TF Sandyford

estebancambias

Has anyone seen the changes they've made?

Do they just plan on leaving everything just thrown there.

I think the move is good, because there is more free weighs, and because its over such a wide area less intimidating.

LegacyUser

I can't stand the look of that gym...it's just so vast and industrial looking...

Hanley

cheesedude wrote: »

I can't stand the look of that gym...it's just so vast and industrial looking...

Sounds like heaven!!!

Funny how they made the weights section smaller in Malahide and bigger in Sandyford...

Malteaser!

Hanley wrote: »

Sounds like heaven!!!

Funny how they made the weights section smaller in Malahide and bigger in Sandyford...

Here's hoping they keep Castleknock exactly as it is!!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Hanley wrote: »

Sounds like heaven!!!

Funny how they made the weights section smaller in Malahide and bigger in Sandyford...

TF in Malahide is sh*t. four more weeks until the end of my membership and I'll never darken its doors again.

I detest the place.

tribulus

Has it really gone to the dogs Mairt? I remember a thread a while back saying the same. I was going to join again come September but I'll have to find another second gym I guess.

arybvtcw0eolkf

tribulus wrote: »

Has it really gone to the dogs Mairt? I remember a thread a while back saying the same. I was going to join again come September but I'll have to find another second gym I guess.

Well depending on what your looking for.

I used to lift with a hardcore group of lads there, we had the craic. Great atmospher, the place had a real buzz about it.

But in the last few year's its gone to the dogs (for hardcore lifters anyway). The management didn't try hide the fact that we weren't welcomed - although they didn't mind taking our money!.

Also in the last few year's the place fell into bad repair. But thats more or less been sorted now.

I dunno, its just changed now. Its gone more family and older generation fitness centre now. No heavy dumbbells anymore, heaviest now is 30kgs and there's a lack of plates too. As I'm just getting over a trapped radial never I can not squat (the bar would lie accross my radial nerve) so I'm left with the leg press.

Well there's only one leg press left, and yesterday I struggled to find 300kgs of plates for it!.. God be with the days when I could easily find 600-700-800kgs of plates for it.

Most of the lads, competitive bodybuilders, have gone to Northwood.

My membership is up in four weeks, but I'll be going elsewhere with my money this year.

Check it out all the same, you might like the changes - I hate them.

PrettyInPunk

The reason they moved it around was because they were laying new flooring and also want to get rid of the heavy lifters. As Mairt said they are slowly removing the very heavy weights

i think the change is alright but prefered the weights downstairs as to where they are upstairs beside the classrooms

tribulus

Mairt wrote: »

Well depending on what your looking for.

I used to lift with a hardcore group of lads there, we had the craic. Great atmospher, the place had a real buzz about it.

But in the last few year's its gone to the dogs (for hardcore lifters anyway). The management didn't try hide the fact that we weren't welcomed - although they didn't mind taking our money!.

Also in the last few year's the place fell into bad repair. But thats more or less been sorted now.

I dunno, its just changed now. Its gone more family and older generation fitness centre now. No heavy dumbbells anymore, heaviest now is 30kgs and there's a lack of plates too. As I'm just getting over a trapped radial never I can not squat (the bar would lie accross my radial nerve) so I'm left with the leg press.

Well there's only one leg press left, and yesterday I struggled to find 300kgs of plates for it!.. God be with the days when I could easily find 600-700-800kgs of plates for it.

Most of the lads, competitive bodybuilders, have gone to Northwood.

My membership is up in four weeks, but I'll be going elsewhere with my money this year.

Check it out all the same, you might like the changes - I hate them.

Thanks for that, sounds fairly rubbish alright. Northwood is looking the most likely so.

estebancambias

Why would they want the heavy lifters out of the place?

Cuddlesworth

estebancambias wrote: »

Why would they want the heavy lifters out of the place?

