Anyone with Northwood?

Elessar

Is anyone a member of Northwood Health and Fitness in Santry? I have the opportunity to join through work at €250 for 14 months which I think is a good deal. I've been meaning to start getting some exercise and I think this could be a good catalyst. I'm in Swords though so it's a bit far.

Is it a good gym? Is it often busy? Clean?

Opinions appreciated.

pvt.joker

Yep im there, theres a few others also.
I think it's a good gym personally. Very clean, changing areas/showers always clean, soap is always topped up etc. Lots and lots of cardio machines if you're into that.
Good amount of benches , 10 or so upstairs, 5/6 flat benches with oly bars for benching.
Squat rack, pretty big free weights area , weights machines if you're into them.
I find Mondays and Tuesdays to be the busiest. When I say busiest, I mean I go around 7/8pm and there would be a fairly big crowd, but I've never had to actually wait more than a couple of minutes to get equipment. Any other days its at about half capacity, no waiting on anything, plenty of room.
Excellent pool area if you're into that sort of thing, 25m pool, 3 big jacuzzis, 2 steam rooms, 2 saunas. Good setup.

cavanmaniac

I'd second most of that.

I joined a few months ago from a much smaller gym because I needed somewhere that opened early enough for me to train before work.

I've been quite impressed by the cleanliness and efficiency of the place, good showers with own cubicle, plenty of shower gel and there's always cleaners patrolling around tidying up.

If you get there after 5pm ish of an evening, it will be very busy and it can be quite hard to get a Smith machine for instance, as there's only three, or one of the benches near the weights rack, but I usually get there about 7.30 in mornings and it's a dream, no waiting about, no crowds, no waiting. The weights rack gets very messy at peak times because despite living in a civilised society, some people can grunt their way through a punishing set but can't go to the minimal by comparison effort of putting the bloody things back on the rack when finished. It gets a little busier in the afternoons but after 5/6 is real peak time as I'm sure you can imagine.

There's cheap deals in reception on Nutrition X supplements (RAM €25), a good swimming pool and jacuzzi area, a barber and beautician upstairs and a coffee/refreshment area near the entrance. You get a decent free gym bag, visitor passes and a lock for the lockers when you join.

What's impressed me most is the quality of the equipment though. 'Technogym' is the brand, I don't know what their standing is in the gym world but they seem to be of an excellent standard to this Joe Soap at any rate.

And as a little bonus, you get to see Will from the Powerade ads doing his stuff. Be starstruck!

flogen

Yeah - I third what has been said so far.

I've not got much experience with other gyms but this one does the trick for me - I'm in my second year of membership and assuming nothing changes will go back next year too.

Monday evenings are quite busy but I find it gets quieter as the week goes on. If you can get there early in the morning or around 2pm you'll have the place to yourself, though (at least that was the case when I used to go in the afternoon before).

There are one or two things they could do with having more of but generally there's plenty of everything too. The swimming pool is great too and is never that busy - you'll always find a lane or at worst have to share it with one other person.

pvt.joker

flogen wrote: »

Yeah - I third what has been said so far.

I've not got much experience with other gyms but this one does the trick for me - I'm in my second year of membership and assuming nothing changes will go back next year too.

Monday evenings are quite busy but I find it gets quieter as the week goes on. If you can get there early in the morning or around 2pm you'll have the place to yourself, though (at least that was the case when I used to go in the afternoon before).

There are one or two things they could do with having more of but generally there's plenty of everything too. The swimming pool is great too and is never that busy - you'll always find a lane or at worst have to share it with one other person.

Yep, mondays and tuesdays are the busiest, however even at "peak" times, I've never had to wait much for equiptment.

As the week goes on, it quietens down considerably.
Always wondered why...do most people only go once a week?

Im usually there 4-5 days a week and you get to spot the regulars fairly quickly!

Irishcrx

Not in Northwood had a look about it before but wasn't into it, in the evenings it's just too busy having to wait on weights and machines. I'm in Sportslink up in Santry, it's a good deal cheaper than northwood and you never really have to wait on anything as even at peak times it's never packed , mornings you have the whole gym to yourself, no pre-madonna's up there, friendly instructers , pool , sauna, steam room and jackuizi can't go wrong...

flogen

pvt.joker wrote: »

Yep, mondays and tuesdays are the busiest, however even at "peak" times, I've never had to wait much for equiptment.

Nah, a minute or two max and in most cases I don't find myself waiting at all.

As the week goes on, it quietens down considerably.
Always wondered why...do most people only go once a week?

The only explanation I have is that people feel guilty after a bingey weekend so they go on a Monday - that clears the guilt until they go out and binge on junk the next weekend, starting the whole process again.

