# Basement gym Watford



## Pat27112000

Hi, my name is Patrick I live in garston, and have heard about the basement gym under gade car park i was wondering if somebody coul let me know where it is and how I could join. I used to go to shapers a couple of years ago and am looking to get back into proper weight training. Any help would be much apprciated. Cheers Patrick. my no. is 07738202687


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## Brawlerboy

God, is that place still going?!

I went there a couple times years ago when I used to live in Watford, but found the run down nature of the place and weird mixture of 'home-made' and antiquated equipment made it not the best place in the area to train at.

You'd be better off joining the Watford YMCA gym in Charter Place as it has a good amount of free weights and machines, plus, a lot of big Bodybuilders go there anyway.

Also check out the gym at Watford Leisure Centre near Garston as that place was reasonably stocked as well.


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## Chief74

The Basement Gym is in Rosslyn Road, under the Gade car park. Never trained there personally; however you have my sympathies for training at Shapers, its a dump. I'm there at the mo, but Watford so needs a good bodybuilding gym!!


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## Brawlerboy

Fitness Connection in St Albans perhaps? Brill gym and learnt a great deal whilst training there back in the 1990s.

Just seen it has been renamed and updated. Web site:

http://www.bodylimitgym.co.uk/


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## Willie

BritBB on here trains there I think.


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## Britbb

Just saw this thread, thanx will.

What can i say about basement gym? Well, i dont train there anymore because i work in london and train at my gym that i work at.

I used to train there, some good equipment for the basics, dbells go upto 65kg which is ok. Its a place that can be really good to train on the right days, depending on the atmosphere. Very hardcore spit and sawdust style gym. (Pmsl, when people say 'hardcore' they really have to see the basement gym to know what it means) it quite literally is a 60 year old converted bomb shelter underground dungeon.

Plenty of weights, old equipment but i mostly used freeweights there, literally only maybe 3-4 pieces of machinery. Got a really good wide grip chinning bar though.

Check it out mate, just go along there on a monday at around 6pm and im sure there will be someone there to show you around.


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## iron head case

Welcome to UK-M


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## Howe

Welcome to the board.


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## Pat27112000

Thanks for all the replys. Britbb just pop down on Monday, can anybody join and do you know the charges. Cheers.


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## Brawlerboy

Membership and pay as you go.


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## Pat27112000

Thanks brawlerboy.


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## reverse judo gripper!

Hi new here and fairly new to Lifting. Have been training about a year now.

I just read about the gym in Watford at Gade and am going to pop down after reading this thread. Should be there Mon. I'm only looking to Deadlift, Bench and Sqaut really. This place sounds good for that stuff! Any advice onhow to pay who runs etc most appreciated. I'm not at much my bests are Bench -90 Kilo, Squat -150, Deadlift-160 all belt assisted on the heavy lifts!

Do you think this gym is suitable for me thanks

Ginge!


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## spencer

hi,

ive just moved to watford 7 weeks ago, need a gym asap somewhere pretty hard core weight lifting??

can anyone help me out?


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## Portsmouth WL

Just saw this info about the Basement gym in Watford and couldn't believe it was still going! I used to train there as a teenager back in the mid 80s - great gym back then! The bloke that owned it (I think his name was Tony) had competed in the Universe some years earlier - he was in his 60s back when I used to train there I think - so he probably competed in the universe in the 50s. I'm glad the gym is still going - I'm going to pop in there for a work out when next in Watford. Does anyone know if there are any pics of it on the net anywhere?


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## Guest

I go to Harrow Leisure Centre gym, not a million miles away, just down the line, a short walk from Harrow and Wealdstone Station. Not hardcore, whatever that is, but it has a good range of equipment and good atmosphere.


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## spencer

im currently training in sports academy, it was the 1st gym i found just to keep me tied over but its more for fitness an posers, im looking a good bodybuilding gym. i heard the basement is pretty good for that.


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## Scotty1989

is basement still open? im a beginner, but want to start bodybuilding. when is the best time to go down there to sign up etc, i understand its next to gade car park?


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## ian2012

Does anyone have any details for Basement Gym? I wanna get my squat back up after my I pulled my hip flexor... life's a bitch.


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## Hench666

the basement gym is on roslyn road in watford. it is usually open mondays to fridays. between 5- 9:30/10

cost is £2:50 pay as you go

or £20 month


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## miggs

Is this place still open? Moving to Watford in a couple of weeks.. Any one know??


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## steeley

If youre in Garston it wont take much longer to get to Body Limits in St Albans. Eddie Abbew, Ricky Wellyn and other good amateurs train there.

For the sake of an extra 5 mins in the car, its a no-brainer.


