The Gym Group

For me The Gym is THE perfect gym! Open 24hrs, £20 a month (London price - other locations seem to be even cheaper!), masses of equipment & a big cavernous space to workout in.

It goes without saying that for this bargain price it's a no frills training zone, no fancy shower gel & body lotion in the changing rooms, no fluffy towel on arrival & no juice bar. That said, it is always kept spotlessly clean, theres normally some friendly PTs on hand if you need any advice & hardly ever a queue for equipment!

If your main reason for having a gym membership is for the classes on offer, then this gym probably isn't for you. They do have a small class timetable but it definitely isn't a priority - think a 15min abs class rather than spin & body pump every hour on the hour.

If you're comfortable training on your own (or with a friend) then I think The Gym Group is a great option. I don't use them for all my fitness needs, but given how cheap the membership is I can justify training at additional clubs.

I tend to use it for strength training - given the abundance of machines & free weights in a light airy space, it's a far more pleasant experience than being crammed in the dark corner most gyms allocate for the weights section.

If cardio is your thing I can't imagine you ever having a problem getting on the machine of your choice. There's roughly 3 times the amount of cardio equipment than I've seen in other gym chains. Many times  at Virgin Active (£90/month) I witnessed a 'treadmill queue' and each machine was stickered with a 'maximum 20mins use during peak times' notice.

all images courtesy of gymgroup.com

The one thing I miss about my more luxury 'health club' type memberships is the swimming pool & sauna facilities. But hey, theres always my local leisure centre if I feel the need to do some lengths in the pool.

You can join The Gym Group online, no negotiating with the sales team over your joining fee here. You can also freeze or end your contract at anytime for no extra charge! Find your local gym here - link!

Harriet x