What type of gym does everyone go to?

[DayOff24]

I have started going to the gym at my local leisure centre having not been for over ten years (!) I am surprised at how different it is as in very quiet, lots of older people, none of the school mums that used to do the 10am slot. Where is everybody going? Are they at Pure Gym type places where’s it’s cheaper, more modern, younger?

It’s quite dependent on area. I work in a number of gyms.
Pure gym and JD tend to attract the younger crowd. Teens and young 20’s from my experience. Council gyms are a mixed bag some older some younger some in the middle.
The school mum crowd I find tend to be in the likes of David Lloyd, village gyms, or the mid-higher priced independent gyms. But that is only based on one area that I happen to teach in

I’m at Pure Gym as that’s where my PT is. I go to one that isn’t in the city centre, the city centre one definitely is full of the younger crowd. I’ve nothing against it, it’s great fitness is a thing for them. I’m just close to 40 and easily intimidated!

The one I go to has a more relaxed feel and staff/PTs greet you by name and have chats with you.

Mine’s a Gym Group - basic, cheap & cheerful. I’m normally there in the early mornings so it’s the before work contingent, although there’s a wider age range when I go on Sundays.

Also time of day makes a difference. You’ll find the mums at the 6am classes before work, sometimes the evening classes but those tend to be a bit younger. Day time classes attract an older crowd generally

im a pure gym member... but today i went with my DD to her gym which is a bit pricier, run by local PT's etc..

and to be honest... i much preferred it! although there was no air-con... and i was the only 50+ female in there...

but it just felt right... i felt comfortable..

puregym makes me feel a bit judged.. there are lots of people in there like me, 50+ slightly overweight, trying to look like we know what we are doing.

I go to the local sports centre one, it is by far the closest to home and I can also use the one near work, we have corporate membership. It seems to be a mixture of teenagers and people 40+ in fairly equal proportions in the evenings when I go, my classes tend to be women 40+ but I am 50+ and go to things like yoga, barre, zumba rather than the more hardcore ones. Not sure where the 20-40 year olds go but I suspect mainly to a smaller private one at the other end of town.

That’s interesting thanks. Good point about the time of day. When I used to go I don’t think there was so much choice. It was the leisure centre or a village hall for an occasional class.

I hate that kind of gym. I go CrossFit...in a unit on an industrial estate, very basic facilities re changing (almost none really). You turn up in kit, go home sweaty, follow the trainer, work as a group. The Bannatyne / PureGym type set up never worked or held my interest.

I do the occasional class but what I like most is working out with free weights, mainly by myself but with a PT session once a month or so.

Following... as a 40 plus mum, what I really want is somewhere I can go and do weights without feeling intimidated by meatheads.

I’m 50. At my gym all the hardcore weightlifters are in one area where the heavy stuff is, but there are a couple of other spaces for doing free weights & cardio where it’s more relaxed. People normally collect whatever they need & take it to where they want to use it.

Likewise!

Don't like rows and rows of machines - much prefer free weights & other interesting equipment (kettlebells, slam balls, pull up racks etc) and a class to be told what to do / motivated!

..an imaginary one :-)

I go to DL, it's pricey, but I love it!

the treadmill and a couple of weights in my garage 😅 I miss a proper gym but it’s too far a drive to justify it where I live now.

Gymophobics. Women only. 30 minute resistance circuits.

Woman of all ages and shoes and sizes go. Atmosphere is fantastic. Once you take men out of the equation, going to the gym is so much more enjoyable.

@Bibblebobblebibble - Gymophobics is great! No meatheads.

What’s intimidating?

I used to be a bit scared then I realised a) no one cares what anyone else is doing and b) I pay the same membership as have the same right to use anything I want.

As long as you don’t hog equipment for 1937394 sets no one cares.

Mine varies based on time of day... I often go mid morning because that works for me and it's not unusual if I'm the youngest by 25yrs 😆🤷‍♀️ Certain classes and certain times attract the super-gym types. I'm not one of them haha!

Edited because I meant to add - this is Nuffield.

I go to my local council leisure centre - £23 a month for unlimited use and includes classes and swimming too.

I usually go between 11 and 1 and there's normally about 5 people using it.

I wish women-only gyms were common, but in the absence of one I'd be happy with a quiet gym with older people in. I hate the grunting meatheads taking photos of their biceps.

I really want to try a caveman gym near us. I just think i need to be fitter before I go, dont think I will be able to keep up yet! I'd love to try cross fit but it's out of my price range . So at the moment I dont go to a gym...have been a member of our gym and our local leisure centre but after the initial month, I've run out of motivation and find it boring.

I don’t mind men in the gym. The only time men have been an issue, they were reported and banned.

My main issue is men dropping weights rather than lowering them properly. If you have to drop the weight then it’s too heavy!

I live between 2 areas so have 2 gyms

My favourite is an independent gym with a female only cardio and weights room and a unisex area of machines and other stuff. It's fab. Never have to wait for a machine or bench. I can also use the men's area for other equipment in the mornings when it's quiet. It's basically a bodybuilding gym and the owner was European bodybuilding champion years ago. My PT is there.

I'm in pure gym in my other place. Nowhere near as good for equipment but a nice atmosphere and a real mix of people.

That the sort of gym I go to. It’s women only although I must admit that I have never had a problem training with men.

Unfortunately, I’m not exactly spoilt for choice. The two gyms nearest to me are both ten miles away.