Armed with my tips from my last post, I finally get down to reviewing some of the gyms in Lausanne. This list is not exhaustive (though it was exhausting!), so let me know if there are other gyms I've missed - I'll keep looking.
I should point out that I really enjoyed working out at all the gyms, but then I enjoy racing for the bus, so it doesn't take much to get me to enjoy exercise! Eventually I chose one for the next month that suits me, but would have been happy using any of the gyms listed below. All of the gyms mentioned offer free trials, some longer than others, so don't hesitate to try before you buy. What works for me might not work for you! Click on the links to go to the website.
HOLMES PLACE
The most visible chain of fitness clubs in Switzerland without a doubt. I had heard of Holmes Place before even getting to Switzerland so it seemed an obvious choice. Surprisingly tucked away inside the Globus department store this is a high end gym with all of the benefits.
Holmes Place were offering free trial passes through an online fitness quiz app - 14 days maximum which is brilliant. Check their Facebook page regularly for details. Practically flunking the quiz I only got three days - which means I need to train my brain muscles a bit more ;-)
First impressions were great - a friendly welcome from the staff who all speak English and there's a good café in the reception area where you can grab some food after training. Alternatively you can always pop downstairs to the café in Globus @GlobusLausanne.
All told this is an excellent gym with lots of classes, as well as a sauna and steam room in their spa area. Given the price, I was surprised that there is no pool. As well as the high membership charges and joining fee there were lots of hidden costs and charges - paying 45 CHF for obligatory sessions with personal trainers and nutritionists with little choice was an issue for me. I'm sure there are some great people working there, but if I want to engage a PT I want to be able to choose one for my needs.
One of the other big charges was around freezing membership. If you travel a lot like I do, freezing your membership while you are away is an excellent way to save and ensure you don't waste money, but not so with Holmes Place. One of the ways around this is to buy an upfront membership for a set period of time. This is not necessarily cheaper, but you are not tied into a contract.
It reminded me of Chandler trying to quit the gym...
I'm not hung up on the price - for me you pay what you are willing to pay, and you will not regret paying for Holmes Place if you get stuck in and use it. There were plenty of people who were there to enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of being in luxury surroundings and not overly concerned with getting in shape - lying on a yoga mat reading a magazine is not exercise...
What did drive me a little crazy was the ceiling. It's quite low and if you want to swing a kettle bell, do a chin up or especially a box jump, there is no room. Train hard but no need to put your head through the ceiling!
Let's focus on the positives - excellent range of free weights, TRX and jungle gym. For me the highlight was a boxing bag and gloves - this was a real bonus that I haven't seen in other gyms. They also had Bulgarian bags which are excellent for working the whole body if you get stuck waiting for weights or space.
Providing you with towels at the entrance is great - it lightens the load in your gym bag and also ensures you have a sweat towel. Almost all the gyms here require you to have a sweat towel - people will pull you on it if you don't have one - trust this sweaty Irish man and the voice of experience!
Opening Hours: Limited on weekends and early mornings
If it was an athlete it would be: Stan Wawrinka - the best of everything Switzerland has to offer
If it was a song: LMFAO I'm Sexy and I Know It
LETS GO
Let's Go has a huge advantage right away - they have gyms all over the Vaud area that as a member of one you can use. For me, working in Vevey, it means I have a lot of choice, and I like choice.
They also have a budget option - FitPoint which is a no frills gym (I tried the one in Rue Caroline). Fit Point was a proper lifters gym with a really friendly community and a good budget option. Compact but very effective. If you only join FitPoint you at their lower price, you don't get access to Lets Go, but if you join LetsGo you get access to FitPoint.
I tried LetsGo in Flon and found it to be a well stocked gym. Lots of cables and squat racks but also, lots of mirrors... A LOT of mirrors and a lot of posers... it reminded me a little bit of GloboGym
It's not LetsGo's fault, but here I had a few annoying experiences. The first was about the sweat towel - somebody interupting me mid squat to tell me I needed one. Ok, can you wait till I finish my rep?
Then I experienced the lack of awareness of personal space - even though I went in the middle of the day, several guys decided it was ok to start pottering around the squat rack or bench while I am mid set, and start taking plates I am using. I was sorely tempted to follow through on a kettle bell swing and take out one of said offenders!
Then I experienced the gym shadow. The guy who follows you around the gym copying every exercise you do and trying (sometimes succeeding!) to lift heavier than you. Easiest way out of this is to do legs - they usually leave me alone after that!
