Fitness Flex

Seeing as I’ve been broker than a crack house window, I’ve recently graduated and only working 8 hours a week I’ve had time to workout quite a lot. I moved to this gym from ‘The Gym’ in Leeds as I had to move back home. I don’t regret it to be honest!
The company that run this gym (Barnsley Premier Leisure) run leisure facilities all over Barnsley, Bassetlaw (Worksop and Retford), so they do have significant experience, and you can tell they know how run a leisure facility if you’ve ever visited the Metrodome in Barnsley.
This gym in particular is probably one of the most central Gyms in Doncaster as it’s a 10 – 15 minute walk from the bus interchange, Frenchgate Centre and train station. You really can’t miss it as it’s the big building which is mainly dominated by Premier Inn. This is also one of the very few gyms in the centre. Xercise4Less is over the bridge close to Bentley and the Dome is a bit of a bus journey away (near the Racecourse) so if you want somewhere to work out which is central, this is your best bet. It’s also right next to the market car park, which unfortunately is one you have to pay for, but it is one of the cheapest in the town.
It’s great that Doncaster finally has A PROPER gym in the centre, instead of the pile of crap that was St James (though credit due they had a great swimming pool and a lovely but unloved building). Doncaster needed a central gym because let’s face it, the population here aren’t the healthiest! Unfortunately the gym isn’t 24 hours but it’s open late enough and early enough. 6am weekdays is early enough.
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Anyway, to the gym…
They have a very large variety of cardio equipment, machines and free weights. The equipment is pretty new and really clean, though the equipment may be different to what you’re used to. You can even watch TV on the treadmills and listen while running if you use headphones. They also have a TRX machine and a massive room for classes, which people are free to use when it is free as there are punchbags, boxing gloves, skipping ropes, benches, etc. can’t forget about the spinning area too, which there are lots and lots of bikes.
The staff here are really friendly and willing to help you achieve your goals. Unlike ‘The Gym’ which is pretty budget you can get a program included with your membership, which I really like. There is also the choice to pay for personal training. There’s also always some cleaning up and maintaining the gym as well, which is good. Henry the Hoover is a recognised member of staff!
I’ve also been told the clientele here aren’t as chavvy as the ones at Xercise4Less (which is close to the badlands and chavholes of Bentley), but I can’t really comment on that one. All I know is that there’s a real community feel here and you do get your regulars. Everyone is nice and also helpful, Much warmer than The Gym, which was simply a gym where nobody talked to nobody usually. This isn’t a ‘hardcore’ gym, so there is a perfect balance of people. There seems to be a lot of women who come here, so ladies you can be assured that it isn’t one of those gym where you get massive, overconfident sted heads hitting on you all the time! Everyone is sound.
There also is a ‘Junior Gym’ on Saturdays for teenagers who wanna pump iron (in a supervised environment). You do get a minority of dickheads like you get in many gyms, but not many complaints. They mainly grunt and keep themselves to themselves and their ‘crew’.
The memberships are good value for money, but the one I’d probably recommend is the £20 a month membership which let’s you go at any point during the week and in the day and also let’s you access all the classes (including the Les Mills ‘Body Pump’ and ‘Body Combat’ classes). There is a registration fee like many gyms, but in September I never had to pay it as there was a special offer! Even though I paid £15 at ‘The Gym’ in Leeds I still think this is better value for money as the gym equipment is better, the changing rooms are cleaner and look nicer (you even get a hair dryer!), the gym is better laid out (well depending on what you do) and the classes are much more better. The Gym felt a bit budget to be honest! (And with budget attracts allsorts of undesirables and posers).
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In conclusion, I really like this gym. It’s about time Donny had a decent gym in the centre. If you are after a more ‘hardcore’ gym full of serious lifters though this might not be for you. This though will serve nearly most of Doncaster’s population.