3 W - 3 weeks ago
The gym is convenient if you are on campus often. Especially if you have the vaccine passport, this gym is a nice way to get workouts in during the week. The staff are friendly and seem knowledgeable. They also appear readily available at all times to help you with your training needs, which is not always common. The selection of gym equipment is definitely a step up from your average home gym, and is enough to get in good workouts. The price is also the relatively standard price of 20€/month.
I have been a member of at least three gyms in Germany and several more outside of Germany so I would say that I have a good basis to compare this gym to others. My criticism is probably nothing new to the reviews here.
Firstly, the gym trial here costs 18€, which is usually just free at other gyms in Germany. The first day of the trial you get a tour of the gym and then are put on a preset training plan without any consideration of what you want. From my experience with trainers in the past and attending lectures in personal training, often the trainer should 1) ask about your goals and 2) see if you have any injuries or history before prescribing anything. However, I should mention that after this two week standardized plan, the trainers can then change your plan to something else and tailor it to your liking.
A personal trainer walks you through each exercise, which are all machined based, i.e., no free weights. The plan is a full body workout with a warm up and cool down, which is totally fine and makes sense for beginners or people new to training. I do have to mention too much time was spent focusing on the built in devices which track your movement and weight using a laser and some sensors, rather than the actual training. This is an interesting feature that I have not seen at other gyms, but clearly it is still in sort of a beta phase with a lot of bugs to work out before it can hit market. All in all it became a bit of a nuisance.
The gym itself I liken to a hotel gym for several reasons. First, the gym is small. This is both a blessing and a curse, as you can switch exercises quickly, however it is a little claustrophobic and the amount of equipment is limited. Second, the free weights and machine selection are lacking. There is only one squat rack and one bench, with smaller diameter bars than normal. The dumbbells reach a maximum of 25 kg. This is fine and dandy for most bodybuilding purposes, but if it gets crowded or you want to switch up exercises, you are limited. Compared to all other university gyms that I have been a member or visited, this fitness studio is severely lacking. I do not know the politics of funding, but for sure a campus where people train for the olympics should have a larger and nicer fitness center for the normal students.
Having to get tested for corona and book an appointment beforehand is a good precaution and I support it. It also allows you to see how busy certain times will be.
All in all, this gym is a great option if you’re tight on time, on campus, and want to get some workouts on campus in. Plus the staff are very friendly and willing to help.
