Gym Review: Which Bristol gym is best?
By Eddie McAteer, Student Sport Correspondent
In true Bristruth fashion, Epigram sport decided to review a variety of gyms that Bristol has to offer. Including some of the most common student gyms, Puregym, Anytime Fitness, David Lloyd and, of course, the university’s gym itself all get a look in as we try to find the best value and most student friendly gym.
Puregym. Puregym is one of the cheapest gyms in the city, with an off-peak membership costing just £14.99 per month. In addition to the cheap price, Puregym has a total of five gyms with Bristol post codes, including Harbourside, Union Street, Barrow Road, Bath Road and Stoke Gifford. Admittedly, the ones on Bath road and Stoke Gifford are on the outskirts, however, that still leaves students with the choice of three gyms, all within two miles of campus, two of which are less than one mile away.
Even though Puregym is one of the cheapest gyms, it still has plenty to offer. There is a good range of equipment including a free weights area, many machines and a studio. Another benefit of Puregym is its opening hours, since it is open 24/7 you can go at any time and can therefor fit gym trips in around university work and any other things that may demand some of your time.
Anytime Fitness is conveniently located on the triangle, just next to Wilko and, like Puregym, is open 24/7, meaning you have more flexibility. The gym is also not too busy most of the time, so you do not have to wait to use equipment, however, the equipment is not quite as extensive as that of Puregym due to the fact that it simply is not as big as Puregym. A student membership here will cost you a cool £29.95 per month, almost double the cheapest membership available at Puregym and the university gym.
David Lloyd is notoriously one of the most cutting-edge gyms in the country thanks to its array of modern equipment. That being said, it is therefore one of the most expensive memberships available. A membership there can cost upwards from £60 which, as students, can often price people out of this gym.
David Lloyd is, however, excellent with regards to its engagement with customers, there are people stationed around the gym to help out if anyone is confused by equipment or would like some advice on how best to approach their workout. Unfortunately, David Lloyd is not particularly well-located for students as it is the other side of Ashton Gate from the university, making it quite a distance from campus and from most student houses.
The university’s gym is regularly frequented by students and is obviously in a great location. Since it is located right on campus, it is ideal for students to fit a quick work out in between lectures, or once they have finished for the day. Additionally, the university gym is reasonably priced at just £16.79 per month for an active #1 membership. The equipment available is good but when the gym is busy it can be very difficult to get hold of some free-weights. Despite this, for its proximity and value, the university gym gets a lot of love from students.
Ultimately, Puregym represents good value for money and has an excellent range of equipment, as well as a good location. The university gym is also held in high regard for its value and for its unbeatable location for students, whereas David Lloyd is less student friendly in terms of prices and location but has the most advanced equipment of all. Anytime Fitness is in a great place for many students, but its main other benefit is the opening hours, with its price still quite high considering its facilities available.
Featured: Epigram/Eddie McAteer
Which is your preferred Bristol gym?