Overview
Just outside the centre of Cambridge in one of the many science parks, connected by various pathways filled with the ever present Cambridge cyclists is the city's only David Lloyd, we went along to this medium sized complex to see what they had on offer!

The facilities are split across 2 floors, with a huge range of other "health club" features at this gym with a vast number of tennis courts and indoor/outdoor pool facilities, the resulting gym areas are all pushed up onto the first floor. The changing rooms are as ever on the ground floor again through the café (another gripe here about lack of signs in these clubs to direct you!)

The gym area itself is a slightly odd layout, with the weights section spread as a U shape around the stairs,  there is then a main cardio area which takes up the bulk of space, with a synergy on one side, another light free weights area another, the cable machines to another  and some cable cross over in the middle… This gym layout is possibly the strangest I have found in a David Lloyd yet. If you want to do any sort of super set or move between free weights to cable you are going to have to pass through quite an area and not trip over the tiny step up on the cardio equipment platform like I did..

The weights are consists of the pretty standard re-furbished David Lloyd setup (for those who have read other reviews!), with 2 lifting platforms with cages for doing squat/deadlift, a good standard set of plate loading machines including incline chest press here (not sure why some have incline and some decline!). A calf raise is present which is always nice and the smith machine  here is one of the free floating bar ones which was a little irksome.
The free weights go up to 50kg and there is one set of each and the mirrors are plentiful in the weights area, which is nice as there are also a reasonable number of windows round here leaving it quite fresh.

The cable machines around the other side again include one of each item you would expect, again this is great but it is worth nothing a little under stocked in variety compared to almost every other David Lloyd I have been to which tend to have at least a few duplicates of this equipment.


The cardio equipment on the other hand is another set of varied and complicated pieces of modern technology, from water rowers to bikes hooked up to a competitive TV application you really could spend your time really being specific about how you wanted to train here with your cardio.

The rest of the gym area included I think3 studios with one of the fully immersive bike studios with the HUGE screen in for spin sessions, there is a reasonably large stretching area hidden round a corner  and with the second free weights area this is where some cable cross over and free weights including the fixed weight barbells lurked.

It must be said all the equipment is very new here and the changing rooms are phenomenal, they along with the studios are clearly where the last refurb money went into this place.

Other points to note here are that as ever wifi is present, parking is ample out the front and the range of other facilities here is quite extensive as this is a fully kitted out David Lloyd from the wider facilities point of view.

All in this is a clean and tidy gym, but while in there looking around it did feel like the gym was really not the focus at this facility and the wider health club features where what people were looking for. The gym certainly serves its purpose and was busy enough when I went, but with only one of each piece of kit, limited ability to easily move between plate and cable this didn't feel like it invited a weight lifter to work through their routine.

In summary a great gym for those who want more of a health club set of features and experience, for those who want to move metal it will do the  job but don't expect a setup which lends itself to a weight lifting culture, even with your own little corner.


How busy?
I trained first thing as ever, there were quite a few people in using kit and generally they were all in the weights area. So I would check for later in the day as this could become even busier.

Not as bad as I have seen though so pretty good for the all up ability to get done what I needed.


Equipment
Free weights area
2 squat racks (2 with deadlift platforms)
1 flat bench, 1 incline, 1 decline
3 free benches
Dumbells up to 50kg
Set of plate machines including
Chest
Row
Shoulder press
Cable machines including
Low row
Cable cross over


Facilities
Indoor Tennis courts
Outdoor Tennis courts
Badminton courts
Squash courts
Indoor Pool
Outdoor pool
Café
Steam room/sauna
Changing/showers
Studios (inc spin)
Free weights area
Weights machines
Cable machines
Cardio area
Synergy 360


Pricing
As ever David Lloyd can vary by location on where your base is, recently talking to a friend they got a starting rate of
£90 for standard
£70 per person for couples
I have as other reviews had between £60-90 as the range and worth a haggle
Remember there is a premium over this for tennis/squash etc


Other bits
The parking has a gate but then you can just drive down the next row anyway.. I was very confused.
The café was huge and lovely here almost got me to stay
Very accessible by road or from the city on foot and close r to the centre than almost any other DL I have been to in any city


https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/cambridge
https://www.facebook.com/DavidLloydCambridge/

Overview
Having eventually abandoned my car on the industrial park, I wandered through past the other units of varying use to the one I had passed earlier. It's black roller door with white spray paint and distinctive style standing out amongst the standard grey units, as I started to get closer I could start to hear the rumble of bass music. Walking up to the door I could hear the crash of steel on steel slamming down and as I open the door I was greeted with X Gon' Give it to Ya, booming in my face as I entered a little metal moving mecha just south of London.

