I have been a member of both The Gym as well as the Village here in Blackpool (as well as millions of other gyms around the world on my travels), but switched to Helio after moving house as it was on the way from work so the location was convenient (the other two gyms were far and out of the way). This gym is very basic and kind of dingy, all the equipment is old and rickety and most of the members seem to be weight lifting guys as opposed to casual gym goers you see at the other two gyms. The one thing that kind of gets to me is the cross trainers... they shake and jerk a lot as opposed to running smoothly. It serves it's purpose as an exercise machine, but the jerkiness (probably due to being old and worn) is a bit annoying. The gym is very small but always quite empty, even in peak times as I heard that after The Gym opened up in town, many people left for that so it's great if you hate crowds.
Pros: Convenient location which helps with motivation on cold winter nights, cheap (17.99 for full peak a month, cheaper for off peak), no joining fee of you get a referral or work for the NHS, no contract, and friendly staff, no crowds or queues, decent selection in terms of weight training. Also, opening hours are decent until 10pm.
Cons: Small, dark, old jerky cardio machines, very basic and no frills: not much in the way of classes, personal training, no pool, spa etc. or any other fancy gym add ons.
Overall, a no frills basic but contract free, affordable gym in Blackpool that faces up to some stiff competition with other gyms. read more