A definitive guide to the best gyms in Liftbrah

The mental strain involved in selecting a gym membership in Loughborough is more intense than the leg-day work-out of your nightmares.

There’s so many to choose from, with each gym catering to everyone needs whether you’re the next Ronnie Coleman or just want to lose a bit of belly fat before next summer’s trip to Marbs.

We’ve run through all the best places to pump iron to make your decision that little bit easier.

Powerbase

Membership: £199 per year.
Location: East campus.

Have your protein shakes at the ready, because this campus gym is the place to make gains. One of the UK’s largest gyms, there is simply no muscle on the human body that you can’t pump in this gym.

Powerbase is always rammed with hulking rugby players and bodybuilders, whose sculpted quads could have their own fashion show. During a work-out here, you’ll probably bump into local legend Rich Ellis (a.k.a Mr. Base), a multiple British bench-press record holder. His DD pecs are hard to miss.

But if weights don’t interest you, there’s a cardio balcony packed full of bikes and treadmills and an ample sized core floor to chisel your abs.

Plus you’ll meet the person of your dreams, as everyone that goes here is an absolute worldie.

JIM

Membership: £28 monthly.
Location: High Street, Loughborough Town centre.

These new kids on the block are tightening their grip on the Lufbra gym scene. Outmuscling local competition with business savvy deals, JIM lives up to its reputation as “Luff’s freshest gym”.

It might be a bit poky compared to the vast university gyms, but JIM goes toe-to-toe with them in terms of equipment, machinery and classes on offer. It’s Hollister-esque lighting also offers the chance for the perfect Instagram, so you too can show off your muscle definition to your 200 followers who couldn’t give a shit.

With a raw basement style theme and a track list consisting of the latest RnB/Hip-Hop beats, JIM is also untouchable in terms of vibe and atmosphere, making it the perfect place to whack on your Roshe Runs and have a cheeky shuffle between each set. This is what all JIM-goers do. Seriously.

JIM’s motto may be #playhard, but these guys are more #tryhard.

Dynamite

Membership: £25 per month, or £5 per session.
Location: High Street, Loughborough Town centre.

These guys exploded on to the scene a while back and they’ve been helping their members bulk-up ever since, with old-school weights and pumping its members with chicken and spinach.

As soon as you see the sorry looking treadmills in the corner collecting dust, you get the sense that Dynamite is all about dead lifting, bicep curling and squatting.

Dynamite is a bodybuilder’s idea of a gym: an old-school spot where foam leaks out of torn benches and the bars are permanently bent from off-the-chart weightlifting. You’d expect Schwarzenegger to make an appearance and give advise to his fellow 5 per cent body fat comrades.

Dynamite might look like a small bomb just hit it, but it’s definitely the right place if you want to get swole.

Fit4Less

Membership: £14.99 per month (student deal).
Location: Asha House, Loughborough Town centre.

As Lufbra’s newest gym, F4L is still in its infancy. But once properly up and running, F4L will be one of the best overall fitness centre’s in town.

F4L is more spacious than other rival off-campus gyms. It’s weights room is complete with squat and deadlifting platforms and its cardio section is one of the best in the area.

F4L offers a multitude of exercise classes, even having its own designated spin-cycle room, which will eventually be full of Bridget Jones-type women having a gossip over wearing big knickers.

Largely catering to mums, bums and tums, this is the gym where your personal trainer Rico has you doing HIIT so you can fit into that red number for your cousin’s wedding.

F4L is ideal for students as it’s pretty cheap compared to all the others. Potentially a wise and frugal choice for off-campus students.