Overview
Set just south of London between busy roads and housing areas I found a building which from the outside I wasn't sure if I had accidentally found DLs office or a gym. It's red brick exterior almost putting me off I decided instead to go and have a bit of a session in Kidbrooke Village.

As with a lot of David Lloyd's this facility is set out over 2 floors, with the downstairs containing the bulk of studios, the indoor pool, café and changing rooms. With a section of the upstairs housing the main gym area, this gym suffers from the same challenge I am finding with a few David Lloyds which is a minor complaint, navigation. I had a good wander around the café and had to guess that the gym was upstairs, it’s a small ask but for the simple minds out there could we please have some more signs…

Once my poor addled 5am start brain had navigated me upstairs I found a rather odd layout but one I am seeing more, with a synergy to one side surrounded by cardio equipment, a main cardio area with a stretching section and then the weights area up some stairs including the free weights and cable machines.
That said this DL does mix this up a bit,  there is a second free weights area which houses a couple of benches (also seen at DL Reading and Oxford so far), but the other minor oddity here was that the benches (flat, incline, decline) were all down a set of steps where the rest of the free weights were up the stairs. This isn't the end of the world but in a plat hogging situation this could be a bit of a pain.

The rest of the free weights area was set out with a good set of dumbbells up to 50kg set out in front of a large and well-lit mirror (great lighting!), with the plate lifting equipment to one side. I was a little disappointed to only see 1 cage and 1 squat rack in here where other David Lloyds have had a bit more.
This appears to have missed some of the weight kit refurb that other places have seen, though the synergy is new the plate lift kit is the older hammer strength and the cable kit is a bit older.

The cable equipment is functional and there is a good range but with nothing new or random, a good solid set is present and a surprising number and variety of different handles and grips for the cable machines! I found about 5 variants to use for my lat pull down, I was not complaining.

The cardio equipment was a good selection of quiet new kit with a few unique pieces of ski trainers which I haven't seen in many places and a huge number of rowing machines. The stretching area was quite large for a David Lloyd, in fact probably the largest I have seen which I think could be why the weights area felt a bit smaller. All this kit was clean and fresh and the wifi for cardio was strong as ever, being new these almost all had screens built in so there aren't many TVs about which I prefer.

All in this gym was a small David Lloyd as they go for a weights area, it felt like some of the space could have been recycled from the stretching into cable kit to free up room for more free weights of plate kit. That said the gym wasn't too busy, I got my work done and there are a huge number of mirrors in every direction which always makes me a happy Ben. 

In summary you can get your work done here, but if this places gets busy you might feel the pinch with a smaller weights area if that’s your poison. The other facilities at the David Lloyd may make up the difference for you as ever depending on what you are after !


How busy?
Training from around 6-8 it was pretty quiet, there were a few other people training in pairs but not anything to interrupt what I was doing.
​
Equipment
Free weights area
2 squat racks (1  with deadlift platforms)
1 flat bench, 1 incline, 1 decline
4 free benches
Dumbells up to 50kg
Set of plate machines including
Chest
Row
Shoulder press
Cable machines including
Low row
Cable cross over


Facilities
Outdoor Tennis courts
Indoor Pool
Heated 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
Parking was ample and not busy at all
I got lost in reception again and scared people looking like a weirdo
It’s a small DL as they go compared to something like Oxford


https://www.davidlloyd.co.uk/clubs/kidbrooke-village
https://www.facebook.com/DavidLloydKidbrooke/

Overview
Set in the midst of a shopping park in Oxford, right next to a retail park, above the very shops themselves is a traditional gym which knows its message and gets it right. With a great range of kit and a lots of options on offer for how you want to train this gym knows where it stands.

Built over the shopping centre with parking either within this centre or in the retail park opposite (for up to 3 hours free which isn't bad) this gym starts on the first floor (always a bit of a worry with big weights!) and covers 2 floors.
The lower of the two floors is the main gym area, this includes the changing area and a functional area on a mezzanine with some cardio equipment, going down into the main gym area  this is split with the free weights area being in front of a huge mirror (Yay!) and then moving over through a cable area in the middle of the floor with the plate machines going round the edge. The far end has a little corner "bit" which contains deadlift platforms with cages and again more mirrors.
There is then an upstairs area to the gym I didn't explore as… most of the space is a ladies only gym! I had a quick peek and its fantastically kitted out for those who want to be away from the grunting fools like myself and I totally love this idea as they have the space.