I can think of a few reasons and they all revolve around money.

thecoolfreak

There are pros and cons to the changes in TF Sandyford. The free weights section is much bigger which is a big plus. Everyone isn't cramped on top of each other like we were downstairs. Also get to see all the good looking women upstairs. Don't like the way they've seperated the hammer strength from the rest of the free weights, makes it harder to find plates for the hammer strength stuff. I gues it'll just take a while to get used to it

PrettyInPunk

estebancambias wrote: »

Why would they want the heavy lifters out of the place?

A lot of people find them offputting

estebancambias

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I can think of a few reasons and they all revolve around money.

Wouldn't that actually be one reason with several ideas branching out of that one reason?

estebancambias

PrettyInPunk wrote: »

A lot of people find them offputting

Really? Wow, I think thats dumb.

PrettyInPunk

Im not saying i find them offputting, im just saying ia lot of people do

In all fairness some of the grunts are a bit irritating at times

Hanley

estebancambias wrote: »

Really? Wow, I think thats dumb.

Just like most people.... In my experience the strongest and biggest guys are the most helpful. It's the the arrogant ar$eholes who walk around with their chest puffed out thinking they're a big deal that you have to watch out for.

I must take a trip to TF Sandyford and see what it's like!

estebancambias

PrettyInPunk wrote: »

Im not saying i find them offputting, im just saying ia lot of people do

In all fairness some of the grunts are a bit irritating at times

Hah...sorry...I didn't mean it like that, but the way I worded the response I can see how you would have thought this.

Hanley wrote: »

Just like most people.... In my experience the strongest and biggest guys are the most helpful. It's the the arrogant ar$eholes who walk around with their chest puffed out thinking they're a big deal that you have to watch out for.

I must take a trip to TF Sandyford and see what it's like!

Yeah I think this is it. Like one time I was lifting something quite light, but damn was I struggling...some lad brisked over and helped me out. He wasn't condescending afterwards or anything, like he could have said 'you quite clearly can't lift, so get the **** out!!!!!'

Patto

I can't say I see any evidence to support the "they are trying to get rid of the big lifters in TF Sandyford" theory. They made the free weights area bigger, they did not take away any of the heavy weights, they have made the free weights area much more visable and it now feels like part of the gym rather than hidden away in a corner.

I presume the main reason they did this would have been to encourage more people to use the free weights, espiceally women. I think it was a reasonably good idea.

Just three minor gripes that I would mention 1. people still don't put the god'am plates and dumbbells back 2. the hammer strength machines are miles away from the free weights and 3. There are less mirrors upstairs, maybe that is a good thing you would think but it means people end up using the squat racks for all sorts of things except squats, including dumbells curls:eek:.

aye

Patto wrote: »

1. people still don't put the god'am plates and dumbbells back 2. the hammer strength machines are miles away from the free weights and 3. There are less mirrors upstairs, maybe that is a good thing you would think but it means people end up using the squat racks for all sorts of things except squats, including dumbells curls:eek:.

the biggest issue with the change is the lack of mirrors. they are only using one side of the two sided mirrors as well.
and the squat racks are now all cramped into the corner of the track.

i think they should move the treadmills they have lined besides the weights and put the hammer machines there.

the dumbbells are all over the place still, will the instructors ever put them back, they always just walk past the mess in that area.

Malteaser!

Hanley wrote: »

Just like most people.... In my experience the strongest and biggest guys are the most helpful. It's the the arrogant ar$eholes who walk around with their chest puffed out thinking they're a big deal that you have to watch out for.

Yeah I'd definitely agree with that.

Patto

aye wrote: »

the dumbbells are all over the place still, will the instructors ever put them back, they always just walk past the mess in that area.

I'm not being smart but I doubt that is in their job description. It isn't or shoudln't be their resposibility. It is the responsibility of each member to put stuff back themselves. But I don't blame the members either. Its a systematic probelm because the place is always a mess. Some gyms are always tidy some are always a mess, its got nothing to do with how your average gym rat behaves, human nature is human nature, its how the gym is managed that is key. The Gym management are accountablen and if it is a systematic probelm then its a probelm with how the gym is managed. Its up to management to actively encourage or provoke a culture change so members will start putting equiptment back. Afterall its in the members interest for the place to be tidy and its in the members interest to keep it tidy, if the place is always a mess then its in no ones interest to put the odd bumbell back.

