After having been a member of another gym chain for a couple of years I decided it was time for me to try somewhere new and get inspired again. My previous gym was heavily concentrated towards free weights and body builder types although they did hold some classes. It was fun for quite a long time as it gave me a chance to stare unashamedly at all the weird and beautiful people training there but in the end that was not enough to inspire me anymore.
I got the final push to try something else when I saw an advertising board stating that for a limited time only you could join Fitness First without paying the joining fee of £100. As I refuse to pay a fee for the honour of paying out regular money this sounded good to me and I went to have a look. Annoyingly they wouldn't tell me of the different offers at reception but I had to actually book an appointment with a sales rep. This would normally put me off but they managed to get someone to come and show me around near enough immediately so I decided to still give it a chance.
After having been shown around I was told about the different joining up options I had. I found that they were not at all as flexible as my previous gym when it came to length of your membership. The shortest period I could sign up for was a trial of 3 months. This costs about £45 a month and is paid in advance either monthly or quarterly (if you sign up for a longer period of time you can also pay annually) via Direct Debit. There are several other options including a 12 month memberships with a lower monthly fee and an off-peak membership. If you want to be able to use more than one gym, be careful what membership you sign up to as several of them will only let you use the Camden gym (it being your home club). The membership covers access to the main gym and to most of the classes (some are private and you pay the instructor). I decided to go for the 3 month membership in case I didn't like it. Signing up was easy enough, you just give your personal and bank details and they process it near enough immediately. I then had my photo taken and was given my membership card within a few minutes.
I thought that my deal was pretty good at first as I didn't have to pay the usual £100 joining fee (although I did have to pay £30 which they said was an administration fee) and I got a backpack, a towel, headphones and a water bottle (not of the very best quality admittedly but still…). However, I have since come to realise that the no joining fee offer which I was told was exclusive and would only last for a short period of time is more of a constant than a special offer.
The actual gym looks fairly impressive as you walk in the doors, with all the cardio equipment lined up. There are several treadmills all lined up facing the TVs at the opposite side from reception. There are also several cross trainers spread out around the cardio section together with bikes, two stair climbers and two rowing machines. As you might have guessed from the number of treadmills they are by far the most popular together with the cross trainers. If you go here at peak times, you will sometimes struggle to get on the treadmills in spite of there being so many of them. The TVs are always on, each set to a different channel and you can listen to them or a selection of 3 radio channels simply using your own headphones. Even though you are meant to wipe your own equipment after use people rarely do so and Fitness First does not provide any form of cleaning spray etc. The cleaners turn up fairly frequently however and they are always careful to wipe all the equipment down so it's not too much of a problem.
The weights part of the gym is much smaller and much more cramped. In fact, even though I normally enjoy doing weights I tend to stay away from them here as there just is not enough space to do any of the usual exercises. You still get the odd body builder type here, but I think most of the more serious weight lifters tend to stick to other gyms with more equipment and, above all, more space.
The studio is right at the back and is fairly roomy (well at least compared to the weights section outside it!). The walls are mirrored at the front and the back and there are several pieces of equipment although they do not have specific body pump weights or even a big choice of weights for these classes. I have also found that it doesn't seem to be cleaned very thoroughly, the other day when I was on the floor doing push ups a big ball of hair and fluff came flying towards my face - yuck!
The ladies' changing room is big and it provides a couple of private changing booths for the shy amongst us. There are plenty of lockers and they are spacious enough to fit most things. You use your membership card to lock and open them but you are not allowed to leave things over night. They say that they check this every night and your stuff will be removed if they find it there but I can't tell you whether this is actually true as I have never tried to verify it. There are lockers that you can rent for a monthly fee (I think it is £20) where you can keep your trainers etc if you wish. The showers are a decent size and there are 3 toilets which normally tend to be pretty clean.
The classes have been very good for the most part. The instructors seem to know what they are doing and will let people know if they are doing something wrong and they are very good at pushing you. On the other hand I have also found that some of the instructors are not too bothered about turning up on time which effectively eats into my exercise time. There never seems to be enough time for a good stretch after the classes, it is merely a token hamstring and hip flexor stretch.
The class schedule changes slightly every month when they might add a new class or change the times at which they run. There is normally a choice of several body pump and yoga classes together with Tai Chi, spinning and boot camp. Unfortunately they do not really have any of the 'old fashioned' aerobics or step up classes that I like but I am hoping that they may be introduced again come winter.
The staff in general seem friendly and helpful although you will need to ask for help in the gym if you feel you need it, it won't be offered to you. As mentioned above the class instructors are motivating and enthusiastic and for the most part very professional. I sometimes feel that it would be nice if the reception staff were a little bit friendlier and didn't look quite so shocked if you say good bye or thank you, but maybe that's just my impression.
As mentioned, the gym can get very busy at peak periods. If you pop in at around 6 pm, you will have to fight for space on the treadmills, but the worst part is the stretch area. In my old gym there was plenty of space to stretch but here the area consists of two small mats (that are soaked with sweat for the most part) and will only really fit 2 people. This means that either you have to do your stretch on the floor (if you can find any space which is easier said than done) or use the changing rooms. I find that I often do not stretch as carefully as I would like to because of this and it is not the relaxing experience that it should be.
There are also a sauna, aroma and steam room that you can use free of charge. I haven't tried these yet as it has been too hot but I am looking forward to using them this winter. Other facilities include sun beds (for a fee), a beauty room and free hot and cold drinks. There is also a members' complimentary DVD service. This contains several hundred different titles and all you need is your membership card.
So would I recommend the Camden branch of Fitness First? Well, I will renew my membership simply because I think this is the best gym I can get for the fee that I am willing to pay. Even though it has its problem areas such as the lack of space I have very much enjoyed the classes I have taken as the instructors for the most part have been very enthusiastic and professional. The cardio section of the gym is also good as it offers a variety of equipment so you won't really have a chance to get bored. If you are more interested in weights than cardio I would say that this gym is not the best for you, but if you are into cardio and classes and don't wish to spend a fortune on your gym membership then Fitness First in Camden might be the choice for you. There is a good mix of men and women, different ages and body shapes so nobody needs to feel excluded.
Opening times: Weekdays: 6.30 am - 10 pm Fridays: 6.30 am - 9 pm Saturdays: 8.00 am - 8 pm Sundays: 8.00 am - 8 pm
You can look up some more general information about Fitness First on www.fitnessfirst.co.uk. Here you will also find a gym locator which will allow you to click through to Fitness First in Camden where you will be able to have a look at the class time table or request a free 1 Day Guest Pass.
128 Albert Street Camden Greater London NW1 7NE Tel: 0870 898 06 60 Fax: 020 7284 2332 camden@fitnessfirst.com
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