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Gym Membership.
Hi, I'm sorry if this is a really boring query (hopefully the electrifying title will have given you fair warning!), but I was wondering what arrangements most gym-going Oxford students make. Are the College gyms, Uni gyms, Private gyms good value (if you have to pay?) and how do their facilities stack up? I'm not at all bothered about weights, swimming or team sports like squash, but I like to use running machines, cross-trainers, stomach crunchers - stuff like that, exercise machines basically.
Thanks in advance for any advice rendered.
Thanks in advance for any advice rendered.
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your college gym will be free. if its like ours, it'll have a decent selection of weights, a treadmill or two, and several rowing machines. theres a gym down at the university sports centre on iffley road too. i dont know if you have to pay for that, if you do it isnt much. i've never been, but i get the impression its pretty decent. i know a few people who are fairly hardcore about their gyms who use it.
basically, have a look when you get there. only you can tell what you need.
basically, have a look when you get there. only you can tell what you need.
heliotrope
your college gym will be free. if its like ours, it'll have a decent selection of weights, a treadmill or two, and several rowing machines. theres a gym down at the university sports centre on iffley road too. i dont know if you have to pay for that, if you do it isnt much. i've never been, but i get the impression its pretty decent. i know a few people who are fairly hardcore about their gyms who use it.
basically, have a look when you get there. only you can tell what you need.
basically, have a look when you get there. only you can tell what you need.
The Iffley gym is OK, very cheap, only about £45 a year I reckon, and a further £65 to join the pool. The gym is a bit small and can get crowded. I joined a private gym (many offer special student deals) for around £30 a month which was larger and had a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna, no pool though. These student memberships tend to restrict the hours you can use the gym, e.g. I could not enter the gym between 4 and 7 (I think....from memory) but if I was there at 1 minute to 4 it was fine to stay there as long as you wanted. They also ran free classes. I'm not sure if any such classes exist at the Iffley gym.
Which college are you going to?
As people have said many gyms are well-equipped - but many colleges will have moved their rowing machines to the boat houses, which is great if you're a rower, but a pain if you're not.
It's probably best to wait until you're there to see: I wouldn't bother with private gyms since they mainly seem extortionate and the few people I know who use them do so because of the non-excercisey stuff like saunas and steam rooms
Depending on college you may get on just fine in the college gym, or you may have automatic membership (@ Jesus we have 10 cards which you have to sign out with your bod card but I've never been unable to get one).
As people have said many gyms are well-equipped - but many colleges will have moved their rowing machines to the boat houses, which is great if you're a rower, but a pain if you're not.
It's probably best to wait until you're there to see: I wouldn't bother with private gyms since they mainly seem extortionate and the few people I know who use them do so because of the non-excercisey stuff like saunas and steam rooms
Depending on college you may get on just fine in the college gym, or you may have automatic membership (@ Jesus we have 10 cards which you have to sign out with your bod card but I've never been unable to get one).
I was just about to ask this question!
Am I right in thinking that the university sports centre is right by St. Hilda's? I think I'll be joining the gym there
Also, a bit off-topic, but can anyone recommend good places to jog in Oxford? Do you joggers just use the streets? Here at home I have the canal right by my house which is great for jogging.
Am I right in thinking that the university sports centre is right by St. Hilda's? I think I'll be joining the gym there
Also, a bit off-topic, but can anyone recommend good places to jog in Oxford? Do you joggers just use the streets? Here at home I have the canal right by my house which is great for jogging.
What about Pulse? Is that the same as Iffley Road?
Jogging ... my favourite route is from St Hugh's to Godstow (along roads), then back through Port Meadow ... Port Meadow is a fantastically beautiful place to jog (lots of open space with the river and the canal to one side), though a bit of a trek from Hilda's (it's to the west and north of Jericho, in North Oxford).
A lot of people jog in University Parks (next to the science site, close to Keble, tis nice and flat with wide paths). As in, a lot a lot ... personally it puts me off, but you can always leave Parks and head off in Marston direction. Closes at dusk though. Another good park to jog in is South Parks (google it ... close-ish to Hilda's), has a massive hill, which might be a good or a bad thing (good for fartlek), but very satisfying - fantastic view of the 'dreaming spires' from the top.
Lots of people jog in Christchurch Meadows (near Christchurch (!) and Merton, so Hilda's end of town). I suppose you could jog along the river at quite a lot of points, though towpath at night is not a good plan.
