TCD Gym?

runswithascript

I am just wondering what the gym is like, and if there are any trainers, or any other information about it you can offer?

I have not had registration yet so I do not think I can go take a look for myself until that time.

Scrappychimow

dusf wrote: »

I am just wondering what the gym is like, and if there are any trainers, or any other information about it you can offer?

I have not had registration yet so I do not think I can go take a look for myself until that time.

There's monsters under the stairs in the gym.

CB93

I'm also not registered yet but I was looking around the college last week and called into the sports center, I was just in the lobby having a look and one of the trainers asked if I wanted to go in and check it out. He was fairly busy and didn't have time to give me a tour but let me go around the gym and have a look at all the facilities. I'd say if you're up before term starts they wouldn't mind you looking around but probably not when it gets busy.

As for the facilities it appears to have everything you would need and there seems to be lots of classes being run there too.

runswithascript

CB93 wrote: »

I'm also not registered yet but I was looking around the college last week and called into the sports center, I was just in the lobby having a look and one of the trainers asked if I wanted to go in and check it out. He was fairly busy and didn't have time to give me a tour but let me go around the gym and have a look at all the facilities. I'd say if you're up before term starts they wouldn't mind you looking around but probably not when it gets busy.

As for the facilities it appears to have everything you would need and there seems to be lots of classes being run there too.

Nice!

Any idea if the trainers are also free to us, or if they require a fee?

runswithascript

That is to say, the gym is free to TCD students, right?

Anita Blow

You'll be given a tour of it during Fresher's week as part of your orientation.
There's different classes each day which are around €4-6 per session. You can get a fitness assessment for a tenner and a trainer for around €40 a session I think it is.

Plenty of gym space in the main floor and the Kaiser Room and there's also indoor futsal pitchs and other areas like that.

Anita Blow

dusf wrote: »

That is to say, the gym is free to TCD students, right?

You pay the Sports Centre fee which is €75 on top of your Student Contribution.

Trainers aren't free.

runswithascript

http://www.tcd.ie/Sport/faq/

What is a fitness induction?
A fitness induction is an introduction to our Fitness Theatre. One of our highly qualified and experienced Sports Instructors will spend 20/30 minutes with you showing you how to use our fitness equipment as well as explaining to you the benefits of each exercise and machine. An appointment for this is not essential. You can enquire at the Fitness Theatre help desk or office which is located just inside the turnstiles of the Fitness Theatre. This is a complimentary service as a member of the Sports Centre.
What is a fitness appointment? Why do I need one?
A fitness appointment comes highly recommended. Here is how it works - You will have a consultation with one of our fitness instructors. You will then take a health screening, explain your specific goals for the near future fitness wise, as well as your exercise history and your preferred workout duration. Based on all this information, the sports instructor will design a programme of exercises tailored to meet your above requirements. This will generally involve cardiovascular exercises, resistance, core and stretching exercises and possibly some group exercise classes. Your instructor will then review your programme every 6-8 weeks upon your request to ensure you are happy and achieving the results you want. The charge for this service initially is €12.50, reviews are free once within the 8 week period.

MrPain

The gym is decent.
There are:
3 squat racks
dumbbells up to 50kg
several adjustable benches
various machines
Theres a good few threadmills, rowers, bikes etc.

Instructors are good, i dont know them all though.

Main complaint is during term it can get extremely busy particularly around lunch time and after 5 till around 6.30. This is going to be particularly evident during the first few weeks.

Any other particular questions feel free to ask.

Maybe_Memories

There is one downside to the gym and thats lack of and placement of certain equipment. There's only one pull up bar, and to the left and right of it theres other machines and if someone is using them it kind of gets in the way and you can't do any pull/chin ups.

There's an assisted pull up machine which also doubles as a dip machine and assisted versions of both but the grips are a way too wide for normal pull ups.

Also there's only one lat pull down machine.

Yes pull ups are important to me okay?

Other than that the sports centre is great!

EuropeanSon

Maybe_Memories wrote: »

There is one downside to the gym and thats lack of and placement of certain equipment. There's only one pull up bar, and to the left and right of it theres other machines and if someone is using them it kind of gets in the way and you can't do any pull/chin ups.