Let's be clear to start this review, this is not a fitness centre, this is a gym, I mean the sort of gym that has a Peugeot 206 in the corner for people to deadlift. This is a gym for people who want to move a lot of metal and grow big in the process. And this is the view I will be taking in the review.

The facility is spread out over one floor in a warehouse, with a reception a small pair of changing rooms that do the job and phone lockers (not big enough for bags but racks are provided for these to be left on in the changing room). The main weights area is spread out with the cardio equipment to the far right and a dynamic/AstroTurf area to the far left.
There is a free weights area to the front right and then the rest of the floor space is a mix of cable and weight machines, with most of the cable being at the back but with plate loading or plate assisted cable machines spread throughout, the area is really just used for "weights".

The free weights area has dumbbells up to… I think 50 or 60? They are a mix of age, shape and style which made it hard to check total weights to be honest, but there are plenty of them but only 3 free benches so there was a bit of competition. With only 1 flat, 1 incline and 1 decline bench as well the functional free weights area was probably the busiest bit but the rest of the gym has so much to offer its not too much of a challenge.
The plate loading machines had a huge range, 2 chest press, 3 shoulder I think? 3 hack squat, 2 leg press, 3 different calf raise. And more, there was such a range of this kit it was amazing to just walk around and at one point I ended up like a kid in a candy shop doing laps planning how to train my calves!
The cable machines are also equally varied with some nice variants you don't often see in commercial gyms like side raise, standing calf raise, peck deck with angled handles.
Again there was even more of this than the plate load so there was no contention to get onto any of this and with 2 smith machines as well, they really do have a huge range of equipment to isolate here.

Outside of this the other areas of the gym as expected in this style are marginalised, with a few pieces of cardio equipment to one side mainly treadmills and cross  trainers, these weren't too busy so not an issue. A functional area had a sled which was a nice touch along with  a few pieces of other kit like parallel bars which were good to use. All up these areas are not the focus here but they are presented and usable.

Other facilities are pretty sparse though there is a car that you can deadlift if you feel so inclined! There is a changing room with showers which not all gyms of this style offer and a front desk to buy various protein rich snacks which I loved.

Overall the equipment has been hard used, as you would expect. If you are a neat freak this place is not for you, it felt a little on the grubby side but that again to me built the atmosphere, it’s a "spit n sawdust" gym, if having a bench repaired with ductape isn't for you this gym really isn't. That all said there were a couple of bits of kit where new pads wouldn’t have gone a miss and a couple of wobbly bits.
Any other points would be that the mirrors are on point all around the gym, the lighting was fantastic and I felt amazing, this is the sort of gym you could do a photo shoot or film yourself and not feel out of place. I just loved it here, it is the sort of gym as someone who lifts heavy that you dream of finding to grind the work out at every day.

The atmosphere though… if you are training somewhere like this, it's because you aren't going to a gym to use a steam room after, you are coming here to develop yourself and the focus, the people, the atmosphere with the music and the metal clanking was just amazing.

In summary.. I am in love with this gym, for someone looking for a gym where you and everyone there are trying to train hard and improve yourself. This is the gym to go to, it’s a little metal moving mecha in the middle of Croydon that stands out from the clean cut chain gyms with a real personality and I cannot wait to come back and train here again.

How busy?
Given the price and the kit, as busy as you would expect. But given the opening time during the week of 5:30 it was pretty empty by about 7am. It was never too busy to not get on kit given the range but I did have to change training order a few times to work around people.

Could be very busy in the evenings so I would check this out

Equipment
This list doesn’t do this gyms kit justice
Free weights area
3 squat racks (3 with deadlift platforms)
1 flat bench, 1 incline, 1 decline
3 free benches
Dumbells up to 50kg
Set of plate machines including  
Chest x2
Legs x5
Shoulder press x3
Cable machines including
Standard isolation/chest etc
Cable cross over x2
Calf raise
One car to be lifted by the brave


Facilities
Changing/showers
Free weights area
Weights machines
Cable machines
Cardio area
Functional area


Pricing
Really reasonable! A guest pass was £5
At £30 a month I think that with a 5:30 opening time this place really is a bargain
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Other bits
Parking first thing really was a fuss, I ended up parked a minor narnia distance down the road next to a terrifying large road for lorries. I would suggest early doors or later as during both the parking was totally empty on the road

This is an amazing gym for a specific type of person, if you are a nervous gym goer still try it, the atmosphere and support network you can build in a place like this can be life changing


No wifi! Not a big deal and not the style of gym for it but my cardio was dull and given how cheap this is I think it could be a nice touch for them to add


https://www.facebook.com/kingsgymcroydon/
http://www.kingsgyms.com/