As I said, none of the above is LetsGo's fault but the environment fostered this kind of atmosphere and behaviour. It wasn't for me, but there was little wrong with facilities.
It was more or less the same price as Holmes Place, and even given their wide range of gyms in the area, I'd still have gone for Holme's Place due to the atmosphere. There was a lot of staff in LetsGo, but they seemed entirely dedicated to sales, whereas in Holmes Place, they still had plenty of trainers on the floor.
Better still, I would join FitPoint which is currently offering membership for 55CHF a month - you won't find cheaper.
Range of equipment: Excellent selection of free weights, cables
If it was an athlete it would be: Cristiano Ronaldo, undisputably good, lots of flair, but a little bit in love with itself
If it was a song: Chris Brown - Beautiful People
SILHOUETTE
Just beside Rippone on Rue Valentin Silhouette has some very slick advertising on its website, but in reality it was a little run down. This didn't bother me though as I have yet to see the fitness models used in advertising actually working out in the gym they are advertising.
Sihouette has all the usual machinery and weights you would expect, but with an added bonus of a pool. So if you want a gym with a pool, this is your best option. There was a good crowd there - nice mixture of young and old - all ready to work.
The staff were friendly and helpful, but there were not too many of them. For such a big gym, there was not enough people on the floor. The equipment was a little bit old but all very functional. They had excellent TRX facilities, and having observed a group in action, I'd highly reccomend it for the TRX alone.
For me the problem was the opening hours it's not open late or early enough for me. There's no way I could get a session in before work and after work would be tough too.
Silhouette have a number of clubs all over Switzerland that you are free to use as a member of the club in Lausanne, top notch TRX and with a pool to boot this puts them in an excellent position. It's cheaper than Holmes Place or LetsGo but not as plush for sure. Your membership also includes freezes for while you are away.
Opening Hours: M - F 08.30 - 21.00 S/S 09.00 - 18.00
Price: Mid-range but no one available to give me specific info when I was leaving! Says it all really...
Range of equipment: Top for TRX, pool
IF it was an athlete it would be: Roy Keane - get stuck in and get the job done!
If it was a song: ACDC - Back in Black
EQUILIBRE FITNESS
Very close to the train station and Avenue de Grancy, this gym is a bit of an undiscovered gem. Like many of Lausanne's gyms, this one is slightly underground, but well lit, airy and with some artifical grass inside it made this Irish man pine for the green fields of Ireland.
The gym is accessible using a swipe card from 05.00 to 24.00 - something that sets it apart from most gyms in Lausanne. I was slightly wary when I saw this that we might be heading for the Ryanair of gyms... low cost, no frills... lots of hidden extras, but no! There are plenty of frills - from a wide range of light to heavy kettle bells to a ceiling that's high enough to swing those bells around in.
Without a doubt the best feature is the green astro turf area - here you can use agility ladders, foam rollers, battle ropes, hex bars and Valslide. They have an excellent jungle gym and plenty of boxes for jumps.
Most of all I liked the instructors in here. Each and everyone working in there looked the part and had an excellent approach - gently assisting and keeping an eye on everyone. They were not pushing their services on you and let you get on with it. The staff say a lot about any gym and these guys were saying all the right things.
Like any gym, it gets busy at peak times but there is enough space for everyone. There are a few mirrors but less posers! This sealed the deal for me! It had everything I wanted and more in terms of equipment.
You can get a 3 day trial pass via the website.
#fitspo of the week is an interesting one! Having had the honour of playing rugby for my adopted country, I have long been a fan of Kazakhstan's elite athletes. I used to get remarks and derogatory comments, but knowing how successful Kazakhstan has been on the world stage has always made it easy to shut the haters up!
One of those elite sportspeople is none other
than world record holder and Olympic champion, weightlifter Ilya Ilin. You can watch this great video about Ilin here and follow him on Twitter: @ilyinilya1
Given my admiration for the man I was pretty psyched to win a signed Ilya Ilin tee from @ConfederSport - bit Roy Keanesque but that was a tired pic! A massive thank you guys! Not sure if I should work out in it or not - sweaty red mess a possibility!
I should point out that I really enjoyed working out at all the gyms, but then I enjoy racing for the bus, so it doesn't take much to get me to enjoy exercise! Eventually I chose one for the next month that suits me, but would have been happy using any of the gyms listed below. All of the gyms mentioned offer free trials, some longer than others, so don't hesitate to try before you buy. What works for me might not work for you! Click on the links to go to the website.
