Hi guys I'm new to Zurich and looking for a more serious bodybuilding type of gym.....any info would be appreciated.
thx

Hi Muscles,

I've heard that www.davidgym.ch is the place where the hardcore guys and visiting pros go. You asked about somewhere near the central train station, so I'd suggest you check out www.mcfit.ch, which has a pretty decent weight training room (which is where I'm heading right after this message).

For supplements, check out this thread, but actually this shop is the place your looking for.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,
Diem

Oh..I have been busy settling into our new home..I am talking about Affoltern, not Affoltern am Albis. I know of some gyms in Oerlikon, but I would really prefer something closer, else I am sure I am never gonna go there except an hour in a month!

I found this link which lists all the gyms/fitness centres in Switzerland..well maybe not all, but quite a few I didnt know of in Zurich.
http://www.fitness.ch/verzeichnisse/fitnesscenter/

Hi and welcome to Zurich. My boyfriend is a bodybuilder too and we both work out a lot. A lot of the bodybuilders go to our gym- TC Gym in Airgate, Oerlikon. Its 5 minutes walk from Bahnhof Oerlikon and has squash courts, Sauna,Massage,etc. I like it because it seems quite big (high ceilings) and the atmosphere is nice there. The staff mostly speak English (I dont speak German). Otherwise, alot of the other hardcore people go to Nordfit which is slightly closer to Bahnhof Oerlikon, but I never liked the look of that place. As for buying protein powders an etc, you can try XXXFitness in the city, or there is another shop near bahnhof Wiedikon...if you want the name and address of the places, get back to me, as I will have to ask my boyfriend.

Not sure my gym qualifies per se as it's in Zug, but I doubt that "Gyms in Zug" deserves a unique thread so I'll add it here.

Gym - FitnessPark (same chain as the 4 or 5 in Zurich)

VFM - Very good, wide range of facilities for much less than the UK equivalent (Holmes Place, Fitness Farce, etc) - however for "casual" visitors it's very expensive, when a friend was over from the UK I asked if she could attend for a session or two, they wanted 30 CHF per session

Contract Terms - Yearly contract

Facilities - Pretty much everything that the "average" gym goer would need. For people into more serious training, they don't have a power rack so any heavy squatting (for example over 200kg) is inadvisable and also some of the cooler lifts such as Overhead Squats, and the olympic lifts, would be near impossible to do safely. Also the dumbbells are only heavy enough for us mere mortals, I think they stop at 35 which is plenty for me, but not for some. As well as this they have all kinds of machines, whether it be the rack-and-pin weight style, "free" cable style, hydraulics, you name it we got it...two saunas, swimming pool, physio, sports massage, aerobics room, restaurant / bar area with Eurosport on telly, a whole corner of the gym dedicated to swiss balls and stretching (this is only the second gym where I've seen anyone doing planks or scorpions except me, which is cool)

Friendliness of staff - Not had much first hand experience but the lady who works behind the bar is always quite happy to prepare my post-workout whey in water instead of milk, despite thinking I am insane for wanting it that way (*whey) From what I've seen, the trainers do seem to know their stuff although they seem to be terrified of free weights and have a strange love for the smith machine ...

Willingness to negotiate - Can't say that I tried but I suspect as it's a big chain, chances are slim.

Comparison to other gyms - Not in CH no, but compared to Fitness First in the UK it's infinitely superior. Better facilities, better trained staff (from what I've seen), better value, better hygiene, the list goes on. Compared to Body2K in Exeter though, I prefer Body2K purely because it has a squat rack, dumbells go up to 65kg and they don't mind if you sweat or spill chalk on the floor

Willingness / ability to communicate in English - Both. Not every member of staff does, but those that don't will happily fetch someone who does, who will happily chat away in English with you. Ideal

How much? - My membership is the almost-all-singing-all-dancing one that they offer. Basically this means I can go to any FitnessPark in Switzerland with the same membership and not have to pay an extra fee. (The only one up from this has the same membership along with various training classes / studio lessons - I didn't need those) IIRC this cost 1200CHF paid up front, you could also pay monthly fee's if you wanted to.

