Bodybuilding Gyms in Dublin

saucers82

Hi all
I am soon to relocate to Dublin and will be looking for a gym.
Would like a place with a big free weights area and benches and a good few machines. Some cardio machines also but a place that isn't overrun and overpriced. a place where people serious about weight training can get in get it done and get out.

also an indication of prices would be helpful

many thanks

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

Hi all
I am soon to relocate to Dublin and will be looking for a gym.
Would like a place with a big free weights area and benches and a good few machines. Some cardio machines also but a place that isn't overrun and overpriced. a place where people serious about weight training can get in get it done and get out.

also an indication of prices would be helpful

many thanks

Raw would be worth checking out. If it's good enough for Tommy Staunton...

You'd be looking at 399 spons.

saucers82

cheers. 399e up front bit steep for me

but looks the business.

any other suggestions welcome!

COH

Hercules on Lurgan St (north side city centre)
Universal Warrior in Finglas
Ironhouse in Clondalkin
Raw Gym southside City Centre

saucers82

from reading around Raw seems like a cool place. can you pay monthly there?
I guess not. maybe i will slum it in the Markievicz Leisure Centre until I can afford a years membership
or is there any other pay as you go/no contract gyms in the centre

thanks for the info so far

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

from reading around Raw seems like a cool place. can you pay monthly there?
I guess not. maybe i will slum it in the Markievicz Leisure Centre until I can afford a years membership
or is there any other pay as you go/no contract gyms in the centre

thanks for the info so far

The Markiewicz is ok but there's not a huge amount of equipment there. Two power racks if I remember correctly and a couple of Polish lads who sometimes try and bully people out of them. Then again, if you look like you lift, they probably won't

That said, the only other gym II've ever frequented is Raw and there's no comparison. Plenty of equipment and a good vibe in the place without feeling like only hardcore lifters should be there.

saucers82

how much do their dumbells go up to? I usually work out at about 7am so shouldnt be an issue with the bro's!

BrianHenryIE

saucers82 wrote: »

maybe i will slum it in the Markievicz Leisure Centre until I can afford a years membership
or is there any other pay as you go/no contract gyms in the centre

YMCA on Aungier Street

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

how much do their dumbells go up to? I usually work out at about 7am so shouldnt be an issue with the bro's!

That's true. That's when I used to go in there. I'm pretty sure they don't go beyond 40kg. If they do go over, it's not beyond 50kg but I think they stop at 40.

I was considering signing on again (before I'd ever been to Raw) but it was working out at €360 for the year (€30 a month DD - it's €300 for the year up front) and Raw wasn't much more at the end of the day. And it was better.

Too often, if I went in to the Markievicz after work, it was pointless because it was jammed and there wasn't enough equipment or space there to cater for more than 10 people in the weights area.

saucers82

sorry can you just clarify Markievicz is 30e per month DD, how much to join? any min contract?

Up to 40kg is fine, the max I lift is a 36kg for dumbell row

how many benches btw?

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

sorry can you just clarify Markievicz is 30e per month DD, how much to join? any min contract?

It's €6.60 a visit (PAYG) or €31 a month for the year (€372 in total) if you sign up for annual membership.

A 1-month membership is €52. A 3-month membership is €145 and 6 months is €205. Annual is €310 up front.

There's no joining fee. The prices I've given there are all you'll have to pay.

There are two power racks and usually there's a bench in each one. I never saw that many people use them to squat...

On the floor there are maybe another 2 benches.

saucers82

god damn it. all a bit too much

here in the UK 24 hour gym - £15 a month - no contract

thanks for the info, might just do some kettlebell classes or boxing training for a month or two before I get settled

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

god damn it. all a bit too much

here in the UK 24 hour gym - £15 a month - no contract

thanks for the info, might just do some kettlebell classes or boxing training for a month or two before I get settled

You can go along there for €6.60 a pop.

Any of the membership options come with free entry to the classes.

saucers82

lets call that 7e x 3 times a week = 21e a week
21e x 4 = 80e a month

I take it gyms like this havent reared their head then in Ireland

http://www.thegymgroup.com/

ah well

will do 3 months i suppose in Markie

Zamboni

saucers82 wrote: »

lets call that 7e x 3 times a week = 21e a week
21e x 4 = 80e a month

I take it gyms like this havent reared their head then in Ireland

http://www.thegymgroup.com/

ah well

will do 3 months i suppose in Markie

If you want a cheap gym but with max 30Kg dumbbells - Ben Dune Jervis St €189 per year
Anything over 30Kg and you will pay extra.

