so I think lots of the smaller gyms have been pushed out for globo gyms as there is an abundance of them in my area.

The cost is also horrendous I pay £64.00 monthly for my current membership. I would gladly not pay this the only problem is that as it isn't my house I cannot buy equipment that takes up room and I enjoy using a barbell and free weights more than I do other exercise.

But I figure I will have a good routine if I could get to CF Surrey & the oly place once a week and find a good gym which I could go to on the other days.

[Will]

Ok well I called the Hamill guy and he put me in touch with a coach at Crystal palace so I am going to go there and see how it is. Hopefully everything will be cool and then I can start learning some oly lifts and I will probably modify my schedule to a session of oly lifting, CF workout an then a squat and push press session alternating each week withs deads. Or somethign liek this anyway.

[FK Pimp]

No way - I used to live in sanderstead. Lovely place - shame it's next to croydon tho'!
Palace aint too far away either.

[Will]

Yeah its a nice place. Why did you move?