Market Sports

I’ve been a member of Market Sports for 8 months now, and my opinion of it is split. It’s really convenient for me, as I work right around the corner. I love the fact it’s not a chain, and is smaller and more intimate than most gyms. The atmosphere is laid back, and the club isn’t full of intimidating muscle heads pumping iron. The staff are the friendliest, nicest people ever, which is obviously a *huge* thing. The building itself is nice, with good facilities and quality equipment. Particularly nice is the pool downstairs. It would be great if it wasn’t in the basement, as there’s no daylight whatsoever, but the fact that it’s chlorine-​free makes up for that. Market Sports also has a great selection of classes, which are included in the monthly membership fee.
However, there are a few things that aren’t so great. First off, membership is quite expensive, starting at £55 per month on a 12 month contract for anytime access, up to £93 pounds a month on a month to month contract (which includes a towel and access to their two sister clubs), plus joining fee. Locker rental is £15 per month if you want to leave stuff overnight, and towel rental is, I think £1.50 or £2. However, you do also get better facilities and more personalised treatment than at the major chains.
Since the club is small, it can get really crowded, especially in the beginning of the week (and in January). There is rarely room to stretch or do mat exercises on a Monday, and one usually has to wait in a small queue for a treadmill to free up.
There is no bicycle parking outside the club and it can be really difficult to find somewhere to lock up, as the few spots around get snapped up quickly. This isn’t the club’s fault (they installed bike racks in the carpark outside, but the building’s owners had them removed — god knows why).
There is a small mixed-​sex sauna in the pool area. It would be amazing if they had single-​sex saunas inside the locker rooms like they do at Virgin Active Canary Wharf, though I understand this is probably impossible due to space restraints. Speaking as a woman, it can be a little uncomfortable having a sauna with men. They are pretty gross in the sauna. I’ve had one shaving his chest, and most groan and sigh and rub their sweaty chests and generally make a big fuss rather than sitting quietly. I guess this is more of a personal opinion, but it would be really lovely not to have to wear a bathing suit, and to really be able to truly relax without the guys around. It’s also too bad that this sauna has no heated stones to throw water on to produce a lovely löyly, or steam vapor. I’ve never seen a public or private sauna where the heater is hidden and the stones aren’t present, so that’s too bad.
Another annoyance I have which is probably personal, but worth mentioning, are the 5 TV screens in front of the treadmills. I hate TV in general, but especially while I’m exercising, and prefer to see myself in the mirror. However, the entire mirrored wall is taken up by the TVs, which means one really has no choice but to stare at the rubbish on MTV or whatever they’re playing. I hate it, yet it’s really hard not to get sucked into staring at a mute, gyrating Rhianna (you have to plug headphones into a unit attached to the treadmill for sound) or an episode of «My Super Sweet 16» as I feel my IQ dropping. It would be amazing if they could either remove one of the screens, or move them over to at least make a bit of space for those of us who aren’t TV fans and prefer not to have the junk on television forced into our brains. Just a small space would be OK… just so we at least have the option.
My biggest gripe is the locker room (though clearly I can only speak for the ladies’). The showers leave much to be desired; the hot water is intermittent at best, the grout is mouldy and shrinking and looks like it hasn’t been serviced in years, and the ceiling is rife with peeling paint. I’ve posted some recent pictures of this.
I was going to give the club the benefit of the doubt, as they did address the hot water issue in a email newsletter about 4 months months back, saying they were working on fixing it. They also closed the locker rooms over the last bank holiday for repair and updating, and I expected the peeling paint and mould to be fixed up. However, I returned and nothing had improved, which is disappointing. I actually couldn’t see that they had «fixed up» anything. Having a shower there is a pretty gross experience.
Overall, I love the staff and that the gym is close and relatively small, and that they even have a sauna and steam room (even though it’s mixed… better than nothing), and I really like the classes and chlorine-​free pool. That stuff outweighs the complaints, but they could really be a GREAT gym if they just improved a few things, namely the locker room upkeep (and perhaps decreased their member numbers, as the gym is small and it does tend to get quite cramped).

Have belonged to this gym for a year now and really like it. I joined because of the pool which doesnt use any chlorine so thats the main big plus for me. If only they did just a swimming membership as I dont really use the machines enough, maybe thats my fault! classes are v good the pilates particularly. still building up to ashtanga yoga!

Inline with just about every single gym I have ever been to the customer service at Market Sports is BAD. I have been going on and off to this place, mainly due to the convenience in proximity to where I live and work, for more than 2 years and none of the staff would know me from any other general joe public that comes through the door.
The cardio area has about 15 treadmills, 10+ bikes, 5+ climbers and 3 rowing machines. They insist on enforcing this 20 minute limit on their treadmills, which does nothing more to break your cardio workout. I understand at busy times they want everyone to have an opportunity to use machines, but whenever I go the cardio area has NEVER been at capacity.
The stretching area is large and well used, as are the power plates of which they have a special area with 4 of them.
The selection of free weights is excellent and although the range of weight machines is excellent, the overall area is small, so they don’t have enough equipment for the demand all the time.
I only ever go in the morning, as the gym is otherwise PACKED in the evenings. Even then there are plenty of douchebags flexing muscles in front the wall-​to-​wall mirrors, admiring their own beauty and hogging space and machines.
The monthly fee is probably now about £60/​month, though could be more, for the basic package, and although I have recommended friends and colleagues, and they have signed up, it has been impossible to get the staff to enforce the special offers they promote, giving free months of membership when you do so.
The gym also has a pool and class area downstairs, and the changing rooms are clean, large and there are plenty of lockers, though again I have not used any of these. I believe there is a sauna also.
On the plus side, Market Sports does a tie up with Slim Jim’s, City Point and Bankside Health so if you work down in the city or in Southwark you can readily head on over there and use their facilities too, but alas I do not.
Anyhow, just another gym with no amazing bells and whistles. Good for convenience, but not sure about much else.

There always seems to be something broken.
It gets pretty crowded but only at peak times (1ish and 6ish).
They’ve got decent equpitment but it’s by no means cutting edge.
LOATHE the music they play.

I joined this gym in May and I have to say it is one of the most relaxed and friendly gyms I’ve ever been to. For someone who hasn’t been to a gym in a while or ever it’s totally not intimidating, the staff are so friendly and talk you through everything, when you go in first a trainer checks your BMI and recommends different exercises for you based on your flexibility and fitness level which they also check.
There is a swimming pool, steam and sauna room which i tend to use mostly. Something that I find useful is the timetable of classes on their website which range from kick boxing to Pilates, I tried the yoga class once and it was really strenuous.