There's an assisted pull up machine which also doubles as a dip machine and assisted versions of both but the grips are a way too wide for normal pull ups.

Also there's only one lat pull down machine.

Yes pull ups are important to me okay?

Other than that the sports centre is great!

The assisted ones (there are two) are fine for normal pull ups, for me at least.

Old Person

when does it open? I ask because I'm completely willing to go at like 6am if it means there'll be one else there. Watching me. Judging.

Dick Turnip

Opens at 7am AFAIK from Monday to Friday

Scortho

Check out the Keiser resistance training room. The stuff up there is unreal.
Can't believe no one has mentioned it yet
You also have to book it!

http://www.tcd.ie/Sport/assets/pdf/posters/keisermay12.pdf

swimminggurlX

When is normally the quietest time to go?

The Pharmacist on the Moon

Old Person wrote: »

when does it open? I ask because I'm completely willing to go at like 6am if it means there'll be one else there. Watching me. Judging.

It opens at 7am monday to friday, 9am on saturday and 10am on sunday. Why do you think people will be watching and judging you when your in the gym btw?

ThirdMan

My only complaint is with the puffed-up beef heads, who hog the weights section (when they're not too busy drinking protein shakes and saying "yaw").

Tcddentistry

ThirdMan wrote: »

My only complaint is with the puffed-up beef heads, who hog the weights section (when they're not too busy drinking protein shakes and saying "yaw").

I've heard the rugby heads like to show off their legs with their short shorts

When did people say the quietest times are at?

MrPain

Tcddentistry wrote: »

I've heard the rugby heads like to show off their legs with their short shorts

When did people say the quietest times are at?

07.00-08.30 after that the rugby team trains for around a hour most weekday mornings.
10.00-12.00
19.00-22.00
all decent times to go

Scrappychimow

Did anyone ever let off a smoke bomb in the gym?

Scrappychimow

I'm not a number ,are you?

runswithascript

Scrappychimow wrote: »

Did anyone ever let off a smoke bomb in the gym?

You are not old enough to attend a third level institution.

Scrappychimow

dusf wrote: »

You are not old enough to attend a third level institution.

You are too old to attend a third level institution, with your hicky mohair trousers and sweat stained shirt.

runswithascript

Scrappychimow wrote: »

You are too old to attend a third level institution, with your hicky mohair trousers and sweat stained shirt.

Is this guy on drugs?

Scrappychimow, you strike me as someone who has probably achieved a lot today amirite?

Scrappychimow

dusf wrote: »

Is this guy on drugs?

Scrappychimow, you strike me as someone who has probably achieved a lot today amirite?

Speak properly dweeb.

Tcddentistry

dusf wrote: »

You are not old enough to attend a third level institution.

Scrappychimow wrote: »

Speak properly dweeb.

I don't always get into a fight, but when I do I make sure it's over the internet

runswithascript

Tcddentistry wrote: »

I don't always get into a fight, but when I do I make sure it's over the internet

If you are referring to me, personally I'm not fighting, and surely I'm not the only person who thought it childish to enquire whether or not a smoke bomb had ever been let off in the gym.

FirstIn

Due to a change in office location I've been looking to change gym. I visited westwood last night but it wasn't for me.(And boy is it expensive).
As I'm a tcd grad the membership isnt expensive so I'm wondering what this gym is like? However it's a while since I left college so perhaps I'll feel totally out of place.
Anyways, I'll schedule a visit and see for myself.

smeedyova

I would strongly advise against joining this gym because it's filthy. You regularly see people getting into the swimming pool without having first showered, and the staff don't seem to care, you'll see people with all sorts of cuts and contagious skin diseases being allowed to use the pool and gym, again, the staff don't tell them that they can't. Few people wipe down the machines after use, and staff don't correct them. I think that I am the only person who has ever wiped off the free weights. It's been a while since I was there but the ladies' changing room off the swimming pool was so steamy that you couldn't dry off and the there was black mould all around the tiles. Often the staff member acting as a lifeguard at the pool was not visible to me as I used the pool so I can only assume that pool users were not visible to the lifeguard...Reported this many, many times only to be fobbed off by management. I wonder if they would get into the pool?

