general quality of jjb gyms

ethan

ethan

ethan

Soldato
Joined
16 Sep 2005
Posts
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Location
What used to be a UK
I am thinking of changing gyms and a JJb Gym is being built down the road from me. Does anybody have any personal experience regarding off-peak rates and the level and standard of body building equipment?

There is also a place called "The Power House" near me for serious body builders but it is a "dog-house": empty factory building where you have to stick your head out of the window in Summer and freez your knackers off in Winter. This is not for me as I prefer air conditioning. Sauna and shower etc.

current stats:
Height 5.7.5
weight 12.5
Bench press 300
Press behind kneck 150
dumbell curls 100lb total
triceps curl (as above) 100 lb
etc
Body building most of my life (off and on) Age 45
 
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£25 off peak, £35 on peak.

For 90%-95% of people JJB gyms are more than adequate in terms of equipement. Not really for the hardcore but then the people this applies to won't be looking at JJB anyway. I've been a member for nearly 5 months now and while I won't be renewing my membership next month it's more to do with the other gym members than the gym itself. Too many idiots curling and shrugging in the power rack and all that nonesense...
 
Great. Appreciate the reply. Sorry to hear you are having problems. It just that where I am at the moment limits me in terms of how much weight they have. I am already at the maximum for benching etc and the maximum I have set my mind to is 400 for benching and as much as possible for the others. I lose on legs though due to injury
 
Not just the muppets that are making me change gyms, there are a few niggles... JJB is far from perfect.

The benches are too narrow imho. I just cannot get stable on them for benching... maybe my back's too wide? lol ;) Seriously though they under 12" wide I reckon.

If it's new like my gym you'll suffer the same problem I did. Super shiny, slippy new olympic bars!! They really are impossible to grip properly so liquid chalk is an absolute must. They don't allow chalk btw, another gripe.

So if bench pressing is your fav exercise you might just hate JJB.

They don't use round weights, they use octagon shaped weights. No big deal you think until you try deadlifting the the damn things! Put the bar down and they make the bar move as they settle on the flat side, usually straight back into your shins... let me tell you it bloody hurts with 300lb on the bar, my shins are an absolute mess since I joined there haha!

That's pretty much all I pick at them for though to be fair, they have a great range of machines and the hammer strength ones are very good.
 
I've been to the JJB on the site of the old Bolton Wanderers ground (Burden Park) as a guest a couple of times and was most impressed. Plenty of kit, all in good nick, changing rooms were clean, has a pool/sauna/steam and all for the stupidly low prices Chong quoted

/me grumbles something about London prices ;)

You're gonna get tools wherever you go (dungeons included) so might as well pay as little as possible for as much as possible.
 
MTA99 said:
I've been to the JJB on the site of the old Bolton Wanderers ground (Burden Park) as a guest a couple of times and was most impressed. Plenty of kit, all in good nick, changing rooms were clean, has a pool/sauna/steam and all for the stupidly low prices Chong quoted
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That gym is only about 3 miles from my house, might give it a go... never even thought about trying the Reebok one!!
/me grumbles something about London prices ;)
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You have my sympathy, they take the biscuit down there. Though you must be on better money otherwise you wouldn't be working there ;)
 
Chong Warrior said:
Super shiny, slippy new olympic bars!! They really are impossible to grip properly so liquid chalk is an absolute must
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Recently had new DB's at my gym, changed from increments of 2.5 to 2 and now go up to 50kgs :D However.........when they were delivered they still had the release oil (from the plastic mould) all over them. If you put one down on the floor it would leave a trace of oil that was slippery even on the rubber floor covering. The handles were nice new shallow (read: slippery) knurlings plus the oil made them impossible to grip, even straps would slip :rolleyes: Used half a bag of chalk in a week trying to soak the damn stuff up!! :mad:
 
Hehe! I always use gloves for that very reason. I would have though that the excessive oil could be a health and saftey issue?
 
Best gym i have been too so far imo.

Price wise its spot on swimming, steam room too :D

Good selection of weights, normally lots too so no waiting around for people to finish.
 
ethan said:
Hehe! I always use gloves for that very reason. I would have though that the excessive oil could be a health and saftey issue?
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If i thought anything would be done about it i'd have mentioned something. There's a hole in the floor in the freeweight section with only the floor covering maintaining the structural integrity. This would be unacceptable were it not for the yellow and black tape demarking said area :rolleyes:
 
MTA99 said:
Its not at the Reebok mate, its at the old Burden Park. You're over Atherton way right? Might be a bit of a mission as you'd have to go through town. Depends late time you train though I suppose

http://www.jjbfitness.co.uk/locations/fitness-club.php?id=52
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Well that would explain why I'd never seen and considered it then lol! :D

Yeah it's a bit of a 'mare in peak hours... one to consider though if training on a Sunday or something for a change of scenery.
 
Ours in Bury is great, loads of equipment which most of it working fine

Some great lads who show you what to do etc

Steam room, swimming pool and Jacuzi are included, love it :)
 
Chong Warrior said:
Too many idiots curling and shrugging in the power rack and all that nonesense...
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Off topic, but I do pretty much everything using the power rack at my place.......nobody else uses the damn thing, would gather dust if I wasn't there. :p

Theres a really funny new guy actually, small chavvy dude, he stands up before every set and crosses himself (like hes going to pray) then swears all the way through the set. Gonna try and get a video of him this week as it's the funniest thing I've seen in a gym for a long time.
 
PAz said:
Theres a really funny new guy actually, small chavvy dude, he stands up before every set and crosses himself (like hes going to pray) then swears all the way through the set. Gonna try and get a video of him this week as it's the funniest thing I've seen in a gym for a long time.
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Get a bottle of water then when he's half way through a set start spraying him shouting "the power of Christ compels you, the power of Christ compels you!" :D
 
MTA99 said:
If i thought anything would be done about it i'd have mentioned something. There's a hole in the floor in the freeweight section with only the floor covering maintaining the structural integrity. This would be unacceptable were it not for the yellow and black tape demarking said area :rolleyes:
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Well where I am some of the machines were spitting oil into peoples faces they had no choice but to do something about it. Sometimes it is a requirement of the "instructors" to do general maintanence concerning the weight area lol-but if the place is as bad as it sounds-then I take your point :D
 
Thorpy said:
Ours in Bury is great, loads of equipment which most of it working fine

Some great lads who show you what to do etc

Steam room, swimming pool and Jacuzi are included, love it :)
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Ive been thinking of joining the bury on mate, is it good then? I can use that most of the time and hit the one near work in halifax every now and then. Got fed up of my old gym, they were shut for 9pm and didnt open sundays, shut at 12 on a saturday and didnt open while 10 of a weekday! Not much good if you've got an active life!

Do they have a joining fee?

Tom.
 
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