View Full Version : Will I get fat waiting?
Is there anyone else out there who spend their hard earned cash using thurso swimming pools fitness suite? Let me start by saying that this is in no way, shape or form trying to have a go at the staff as I have always found them to be very helpful. The thing that is annoying me is the state of the much outdated equipment and the serious amount of time it takes to get anything sorted.Just to highlight two recent cases, the arm curl machine (broken pin) and one of the rowing machines (broken foot strap) were out of commision for months for what were fairly minor repairs. Now we have only got two of the four treadmills working. (since approx 3 weeks) I believe it is a company called powerhouse that is contracted to carry out the maintanance and repair of the equipment.I dont know if the council own or lease the equipment but either way surely the contract specifies some kind of timescale to repair breakdowns outwith normal maintenance periods. If this is not the case maybe the council should have a serious think about getting one in place or maybe even changing to a different company who can provide a better class of service than we are recieving at this moment in time. As well as the two treadmills some of the other equipment is now beginning to show signs of fatigue. What we must bear in mind is that this equipment is well used and an occasional squirt of oil and tightening up of bolts and belts is no use. To get the best out of what we have in place at this moment in time will require some serious maintenance and replacement of worn parts. I am quite sure that powerhouse are recieving good money to carry out the contract so how about the council applying some pressure on them to come up with the goods in a more timely fashion than they have been lately.
I totally agree Jim theres definately seems to be a problem getting this equipment repaired. Due to our location again it seems we're recieving a substandard service, if we were further south we'd be training on the best of equipment for the same subsrciption fee.
The goverment and local authorities are forever encouraging us to be healthy and keep fit, well provide us with the means to and we will, one day last week there was almost a queue forming to use the two remaining treadmills, come on Education, Culture and Sport get your finger out.
The equipment in the Wick gym is in pretty good condition, wish i could say the same thing about the lockers in the changing rooms, at least half of them are broken and cannot be locked, when a machine in the gym does break down then i have seen it take a few weeks to get repaired, i have no idea if the equipment is leased or owned, i would presume owned seeing as it takes so long for repairs.
One thing though, with the amount of people i see misusing the gym equipment it's no wonder it breaks from time to time, there are a lot of people who obviously pay no attention during the induction they are required to take before being allowed to use the gym, it's guys that are the biggest culprits by lifting weights that are too heavy for them and letting them crash down, if you have to let it crash down then it's too bloody heavy for you...it's really not that difficult to understand.
northener
10-Nov-08, 01:05
............... there are a lot of people who obviously pay no attention during the induction they are required to take before being allowed to use the gym, it's guys that are the biggest culprits by lifting weights that are too heavy for them and letting them crash down, if you have to let it crash down then it's too bloody heavy for you...it's really not that difficult to understand.
They're probably the same people who wreck the lockers:D
The equipment in the Wick gym is in pretty good condition, wish i could say the same thing about the lockers in the changing rooms, at least half of them are broken and cannot be locked, when a machine in the gym does break down then i have seen it take a few weeks to get repaired, i have no idea if the equipment is leased or owned, i would presume owned seeing as it takes so long for repairs.
One thing though, with the amount of people i see misusing the gym equipment it's no wonder it breaks from time to time, there are a lot of people who obviously pay no attention during the induction they are required to take before being allowed to use the gym, it's guys that are the biggest culprits by lifting weights that are too heavy for them and letting them crash down, if you have to let it crash down then it's too bloody heavy for you...it's really not that difficult to understand.
A third of the lockers in Thurso were removed to replace broken ones in Wick, maybe they could repay the favour by replacing a couple of knackered treadmills.
Aaldtimer
10-Nov-08, 03:50
Ermm...not sure of the conditions here, but wouldn't the easy answer be to just withold your subscriptions until it's sorted?:confused
Sounds easy. Only thing is no subscription equals no entry. I am quite sure the council wont be bothered about losing my subscription. All we want is a fair deal for all the users whether they are paying subscriptions or just paying to use the facilities occasionally.
Why do people feel the need to go and pay over inflated prices just to exercise. Go out cycling, walking, whatever.
I do a lot of walking as well. To be honest I prefer walking in the fresh air only thing is caithness weather not always suitable for the outdoor pursuits so it is good to have the option of going indoors.
Why do people feel the need to go and pay over inflated prices just to exercise. Go out cycling, walking, whatever.
Nobody said the prices were over inflated, the subscription would be very resonable if the equipment was in better order.
Nobody said the prices were over inflated, the subscription would be very resonable if the equipment was in better order.I am saying the prices are over inflated in the sense that why does anyone need to go to a gym to get exercise unless they are wanting to build muscle mass, even then they would be cheaper buying a bench and a set of weights.
