The Gym

So I've just finished a four free day trial with Westwood gym in Clontarf. I got the voucher off entertainment.ie if anyone's interested. I'm feeling fitter and more energised but I've made up my mind that I definitely do not want to join Westwood. The facilities are good, I'll give them that. There's a huge gym area with a multitude of walkers, cross trainers, bikes and all sorts of equipment I'll never figure out. Gym area also includes exercise mats, medicine balls and a running track. It's got a lot. There's also a spinning room (for bikes and spinny things I assumed), a climbing wall and a large indoor tennis court area.

The swimming pool is a whopping 50 metres and can be a little tough to get used to. There's also a sauna, huge jacuzzi, plunge pool, caldarium and steam room as well.

It's a good gym, but for me, something just didn't feel right. To start, there were a load of teenagers, they tend to be annoying alright, but that doesn't bother me. The people who go there tend to be quite rude and not particularly friendly. This doesn't bother me that much either. You have to bring your own mp3 player for the gym instead of just plugging into your own TV screen at each treadmill (like in Northwood gym, my old gym). But the thing that got me is the price, ouch! It's 499 just to join and become a member. Then you must pay 75 euro a month after that. That racks up to a whopping 1399euro in your first year and 900euro for subsequent years. OUCH!

Ok I know you can get discounts for joining, at the lowest, you can join for 75euro and pay only 55euro a month (for off peak times membership, most people can't do this), but even at that, that adds up to 735euro in your first year at the absolute minimum! Now that's still twice what Northwood are charging and 200euro more than most clubs.

My old gym, Ben Dunne's Northwood Gym out in Northwood complex there, just off Santry Avenue is a great gym. I originally joined for 275euro. At that price you can't go wrong. Everyone was friendly. I was helped out with a personal regime very quickly and was asked every now and again about how it was going. The pool isn't 50 metres, nor does it compare to westwood, but for what I'm using it for, it was adequate. Every machine has its own TV with headphones jack, so you only need a small pair of headphones. There's never queues for the machines (maybe for the weights) and there's always plenty of parking outside. It's in an area of little traffic so you're not going mad trying to get in or out. Personally I prefer Northwood, it does the job for me.

On a final note, the gym for me is somewhere I go to keep fit, boost my energy, work out stress and spend some quality time to myself. At Northwood gym I felt I could do this easily and in peace.