languagenerd

smeedyova wrote: »

I would strongly advise against joining this gym because it's filthy. You regularly see people getting into the swimming pool without having first showered, and the staff don't seem to care, you'll see people with all sorts of cuts and contagious skin diseases being allowed to use the pool and gym, again, the staff don't tell them that they can't. Few people wipe down the machines after use, and staff don't correct them. I think that I am the only person who has ever wiped off the free weights. It's been a while since I was there but the ladies' changing room off the swimming pool was so steamy that you couldn't dry off and the there was black mould all around the tiles. Often the staff member acting as a lifeguard at the pool was not visible to me as I used the pool so I can only assume that pool users were not visible to the lifeguard...Reported this many, many times only to be fobbed off by management. I wonder if they would get into the pool?

I've always found the pool area quite clean, TBH. I mainly use the single changing cubicles and have had no problems there, and most people I've seen do shower first. Plus I always wipe down the machines upstairs after me (and there are always people waiting to use the spray when I put it back, so I assume others do).

The floors in the sports halls are filthy though. Everyone who does martial arts ends up with blisters on their feet because the floor is disgusting by the end of the day when other teams have been training in their outdoor runners :mad:



If you're considering joining, go in and have a look for yourself!

Larianne

languagenerd wrote: »

I've always found the pool area quite clean, TBH. I mainly use the single changing cubicles and have had no problems there, and most people I've seen do shower first. Plus I always wipe down the machines upstairs after me (and there are always people waiting to use the spray when I put it back, so I assume others do).

The floors in the sports halls are filthy though. Everyone who does martial arts ends up with blisters on their feet because the floor is disgusting by the end of the day when other teams have been training in their outdoor runners :mad:

If you're considering joining, go in and have a look for yourself!

Lately, the done thing seems to be not to wipe down the mats in the stretching area. I spend a good 10-15 mins stretching in there and usually see about 3 people walk out without wiping down the mat after them. :mad: I did see a girl bring her own packet of baby wipes with her. :pac:

Also, a guy came into the stretching area with jeans and hiking boots on, doing a few stretches with the foam roller. WTF???

The changing room down the end of the pool area was disgusting the other week. It was a Sunday but still, those floors should be swept every day!!

smeedyova

I haven't looked at it for a long time so I don't know what the story is with it now but when TCD sports centre started a Facebook page they got so many public complaints on it in the first few days that they shut down the comments section and said that their Facebook page was for giving OUT information and not for RECEIVING it.

As management refuse to listen they only way to vote is with your feet and go elsewhere.

With regard to people not wiping down the stretching mats, this was normal practice when I was using the gym and I even saw one guy who clearly had impetigo using one! If people won't be clean and hygienic then the sports centre should enforce this, but I have to say that the staff seemed baffled whenever I complained about this... they themselves don't seem to think it's a problem!

One of the many suggestions that I made to staff was that they should ban dirty people (those who don't shower before the pool, who don't wipe down mats, etc., ) for a period of time, but they said that that was not "possible". They also told me that it wasn't "possible" to tell people with clearly contagious skin infections that they could not use the facility until they were better.

The sauna --- people sit directly on the bench, with no towel under them, sweat all over it and leave.

And why that blaring music in the stretching area?

In most countries that I have experience of none of this is considered acceptable and would be jumped on by staff who would issue the appropriate fine or ask you to leave.

FirstIn

Jesus, none of this sounds very promising. I haven't had a chance to check ithe tcd gym out as I'm still running down the last of my current gym membership. However after trying a few other gyms it looks likely I'll be renewing my current membership.

papu

I usually wipe down the mats BEFORE I use them , also do afterwards. It's grand for what it is. Weights area is pretty small and can get quite packed, figure out when it's not to full and try use it then , I wouldn't recommend mornings , lunchtime , or 5pm.;)

Liveforrugby

The gym is a joke, our school gym was twice as big.. There are thousands of students, there are ques for the squat and bench racks it's a fckin joke