Coach Gyms Harrogate

The gym has improved significantly over the last 2 months. The recent spate of equipment breakdowns seems a distant memory, I'm not aware of any machines currently not working. It's great value, clean, well equipped and the staff are friendly and efficient. (Would get 5 stars if the music was more Greatest Hits style!)

I joined this gym two months ago and have not yet seen the rowing machines (there are four) all in working order. The screens don't work and the mechanics are all out of sorts too. I swapped for the bikes in a workout today and two out of the three bikes were not working!! There are never enough attachments for the weights machines and after reporting things to the reception I get the impression that the poor staff are having to hear these complaints daily. The suppliers for the equipment are called 'Core' so I wad informed and they are not servicing or replacing the equipment as part of the contract and as is absolutely required. This is less than satisfactory and I do not complain on a regular basis. I just love going to the gym and this is spoiling it for me. I will continue to use the gym and hope for improvements as it's location works for me, but I don't for how long!!

I have tried a number of gyms around Harrogate but I love Coach. Lovely staff, clean facilities and good selection of equipment. I have had bad experiences in the past being a female who trains alone but as there's plenty of others women training there, I've always felt like I can just focus on my session.

I’ve been going to the Harrogate gym for over 2 years and overall it is worth the price, but with the announced increase and 'continuing to invest' cited as one of the reasons I wanted to highlight several issues, mostly in the weights area, that I think hold it back from being a 4 or 5 star gym. Investment in these areas is needed. 1. No mirrors at squat racks • Mirrors are vital for checking form, range of motion, making micro-adjustments during reps and preventing injuries. No excuse not to have a mirror for each rack. 2. Equipment being broken • Many reviews have noted equipment being broken for long periods of time – this has largely been fixed. However, the cable machines continue to be in a poor condition. 2/4 are not smooth and have sticking points. I've raised a number of times but never gets properly resolved. 3. Shortage of weight plates • During busy times, there are never enough plates near the equipment. People constantly move them between racks, benches, and machines, causing shortages everywhere. • The number needs to increase by at least 50% with racks/platforms having their own dedicated set (Olympic plates, for example) so they aren’t taken by people using benches or weight machines. It’s common to come to a platform or rack to find a couple 5s and one 10 or 15 when you are wanting to do deadlifts or squats. 4. Spacing between equipment • The weights area is extremely cramped. Issues include: o Cable machine creates narrow entrance to the weights area. o Benches and cables packed too tightly —you have to be very careful not to knock into people when on the cables. Especially if the bench is in use. o Lat row machine facing the upper chest bench is awkward when both are in use and should be turned toward the dumbbell rack. o Dumbbell racks too close to benches, making it hard to grab weights safely and not stand on toes if a bench is occupied. o Anchors for landmine press are unusable due to close position to glute bridge machines. • The large metre + gap around the perimeter walls needs to be utilised which would free up a lot of space to better configure the weights area. A fire escape route can be done without such a large gap around the perimeter. 5. Dumbbell weight limit • The 37.5kg cap is very limiting once you’ve trained for more than a couple years. • Raising it to 45kg would allow progress without attracting the heavy “bodybuilder” crowd (the gym still has its share of annoying ‘gym bros’ anyway). • Same for kettlebells, cap is 20kg. Should be raised to 30kg+ to allow for better progression. 6. Gym etiquette • Having been to many gyms over the years, this gym in particular has an issue with poor gym etiquette from members. I think this is partly driven by the reasons I’ve listed above (lack of weights, tight space etc). • Issues include: dumbbells and plates left out, people taking plates on the equipment you're using without asking, jackets/phones in walkways, filming without consent and poor tidying up. • Posters reminding members of etiquette and more staff presence on the floor would help. I'm happy to discuss any of these points further with management.

Excellent gym. Plenty of high quality equipment to go around, loads of space. Lots of friendly staff on hand, great atmosphere and I love the lighting as it makes me feel less self-conscious. There has not been one moment where I have felt unsafe or uncomfortable. It also has a designated boxing space, unlike other commercial gyms in the town. All class spaces can be used when vacant.