DCU gym

DribblingRobot

Just posting to say how ludicrous it is that DCU gym refuse to provide programmes for students. It's bad enough we're charged the use of our own facilities, when the likes of trinity have free access to theirs, but the fact that they don't even provide this most basic of services if you do pay the membership is just ridiculous. I showed up for an appointment to get a programme (I was assured it wouldn't be just an off-the-shelf-programme when I made the appointment) and was told I wouldn't actually get ANY programme. I was then offered was a tour of the place!! Are they really allowing students to go in there and do what ever exercises they want? Is this not putting students in danger of injury? Do they assume all students in there are studying sports science? I think this would be a major turn off for prospective students.

I'm pretty disgusted that I've paid this money and I won't even get the most basic service a gym can provide. Has anyone ever managed to get a refund from them or would I be wasting my time?

Edit: Because of boards.ie's 3 letter search term limit and because I want this to be findable: dublin city university sports facilities gymnasium

Bluetonic

For future reference just do a Google search like this...

"dcu gym site:www.boards.ie"

irish_boy90

signed up this year, asked them about orientation. got the tour and they went around showing me the machines and how to use them.

the machines have pictures of how to use them on them. or you can watch others and see how. So I didn't have any issue.

there are plenty of instructors walking about, if you want them to hold your hand while you use the scary machine, just ask and they should be happy to help.

DribblingRobot

irish_boy90 wrote: »

signed up this year, asked them about orientation. got the tour and they went around showing me the machines and how to use them.

the machines have pictures of how to use them on them. or you can watch others and see how. So I didn't have any issue.

there are plenty of instructors walking about, if you want them to hold your hand while you use the scary machine, just ask and they should be happy to help.

No need to be condescending. I'm familiar with the "scary machines". I've had programmes before and have been shown a range of exercises. My issue is that my goals are now different to those of previous programmes. I don't need someone to hold my hand while I exercise, I need to know what specific exercises will help me achieve these goals. I am not a beginner when it comes to fitness routines but I'm not a trained professional either. The whole point of joining a gym was to get the services of the trained professionals.

Wolfe Tone

Oh no... Im a complete beginner and was thinking of joining, I assumed there would be people to help me draw up a plan of how to achieve what I want, eg how long I should do exercise x etc..... Which exercises I should do and stuff.

If you ask, I'm sure they'll be happy to help. There are other ways to get this information, i.e. from a sports science student or from the Interwebs.

OctavarIan

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Oh no... Im a complete beginner and was thinking of joining, I assumed there would be people to help me draw up a plan of how to achieve what I want, eg how long I should do exercise x etc..... Which exercises I should do and stuff.

The Fitness forum right here on boards is a great resource.

Just keep in mind that your diet is just as (if not more) important as what you do in the gym.

adamski8

that is kinda BS. All gyms ive been at before do programmes. DCU did do these for the years anyway, surprised they have now stopped them.
I remember two years ago there was a large waiting list to get them though.
They even have that programme holder by the entrance of the gym which have a sheet of your current programme.

Blome

DCU gym reminds me of hollywood. There are machines, workout programmes, a pool and sauna but nothing of substance it's all just painted scenery. Luckily (for the staff) it is not an outfit that needs to be profitable, so they can slack off or behave as they please even give the members attitude, cos no-one really cares..

The hardened reception staff take time out from their work as walking birth control advertisements to continue their petty 'wars' with out of favour members of the gym.

adamski8

Blome wrote: »

DCU gym reminds me of hollywood. There are machines, workout programmes, a pool and sauna but nothing of substance it's all just painted scenery. Luckily (for the staff) it is not an outfit that needs to be profitable, so they can slack off or behave as they please even give the members attitude, cos no-one really cares..

The hardened reception staff take time out from their work as walking birth control advertisements to continue their petty 'wars' with out of favour members of the gym.

ouch!
staff there seem really nice to me anyway, apart from reception of course!

discus

adamski8 wrote: »

ouch!
staff there seem really nice to me anyway, apart from reception of course!

Ms. Frosty is still on the desk? She was just as bad back in 2004

DCUlad

At this stage I think, everything possible to be said about DCU gym has being said at some stage here on this forum.

The key thing is if your serious about weights (and don't have High Performance access) this isn't the Gym for you.
The gym is very good for maintaining health and generally fitness, but if you really want to do advanced training, you need to go somewhere else.

I didn't know the staff don't do programmes. This begs the question, what do the staff do?
Because you see plenty of them, but it's very rare you see them actually helping someone with their training.

The points made about reception are quite accurate, god theres some god awful women working there. One quite fit young one though, with a nice rear end

BTW saw one of the sports center staff flirting with the big tall lad that works in the zest bar today, while both were ment to be working.
In this times when it's so hard to get a job, is it moral to spend teh workday flirting?

Katniss everMean

o.0 did you book the right type of session? They do tours and plans.. I got a plan less then three months ago.. A plan was worked out for me, I was taken around all machines and showed how to used them. While being shown how to use them, the guy tested I could do what was required to complete the entire workout..

I had a great experience with them and the staff member still to this day stops me and asks, am I finding it ok. Even gives me instructions to keep increasing my weights and speed..