HOLMES PLACE
The most visible chain of fitness clubs in Switzerland without a doubt. I had heard of Holmes Place before even getting to Switzerland so it seemed an obvious choice. Surprisingly tucked away inside the Globus department store this is a high end gym with all of the benefits.
Holmes Place were offering free trial passes through an online fitness quiz app - 14 days maximum which is brilliant. Check their Facebook page regularly for details. Practically flunking the quiz I only got three days - which means I need to train my brain muscles a bit more ;-)
First impressions were great - a friendly welcome from the staff who all speak English and there's a good café in the reception area where you can grab some food after training. Alternatively you can always pop downstairs to the café in Globus @GlobusLausanne.
All told this is an excellent gym with lots of classes, as well as a sauna and steam room in their spa area. Given the price, I was surprised that there is no pool. As well as the high membership charges and joining fee there were lots of hidden costs and charges - paying 45 CHF for obligatory sessions with personal trainers and nutritionists with little choice was an issue for me. I'm sure there are some great people working there, but if I want to engage a PT I want to be able to choose one for my needs.
One of the other big charges was around freezing membership. If you travel a lot like I do, freezing your membership while you are away is an excellent way to save and ensure you don't waste money, but not so with Holmes Place. One of the ways around this is to buy an upfront membership for a set period of time. This is not necessarily cheaper, but you are not tied into a contract.
It reminded me of Chandler trying to quit the gym...
I'm not hung up on the price - for me you pay what you are willing to pay, and you will not regret paying for Holmes Place if you get stuck in and use it. There were plenty of people who were there to enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling of being in luxury surroundings and not overly concerned with getting in shape - lying on a yoga mat reading a magazine is not exercise...
What did drive me a little crazy was the ceiling. It's quite low and if you want to swing a kettle bell, do a chin up or especially a box jump, there is no room. Train hard but no need to put your head through the ceiling!
Let's focus on the positives - excellent range of free weights, TRX and jungle gym. For me the highlight was a boxing bag and gloves - this was a real bonus that I haven't seen in other gyms. They also had Bulgarian bags which are excellent for working the whole body if you get stuck waiting for weights or space.
Providing you with towels at the entrance is great - it lightens the load in your gym bag and also ensures you have a sweat towel. Almost all the gyms here require you to have a sweat towel - people will pull you on it if you don't have one - trust this sweaty Irish man and the voice of experience!
Opening Hours: Limited on weekends and early mornings
Price: High end and expensive - but worth it. Registration fee 130CHF, Monthly Fee 175CHF
Range of equipment: Excellent selection of free weights, jungle gym, TRX and boxing gearIf it was an athlete it would be: Stan Wawrinka - the best of everything Switzerland has to offer
If it was a song: LMFAO I'm Sexy and I Know It
LETS GO
Let's Go has a huge advantage right away - they have gyms all over the Vaud area that as a member of one you can use. For me, working in Vevey, it means I have a lot of choice, and I like choice.
They also have a budget option - FitPoint which is a no frills gym (I tried the one in Rue Caroline). Fit Point was a proper lifters gym with a really friendly community and a good budget option. Compact but very effective. If you only join FitPoint you at their lower price, you don't get access to Lets Go, but if you join LetsGo you get access to FitPoint.
I tried LetsGo in Flon and found it to be a well stocked gym. Lots of cables and squat racks but also, lots of mirrors... A LOT of mirrors and a lot of posers... it reminded me a little bit of GloboGym
It's not LetsGo's fault, but here I had a few annoying experiences. The first was about the sweat towel - somebody interupting me mid squat to tell me I needed one. Ok, can you wait till I finish my rep?
Then I experienced the lack of awareness of personal space - even though I went in the middle of the day, several guys decided it was ok to start pottering around the squat rack or bench while I am mid set, and start taking plates I am using. I was sorely tempted to follow through on a kettle bell swing and take out one of said offenders!
Then I experienced the gym shadow. The guy who follows you around the gym copying every exercise you do and trying (sometimes succeeding!) to lift heavier than you. Easiest way out of this is to do legs - they usually leave me alone after that!
As I said, none of the above is LetsGo's fault but the environment fostered this kind of atmosphere and behaviour. It wasn't for me, but there was little wrong with facilities.
It was more or less the same price as Holmes Place, and even given their wide range of gyms in the area, I'd still have gone for Holme's Place due to the atmosphere. There was a lot of staff in LetsGo, but they seemed entirely dedicated to sales, whereas in Holmes Place, they still had plenty of trainers on the floor.