A lot of people jog in University Parks (next to the science site, close to Keble, tis nice and flat with wide paths). As in, a lot a lot ... personally it puts me off, but you can always leave Parks and head off in Marston direction. Closes at dusk though. Another good park to jog in is South Parks (google it ... close-ish to Hilda's), has a massive hill, which might be a good or a bad thing (good for fartlek), but very satisfying - fantastic view of the 'dreaming spires' from the top.
Lots of people jog in Christchurch Meadows (near Christchurch (!) and Merton, so Hilda's end of town). I suppose you could jog along the river at quite a lot of points, though towpath at night is not a good plan.
pulse is the name of the gym bit in the iffley road complex, which has sports halls and running tracks and football and cricket pitches and stuff where all the university level sport happens.
It's the cheapest gym you're likely to find (aside from college gyms, although they vary in quality a lot) and, while not huge, is a decent size with a good selection of equipment.
It's the cheapest gym you're likely to find (aside from college gyms, although they vary in quality a lot) and, while not huge, is a decent size with a good selection of equipment.
thomasjtl
pulse is the name of the gym bit in the iffley road complex, which has a sports hall and a running track and afootball pitch and no cricket pitch (but an indoor cricket school thing) and stuff where a lot of, but not all the university level sport happens.
Yep the gym is cheep but it does get very crowded.
Madprof
Jogging ... my favourite route is from St Hugh's to Godstow (along roads), then back through Port Meadow ...
Going up the canal towpath, then round by Port Meadow (or back by the road if feeling idle!) is nice too.
re Gyms - there's also a council owned one at the Ferry pool centre. Not too far away if you're on the north side, and pretty cheap I think. I've not used it, only peered through the window when going to swim, but it never looks over-crowded.
DtS
If Pulse gets so crowded, can anyone recommend a private Gym in central Oxford then? (assuming, for the moment, that money isn't an issue)
There's Esporta, but (a) it's not central - about 10 minutes cycle up the Woodstock road, and (b) money has to be seriously not an issue (it's about £1400/year I think).
DtS
DtS
Wow. There's LA Fitness and like 50 quid a month... Isn't there one on the High by Rymans? Actually I may be getting confused but I know there's an advert for something of that description there...
Edit: This may be of some help http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/guide/leisure_recreation.htm (mainly for pools but many attached to gyms)
oh and this: http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/oxford/home_sport_leisure_fitness_gyms.html
(Woo I was right! - £20 a month for Peak Fitness on the high)
Edit: This may be of some help http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/guide/leisure_recreation.htm (mainly for pools but many attached to gyms)
oh and this: http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/oxford/home_sport_leisure_fitness_gyms.html
(Woo I was right! - £20 a month for Peak Fitness on the high)
Thanks!
Just to summarise, in terms of gyms, there are in Oxford:
i) College gyms - usually rubbish unless you are a rower although some of the bigger colleges have good gyms such as St John's and Keble.
ii) University gym and swimming pool at the Iffley Road sports complex.
Good gym and pool and cheap too (around £50 for the gym and £60 for the pool a year I think) but exceptionally busy at peak times.
iii) Council-owned gym and pool near Marston Ferry Road. Cheaper than private gyms, brand new and not very busy. Excellent if you live in North Oxford, too far away otherwise.
iv) LA fitness - probably the best value private gym in the centre of town (near Westgate Centre, behind Pembroke College) with a swimming pool too. Does student specials.
v) A private gym on the high street, above Rymans. Small but with good equipment.
vi) Esporta, North Oxford (near St Edwards School). The best gym in Oxford by far but incredibly expensive to join. Full of 'North Oxford types' (i.e. yummy mummies and their expensively educated children). I think it is the only gym in Oxford that American postgrads who have attended the US military academies (West Point, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy) think is of a decent standard but their standards are higher than mine!
vii) Finally, if you are a postgrad of a member of staff you can join the University Club gym on Mansfield Road. Small but with good equipment and only £60 a year. Can get busy at peak times but a good budget choice.
Hope this helps.
i) College gyms - usually rubbish unless you are a rower although some of the bigger colleges have good gyms such as St John's and Keble.
ii) University gym and swimming pool at the Iffley Road sports complex.