DribblingRobot

Angelkat7 wrote: »

o.0 did you book the right type of session? They do tours and plans.. I got a plan less then three months ago.. A plan was worked out for me, I was taken around all machines and showed how to used them. While being shown how to use them, the guy tested I could do what was required to complete the entire workout..

I had a great experience with them and the staff member still to this day stops me and asks, am I finding it ok. Even gives me instructions to keep increasing my weights and speed..

Are you a student? I was told that outside members and alumni get programmes but that students don't. When I booked I was told that whoever did the programme wouldn't spend the whole time with me. I understood this to mean that they weren't a personal trainer. I asked, to make sure, if I would be getting a personalised programme and I was assured I would. This guy knew I was a student member.

In the mean time, I've sorted something out through someone I know who works in another gym.

adamski8

DribblingRobot wrote: »

Are you a student? I was told that outside members and alumni get programmes but that students don't. When I booked I was told that whoever did the programme wouldn't spend the whole time with me. I understood this to mean that they weren't a personal trainer. I asked, to make sure, if I would be getting a personalised programme and I was assured I would. This guy knew I was a student member.

In the mean time, I've sorted something out through someone I know who works in another gym.

so you booked a programme or you didnt?
i thought you said they wouldnt give you one?
so what did you book then?

DribblingRobot

adamski8 wrote: »

so you booked a programme or you didnt?
i thought you said they wouldnt give you one?
so what did you book then?

I booked an appointment to get a programme and when I showed up for it I was told I wouldn't get one.

David900

I know its off topic - but does anyone know if the gym is open when the rest of the campus is closed?

Havelock12

David900 wrote: »

I know its off topic - but does anyone know if the gym is open when the rest of the campus is closed?

No, it's also closed.

VulcanRaving

I was lucky enough that one of the instructors was sound enough to give me a program but I wasn't warned before giving out €200 that students aren't normally given one. I didn't need to get it renewed as my trainer at home gave me one but nonetheless students shouldn't be overlooked just because we have a discount rate for the use of our own facilities. If there isn't 'time' to give students a program then maybe more staff are needed.

karl bracken

some gyms do this so you will hire the personal trainers that work there for a program.
or they will give you a very basic program just using machines and some simple exercises, but you are meant to change it every 4 to 6 weeks so you back hiring a personal trainer for an hour
if your serious about training one of the best gyms around is

informedperformance.com

mite not be for everyone tho, they have student rates aswell

DribblingRobot

karl bracken wrote: »

if your serious about training one of the best gyms around is

informedperformance.com

mite not be for everyone tho, they have student rates aswell

I only came across them after all of this came up. Might look into it when my 6 months in the DCU gym are up.

Sobersally

I'm a student member in DCU Sport and all I had to do was go to reception to book in for a prog! I got 30 mins with the instructor and a great prog. Saw their xmas opening times, there not as long as the rest of the year but only closed on xmas day, stephens day and new years day. I'm happy enough with that for 195

Ghillie2k4

ok , I'm serious about weights and getting bigger
the 34kg dumbells are just too light
and about the not being given programmes thing , the sea of eejits i see doing stupid excercises all the time ( benching with weight on only one side?!!?!) - if you are on this forum , you are a dumbass.

and people have also said the trainers show them the machine weights , do the trainers know anything about free weights?

the only time I have seen a trainer in the free weights section was a small woman come to tell me I cant wear my Knee lengths because they are made of denim . what!

I can get a good workout done and use the bars as much as I can as long as I go when there is less idiots.

pro tip: friday afternoons is the worst time becasue of all the BarBodies come to pump up chest and biceps.
seriously , i met with the manager and told him all this , he probably ignored everything i said but I said it.

ldxo15wus6fpgm

Ghillie2k4 wrote: »

ok , I'm serious about weights and getting bigger
the 34kg dumbells are just too light

I said put on more weights.... they said 'there are no more'
I've never seen anyone go through 3 sets comfortably with the 34kg bells and although I've been slacking this year I was in there religiously every 2nd day last year.

the sea of eejits i see doing stupid excercises all the time ( benching with weight on only one side?!!?!) - if you are on this forum , you are a dumbass.

I don't see the big deal with this... it's not me that does it btw but it's obviously to work one pectoral harder than the other... I've often found my left pec struggling to keep up with my right on the fly machine etc. so then I might want to focus on bringing my left muscle up to scratch!

pro tip: friday afternoons is the worst time becasue of all the BarBodies come to pump up chest and biceps

This is to be expected, especially in a university gym, where there's going to be plenty of young fellas! There's always one wherever you go. I don't see why it's such a big deal though...

Ghillie2k4

Ari Loud Mate wrote: »

I said put on more weights.... they said 'there are no more'
I've never seen anyone go through 3 sets comfortably with the 34kg bells and although I've been slacking this year I was in there religiously every 2nd day last year.
I don't see the big deal with this... it's not me that does it btw but it's obviously to work one pectoral harder than the other... I've often found my left pec struggling to keep up with my right on the fly machine etc. so then I might want to focus on bringing my left muscle up to scratch!


This is to be expected, especially in a university gym, where there's going to be plenty of young fellas! There's always one wherever you go. I don't see why it's such a big deal though...

I can warm up with 34's
As for the bench , say that when you go a little too low and the bar goes crashing down one side or on your head.