The weights area is fantastic, with two of every weight up to 50kg in the dumbell area, 5 free benches and 2 flat benches international chest day is always going to be fantastic here. But more to this they had flat (parallel to floor flat) plate press machines for chest which is the first time I have found these in the UK! Along with calf raise machines, hack squat, plate lat pull down, 4 low cable rows and more! The range of equipment here for isolation and dynamic training cannot be stated enough I was really impressed. It is what I would call a traditional body building set of kit, with a lot of those machines that when you train elsewhere that you "wish you could have a go at". Whoever kitted out this gym clearly went "what would I want to try and use" and put every last bit in, well done very happy gym goer here!


The cable kit is pretty extensive with 2 of almost every machine I could find spread out there is no competition for this and again some more varied pieces here which I haven't seen before. I would say a minor downside is that some of these like the cable cross over were feeling a little tired and rattling in places which does happen but I think an overall TLC on the kit wouldn't go amiss here in the next year or so.


The cardio equipment wasn't in huge supply downstairs but there was more than enough for most gyms of this size, with a good and very standard selection of treadmills, cross trainers and bikes. Nothing to set the world on fire but given most peoples need this will more than do for you and allow you to get your workout done. A slight lack of TVs in this area and though there is free wifi I had a bit of a battle that I ended up losing with how much information I wanted to give it so my cardio was a little dull…


Other bits here they do have a functional area which looked quite fun to use with various bars and steps, they have a small food area at reception which can furnish you with post workout food should you want.
Along with this there are a few studios, I believe this is also a martial arts academy which is almost a gym unto itself! I am sure those who go for this love having the gym attached its huge and just a fantastic space! Other studios are also around these include a good looking spin studio. They do have a steam room but it was out of order on my visit so I didn't investigate while changing, the changing rooms themselves were a little drab but huge and well laid out to avoid people being too on top of each other. The only minor complaint was those button showers that turn off… trust people to not use your water please gyms, this is a pain to keep pushing!


I think the only concern I had coming here was that I could see from the window a huge Pure Gym, with big cheap chains of gyms offering 24 hour access so close I am worried about this amazing gyms future. I would say that if you are in the area and the 24 hour access isn't a must for you this is a fantastic choice and if you can support your local gyms as these are the places where character is bred, friends are made and they can feel like a family. And training here seeing the people interact together it really did.


I got a fantastic buzz at this gym, it felt like somewhere people came to improve themselves, gyms have character and here it was making yourself better together with everyone around you. Great music on, good temperature in the gym, felt pretty clean and just a good feeling training here.


How busy?

One of the quietest gyms I have trained in at this time of the day. I was here from about 6am-8am, I was perhaps one of 3 or 4 in the gym. Could be worth checking other times but all in loved this as I got a lot of work done!


Not sure if it gets busier later but work a look around


Equipment
Free weights area
4 squat racks (3with deadlift platforms)
2 flat bench, 1 incline, 1 decline
5 free benches
2x Dumbells up to 50kg
Set of plate machines including
Chest flat and incline
Row
Shoulder press
Hack squat
Calf raise x2
Cable machines including
Low row x4
Lat pull down x3
Cable cross over  x3


Facilities
Changing/showers
Sauna/steam room
2 studios
Full boxing gym attached
Free weights area
Weights machines
Cable machines
Cardio area
Functional area

Pricing
Quite a few options and more when you head into the gym as well.
Around £30 a month with various add on options and I was never clear if this included boxing but all in not a bad price! (though classes are an extra cost which seems an odd choice these days)
They do offer a free pass for those who are curious to try it out!


Other bits
They have weird free wifi that I couldn't get to work
No dedicated parking can at times to be a bit of a pickle
The entrance isn't that obvious at a distance, but if you can try and get into the shopping centre you are good!
https://www.facebook.com/feelfitgym/
http://feelfitgym.com/