Marlowes Fitness Centre Gym Review

Hammer Strength Leg Press

I recently had a personal training session with IFBB Pro Eddie ‘The Savage’ Abbew at his new gym ‘Marlowes Fitness Centre’ in Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire.

I have heard a lot about the gym but have never been there, after a few flights of stairs we met Eddie at reception where we had a chat and talked about the session we was about to partake in.

We only used the upper level gym which was filled with old school machines, cable, power rack, a load of benches, dumbbells up to a massive 70kg, barbells and a few pieces of cardio equipment. These type of gyms are hard to find nowadays but I personally find they have the best atmosphere and equipment.

As Eddie has only recently purchased the gym he has told me he has a lot of ideas and will be making some changes. So if your local or in the area come in for a training session, its £6 pay as you go and I’m sure Eddie and his staff will help with any questions you may have.

New Flat Bench Press

Anyway we trained shoulders for 45mins and without giving away his secrets my shoulders were destroyed for a full 4 days after. We used basic movements with a different spin on them and I really felt it especially as my shoulders never get sore after training them. I will defiantly be getting a few more sessions with him in future as I learned a lot and he pushed me more than I thought I could go.

New Squat Rack

Weights area up to 70kg

 

I have also taken some information from their website including opening times, membership and all other general information,

Marlowes Fitness Centre has been established for over 12 years and offers something for everyone, whatever your fitness levels. It has the biggest free-weights selection in the area, as well as an excellent range of weight-machines, all in comfortable air-conditioned surroundings.

The upper level has dumbbells ranging from 1kg to a massive 70kg, as well as selection of barbells, including several Olympic size ones. There is also a wide range of weight-machines/cable machines and a selection of cardiovascular machines to improve your fitness levels, which means your body can get a total workout.

The lower level offers a more quiet and private workout area. It contains treadmills, cross-trainers, exercise bikes, a small selection of free-weights and several other weight-machines.

Unlike most other gyms, we do not charge a joining fee at Marlowes Fitness Centre, and various memberships are available to suit everyone's budget. Memberships include an annual single, annual family, a monthly,a weekly and pay-as-you-go, which means you simply pay whenever you want to use the gym. For more information, please contact us or visit us in person for a friendly chat.

Opening Times
Monday	7am till 10pm
Tuesday	7am till 10pm
Wednesday	7am till 10pm
Thursday	7am till 10pm
Friday	7am till 9pm
Saturday	9am till 4pm
Sunday	9am till 4pm

As well as having one of the most extensive range of training equipment and free-weigths, we also have sauna and sunbed facilities, which are available for members and non-members.

Sunbed fans can have a choice of a fast-tan R-UVA stand-up sunbed (9-minute), or a standard lie-down 34-tube sunbed (18-minute). Single treatments are available, but users can also benefit from a course of multiples at a discounted price.

Also there are loads of supplements for sale from singler servings to bulk containers. 

Address,

The Marlowes Fitness Centre,

31a Marlowes,

Hemel Hempstead,

HP1 1LA
01442 248 777

Basement Gym Watford....

I have heard a lot of the years about this gym and I went down last year to have a quick look but yesterday was the first time I trained down there.

Very hardcore spit and sawdust gym that has been there for the best part of 50+ years going by the age of some of the equipment. The gym is underneath Gade car park in Watford, Herts and the door leading down stairs is at the main entrance of the car park.

So as we head down stairs you here drum & base blasting out and its surprising cold so no need for any air-con lol! We went through a corridor with some small rooms with a old treadmill and a boxing bag and then to the first main room, Old rusty dumbbells going up to 65kg, a few incline benches, olympic bench press and some of the walls mirrored.





As you walk along the corridor there is a second room with a cable machine, 2nd bench press, old deadlift platform, hammer strength style chest press, barbell seated shoulder press, incline chest press and chest fly machine.

In the third room there are a few cable machines, smith machine, lat pull down, wall mounted dip station, preacher curl and a few others that I cant remember.

In the fourth and final room is the leg room filled with a wall mounted squat rack, hack squat, plate loaded leg press, ham curl, leg extension and a second smith machine. This is where I spent my workout and managed a NEW SQUAT PB of 5 reps with 170kg!

Good session in a great hardcore gym, I hope this blog will help some of you out as there is not much information about this gym and on the forums people ask about it from time to time. Oh I forgot it was £2.50 a visit but I'm sure they do a membership and its open weekdays from 6pm & there is NO TOILET!!!!