I regularly see the instructors putting all the equiptment back at the end of the night. I imagine they must get really fed up of that.

aye

Patto wrote: »

I'm not being smart but I doubt that is in their job description. It isn't or shoudln't be their resposibility. It is the responsibility of each member to put stuff back themselves. But I don't blame the members either. Its a systematic probelm because the place is always a mess. Some gyms are always tidy some are always a mess, its got nothing to do with how your average gym rat behaves, human nature is human nature, its how the gym is managed that is key. The Gym management are accountablen and if it is a systematic probelm then its a probelm with how the gym is managed. Its up to management to actively encourage or provoke a culture change so members will start putting equiptment back. Afterall its in the members interest for the place to be tidy and its in the members interest to keep it tidy, if the place is always a mess then its in no ones interest to put the odd bumbell back.

I regularly see the instructors putting all the equiptment back at the end of the night. I imagine they must get really fed up of that.

perhaps its not in their job description fair enough, but it is pretty dangerous, management should really do something about it in all fairness, they wont tho until someone trips over one and breaks something.

there is one guy who picks them up while people are training, dunno his name tho, always works on sundays.
mark also puts them back too.

yeh i would imagine they prob get pretty pissed off at it alright.

Hanley

TF Blanch is a joke like that too. There's always weight's all over the place.

And what the hell is the story with them having like 40 or 50 15kg plates and only like 14 20kg plates and 10 or so 25's???

aye

Hanley wrote: »

TF Blanch is a joke like that too. There's always weight's all over the place.

And what the hell is the story with them having like 40 or 50 15kg plates and only like 14 20kg plates and 10 or so 25's???

they have about 4 or so 25's in sandyford.

Malteaser!

Hanley wrote: »

TF Blanch is a joke like that too. There's always weight's all over the place.

Those new lads who started always seem to be in there now putting all the weights back on racks and the dumbbells back on their thing.

I was talking to one of the other lads who's worked there a while about it last night and he said that he's sick of doing it during the day coz they end up just as bad within in an hour so now he just leaves it till closing time and puts everything away then.

Hanley

Malteaser! wrote: »

Those new lads who started always seem to be in there now putting all the weights back on racks and the dumbbells back on their thing.

I was talking to one of the other lads who's worked there a while about it last night and he said that he's sick of doing it during the day coz they end up just as bad within in an hour so now he just leaves it till closing time and puts everything away then.

The new guys will just go the way of the old.... I really wanna go see Sandyford now...

LOLA08

I can’t believe they got away with laying down new
carpet while keeping the gym open. The machines
& weights were everywhere. It was a heath & safety
risk and it still is. As for the new area upstairs
I personally am not to keen on it, I use to call the
downstairs area the men’s gym, I have to say it is
a bit intimating when you walking the track.

thecoolfreak

LOLA08 wrote: »

I can’t believe they got away with laying down new
carpet while keeping the gym open. The machines
& weights were everywhere. It was a heath & safety
risk and it still is. As for the new area upstairs
I personally am not to keen on it, I use to call the
downstairs area the men’s gym, I have to say it is
a bit intimating when you walking the track.

I think the reason they moved the free weights was because it was sort of a closed members club downstairs. It was a bit intimidating for women or new members to use the free weights area at a busy time because it was full with the same people every night. Upstairs it is a lot more open and user friendly I would think.