All in all it's a very good gym, it has *almost* everything I need (if it allowed chalk and had a proper rack for me to squat in then I'd be ecstatic), but even so it scores a 8.5/10 from me.

hi,

i have been reading the entire thread and still can't decide. anyways is good that now i have an overview .

does anyone know where i could find a swimming pool?
i am looking for:
- something in Zurich Zone 10
- a place where is possible to go also in winter
- a place where you can pay per entrance (per visit) not necessarly for 6-12 months in advance
- a place where i can go a swim around, unprofessionally, to strighten my back, for like 1,5-2 hours without bumping into "professional swimmers" that ocupy all the space

thanks!

hi,

i have been reading the entire thread and still can't decide. anyways is good that now i have an overview ...it will make my choice easier. and i HAVE TO cause in 5 months i gained like 3 kilos of fett and lost like 2 kilos of muscles...

does anyone know where i could find a swimming pool?
i am looking for:
- something in Zurich Zone 10
- a place where is possible to go also in winter
- a place where you can pay per entrance (per visit) not necessarly for 6-12 months in advance
- a place where i can go a swim around, unprofessionally, to strighten my back, for like 1,5-2 hours without bumping into "professional swimmers" that ocupy all the space

thanks!

Try here. City Hallenbad near Paddys pub is a good start.

dave

Archie, the aforementioned NovaFitness is in zone 10 (trams 2 and 3) and has a smallish pool. You don’t have to have a membership, but individual entrance is something like 30chf. It's not *at all* a highly trafficked pool and you will often find you have the water to yourself. Open all year long, EVERY DAY, even on holidays.
Stop by and you can take a look at it.

The big Hallenbad is a hellish place that you will *undoubtedly* bump into people. When I went there I tended to leave more stressed out and pissed off than when I came in; people erratically swimming, standing and chatting IN the swimming lanes, etc.

Good luck

wow, good to know
thanks for the tip. i thought nova accepts only "Abo" people (and i can't make an abo right now cause my time here is uncertain yet). i think 30 is ok since i am planning to go only twice per month and i might do a pilates course at home, since i got the cds...i just have to find the strength not to give up after a few days but if i manage not to give up, than i will spear quite some money...

Migros fitnesspark on Stockerstr has a small pool, and pay-as-you-go at offpeak times. Gets busy though.

dave

Noone mentioned Silhouette? www.silhouette.ch

They are new to Zurich, coming from the french part of Switzerland. They currently have 4 clubs but expanding to 2 more by beginning of next year, amongst which one in Bellevue.

Cool thing is with one abo you can go to all of them, also the Geneva ones and abroad (I am not 100% sure abotu later bu almost)

They have cool amchines and sauna etc plus a good choice of courses.

I go to the Forum one and find it fine!

Cheers,
Cristina

Archie,

I just checked:

35chf for one entrance.
180chf for one month.
300chf for 10 entrances. (must be used within 1 year)

Best to take a look first and maybe give it a try one time. Pool, Sauna, Steam room, Jacuzzi, plus the fitness equipment. Not bad.

there was no price on the website...
thank you for checking!!
sounds good to me!!

i have many friends that got a 1 year abo and after 2-3 months they just gave up or don't have enough time to go etc etc and they payed the abo for 1 year!!!...i don't want to end up like that.

so first i want to try, and then see. i will go once, if i like it i will buy the 1 month abo ..and then we see if i can keep up with "the plan"

thanks again!

Indeed. I’d guess that the majority of people that sign up fall into this category.
I’ve been back into it for a few years now (just cardio, not muscle-head stuff) and I’d guess that the number of people that are still going when I started back up is less than 5%.
And there’s always a surge in January of those that need a calendar change to resign them to a “resolution”, which 95% will drop off after a few weeks.

Once you get a pattern going it just becomes routine.
Good luck!

I recently signed up for Fitness Park and will speak highly for it. I usually attend the Neiderdorf location, near the Gross Munster - this not only has quite good equipment, free weights and included free classes, but also has quite the spa-like hammam.
When you sign up with FitnessPark, you get access to their 5 locations in and around Zurich! All for the same price. (Very good one in Zurich West, near Schiffbau, TechnoPark, Hardbrucke, etc...) Included is the Regensdorf location, where they have a very large (olympic?) size pool, which you might like, Archie. Also one in Enge, I hear.
Make it part of your routine... it's never easy, you just have to will yourself to go, no thinking, just do it routinely, set days/times to go, and go.

I just called the university and asked if I could join their training centers, but they said that I can not unless I am a student. Has this changed? Or was information in this post incorrect?
eliz

Did you ask them is you can use the facilities if you are a member of the ASVZ (asvz.ch)? (For a yearly membership of just CHF 350!! )

You do not have to be a student, but you may need to be affiliated with the University somehow (otherwise too many people would join); I worked for the UniSpital and was able to get a membership.
But the place is just wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too crowded so I stopped going after 1 time.
Good luck