Or maybe it's just that everyone goes on a Monday and after that some go on a Tuesday, some on a Wednesday etc. so they're spread out more.

Irishcrx

Always more in any gym on Monday/Tuesday think it's just start the week fresh etc then as the week goes on they drop off, I usually go Monday/Wednesday/ Friday and Sunday...

Elessar

Irishcrx wrote: »

Not in Northwood had a look about it before but wasn't into it, in the evenings it's just too busy having to wait on weights and machines. I'm in Sportslink up in Santry, it's a good deal cheaper than northwood and you never really have to wait on anything as even at peak times it's never packed , mornings you have the whole gym to yourself, no pre-madonna's up there, friendly instructers , pool , sauna, steam room and jackuizi can't go wrong...

Just had a look at the sportslink website - looks nice but cheaper than northwood?? Sportslink are charging €610+€156 fee while northwood are giving me 14 months for €250. I think I know who I would prefer.

Elessar

Well I went along last night for a tour and was not impressed. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, it was dark inside, packed and the sales rep was very blunt. I was handed forms to fill out and brochures and sent on my way. In and out in about 5 minutes.

What do you want for €250 I guess but I was not pleased with what I saw. I'll have a think about it..

Irishcrx

Don't need to take that package with Sportslink, what I have is I pay €45 joining fee and then €45 every 3 month's, then you pay 4 euro when you use the gym for as long as you want and you have access to everything...I think it's better than paying mass money for packed gyms.

cavanmaniac

Elessar wrote: »

Well I went along last night for a tour and was not impressed. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, it was dark inside, packed and the sales rep was very blunt. I was handed forms to fill out and brochures and sent on my way. In and out in about 5 minutes.

What do you want for €250 I guess but I was not pleased with what I saw. I'll have a think about it..

Yeah I wouldn't have joined on the strength of the friendliness of the staff or anything, they're a bit perfunctory to say the least. They don't seem really big on programmes or inductions or any of that, most people seem to turn up and do their own thing...still, it works for me though and I'm quite happy.

pvt.joker

cavanmaniac wrote: »

. They don't seem really big on programmes or inductions or any of that

Probably as well tbh, given my experience of a "programme" that was made up for me.

First question he asked was, are you looking for the "300 look" (as in the film) , and then directed me towards the machines. I pretty much switched off after that :rolleyes:

flogen

Irishcrx wrote: »

Don't need to take that package with Sportslink, what I have is I pay €45 joining fee and then €45 every 3 month's, then you pay 4 euro when you use the gym for as long as you want and you have access to everything...I think it's better than paying mass money for packed gyms.

Northwood is mass money?

At the rates you quote if you're using the Sportslink gym three times a week, every week at €4 a pop then you're spending €624 a year before you include the €45 per 3 month fee.

Even with the tri-monthly fee alone you're paying €180 a year, so in order for it to be cheaper than somewhere like Northwood you're only going to be able to go just 17 times within the whole year.... that's once and a bit a month.

Saying you can use the gym for as long as you want is a bit of a misnomer too - most gyms (if not all) wouldn't care less if you went in at opening and didn't leave until closing.

I'm not trying to come across as a shill for Northwood, I just use it as a reference because it's the gym I'm familiar with - but if you compare what you're paying to any other gym in Dublin you'll probably find you're paying through the nose.

Unhindered access to every single exercise machine in the world isn't worth that amount of money IMO (largely because you won't need most of it!). The only reason you feel like you're getting a good deal is because you're paying it in tiny pieces rather than in one up-front chunk.

jojobrad

Its because everyone has great determination and will power to work out every day of the week on monday but by wednesday it seems like too much hard work and then they'll say "ah sure I'll start fresh on monday".....thats my theory anyway !

Elessar

Well I decided to join, I figure above all else €250 is a great price. Went in today first time and had a good workout, one of the fitness team made a plan for me and showed me the equipment, although embarassingly I was worn out after the first of the weights equipment he showed me upstairs.

Anyway I am pleased overall at what I get for the money and apart from the rude desk staff (picking up the phone in a middle of a conversation with you) everything is pretty good.

flogen

Elessar wrote: »

Anyway I am pleased overall at what I get for the money and apart from the rude desk staff (picking up the phone in a middle of a conversation with you) everything is pretty good.

Yeah, the desk staff can be quite rude alright and the system they have in there is messy... the same people trying to reel new customers in are the ones selling equipment, answering phones and swiping people in.

They really should have a separate desk for new customer enquiries at least - the amount of times I've gone in and had to wait for a potential member to be talked through their prices etc. before I can just get swiped in is annoying.