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dRbEEf
06-29-13, 4:55 am
I think you guys are lucky in the States, there are so many good gyms and the equipment level is superb. Here in the UK the gym selection is very poor when it comes to a good bodybuilding gym or even a good gym with the range and weights available to grow. Most of our gyms seem to be set up for conditioning and have poor weight selection. I even went to one and asked about joining and was told that they didn't have heavy dumbbells because they didn't want 'that type of person joining'!!!!! What the fuck are they on about, that type of person. Really makes me angry to be labelled like that. You should never judge someone like that.
Anyway back to the subject....Animal dudes bring some gyms to the UK please. I think you should start a franchise over here :)

Firefist
06-29-13, 10:01 am
Trust me brother, you look around and you'll find one. Yeah, hardcore gyms are sadly of a dying breed, not just in the UK. But the ones who have lasted the tests of time, materialism and fads are here and they won't go until the bitter end.

I don't know where you are in the UK, but I've been to a few exceptionally awesome gyms out of London. My favorite has to be muscleworks. Take the line to Bethnal green, walk past the Mcdonalds and its on a side street to the left.

dRbEEf
06-29-13, 1:06 pm
Cheers for the reply. Yeah there are a few good ones around but its too far for me to travel. I need to win the lottery and start my own chain of gyms.

rainman
06-29-13, 4:24 pm
Funny you mention in your original post about the lack of decent gyms, but in your next post to say there are a few around, but are too far to travel. I appreciate it if they're a fair distance away, but surely it's worth the trip to be with like minded lifters and surrounded by plates.

I'm lucky in that the local 'proper' gym is only about 20 minutes away from me, but I feel, since joining it near on a year back, my lifts have all improved as I'm training with some decent guys. We don't have every machine under the sun, but we have dumbbells that go up to 70KG, (albeit falling to pieces), more than enough plates and bars, but most importantly a good core of lifters. You should check out some of Mar Felix' Youtube videos and where he trains. Not flashy or anything, but typical of what you'll find if you look around for a while.

Where do you live by the way? I'm sure some of us UK guys can point you in the right direction if you give us a general area where you are living.

dRbEEf
06-30-13, 7:20 am
Hi rainman. I live in Reading. At the moment I get up @05.30am to go training and then off to work. Get home around 18.00 and then cook and prep my food for the next day and then be with the wife. I don't have time to travel more than 30mins to get to a gym and around here there aren't any within that sort of distance or time frame. There are a couple of good ones but it would take me far to long to drive there. The wife would never see me and life would be rough lol. I know if you want something bad enough to stop whining about it and go and do it but you have to live life too. For now I will train where I am and continue to look around.

rainman
06-30-13, 8:09 am
Don't look at my post as a criticism. Fair play for getting your priorities right, and also for getting up at 5:30 to train before work. it is very hard for a proper work/ life balance as it is, without having to add in gym time and food prep too.

I appreciate what you're saying about UK gyms, although I have it pretty good where I live. I train at Workshop Gym in Guildford, (which is just off the A3), and we have Woking Power locally too, who hold quite a lot of the GBPF events for the South East. My Dad trains there sometimes and they have produced some really good lifters from there. I don't really know anywhere in Reading I'm afraid.

dRbEEf
06-30-13, 11:54 am
Lol didn't take it as a criticism mate. I know where your coming from. I just think its sad that all the gyms nowadays are for 'fitness' . I trained with a power lifter for a while called Barry Sheerin. Don't know if you've heard of him, very strong and held a few records.
72kg class if I recall.