UC
REVIEW: THE GYM - MADEIRA DRIVE
An affordable and well-equipped gym on Brighton's seafront!
£20.99 per month
0844 384 3890
The gym on Madeira Drive is Brighton's answer to California's Muscle Beach. Well, not really... but it is a cheap and affordable gym that sits right on Brighton's seafront. Currently ranked as third best on UNICISE's top gyms league table, Madeira Drive is an affordable, well-equipped gym that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It costs just £20.99 a month and you pay on a month-by-month basis (i.e. no contract). This means that you can cancel your membership anytime you want, which is perfect if you're worried about money! So if you're a skint student and need a gym to join, read our in-depth review below....
The Gym: Madeira Drive is a large gym that spreads over two floors. The top floor has over 50 cardio machines. From treadmills, to step climbers, to cross trainers, to exercise bikes and it even has a few spin bikes! This ensures that there will always be one piece of cardio equipment free, even during peak hours. You will never have to wait to get exercising here, which will be a big selling point for you cardio enthusiasts! The top floor also is home to a few weights machines and a small stretching area, the latter of which is always handy to use after an intensive running session.
GYM EQUIPMENT
Downstairs is all about weight lifting. Here you will find over 25 weights machines - everything you need to train all parts of your body. The amount of equipment makes the possibilities seem endless, with multiple machines for each muscle group. This means that waiting times are minimal during peak hours as there is so much to choose from! Want to use the leg curl machine but someone is currently using it? Well there will be an alternative machine that is just as effective!
However, something that really lets this gym down are the amount of squat racks. There is only one. Yes, you heard right. Madeira Drive only has one squat rack! This, of course, will be a major turn off for those of you who are enthusiastic about leg day, as during peak hours it is very hard to get a place on it. As the gym never closes, you will have to come at an extremely unsociable hour if you want to have a good session on the squat rack.
The free weights area is of a medium size. There are plenty of dumbbells to go around and enough room to train even during peak hours. You may find the space gets quite busy during such hours but we didn't find this to be a major issue when we went to conduct our review. In this area you will also find a few bench press stations, free benches and multi-stack stations. Everything you need to have a comprehensive work out. More so, there are plenty of mirrors around for you to watch and perfect your form.
There are only two stretching areas in Madeira Drive, both of which are relatively small. This means that you may find yourself waiting to stretch during peak hours. However, if you don't mind stretching anywhere there are plenty of empty spaces dotted around the gym. As with most gyms, Madeira Drive comes with an array of stretching equipment such as bouncy balls, medicine balls, foam rollers and rubber bands. There are also a few ab rollers and plenty of mats for you to train your core!
THERE ARE NO EXERCISE CLASSES
Yes, that's right... Madeira Drive does not run exercise classes. In fairness, they haven't really got the room to do so (unless they decided to close off areas of the gym, which would be completely unfeasable as it is not separated into different rooms). This is why we have ranked it behind the branch at London Road. However, if you're just a regular gym-goer who isn't a fan of classes, then we see no other reason why this gym shouldn't be for you.
Other than the lack of a class timetable, our biggest issue with Madeira Drive is the fact that it only has one squat rack. Despite this, it is a very well equipped, affordable and friendly gym. The lack of racks isn't the end of the world and there are certainly other ways - although arguably less effective - to train your legs. We also understand that squatting isn't for everyone. So if you happen to live near the seafront and need a great gym to join, we'd definitely recommend Madeira Drive. The fact that you don't need to sign a contract means you will never have to worry about missing payments and as it's open 24/7 you will always find a time to work out that works best for you.