Euro per Kilo - RAW is the best deal inside the canals imo.

Other "boutique gyms" with good equipment (racks, bumpers, >30Kg Dumbbells can start from €30-€40 per month but a lot of them tend to be class based and in industrial areas outside of city centre.

Good places like Animal Barbell might fit your bill but it depends on where you plan on locating to within Dublin.

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

lets call that 7e x 3 times a week = 21e a week
21e x 4 = 80e a month

If you're going 3 times a week, you're better off getting a membership of some description.

It's a local authority run place anyway. They have to pay too many people to do less than they should be.

DL Saint

YourfitnessGym in Harolds Cross might be a good option

http://yourfitnessgym.ie/

saucers82

how many squat racks are in the Markiewicz for squats and bench pressing?

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

how many squat racks are in the Markiewicz for squats and bench pressing?

Two the last time I was there (March).

saucers82

cheers.
here's hoping there is some fit chicks and we are onto a winner lol

italodisco

There's a new lifters gym just off fitzgibbon street in Dublin 1, no cardio gear, just lifting lifting lifting .... Up a lane at the side of the old cop shop. Get your cardio on the walk there and back.
5 per visit , not sure on monthly .

saucers82

sounds good must check that out

Wood

italodisco wrote: »

There's a new lifters gym just off fitzgibbon street in Dublin 1, no cardio gear, just lifting lifting lifting .... Up a lane at the side of the old cop shop. Get your cardio on the walk there and back.
5 per visit , not sure on monthly .

€5 per day, €15 per week, €40 per month.

Great gym, DBs up to 55kg, Loads of plates, loads of benches, never busy, just a good atmosphere, with some decent people training there. Run by the same guy who used to run Pinnacle for Mickk, give it a try.

saucers82

and absolutly no cardio equipment? i do like to do a 20min run followed by a 45min weight session

FTA69

saucers82 wrote: »

and absolutly no cardio equipment? i do like to do a 20min run followed by a 45min weight session

Run around the gym for 20 minutes. Problem solved.

Wood

saucers82 wrote: »

and absolutly no cardio equipment? i do like to do a 20min run followed by a 45min weight session

Treadmills, and elliptical things. They also have prowlers, tyres and sledgehammers and a superyoke. That should be enough cardio for you.

saucers82

prowlers? superyoke? lol

Boss_eye

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hercules-Club/184925058198259

Hercules Club, wall to wall freeweights , powerlifters , weightlifters , Bodybuilders , full cardio floor too. €85 for 3 months.

kult

muscle factory in baldoyle, dumbells up to 75kg, deadlift crank, american powerlifting bars, customized equipments, strict rules, eg no towel = no workout, not putting the weight back on the racks = go somewhere else... I like it, always clean, never overcrowded and cheap

chriity139

kult wrote: »

muscle factory in baldoyle, dumbells up to 75kg, deadlift crank, american powerlifting bars, customized equipments, strict rules, eg no towel = no workout, not putting the weight back on the racks = go somewhere else... I like it, always clean, never overcrowded and cheap

75kg dumbbells arnt there yet soon

Thud

Boss_eye wrote: »

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hercules-Club/184925058198259

Hercules Club, wall to wall freeweights , powerlifters , weightlifters , Bodybuilders , full cardio floor too. €85 for 3 months.

thats a cool cover photo.

I lived about 2mins walk from hercules about 12 years ago but never went in, was a member of some crappy machine weights gym at the time...missed opportunity

saucers82

ok markievicz leisure centre is a no no, did a few pay and play
gym is busy in the morning and is tiny - so 10 people makes it busy
shower areas are not nice and full in mornings, lockers away from shower area - just not a nice set up

now thinking of swan lesiure in Rathmines i'll do pay and play but would like to hear peoples thoughts about weights area and leg machines specifically and also should i hold out until Jan for a special deal

markievicz leisure centre is doing a deal for 229euro which i was keen on but after a few morning sessions, no way

Pawwed Rig

I joined this place last week http://www.flyefit.ie/locations/ on Baggot Street. It seems decent enough so far. They have a dedicated free weights section up stairs and doesn't be too busy at 7am (although it is a new place so may get busier). At €285 for 12 months it seems reasonable. I was a member of Raw before and tbh if you want body building in Dublin that is probably the spot for you but is more expensive at €399.