However, they need to get a few more mirrors. Its impossible to use the squat racks at a busy time because people are using the mirrors there for bicep curls, etc.

aye

LOLA08 wrote: »

I can’t believe they got away with laying down new
carpet while keeping the gym open. The machines
& weights were everywhere. It was a heath & safety
risk and it still is. As for the new area upstairs
I personally am not to keen on it, I use to call the
downstairs area the men’s gym, I have to say it is
a bit intimating when you walking the track.

yeah apparently they got a few complaints from the girl members about the heavy weights being upstairs.

when they were moving it, it was seriously dangerous, weights were all over the place. loads of people, including myself, made a complaint about it. they obviously didnt have a procedure for it.

thecoolfreak

aye wrote: »

yeah apparently they got a few complaints from the girl members about the heavy weights being upstairs.

when they were moving it, it was seriously dangerous, weights were all over the place. loads of people, including myself, made a complaint about it. they obviously didnt have a procedure for it.

They didn't even inform members that they were changing it until halfway through the renovation. I went up one Friday evening and the free weights area was gone as well as half the machines. Going to the gym that evening was pointless. They should really have closed the place down for a weekend and completed the renovations

aye

thecoolfreak wrote: »

They didn't even inform members that they were changing it until halfway through the renovation. I went up one Friday evening and the free weights area was gone as well as half the machines. Going to the gym that evening was pointless. They should really have closed the place down for a weekend and completed the renovations

yeh thats what happened to me, probably the same day. had to change a lot of stuff around that day. didnt get a decent workout done as i spent most of it looking for stuff.
yes they should have had notices, no one knew it was happening, and besides that there wasnt really a need for it.

thecoolfreak

aye wrote: »

yeh thats what happened to me, probably the same day. had to change a lot of stuff around that day. didnt get a decent workout done as i spent most of it looking for stuff.
yes they should have had notices, no one knew it was happening, and besides that there wasnt really a need for it.

The carpet needed to be changed. There were places where it was coming up of the ground and it was fairly dangerous. I remember once when i was doing luges beside the old free weights are and the carpet beneath me slipped and I was lucky that i didn't fall over with a 50kg barbell on my back

aye

thecoolfreak wrote: »

The carpet needed to be changed. There were places where it was coming up of the ground and it was fairly dangerous. I remember once when i was doing luges beside the old free weights are and the carpet beneath me slipped and I was lucky that i didn't fall over with a 50kg barbell on my back

actually yeh the carpet near the assessment room was pretty loose alright.

LOLA08

I think they need to do a lot more
then change the carpets. at least
8 or more bikes are broken in the
spinning studio, and the saddles
are worn to bits. They have changed
the mind & body studio and its where
the ladies gym was. Which is tiny
& doing the Core Stability class
In there is a joke, 20 people crammed
Into a tiny room with those the swiss balls.
Cant move let alone do the class.

Degsy

TF castleknock has weights everywhere.You have to hunt around for ages to find a matching set of dumbells most times.The plates are usually just dropped where they fall too.Although i've never seen staff(mostly female) picking the weights up,it does seem to have improved slightly recently.

Malteaser!

Degsy wrote: »

TF castleknock has weights everywhere.You have to hunt around for ages to find a matching set of dumbells most times.The plates are usually just dropped where they fall too.Although i've never seen staff(mostly female) picking the weights up,it does seem to have improved slightly recently.

That's the one I was talking about, where they've employed three new instructors and the two lads seem to always be in there now sorting out the weights.

I gotta say though, it's never bothered me that the stuff was all over the place, if I had to walk all over the entire gym looking for stuff I'd be p!ssed but the room isn't that big so they can never be too far!!

PrettyInPunk

Patto wrote: »

I can't say I see any evidence to support the "they are trying to get rid of the big lifters in TF Sandyford" theory. They made the free weights area bigger, they did not take away any of the heavy weights, they have made the free weights area much more visable and it now feels like part of the gym rather than hidden away in a corner.

I presume the main reason they did this would have been to encourage more people to use the free weights, espiceally women. I think it was a reasonably good idea.

QUOTE]


Yes one of the main reasons was to encourage women but i know for a fact they are trying to get rid of the heavy lifters. They are slowly removing the heaviest weights from the gym

aye

PrettyInPunk wrote: »

Yes one of the main reasons was to encourage women but i know for a fact they are trying to get rid of the heavy lifters. They are slowly removing the heaviest weights from the gym

thats crap. (whats they are doing, not what you are saying PrettyInPunk)
surely the heavy lifters would be a steady stream of membership fees, why would you want to get rid of them.

