Good prices, good equipment, video library, free soft drinks and newspapers, free parking, women only gym
Disadvantages:
Not central, need £1 for the lockers
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I have been a member of Fitness First for just over four years. I joined in London, and have recently moved my membership to Leicester.
Fitness First Leicester is part of an international chain of fitness clubs. Your membership is valid wherever you go, although some clubs abroad charge a small supplement because they offer deluxe services.
The Leicester club is next to the Walkers Stadium, so it can be a bit chaotic on match days. It shares a parking lot with a Staples office products store, and you are issued a window sticker without which you can't park when there is an event at the stadium.
Joining is easy. You speak to one of their consultants, and they sort out the best deal for you. I had a problem because instead of transferring my membership from London, they cancelled it. But it worked out well because they were having a no-joinging-fee sale, so I even got a new welcome pack as well as being able to sign up to a better deal than the one I was on. The welcome pack consists of a backpack, water bottle, hand towel, and headphones. I also got a voucher for three sessions with a personal trainer for £18. Membership comes with a free induction session.
You also get membership in their video club, which allows you to borrow videos for free. The idea is that if you have to return a video it's an incentive to stay and work out.
Membership fees vary by club. But the good thing is that the minimum commitment at Fitness First is only three months. You don't have to sign up to an annual contract to get a good deal. However, I opted to sign up to a deal where I paid £100 up front in three direct debits, which reduced my monthly fee from £35 to £25. That way, if I keep my membership for over nine months (and hey, I have been going for four years) I start saving £10 a month. But as I say, these deals can be fleeting, and you need to check with the club.
As you enter the club, there is a reception, where they swipe your card. Sometimes this can take a minute if the person staffing the desk is busy with someone else, or they have popped into the back.
On the left is a lounge area. In common with most other Fitness Firsts, Leicester offers a free soft drinks fountain and free tea and coffee, including herbal teas. There are also free newspapers. There are tables and stools, as well as very comfortable sofas.
The male changing rooms are on the ground floor, the female ones upstairs. These are very classy, with oak effect lockers and benches (again standard in every Fitness First I have been to). What is not standard is that you need £1 to operate the lockers (this is refunded). Most other Fitness First lockers operate by inserting your membership card into a slot. The changing rooms are clean, and the lockers are an adequate size. There are two sets of showers, with free shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. There are also hairdryers and large mirrors. There is a private changing cubicle for the bashful.
On the gym floor is the usual assortment of machines, again common to all Fitness Firsts. What is also common is that they have a bank of TVs at the front of the gym, and most appliances have a headphone jack, for the headphones you were given when you joined. There are also radio stations. Unfortunately, at the moment, two or three of the monitors are not tuned to the stations they are supposed to be on.
There are crosstrainers, treadmills, bikes (both normal and recumbent), rowing machines and steppers. There is also every kind of weight machine you can imagine, as well as free weights. The machines are kept in good repair and their are plenty of them. I have never seen all the machines in use. There are lots of mats for stretching, and other things like exercise balls.
One nice feature is that there is a room with most of the equipment in it that is reserved for women only.
Upstairs there is a 30-minute workout area, with a variety of machines. The idea is that the workout is controlled by stoplights, and as they change, you move to the next apparatus.
Also upstairs is an exercise studio, where they run a variety of free classes, including aerobics and pilatus. There is a sunbed and a beauty studio, both available at extra cost.
There is also a relaxation suite off the changing rooms (for which you need to bring a bathing costume). This has a sauna and a Turkish bath. There used to be a whirlpool but this has been replaced by an aromatherapy room.
The staff are very friendly, and there is always someone around if you need advice or instructions on how to use a machine.
Fitness First Leicester, like all the other Fitness Firsts I have visited, is a pleasant and friendly place to work out.
More details
Price
£25/month
Size
Very Big
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