UC
REVIEW: BRIGHTON UNIVERSITY GYM
A great gym and an even better sports centre!
01273 643520
The gym at Brighton University - called Sport Brighton - is more than just a gym, it's also a sports facility! For a very cheap price (£130 per year, which works out at £10.33 per month!) you will get access to three different sites - the Falmer Sports Centre, the Cockcroft Sport Centre and the Eastbourne Centre. This review will only be about the first two as the third is not located in Brighton.
With two gyms, a number of sports courts and brilliant classes, Sport Brighton is currently ranked as UNICISE's number one gym. In fact, we argue that for the price, you will not find a better gym in Brighton. Read our review to find out why...
The Falmer Sports Centre is an excellent gym that offers an array of facilities. Here you will find 60 different stations, ranging from cardio, to weights machines, to squat racks and multi-stack stations. And that's not all! You will also have access to a 6 court sports hall, a 3G Synthetic turf pitch, 2 activity studios, a netball and tennis centre and grass football and rugby pitches.
Furthermore, the gym itself is very large, open and spacious... you will certainly have enough room to exercise here! Gone are the days of finding a space to perform a particular movement as at the Falmer Sports Centre you will be spoilt for choice.
FALMER SPORTS CENTRE
The vast amount of equipment is what really sets this gym above others. If you're a cardio enthusiast then you will be more than satisfied here. As a member, you will have access to a variety of machines - treadmills, cross trainers, spin bikes, rowing machines, exercise bikes, all of which are of the highest quality. Furthermore, as they are replaced every few years with the latest, hi-tech equipment, you can be assured that you'll be having the safest and most effective work out possible.
Then there is the weights section. A very extensive weights section. Here you will find an array of equipment, from machines to dumbbells to bench stations to squat racks to multi-stack stations and more! Brighton University really has it all! And as there is so much variety to choose from, you will rarely find yourself waiting to use the equipment, even during peak hours! To put it simply, this is the best weights area for students in Brighton and whatever your weights-related goals are there will be something for you here.
The only slight complaint we have is the stretching area. For the amount of equipment it is fairly small and during peak hours you may find yourself waiting for a place to stretch. However, if you don't mind stretching away from mirrors then - due to the size of the gym - there will always be somewhere available. And as with most gyms you will find an array of stretching tools here, such as bouncy balls, mats, foam rollers, bands and ab rollers for your core.
COCKCROFT SPORTS CENTRE
The Cockcroft Sports Centre is the Falmer Sports Centre's little sister, so to speak. A smaller, more compact gym, here you will find half of everything that you can find at the Falmer Sports Centre. It is home to a single court hall, a climbing wall and 30 different exercise stations.
For you cardio enthusiasts you will find around 15 different machines, such as crosstrainers, treadmills and exercise bikes. However, as the gym is right next to one of the main Brighton University buildings, it can get very busy during term time. This means you may find yourself waiting to use the machines during peak hours.
This can be unfortunate for those of you who live closer to the Cockcroft Sports Centre than the Falmer Sports Centre. You will not be getting your money's worth by just visiting the former. As a result, the weights section is extremely limited. With only one set of dumbbells, one squat rack and a limited range of weights machines you will, again, find yourself waiting to use the equipment during peak hours.
Although the stretching area is equipped with all of the latest equipment it is very small and compact. Again, you may find yourself waiting to stetch. And becuase of this we must stress that the Cockcroft Sports Centre is only giving you a taster of what's really on offer. While it may be worthwhile to those of you looking for a quick and easy workout, you are not getting your money's worth unless you visit the Falmer Sports Centre.
EXERCISE CLASSES
In our opinion, the classes are the only real downside of Sport Brighton. Not because of their quality - they are run very professionally - but because of their quantity! With only 8 per week spread across both gyms they could really use more, especially considering the amount of people who use the facilities.
The classes range from HIIT, to Body Pump, to Boot Camp and even Yoga! When we tried out the HIIT class, we found it to be a very well run class. The trainers are friendly, have years of experience and welcome everyone, no matter their fitness level.
All the classes are taught by professionals and aim to give you the most effective work-out possible. Plus, no matter your fitness level, all classes happily accept and encourage beginners to come along to join in. They are a great way to exercise effectively and meet like-minded people.
This is why it is a shame that they don't run a little more frequently - due to the high demand, you will struggle to secure a place on a class, more so during term time. However, Sport Brighton emphasize that they are accepting suggestions for new classes so perhaps they will up the schedule in the future.
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The reason Sport Brighton is UNICISE's number one gym is because of the amount and quality of equipment. Across the two gyms you will find 90 pieces of equipment. And all for a low price of £10.33 per month. It is not only Brighton's cheapest gym but also one of Brighton's most well-equipped gym. Not only that but you get access to a number of high tech sport courts and pitches.
The only thing that lets Sport Brighton down is the amount of classes. It certainly needs more. So if all you do is go to classes rather than the gym then this may not be the gym for you. However, we stress that you need to visit and take a tour to see what all the fuss is about. For such a low price, this should be your gym of choice if you're a student in Brighton. A truly outstanding place to exercise.