Gym differences?

I have been avoiding joining a gym here in the USA because so many of them are the meat market Bally's type ones.  In Spain I belonged to a small local one near my house and then a larger (yet small) YMCA type with people that just came to excercise.  What have you guys found to be the norm in the UK?

I guess I'd have to say my experience has been pretty good with the exception of the University gym in Reading. That was my first attempt. I tried an aerobics class there and they were completely unsympathetic to the beginners. The rooms with the treadmills and resistance machines were all filled with very fit people but I guess at a Uni, you should expect that.

Then, when we lived in Newcastle I joined Fitness First which is a big chain over here. I found the staff overall quite nice and the costs reasonable. Because I could go during the day, there were a lot less gym bunnies and everyone was there to do a work out, not be seen. Again though, I found the classes not really beginner ones.

When we moved to Exmouth we considered both the county facilites and a small private club and opted for the private one as they had a great student rate. Again, since we can go when we want to, we don't get the meet market types.

Check out this website that I recently found:

http://www.hfonline.co.uk/features/feature16/index.html

Gotta love the Living in London book by the Junior League of London - I've gotten all sorts of ideas!

I love my gym. All sorts of people go...and the sorts who NEED the gym and not those looking for pick-ups. Runners go there to practice up to marathons, older people go to recover from operations...I am NOT the fattest or the thinnest or the oldest or the youngest or the worst dressed. Most come individually and others meet up with friends. But it's not cliquish. It is far far far better than any gym I've been to in the US.

One word... CURVES!
Seriously, once you do that workout, you won't like anything else
Check them out! www.curvesinternational.com
~LilacMoon~

The 2 gyms near me are fantastic and decidedly un-meatmarkety. But by the time I walk there I'd have already done a proper work out!!

*misses her old gym in the US*
*wonders if a new gym in the US would have a place to let the baby play while I sweated it up*

I'd like to bump this for more perspectives. As I am thinking on traveling there after undergrad, I'm hoping there are gyms which cater to powerlifters/serious weightlifters.

I belong to a nice gym...you can find the one or two serious weightlifters but honestly the sport is not as big over here as it is in the States...the gyms also tend to be much more expensive than where I was (yes, there were some expensive ones in Boston but also a few cheaper ones too).  Gym use is not as big here.  I do appreciate that there are people of all body types in my gym and that it's not very intimidating.

There are two gyms in my little town of 18,000 people. I was talking with one of the trainers at my gym who was telling me he was going in for some serious body building and power lifting...but that it was at a different gym. I was confused because I didn't know of any other local gym. Apparently they *are* around, but not really all that obvious. Anyway, for a small town and having two gyms, to have a separate power gym in the mix as well, I think your chances of finding a place are probably pretty good. But you'll probably have to ask.

Check out:
http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/

It's a forum of UK-based body builders and I noted several threads discussing about where they train.

Check out:
newcomer link: http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/ [nonactive]

It's a forum of UK-based body builders and I noted several threads discussing about where they train.

nice, thanks!

Robb, I was talking more to my friend at the gym about your question and he indicated the instance of serious weight-lifting gyms is far more prevalent than people realize. It's just that they're not in it really for the commerical value. Meaning that they don't run 'meet markets' and so they aren't advertised as much. The serious body builder doesn't care if it's the newest and bestest equipment, he/she is looking for results, not a casual fling, nor to simply lose those Christmas 5 lbs.

I was previously only aware that our little town had two "health clubs"...they are "leisure centres" here. Places where people like me can go and talk on a tread mill and do sit ups and go swiming and do other recreational things. I was told there was a body building gym not only here, but also in Chippenham, Trowbridge..and he started naming all the little towns surrounding us as well. I was stunned!

Coincidentally, a few weeks back we had a student on one of our courses who was into body building. He was seriously gearing up for various competitions and his diet was something you just stood back and dropped your jaw over.

One word... CURVES!
Seriously, once you do that workout, you won't like anything else
Check them out! www.curvesinternational.com
~LilacMoon~

My sister in the states loves the place!  She joined in CT and when she moved to SC joined there.

I'm going to add a couple more notes:

The price you pay for the gym will dictate the body types.

I received a Holmes Place membership for Christmas for the Kensington High Street branch. Very pretty, classical music in the changing rooms, pretty Moulton Brown soap/shampoos and a wonderful reflective ceiling above the 25 meter lap pool. Everyone in there had money and the body to go along with it. So if you are a serious body builder, not exactly the place to go as everyone seems to be there to show off. Most of the women, in my opinion, just went for the steam room, spa and tanning beds.

I canceled that quick and now have a lovely membership at half the price per month at a one off gym where all sorts of sizes go close to home. They just want to get fit, not exactly a place for serious weight lifting. Not much space.

Keep in mind that in London there are brances of Gold's Gym and LA Fitness which, although I've not been to either of them, they will likely be similar to their counterparts at home.

I found this place in Hounslow http://www.championgym.co.uk/links.htm for serious weightlifters. Also, Robb, you can enquire with the British Weightlifters Association (http://www.bwla.co.uk/).

While visiting my brit bf just last week, we went to Virgin Active. When I move there in August, I am applying for a part time job there. This place was big, clean and had tons of equipment and a variety of classes. The food was good too The spa area was nice and relaxing and the pool was gorgeous. I am hoping to get my membership free, as it can be quite costly, 40pounds a month Jmaster pays. I'm spoiled here as my work gets me a huge discount at my gym, otherwise I'd be paying as much as jmaster.