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## mark333

Going down basement to train on Wednesday, gonna post some videos and pics on this thread as it seems to get added every so often....

Training Legs so should get some heavy squats and rack deads and maybe some leg press!


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## Meathammer

Hey buddy i highly recommend West Herts fitness (formally shapers) in watford, just round the corner from cassiobury park, its old school massive free weights room, tons of benches, smith machines cables, and a seperate room for the women lol, no thrills membership is about £25 a month, monthly or yearly or you can pay by the week or £5 a visit, anyone else trained there?


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## mark333

Yeah Iv been there before good gym! I currently train at the YMCA in the town centre only £15 per month! But I guy I train with has a key so gonna have a session down their! But thanks anyway!!


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## miggs

mark333 said:


> Going down basement to train on Wednesday, gonna post some videos and pics on this thread as it seems to get added every so often....
> 
> Training Legs so should get some heavy squats and rack deads and maybe some leg press!


How was the basement gym mate??


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## Gazzak

Welcome to UK-M


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## dannyt

newb here too (well , full time lurker) - I hear Spartans gym on Sandown Road is good , by the B.K Club , proper hardcore . I got membership at Woodside in Garston , cheap as chips thanks to me old costco membership . There's also a YMCA up by Leavesden Park on Horseshoe lane , only £19 quid a mth , I'd join that if it wasn't for the swimming included in the woodside membership


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## mark333

Just got back and have loads of pics to upload and a squat video with a new pb of 5 reps with 170kg but I'll let you lot be the judges on form etc!!!!

If you think your gym is hardcore your have not seen this place, was quite damp but has a few big rooms all underground. Loads of dbs plates bars, a few hammer strength style equipment, wall mounted squat rack, pull up and dips! Good leg press machine, bench press and a few other funny looking pieces of equipment. All rusty and very very very old but I loved it... Great place to train and only £2.50 so all good....

I'm gonna write a review on my blog that I'll post up tomorrow but for now I uploaded a few pics on my twitter account...

http://twitter.com/#!/Ptwithme

So have a scroll down a your find a few pics.... Enjoy!


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## mark333

Video up now!!!!


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## DiamondDixie

Cheers Patrick. my no. is 07738202687

toilet wall


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## mark333

Just wrote my review on my blog, got some ok pictures and little bit about the gym enjoy....

http://ptwithme.blogspot.com/2011/06/basement-gym-watford.html


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## 2004mark

Good to see the place after seeing this tread popup randomly since I've been posting here. Must say though, I'm quite disappointed... I was imagining a proper dungeon lol not a million miles of difference between my gym.

Don't think I would trust that leg press though


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## mark333

2004mark said:


> Good to see the place after seeing this tread popup randomly since I've been posting here. Must say though, I'm quite disappointed... I was imagining a proper dungeon lol not a million miles of difference between my gym.
> 
> Don't think I would trust that leg press though


Funny u say that cause when I went down last year just to have a look it had very dim lighting, puddles, smelled really bad etc but I was told the guy running it does a good job in tiding up and it was 100 times cleaner! But good atmosphere and old equipment!


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## 2004mark

mark333 said:


> Funny u say that cause when I went down last year just to have a look it had very *dim lighting, puddles, smelled really bad* etc but I was told the guy running it does a good job in tiding up and it was 100 times cleaner! But good atmosphere and old equipment!


That's more like it 

Good review though. Although it will be of no use to me I still find that sort of stuff interesting reading. I'll check out your other posts when I get a spare half hour.

Thinking about it someone should do a nationwide search of the top 10 hardcore gyms...


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## mark333

I was thinking the same thing cause I bet there are some much better! But I think cause it's been around forever and is in a bomb shelter gives it some character etc


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## daken7

Britbb said:


> Just saw this thread, thanx will.
> 
> What can i say about basement gym? Well, i dont train there anymore because i work in london and train at my gym that i work at.
> 
> I used to train there, some good equipment for the basics, dbells go upto 65kg which is ok. Its a place that can be really good to train on the right days, depending on the atmosphere. Very hardcore spit and sawdust style gym. (Pmsl, when people say 'hardcore' they really have to see the basement gym to know what it means) it quite literally is a 60 year old converted bomb shelter underground dungeon.
> 
> Plenty of weights, old equipment but i mostly used freeweights there, literally only maybe 3-4 pieces of machinery. Got a really good wide grip chinning bar though.
> 
> Check it out mate, just go along there on a monday at around 6pm and im sure there will be someone there to show you around.


Hey Adam I used to train there. You really have to see it to appreciate how "hardcore" it is.


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## mrproc

welcome mate


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## haza

Howdy dude ; )


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