Malteaser!

I think it's terrible that they're trying to get rid of the big lifters.

I understand why people can be put off by them, I know when I first started I was, I presumed they were all looking at me coz I was a girl or they thought I was wasting my time coz I wasn't lifting heavy but I've found that these lads actually just keep to themselves and genuinely aren't paying attention to what's going on around them.

I have been lucky enough to get talking to some of the powerlifters/bodybuilders and they're the nicest, most helpful bunch of people... not at all scary like I imagined in the beginning, it'd be a shame to see them leave now!!

Jimmy Bottlehead

I'll second that in Image Gym... at first, there's the natural intimidation you're going to feel, but it's in the newbies head. After seeing that you want to work hard, they're easily the best to go to for advice, or for a spot.

peterk19

ya TF malahide road hasnt been the same since its a shame as the group of lads that trained there were all sound and had no problem giving you a proper spot, i asked a guy last week for a spot and he kept holding the bar rather than just watching and tipping it when i was starting to struggle

thecoolfreak

I don't know where people are getting the idea that TF Sandyford is trying to get rid of the heavy lifters. They have not been getting rid of the heavier weights. All the heavy dumbells are still there. Alright it can be difficult to find the ehavier plates at the moment but I think this is because they have moved half the plates over to the Hammer Strength area.

Malteaser!

And I always find that the atmosphere in the place is so much better when the bigger lads are in, it's like everyone seems so much more focused, none of this poncing about chatting to your mates at the squat rack for 15 minutes, I dunno about anyone else but it always gives me a good kick in the arse to work a bit harder.

Hanley

aye wrote: »

thats crap. (whats they are doing, not what you are saying PrettyInPunk)
surely the heavy lifters would be a steady stream of membership fees, why would you want to get rid of them.

How many heavy lifters are there tho? 20-30 perhaps?

It's not a huge proportion of the membership to give up if they're looking to attract a different crowd. It's absolutely disgusting, and the thought of it sickens me. But from their perspective, unfortunately, I think it's workable.

aye

Malteaser! wrote: »

I have been lucky enough to get talking to some of the powerlifters/bodybuilders and they're the nicest, most helpful bunch of people... not at all scary like I imagined in the beginning, it'd be a shame to see them leave now!!

+1.

anytime i've needed a spot, or anything they have no problems about it. the other thing about them is they regularily give tips to the younger guys who come into the gym just starting and are swinging weights

aye

Hanley wrote: »

How many heavy lifters are there tho? 20-30 perhaps?

It's not a huge proportion of the membership to give up if they're looking to attract a different crowd. It's absolutely disgusting, and the thought of it sickens me. But from their perspective, unfortunately, I think it's workable.

i hope they arent trying to make it more like those gyms where there is a cafe and all the members just go to sweat a little bit then spend an hour drinking Zumo's.

Malteaser!

aye wrote: »

i hope they arent trying to make it more like those gyms where there is a cafe and all the members just go to sweat a little bit then spend an hour drinking Zumo's.

If it'll make them more money I can't see why they wouldn't.

I'm gonna head out to the TF in Sandyford tonight and see what all this fuss is about.

Hanley

Malteaser! wrote: »

I'm gonna head out to the TF in Sandyford tonight and see what all this fuss is about.

ROOOOOOOOOADTRIP!!

Hanley

And as a tribute to this thread, Ill be wearing my "This is NOT a health club t-shirt"

peterk19

Malteaser! wrote: »

If it'll make them more money I can't see why they wouldn't.

I'm gonna head out to the TF in Sandyford tonight and see what all this fuss is about.

i half tempted to take a trip out myself and see what size the dumb bells are just to have another argument with teh manager in malahide as he said all TF's are removing all teh heavy weights