I am saying the prices are over inflated in the sense that why does anyone need to go to a gym to get exercise unless they are wanting to build muscle mass, even then they would be cheaper buying a bench and a set of weights.
That's a seriously ignorant view of the gym, quite possibly the biggest load of tosh i have seen here for quite a while.
Lets see now, £21 a month for up to a family of four is hardly over inflated, in fact it's absolutely fantastic value, it gets you entry to the gym and pool as many times as you can pack into each month, running and cycling outside is all very well, but are you forgetting exactly where we live?, not exactly the best weather for outdoor exercise, plus with the treadmills you get a much better and more varied workout than you would get running outside, there is also the Ellpitical Strider which gives a fantastic all over workout and is also great for those of us who need a low impact workout due to bad knees/ankles, and the rowing machines are another great full body workout, and last time i checked there wasn't a great deal of rowing that could be done on either Wick or Thurso rivers.
The weights machine are not just about building muscle mass, they are a great way to tone up muscles and improve muscle stamina, they are also much safer to use than free weights with a bench at home, and you are also assuming that everyone has a spare room in which to keep a bench and set of weights.
Maybe you should at least know what you're talking about before you talk such rubbish.
That's a seriously ignorant view of the gym, quite possibly the biggest load of tosh i have seen here for quite a while.
Lets see now, £21 a month for up to a family of four is hardly over inflated, in fact it's absolutely fantastic value, it gets you entry to the gym and pool as many times as you can pack into each month, running and cycling outside is all very well, but are you forgetting exactly where we live?, not exactly the best weather for outdoor exercise, plus with the treadmills you get a much better and more varied workout than you would get running outside, there is also the Ellpitical Strider which gives a fantastic all over workout and is also great for those of us who need a low impact workout due to bad knees/ankles, and the rowing machines are another great full body workout, and last time i checked there wasn't a great deal of rowing that could be done on either Wick or Thurso rivers.
The weights machine are not just about building muscle mass, they are a great way to tone up muscles and improve muscle stamina, they are also much safer to use than free weights with a bench at home, and you are also assuming that everyone has a spare room in which to keep a bench and set of weights.
Maybe you should at least know what you're talking about before you talk such rubbish.This is the most amount of bollocks compacted into one post as I have ever seen in my puff.
If you had cared to read into the real meaning of my post before shooting off, you would have understood that what I meant by over inflated prices is that good exercise costs nothing therefore you are paying for what is freely available, I'e, using your legs and get walking or cycling.
I take it you must work for one of these establishment to be so venomous in your reply, dry your eyes mate. Hell wait, maybe I have got it all wrong and should bow to the superior knowledge you so obviously think that you have.
Why do people feel the need to go and pay over inflated prices just to exercise. Go out cycling, walking, whatever.
i feel 'e same way, i never go til 'e gym or even sweemin, an i da live a hundred miles awie fie 'e facility....i find it all really borin.
i prefer til go off on ma bike, ipod an ma sunshades on a guid day an i could cycle for miles. 'e scenery is fantastic, 'e wildlife ye encounter is amazin an all 'e bonny flooers an smells fie 'e side o' 'e rod.
keeps me fit an healthy an more important, amused ;)
This is the most amount of bollocks compacted into one post as I have ever seen in my puff.
If you had cared to read into the real meaning of my post before shooting off, you would have understood that what I meant by over inflated prices is that good exercise costs nothing therefore you are paying for what is freely available, I'e, using your legs and get walking or cycling.
I take it you must work for one of these establishment to be so venomous in your reply, dry your eyes mate. Hell wait, maybe I have got it all wrong and should bow to the superior knowledge you so obviously think that you have.
Again absolute rubbish, there is much more to the gym than running walking or cycling, and you have also chosen to ignore what i said about the weather and the space needed to house a bench and weights, if you wish to go walking or cycling in the pissing rain and high wind then crack on, and if you have a spare room for a bench and weights then good for you.
I do not work in the gym/pool, i'm just a regular user, and there was nothing venomous about my post, i just addressed very directly and bluntly the total guff in your post, maybe you SHOULD bow to my supperior knowledge as you never responded to any of the points i made, maybe you would care to point out any inacuracies in what i said?
Yes Gizmo, there's high winds and rain 365 days a year in caithness.:roll:
At the end of the day some people like the gym to get good all round fitness some prefer to walk, run or cycle outside. Each to his or her own but the point at the start was the poor service being supplied to the council and therefore to the public who pay their money to use the facilities and the council just seem to sit back and accept it.