Better still, I would join FitPoint which is currently offering membership for 55CHF a month - you won't find cheaper.
Opening Hours: M - F 07.00 - 21.30 S/S 09.00 - 19.00
Price: Mid to High but starting from 89CHF per monthRange of equipment: Excellent selection of free weights, cables
If it was an athlete it would be: Cristiano Ronaldo, undisputably good, lots of flair, but a little bit in love with itself
If it was a song: Chris Brown - Beautiful People
SILHOUETTE
Just beside Rippone on Rue Valentin Silhouette has some very slick advertising on its website, but in reality it was a little run down. This didn't bother me though as I have yet to see the fitness models used in advertising actually working out in the gym they are advertising.
Sihouette has all the usual machinery and weights you would expect, but with an added bonus of a pool. So if you want a gym with a pool, this is your best option. There was a good crowd there - nice mixture of young and old - all ready to work.
The staff were friendly and helpful, but there were not too many of them. For such a big gym, there was not enough people on the floor. The equipment was a little bit old but all very functional. They had excellent TRX facilities, and having observed a group in action, I'd highly reccomend it for the TRX alone.
For me the problem was the opening hours it's not open late or early enough for me. There's no way I could get a session in before work and after work would be tough too.
Silhouette have a number of clubs all over Switzerland that you are free to use as a member of the club in Lausanne, top notch TRX and with a pool to boot this puts them in an excellent position. It's cheaper than Holmes Place or LetsGo but not as plush for sure. Your membership also includes freezes for while you are away.
Opening Hours: M - F 08.30 - 21.00 S/S 09.00 - 18.00
Price: Mid-range but no one available to give me specific info when I was leaving! Says it all really...
Range of equipment: Top for TRX, pool
IF it was an athlete it would be: Roy Keane - get stuck in and get the job done!
If it was a song: ACDC - Back in Black
EQUILIBRE FITNESS
Very close to the train station and Avenue de Grancy, this gym is a bit of an undiscovered gem. Like many of Lausanne's gyms, this one is slightly underground, but well lit, airy and with some artifical grass inside it made this Irish man pine for the green fields of Ireland.
The gym is accessible using a swipe card from 05.00 to 24.00 - something that sets it apart from most gyms in Lausanne. I was slightly wary when I saw this that we might be heading for the Ryanair of gyms... low cost, no frills... lots of hidden extras, but no! There are plenty of frills - from a wide range of light to heavy kettle bells to a ceiling that's high enough to swing those bells around in.
Without a doubt the best feature is the green astro turf area - here you can use agility ladders, foam rollers, battle ropes, hex bars and Valslide. They have an excellent jungle gym and plenty of boxes for jumps.
Most of all I liked the instructors in here. Each and everyone working in there looked the part and had an excellent approach - gently assisting and keeping an eye on everyone. They were not pushing their services on you and let you get on with it. The staff say a lot about any gym and these guys were saying all the right things.
Like any gym, it gets busy at peak times but there is enough space for everyone. There are a few mirrors but less posers! This sealed the deal for me! It had everything I wanted and more in terms of equipment.
You can get a 3 day trial pass via the website.
Opening Hours: 05.00 - 24.00
Price: 12 month contract 99CHF per month, 1 year up fron 948CHF, Joining fee 49CHF
Range of equipment: Can't be beaten - if you want a pool there's a lake down the hill!
If it was an athlete it would be: Dajana Jovanovic - handballer and gladiator who is always doing some new, crazy, painful exercise ;-) Check her out at: http://f-i-t.se/
It it was a song: Roots Manuva - Witness The Fitness
#fitspo of the week is an interesting one! Having had the honour of playing rugby for my adopted country, I have long been a fan of Kazakhstan's elite athletes. I used to get remarks and derogatory comments, but knowing how successful Kazakhstan has been on the world stage has always made it easy to shut the haters up!
One of those elite sportspeople is none other
than world record holder and Olympic champion, weightlifter Ilya Ilin. You can watch this great video about Ilin here and follow him on Twitter: @ilyinilya1
Given my admiration for the man I was pretty psyched to win a signed Ilya Ilin tee from @ConfederSport - bit Roy Keanesque but that was a tired pic! A massive thank you guys! Not sure if I should work out in it or not - sweaty red mess a possibility!
If you have read this far, well done ;-) you deserve a reward and it would be wrong of me not to mention one of my favourite work out songs with an awesome fitness video to match it - the one and only @rootsmanuva #witnessthefitness
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