Gym Update (Pay-as-you-use)

OFDM

To all students

I am delighted to announce that everything is on track for the opening of the University Sports Club next Monday at 6.30am. Thank you for your responses and mails to date.

I would like to clarify some points that have been raised.

1. There will continue to be a Pay per Play option for students and staff without membership of University Sports Club. These facilities will include

• Squash
• Racquetball
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Soccer
• Astro Pitches
• Group Fitness Timetable
• Swimming Pool (pre-assigned sessions)
• All courses, including yoga and swimming lessons

Prices for the above are available from University Sports Club reception

2. All application forms are available from University Sports Club reception only and must be returned to University Sports Club reception on completion.

3. All staff on DCU / CR&D payroll regardless of duration of contract may pay for the 12 month term through payroll for the remainder of the contract.

4. There will also be a six - month membership option for Staff on short - term contracts and for students who are either on Intra, a semester abroad or in their final year

5. Our Web site will be available in the coming weeks and application forms will be available on line.

Should you have any further queries do not hesitate to contact Member Service on 5797.

I look forward to welcoming you to the University Sports Club.

Ken Robinson
Chief Executive
DCU Sports

Good news that the pay-as-you-use option will still be there and will include access to the swimming pool.

Amz

There has been no indication of price as yet though.

d@rk l0rd

Yeah, will the 6 month option be €100 then?
At least they're finally seeing sense!!

OFDM

d@rk l0rd wrote:

Yeah, will the 6 month option be €100 then?
At least they're finally seeing sense!!

I'm guessing it'll be a little more expensive, that's usually the way those things go...

Will find out the prices on monday and post them up, if Amz doesn't get there before me...

Amz

Meh, too lazy hehe!

tinkerbell

I just asked at the Sports Reception, and the woman told me that there was no pay as you go option? Even though we got an email about it. She said you have to join or else you can't use it.

Oh and the 6 month membership for students costs €135.

pollyantic

tinkerbell wrote:

I just asked at the Sports Reception, and the woman told me that there was no pay as you go option? Even though we got an email about it. She said you have to join or else you can't use it.

Oh and the 6 month membership for students costs €135.

It used to be 30p a visit when i was there
And there was outrage when it was increased to 35p
many moons ago though

OFDM

Pay-as-you-use is gone completely - only thing like it will be one hour on a wednesday where you can use the swimming pool for an hour between 2pm and 3pm for 5 euro.

Amz

Good lord! That's outragous!

It was a bit of a joke before, but now they're just takin'' the piss. I've a friend doing sports science in the UK and if they need the hall or to use the gym for any project work etc. they're given free use of the college's facilities in DCU we have to pay the same amount as anyone to use the facilities. I really think things need to change in that regard. Wonder how things are in UL for that?

If you're a gym member can you use the pool at any time?

d@rk l0rd

If you're a gym member can you use the pool at any time?

Yes.

The 6 months membership is 135euro. Have to say, was in the pool today and it is very nice. Steam room and spa are very nice as is the tepidarium. Lovely power showers and a foot soaker. Sauna doesn't seem to be up and running yet.
No sign of a pay as you go option - though having the membership means I can go in there a couple of times a day for half an hour and not have to pay each time.
I have to say, I'm pretty happy with it.

P.S. What's the story with the combination locks for 7.50euro? It seems to be compulsory to buy one if you want to use a locker. A lot of people seem to be using their own locks though. Handy enough not to have to carry around a key but I've had bad experiences with them in the past.

Kingp35

so wait a second basically your telling me you cant just go to the gym and pay your couple of euro anymore you have to be a member??

that is well stupid if thats how it is. i use the gym every now and again there is no way i would spend that much money in a semester. is there any way of getting around this and are the student union trying to do anything about this??

Amz

I'd advise you to read Paul May's emails every now and then if you want to be kept abreast of the Student's Union's dealings with the sports centre.

OFDM has even pasted the contents of Paul's emails in this thread and others.

OFDM

Got the tour, they have Concept2 rowers, at least 20 "€10,000" threadmills, at least 5 cross-trainers, a couple of steppers, all new weight-lifting machines (didn't get a good look at the free weights) showers in the changing rooms are cubicles (added privacy when scrubbing yourself and a place to hang your towel). Nothing else worth mentioning that hasn't already been said.

Amaru

OFDM wrote:

(didn't get a good look at the free weights)

Thats probably because there isn't any. Well there's dumbbells, but only up to 20kg. Theres no bar, no benches. There's an assisted squat rack, but no weight plates.

Depending on who you ask, they may or may not be getting free weights in. Some people(and by people, i mean the staff there) say they'll be getting them in next week and the weeks after that, others say that they won't be getting them in because they want it to be a "fitness" gym, to discourage powerlifters/bodybuilders from joining.

This is a huge blow for me, as free weights pretty much was the bulk of my workout. I only used machines for the exercises that there was no real free weight equivalent.