Good gym and pool and cheap too (around £50 for the gym and £60 for the pool a year I think) but exceptionally busy at peak times.
iii) Council-owned gym and pool near Marston Ferry Road. Cheaper than private gyms, brand new and not very busy. Excellent if you live in North Oxford, too far away otherwise.
iv) LA fitness - probably the best value private gym in the centre of town (near Westgate Centre, behind Pembroke College) with a swimming pool too. Does student specials.
v) A private gym on the high street, above Rymans. Small but with good equipment.
vi) Esporta, North Oxford (near St Edwards School). The best gym in Oxford by far but incredibly expensive to join. Full of 'North Oxford types' (i.e. yummy mummies and their expensively educated children). I think it is the only gym in Oxford that American postgrads who have attended the US military academies (West Point, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy) think is of a decent standard but their standards are higher than mine!
vii) Finally, if you are a postgrad of a member of staff you can join the University Club gym on Mansfield Road. Small but with good equipment and only £60 a year. Can get busy at peak times but a good budget choice.
Hope this helps.
deen
Just to summarise, in terms of gyms, there are in Oxford:
i) College gyms - usually rubbish unless you are a rower although some of the bigger colleges have good gyms such as St John's and Keble.
ii) University gym and swimming pool at the Iffley Road sports complex.
Good gym and pool and cheap too (around £50 for the gym and £60 for the pool a year I think) but exceptionally busy at peak times.
iii) Council-owned gym and pool near Marston Ferry Road. Cheaper than private gyms, brand new and not very busy. Excellent if you live in North Oxford, too far away otherwise.
iv) LA fitness - probably the best value private gym in the centre of town (near Westgate Centre, behind Pembroke College) with a swimming pool too. Does student specials.
v) A private gym on the high street, above Rymans. Small but with good equipment.
vi) Esporta, North Oxford (near St Edwards School). The best gym in Oxford by far but incredibly expensive to join. Full of 'North Oxford types' (i.e. yummy mummies and their expensively educated children). I think it is the only gym in Oxford that American postgrads who have attended the US military academies (West Point, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy) think is of a decent standard but their standards are higher than mine!
vii) Finally, if you are a postgrad of a member of staff you can join the University Club gym on Mansfield Road. Small but with good equipment and only £60 a year. Can get busy at peak times but a good budget choice.
Hope this helps.
i) College gyms - usually rubbish unless you are a rower although some of the bigger colleges have good gyms such as St John's and Keble.
ii) University gym and swimming pool at the Iffley Road sports complex.
Good gym and pool and cheap too (around £50 for the gym and £60 for the pool a year I think) but exceptionally busy at peak times.
iii) Council-owned gym and pool near Marston Ferry Road. Cheaper than private gyms, brand new and not very busy. Excellent if you live in North Oxford, too far away otherwise.
iv) LA fitness - probably the best value private gym in the centre of town (near Westgate Centre, behind Pembroke College) with a swimming pool too. Does student specials.
v) A private gym on the high street, above Rymans. Small but with good equipment.
vi) Esporta, North Oxford (near St Edwards School). The best gym in Oxford by far but incredibly expensive to join. Full of 'North Oxford types' (i.e. yummy mummies and their expensively educated children). I think it is the only gym in Oxford that American postgrads who have attended the US military academies (West Point, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy) think is of a decent standard but their standards are higher than mine!
vii) Finally, if you are a postgrad of a member of staff you can join the University Club gym on Mansfield Road. Small but with good equipment and only £60 a year. Can get busy at peak times but a good budget choice.
Hope this helps.
It absolutely, comprehensively does. It seems you chaps have too much choice - I'm tempted to become a gym-whore, test-driving a new gym every month or so!
Anybody know how well LA fitness is equipped? Do the running/cycling machines have TVs in them for instance?
Davetherave
Anybody know how well LA fitness is equipped? Do the running/cycling machines have TVs in them for instance?
No. They have about 3-4 TVs on the wall infront of the running/cycling/xtrainers tuned to different channels (sky sports, MTV etc) - I believe you can plug in a set of headphones and select which TV you want to hear but I might just be making that up - I've not been in there for about 8 months.
Equipment at LA fitness (8 months ago): About 8 weights machines, c. 10 treadmills, c. 8 normal bikes, c. 4 reclined bikes, c. 6 Xtrainers, 2 hand-bikes, c 6 rowing machines. + small (17.5m long) pool, + exercise room for classes, + "spinning studio", + sauna/steam-room + free weights area (not especially large, big enough for maybe 5 people)....
The swimming pool at iffley road - do you have to be a member of the gym to just get swimming pool membership? I don't feel like getting gym membership if there's a small gym in college, I just like to swim and ride my bike, both of which I can do sans machines. (Not sans pool though, am not really into swimming in rivers and the like..)
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