Both will give you a freebie session as a try out so drop down and do your routine to see if you like it.

saucers82

looking for convenience also as I go before work and a safe place to lock up my bike.
not sure I will get that piece of mind at raw and will be paranoid while inside (probably just me, but when you lose a baby, it hurts)

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

looking for convenience also as I go before work and a safe place to lock up my bike.
not sure I will get that piece of mind at raw and will be paranoid while inside (probably just me, but when you lose a baby, it hurts)

There's a bike rack at the door to Raw. You can lock your bike to that.

Pawwed Rig

I locked my bike there every time I visited. Never had any problems. Never heard of anything being taken from anyone else either.

saucers82

cool I'll check it out...reckon there will be any incentive offers coming up there?

also would still like to hear people's opinions on Rathmines Swan

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

cool I'll check it out...reckon there will be any incentive offers coming up there?

also would still like to hear people's opinions on Rathmines Swan

They're fairly limited on the free weights in the Swan. What they do have is clean and new but if it's busy, you'll be waiting to use it.

saucers82

cheers Alf
I am hoping at 7am it's quiet. was so surprised with markievicz being so busy and claustrophobic!

it's not easy is it to tick all the boxes!

Alf Veedersane

saucers82 wrote: »

I am hoping at 7am it's quiet. was so surprised with markievicz being so busy and claustrophobic!

It's changed so.

It's not the fanciest gym and I never found I had to wait for anything but I went in with a Plan B in case what I wanted to use was being used.

The Swan is much cleaner and shinier. The classes aren't bad and the pool seems to be decent. But the gym isn't brilliant for free weights.

Not sure about the morning but it's very busy in the evening.

LuckyLloyd

saucers82 wrote: »

ok markievicz leisure centre is a no no, did a few pay and play
gym is busy in the morning and is tiny - so 10 people makes it busy
shower areas are not nice and full in mornings, lockers away from shower area - just not a nice set up

now thinking of swan lesiure in Rathmines i'll do pay and play but would like to hear peoples thoughts about weights area and leg machines specifically and also should i hold out until Jan for a special deal

markievicz leisure centre is doing a deal for 229euro which i was keen on but after a few morning sessions, no way

The Swan gym is small, has all the basics but can be very busy at peak times.

saucers82

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

The Swan gym is small, has all the basics but can be very busy at peak times.

range of free weights? max?
no. of benches?
no of squat racks?


cheers

RidleyRider

Why don't you phone these places and ask?

If I was you, I'd put a dot where I love and draw a circle around where you're willing to travel too. Do a session in each then pick.

saucers82

point taken
I like users opinions though

re: dot - as mentioned paranoid about the bike, I know I have a wide selection out there trying to weigh up pro's and cons
markievicz would of been perfect as I can lock bike in work and jog down to the gym from dame street

thanks for all the info!

p.s. I am not Irish so just getting up to speed with a lot of things over here

kult

chriity139 wrote: »

75kg dumbbells arnt there yet soon

seen them once last week or so then they disappeared, strange?!?!?!?! wft? must ask whats the story

kult

btw hercules is good, ballymun council gym is good too, hammerstrenght equipment etc!! just some people are...

chriity139

kult wrote: »

seen them once last week or so then they disappeared, strange?!?!?!?! wft? must ask whats the story

Will have a look for them not that i'll be using them

kult

I only used them for rows and traps, thats all:) 50 kg are more than enough for me for chest:)

RidleyRider

kult wrote: »

I only used them for rows and traps, thats all:) 50 kg are more than enough for me for chest:)

Show off:P

chriity139

You would want to be a monster to be using 75kg db for chest. One day :P

Might give them a go for farmers walk. Is the 75kg plates or rubber

kult

RidleyRider wrote: »

Show off:P

show off?:) a lot of people use 50kg for flat bench press, if you rep lets say 120kg on flat bar, then 50kg arent that heavy:)