Grimlock

crap!!!
anybody know how much it is for a graduate?
I know an alumni membership means that it'll cost less than a public membership but still more expensive than the student membership no doubt.
Also if I could get an update on the free weight that'd be great as they're a large portion of my work out, not that I'm a bodybuilder, far from it, I just prefer them to machines. The free weights in the last gym sucked!

Cheers

Amaru

I'll post an update on the free weights, and just on the gym in general, as it happens. Although

The free weights in the last gym sucked!

I'd disagree. Besides a squat rack, there was pretty much everything you could need in terms of free weights. There was several benches, 2 olympic bars, an EZ curl and a selection dumbbells all the way up to 50kg(i think. may have been more or less) in increments of 2.5kgs from 2.5kg. What more did you want?

*EDIT* Something just occurred to me. There's no towers in the new gym. Why, i have no idea. They're basically machines, and have great versatility. If there was 2 towers, i'd have less problem with no free weights.

OFDM

Amaru wrote:

and a selection dumbbells all the way up to 50kg(i think. may have been more or less) in increments of 2.5kgs from 2.5kg.

They went up to 50lbs not 50kg

Amaru

No that was the older, silver ones they had. They got new ones in in about the 2nd week of december that went all the way up to 50kgs. There was a whole new rack for them and everything.

Amaru

Bingo Bango, speak of the devil. They just got a double cable tower in today, plus weights for the squat rack, plus new 30kg dumbbells, plus a bench(there's more coming apparently, except these ones will be colour coordinated!). It gets better! This really is becoming one of the best value gyms in dublin.

OFDM

Amaru wrote:

Bingo Bango, speak of the devil. They just got a double cable tower in today, plus weights for the squat rack, plus new 30kg dumbbells, plus a bench(there's more coming apparently, except these ones will be colour coordinated!). It gets better! This really is becoming one of the best value gyms in dublin.

I had been put off by a lack of free weights but this is making me think about joining again...

OFDM

Amaru wrote:

Bingo Bango, speak of the devil. They just got a double cable tower in today, plus weights for the squat rack, plus new 30kg dumbbells, plus a bench(there's more coming apparently, except these ones will be colour coordinated!). It gets better! This really is becoming one of the best value gyms in dublin.

Was this just the stuff from the old gym that they have now in the gallery of the old gym?

Amaru

OFDM wrote:

Was this just the stuff from the old gym that they have now in the gallery of the old gym?

Sorry, but i don't really understand what you're asking. But the stuff i was talking about was all new, and definitely not from the old gym. I haven't been over to the old gym, which apparently is called the performance gym now, since it closed down over the exams break.

Grimlock

No the stuff from the old gym was given to charity, so i'm told.

Think they'll be adding free weights to the old gym section in time,
not too sure about that though, be great if it was true!

OFDM

Had a gander at the weights section in the gallery over the basketball courts, looked like the old smith machine, old bench press and old cable machine from the old gym were there, and what looked like some new dumbbells.

Is this the new free weights section or is there more in the main/new gym with the new machines?

Amaru

The old gym, like i said, is being converted to the performance gym. This will be a gym with a large selection of free weights which will then be rented out to teams looking to train with weights, like the dublin GAA team for instance. There will also be slots available to book free of charge to the DCU sports teams. It won't be open to members of the new gym, or people in general. You have to be on a team, or you have to be renting it out. I thought it was supposed to finished by the end of March, but apparently not.

And just so you know, NOTHING in the new gym is from the old gym. Anything they've got over there, they bought new. The management won't even allow them bring the stuff from the old gym over to flesh out the selection of stuff available, it has to be completely new. I guess its a way of dissociating the new gym from the old one.

OFDM

Amaru wrote:

The old gym, like i said, is being converted to the performance gym. This will be a gym with a large selection of free weights which will then be rented out to teams looking to train with weights, like the dublin GAA team for instance. There will also be slots available to book free of charge to the DCU sports teams.

Might be time for someone to start a competitive weightlifting club...

Amaru

As a budding meathead, i'd PROBABLY be up for this.....

segadreamcast

How much is it for non-students, or are they still able to join even? Normally I go there every Summer but - if it's going to cost a significantly large amount to join then before becoming a student in September, it doesn't make much sense (:( though I really wanna hit the gym straight after my exams!)

OFDM

NoelRock wrote:

How much is it for non-students

Around 400 quid a year I think. 12 month minimum contract.

segadreamcast

OFDM wrote:

Around 400 quid a year I think. 12 month minimum contract.

Bugger :P I'll have to find somewhere else for the Summer then methinks. Thanks though - I had estimated around that (it's normally just double the student price)

Kilbarrack

I have recently moved to Kilbarrack in Dublin 5. While I love going to the gym I find it very hard with work to go every week and have spent far too much money on Gym memenberships that I have only use 6 moths of the year. I have found a gym in KIlbarrack Shopping Centre that you can pay as you go. The gym is located upstairs and it is great not to have the pressure of paying years membership.

Hauk

Spamtacular.