Outdoor Gyms in UK- are there any proper ones?

[owsnap]

Before you say why I don't attend normal gym, hahah no I'm not signing up with some contract for a year which they all seem to want.
I used to workout in an basic outdoor gym before I came to UK , it was free, you got to do it in fresh air, could take my dog for a walk before hitting it, and again there were no contracts and it was free.

I have seen some outdoor stuff here which looks like are made for kids or very old people and you can't do anything properly there,
like these, I doubt the ''bench press' construction there can give more than 10kg of resistance from what I have tried... #-o

What Im after is just some basic bench press with free weights or way more resistance, and some other basic stuff like a pull-up bar, is it because they don't want people to get hurt here and councils to get sued so they don't put up proper stuff or what?
this is what a proper outdoor gym looks like, a bit of russian style:

 

[transatlantic]

I've never seen one, but I can think of a number of reasons why. Firstly, we don't really have the weather for that kind of thing, secondly there is the stupid health and safety rubbish, and thirdly ... people are ... people. It would be destroyed/vandalised over night.

Honestly - I'd guess it would be pretty difficult to make something that is outdoor, safe (for any age), unmonitored and free any good.

 

[Racers]

I have seen a few recently one here near where I used to live.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.00527 ... 312!8i6656

I use the gym at work its less than £100 a year.

Pete

 

[John Brown]

There's one near me, where I often walk the dog.
http://www.thisisourvillage.co.uk/outdo ... n/02201630

It's been there a year or three now, and although my immediate cynical reaction was that it wouldn't last a month without being stolen or vandalized, I was wrong.
In the same recreation ground there were two rugged all-metal outdoor table tennis tables installed a few years earlier, and one of those walked away after a few months.

[Edit] On second thoughts this looks more like the one the OP decried as being for old people or kids...[/Edit]

 

[Jacob]

Do you need a gym if you are out doors? Nothing to stop you running, cycling, skipping, weight lifting (if there's a few rocks about), swimming, climbing trees, etc etc.

 

[SPSlick]

Here's one in Newcastle just down the street from me.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.97914 ... 312!8i6656

It runs along the path behind the trees so much more to see but I'm useless with google maps

 

[owsnap]

I have seen a few recently one here near where I used to live.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.00527 ... 312!8i6656

I use the gym at work its less than £100 a year.

Pete

yeah but that one also looks like just for kids, I have a gym nearby with good machines and a swimming pool that charges only £40 a month for unlimited access to all that, a great value...However,they ask to signup for a whole year (contract!) & I know damn well that I wont go to it for the whole year. and so is doing every other gym in my area I have seen, they ask to signup for a year. I get it that that's the way they make money -from people who never show up or doesn't goes to the gym at all after few times but just continue paying because they have to because of the contract

 

[transatlantic]

If you have the space, you could have your own mini gym?

I bought one of these
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bod ... pulley.php

very pleased with it. With all the attachments, it adds up to a lot of exercises. So that and a few cardio machines should be a good start

 

[Bm101]

My Mrs goes to Army Fitness. Its run by ex army types, outside in the wet and cold from what I can make out when she gets home shivering and muttering in tongues. Sod that. My job is hard enough outside in the wet and cold. But she loves going. They drag tractor tyres and stuff round as far as I can make out. It's a fitness thing not a weights based system. Cardio stuff. It's cheaper than a gym and there's no tie ins. it's a weekly payment. Don't go, don't pay. The Mrs absolutely loves going btw.

https://www.britmilfit.com/what-we-do/army-fitness/

There's loads of groups. Won't help you with building big guy gym muscles if that's what you're after. Will help you be strong and properly fit in a healthy way.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

If you have the space, you could have your own mini gym?

I bought one of these
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bod ... pulley.php

very pleased with it. With all the attachments, it adds up to a lot of exercises. So that and a few cardio machines should be a good start

+1 for this

If you have some spare space with a solid floor - you'll get back the money you save on gym fees in about a year!

 

[owsnap]

If you have the space, you could have your own mini gym?

I bought one of these
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bod ... pulley.php

very pleased with it. With all the attachments, it adds up to a lot of exercises. So that and a few cardio machines should be a good start

The thing is, I don't have space for it indoors, well.. I actually had bought an used multigym before( £40 for a huge ass machine which has cost some £500 new) , but it literary took up more than half of a room, so really just had to get rid of it as I had better uses for that space and everyone else in the house asked me to get rid of it as it was a huge piece of metal in our front room.

Not really in to that cross-fit type of women stuff, Have been lifting weights occasionally for past 6years so not really new to it as well however I want to have a go at it properly since the winter months are coming upon us.

 

[Bm101]

Not really in to that cross-fit type of women stuff

Ok.
The point I walk away is when Army fitness is called women stuff. Good luck. Hope you find your free gym mate.

 

[lurker]

There are lots of places that have the stuff as in picture 1 if you live in a city there will be at least one, you just need to look.
God knows why you stay in this shi t t y country, you do nothing but moan, just like your mate site seven.

Why not try Canada, the place where the photo in your avatar was taken.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

If you're short for space - then you really have a challenge on your hands.

I have never heard of an outdoor weightlifting gym in this country - I think you might be out of luck there.

One thing that might be worth considering is googling wooden squat racks and power cages.

There are a lot of plans and designs out there. Military often build them as well when they set up camp / base somewhere.

I have also seen forums where people have made wooden squat stands and storage boxes for outside. The weights and bars go away and are kept dry - the box is made to double as a garden bench when not in use. The squat stands just tuck away into a gap between the house and garage.

I can't find a thread to link you too at the moment. I'll post again if I have any luck.

 

[Freddyjersey2016]

There is an outdoor gym in the park next to Amersham Library in Buckinghamshire

 

[novocaine]

Have you actually looked at that gym you are bad mouthing?
It's all self resistance stuff, look at the press, it's trying to push you forwards, so by locking your legs you can add as much resistance as you want without the issue of having weights. Just because it's a funky colour doesn't mean it's for kids, it means the council want to make it as obvious as possible when a little scrote walks away with it.

have a look for a boxing gym if you want a mans gym, dirt cheap and normally where you find most body builders will go instead of to a nice shiny place with a pool.

 

[transatlantic]

If you're short for space - then you really have a challenge on your hands.

I have never heard of an outdoor weightlifting gym in this country - I think you might be out of luck there.

One thing that might be worth considering is googling wooden squat racks and power cages.

There are a lot of plans and designs out there. Military often build them as well when they set up camp / base somewhere.

I have also seen forums where people have made wooden squat stands and storage boxes for outside. The weights and bars go away and are kept dry - the box is made to double as a garden bench when not in use. The squat stands just tuck away into a gap between the house and garage.

I can't find a thread to link you too at the moment. I'll post again if I have any luck.

Generally though, a wooden setup will need to be chunkier than a metal one to make it as robust, which will require more space. So welding something up would really be the way to go.

 

[cutting42]

One of your pictures is of Muscle Beach in Venice Santa Monica. It is not free, it has a full-time staff and is the single most famous outdoor gym in the world once frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno (Hulk). Hardly a reasonable comparison. The others were military training facilities in Russia, I am sure you could pop along for a free session there ;-)

Apart from one of your tedious moans about the inadequacies of our country what are you trying to achieve here? Cardio fitness is better done via running, cycling or swimming. All freely achievable in most towns - OK the swimming in a pond might be cold. Strength can be achieved through calisthenics, sandbag work or a bunch of other body weight or simple medicine ball/kettle bell workouts. You can do these anywhere even in the womens/childs/very old people outdoor facilities you are so dismissive of.