Yes Gizmo, there's high winds and rain 365 days a year in caithness.:roll:
Is that the only thing you can come up with? really shows how pointless and ill informed your original post was, you have still not addressed any of the points i made, please...i ask you, if you believe what i said was rubbish then reply to the points i made, but you can't..can you.
maybe ye could ask them aboot their complaints procedure?
or go til your MP, ats what they're there for, i think....:confused
Is that the only thing you can come up with? really shows how pointless and ill informed your original post was, you have still not addressed any of the points i made, please...i ask you, if you believe what i said was rubbish then reply to the points i made, but you can't..can you.You have no point other than it rains in wick, it's windy in wick so there is no need to explore other exercise regimes other than paying to enrol in a local gym.
maybe ye could ask them aboot their complaints procedure?
or go til your MP, ats what they're there for, i think....:confused
Isn't Bill Fernie the man in charge of Education, Culture, and Sport??
You have no point other than it rains in wick, it's windy in wick so there is no need to explore other exercise regimes other than paying to enrol in a local gym.
That's funny, i seem to remember mentioning that you get a much more varied workout on a treadmill than you do outside, and unless you own one you also can't use an Elliptical Strider anywhere else but the gym, there are no rowing facilities in Wick so you can't get that kind of workout anywhere else but in the gym.
And did i mention that not everyone has a spare room to keep a bench and weights at home, and that using the weights machines in the gym is a lot safer than using free weights at home?...oh yes...so i did.
I think that covers slightly more points than that it quite often rains and is windy in Wick.
Would you care to point out any inacuracies in any of the above points?
Perhaps you also believe we should all go swimming in the sea and stop wasting money to get into the swimming pool?...i mean...there's plenty of FREE water out there isn't there?
Margaret M.
11-Nov-08, 02:02
Total strength training, which is even more important as we age, cannot be accomplished by walking and biking. It's a disgrace that the gym equipment is not maintained in good working order.
well we have a familiy gym pass... and that covers the kids swimming lessons and everything.
i like going to the gym, at least there i know that when i get really tired and just need to rest, that im in a safe place and can just take it easy.
if i were to get sick, and need medical help then i wouldnt be on the cliffs somewhere with no one to help me. getting out and walking is great.. and i do it when ever i can. and just taking the dog for her walk is great exercise.
but lets think of a few things..
what if you can run?
what if you cant walk for very far at a time?
if you are recovering from a back or leg injury and need gentle exercise,
or you just dont fancy being out in the horrible weather?
there are loads of reasons to use the gym, and if thats what people want to do
then that is their choice, and no need to bad mouth them for it.
if you are able and willing then by all means take a brisk walk every day, cycle all over.
enjoy the scenery!
some people also have very limited time. and a session in the gym can in 20 min give you what a 2 hour walk can.. (well not sure on exact times now)
but at the end of the day
to each him on...
kitty kat
11-Nov-08, 16:38
its not just the gym but the swimming pool which needs a bit of updating in an era when child obesity is a problem councils should do all they can to encourage excercise. the wick pool is nice but the thurso pool is freezing i have been put off many times by the fact it is so cold i dread getting in there the kiddies pool in nice and warm though:)
please dont tell me why i dont drink the water lol
I notice there are now signs on the back of the doors in the gym "clarifying" the situation regarding the treadmills. The council are saying they have "instructed" powerhouse to come and sort them as soon as they get the spares. Surely this "instruction" was passed on weeks ago when the treadmills were taken out of use. You would think that spares such as belts for treadmills should be kept in stock as they are probably one of the first things to wear out. Maybe its because they are that old they are almost obsolete and you have a job finding spares for them or maybe the contract for maintenance and repair is coming up for renewal and they are waiting to see who gets it. Who knows but it is still the paying public who have to suffer whatever the reasoning is behind it taking so long.
Bobinovich
13-Nov-08, 16:11
Was down just now and noticed that the equipment is being repaired at the moment! Apparently there is a service agreement but parts are not included and were not in stock, so as soon as they arrived in they came up to get the job done.
From what I understand, the gym equipment is leased and the current 5 year lease finishes in February.
Was in earlier on myself. Boy from powerhouse had the treadmills stripped down for the new belts and surprise surprise the belts are the wrong ones. You would think they would know what belts they need for what machine after all they are leasing them out and they must have a model number for the machines they have in different locations. The upside of the visit though is that we got new runners on the cross trainers.
Hopefully the council will take the opportunity in February to negotiate with powerhouse to get new equipment or find a new supplier.
have you tried making a complaint to the HSE,as far as i know Powerhouse only make equipment,it's realy down to the folk who are running things to make sure the equipment is safe and fit for use,typical of the council to provide a shoddy second class service.
so,whoever is running this gym obviously doesn't know their stuff.
having a gym is a good thing,i done a lot of fitness training and although i had a full set of weights and a rowing machine,went running ,road and cross coutry,it can get very boring working out on your own at home all the time and the weather here isn't ideal for a good run or cycle not to mention that most folk just don't have the space for equipment.
these facilities are needed and should be maintained properly.
pretty cheap too,one of the gyms i attended regular was £20 a week for single membership.
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