Luxery Fitness Club in Wakefield (Bannatyne's Health Club)

Member Name: wilkybobs81

Product:	Bannatyne's Health Club
Date:	06/08/09 (353 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: State of the art equipment, excellent facilities, pool, friendly

Disadvantages: Membership fees may be too high for some

I enjoy being physically fit and active and they do say "A healthy body equals a healthy mind". A very true saying in my opinion. I get a real buzz and feel on a high when I'm exercising, scientifically this probably relates to the release of adrenalin. I also find exercise works for combating stress and I use it as a means to unwind and release my tension after a difficult day at work.

Given all of the above, it's not surprising that I'm a member of my local gym - Bannatyne's. I joined around 3 years ago and I visit 3-4 times a week. Consequently I thought I would share my opinion on Dooyoo...

Why Bannatyne's
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The Bannatyne's I visit is just on the edge of Wakefield, 1 mile off Junction 41 of the M1 at Paragon Business Village. Before joining I went for a look around the facilities, which were very impressive. This initial "wow" factor, plus the fact that it's only 10 minutes from my home and I pass it on my way to and from work, were the driving forces behind me signing up to become a member.

Membership costs
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These vary according to the tariff you select. I have joint membership with a friend and pay £43 per month. This allows me to visit anytime of day 7 days a week. If this was single membership I would pay £50 - thus it's financially beneficial if you can sign up with someone else, as well as giving you a gym buddy to train with.

A friend pays around £30 per month for "off-peak" access. She can visit Monday-Friday before 4pm. Good value depending on your schedule and work commitments.

Children's memberships are also available, although seen I'm not a parent I have no idea as to the costs of these - sorry!

Opening Hours
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Mon-Fri: 6:30am - 11:00pm
Sat-Sun: 8:00am - 10:30pm

Parking & Reception
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Bannatyne's Wakefield has a large car park and I have never had trouble finding a space, even at the most busy times (generally 5-7pm & weekends). The car park is flood-let and well maintained and I feel safe parking my car. The large glass fronted windows of the gym mean you can watch your car whilst you pump iron (if your one of those obsessed petrol-head types).

The reception area is spacious and inviting. To enter I am required to swipe my membership card at the turn-style and cringe as my face pops-up on the overheard screens. This helps reduce membership fraud and increases security.

There is a café bar area complete with a comfortable lounge incorporating a large TV screen (usually showing sport!) and a selection of newspapers and magazines to browse. A wide choice of drinks, snacks, and meals are available and it's nice to chill out and relax after a session. From my experience the staff are friendly and efficient and this area is always clean and welcoming. The food served is reasonably priced (e.g. £2 for soup & a roll) and very tasty.

Changing Rooms
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Male, female and family changing facilities are available. For obvious reasons I'll can only comment on the female area. This is very spacious with several benches, 4 private changing booths and ample locker space (no charge). There is a shower area with 10 private cubicles and Lux shower gel dispensers on each wall. Mirrors and hair-dryers are a plenty enabling me to change from "sweaty gym-chick" to "immaculate-chick" with minimal fuss.

Hygiene standards are high, although occasionally lowered by lazy members. The one's who leave empty shampoo bottles lying around, or who can't be bothered throwing away water bottles or tissues. Perhaps they think the £43 membership includes a personal servant? Despite this the cleaning staff do a fantastic job, are always visible and are always smiling!

The Gym
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The actual gym is split across two levels. The gym on the 1st floor is the largest and the busiest. It has a vast array of equipment including cardiovascular, resistance machines and free weights. The gym on the 2nd floor or "Mezzanine" is mainly for cardiovascular workouts and has floor space designated to sit-ups and stretching. Both gyms are fully air-conditioned and music is played into them via a speaker system. The equipment is always well maintained and state of the art, for example all the cardiovascular machines have their own LCD screen so you can plug in your headphones and watch TV or listen to the radio. I find this most useful to relieve boredom and distract from the pain!

The Pool
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My favourite part of Bannatyne's! The pool area is wonderful. It's a very pleasant, tranquil and relaxed area (unless there's an aqua aerobics session on!). There's a 20m heated pool, sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi. Again the whole area is well maintained and kept spotlessly clean. I love finishing my gym session with a few laps of the pool and then unwinding my aching muscles in the sauna. On a weekend there tends to be families with children in the pool, which is my one gripe about Bannatyne's. However there are two swimming lanes so it is still possible to do some serious laps. For me the pool area is one key reason why I chose Bannatyne's over other local fitness clubs.

Other Stuff
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Classes are available at Bannatyne's at no extra cost. The timetable is varied, ranging from Spin class, to Yogo, to Boxercise. To take part in a class you need to book in advance with reception. This ensures that they don't become oversubscribed. Classes run throughout the day and evening offering flexibility. I choose not to attend them however talking to people who do the feedback is generally positive and they add variety and fun to exercise.

Sunbed facilities are also available and tokens can be bought for the "stand and tan" units. Been fair skinned and anti-sunbeds I don't make use of these.

Personal training sessions can also be booked with the fitness team. My friend has been having these recently and pays £20 for an hour. This buys him the undivided attention of one the staff who motivates and encourages him and shows him the exercises he needs to do to develop certain muscles groups. I must say the results have been impressive and my friend is more than happy to keep paying the £20 for this level of 1:1 input.

My Opinion
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I can't rate Bannatyne's highly enough. The quality and standard of the Wakefield club is second to none and I've recommended it to several friends. I actually enjoy visiting the gym and find it a very fun, pleasant and friendly experience. The staff are approachable but at the same time don't interfere. I have had a few "fitness reviews" where weight, muscle mass, cardio ability etc are tested and then the instructor produces a personal exercise plan according to what I want to work on. I have found this incredibly useful and it has helped boost my motivation when I've found it lacking.

The kind of people who use Bannatyne's tend to be those who focus on keeping fit rather than the one's who are training for a "Strong Man" title (the type who stand in front of the mirror making grunting sounds whilst flexing their pecs). No one hogs the machines, I never feel intimidated in using the equipment, and members are very courteous and obey gym etiquette (e.g. wiping down machines after use).

There is a very member-friendly vibe and feedback is listened to and acted upon. Member comments and management responses to these are displayed on a notice board and there are also regular member themed events e.g. a summer BBQ.

Overall I am 110% satisfied with Bannatyne's as a fitness club and I don't envisage taking my membership elsewhere. It provides a friendly environment for me to maintain my physical fitness. I feel my £43 a month is well spent and the facilities are always well maintained and constantly been modernised and improved as new equipment evolves. I couldn't ask for anything else from a gym!

Summary: The only fitness club for me!