Getting fit in Manchester! (Bannatyne's Health Club)

Name: Ellen82

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Product:	Bannatyne's Health Club
Date:	26.04.08 (291 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Value for money, all inclusive, modern and clean, pool, gym and weekly classes

Disadvantages: Rigid with the rules, a little bit cramped in some spaces, can't book in advance

As my hometown's Bannatyne hasn't featured yet, I'd like to share my experiences, which are quite different to some of the others mentioned here.

I've been a member of Bannatyne's in Manchester since early March now, when - after about a year of unhealthy eating and minimum activity - I finally decided to do something about my weight and health. It was recommended to one of my housemates' colleagues and when my friend then came back from her induction she was very positive about it, so I decided to join up too.

Location

One of the good things about the Manchester branch is that there are two gyms available in different parts of the town centre. I am focusing on the Withworth street gym in this review as that is the one I normally go to. The gym is situated just a ten minute walk or so from the middle of town and five minutes from the central train station. There is little parking available - there is no separate parking lot - unless you are happy to park your car by the side of the road. It has an excellent public transport connection, however, being only a few minutes' walk to the nearest bus stop, with frequent buses to several parts of the city.

Infrastructure

The inside of the gym is clean and modern. There are turnstiles at the entrance for which you have your membership card, then a small atrium with TV and drinks machines and a few tables with seats where members are free to sit.

The gym is built vertically rather than horizontally, which has the effect of making it look quite small on the outside whereas this is really not the case. The gym is divided in three levels. At the very bottom there are the male and female changing rooms, the room used for various aerobics and other classes during the week and the swimming pool. Above, there is the normal gym and the 'spinning' room.

There are water fountains at various locations if you get thirsty.

Dressing rooms

Obviously I can't comment on the male dressing rooms but the female ones are clean and spacious. There are always plenty of spare lockers which are operated with a one pound coin. Rumour has it they will start using padlocks soon which you can rent for a fiver, but I hope a rumour is all it is as I really like this system. The staff upstairs are always on hand to give you some change should you require it.

The showers consist of little cubicles, not very roomy but the heat and water pressure are just right. Plus, you don't have to worry about bringing shower gel as there are dispensers on the wall in every shower. There are also hairdryers which can be used for free.

Swimming pool

The swimming pool is clean but rather small. It is approximately 25 metres long which is less than your public pool would normally be and it's only 4 foot deep throughout. This can be a disadvantage for those who like to dive, although it is a reassurance at the same time. The pool is hardly ever very busy. Even at peek times you will have four people at the most using it at the same time, which is probably for the best as it would get quite crowded otherwise!

I used the pool in the other gym on Quay Street once and it's a lot bigger. Plus there are several sauna cabins - and a female only one in the dressing room - and two jacuzzi's available whereas the Whitworth Street one only offers one of each, plus a Turkish steam bath area. However, the Quay Street opening times are not as good and the building itself looks slightly depleted. Plus they currently use the padlock system which annoyed me. However, I've not used any of their other facilities so I can't comment on how they compare to my usual gym.

Gym

The gym offers the normal amount of cardio machines and weights you would expect to find. There is an area exclusively devoted to treadmills, stepping machines, crosstrainers and eliptical machines. Each of these has a little inbuilt TV screen where you can flick between checking your stats - heart rate, calories burnt, time, etc. - and a range of 12 Freeview channels which can be watched - and heard - by plugging your earphones into the machine.

The room next door offers the standard range of weight training equipment and more cardio machines. Again, the area is vertical rather than horizontal, with additional downstairs areas for heavier weights, stretching and ab training. Even though some of the equipment stands pretty close together it's still spacious enough to be comfortable. The busiest night is Monday, which is one of my regular nights and it never felt too crowded.

Classes

So far, I've only done the Bodycombat class,which I absolutely love, but there are many more available throughout the day ranging from Yoga to Spinning and Bodypump. Bodycombat is an extremely good workout, combining strength training and intense cardio and based on boxing and fighting moves. The main thing is it's fun to do!

The only downside to the Bodycombat class is you require a pass to get in which you have to obtain each time from reception. They don't have a reservation system in place to book your place in advance and they start handing out the passes half an hour before the start. With the summer fast approaching the passes have now sold out twenty to fifteen minutes before and for those of us who come straight from work that is often too early. This week, I and several other regulars were unable to attend because the passes had all been given out once we got there. Although I don't dispute the fairness of the system it would perhaps be better to implement a 'booking in advance' system. After all, not all of us work just around the corner or have the time to ourselves!

Price

Considering value for money and what prices are like in other high profile gyms, I think the monthly subscription fee isn't too bad. I pay £42 by direct debit every month and for that you get unlimited access to classes, gym and pool. When you join, you do have to pay £10 for your membership card and otherwise I think they still have the 'no joining fee' promotion on offer.

Opening Times

The gym is open Monday to Friday 6.30-10.00 and 8.00-9.00 at weekends. The Quay Street gym only opens at 9 at weekends, which is not so good for the early birds.

Staff

Most staff at my regular are quite friendly and helpful. There's the odd rude one but I guess you get that everywhere. I do find them to be very rigid with the rules, eg no booking in advance, but that's obviously not something the staff can do anything about.

Overall

I definitely don't regret signing up to this gym. You get your money's worth and even though I've not been a member for long and can't comment on how easy it is to cancel membership or what it would cost, the T&C I signed states you have to cancel a month in advance in writing. I assume this to be legally binding so would be very surprised if they would go against that, but you never know. Maybe they've changed it recently due to people's bad experiences?

All in all I'd definitely recommend Bannatynes Manchester if you're a regular gym goer who likes a bit of everything for a decent price.

Summary: Good value for money gym in the heart of Manchester