Tipped

Pugilistic Heaven - Great New Gym

October 25, 2009

Over the past few years I have been privileged to have visited many of the top boxing gyms, on both sides of the big pond, due to my working with various professional boxers.

I'm talking about gyms like the legendary Smokin' Joe Frazier gym, and the home of so many Champions, The James Shuler Memorial gym, both in Philadelphia, Freddie Roach's awesome Wild Card gym in LA, Francisco Mendez's NYC gym, C.O.M.B.A.T in Newark, NJ etc. So imagine my surprise that the best gym I have been to is right here in my home city of London.

I thought the old Gleason's London gym on Tower Bridge Road was a great gym but now that famed trainer John Rooney Jnr moved the facility just down the road to Holyrood Street, and renamed it Rooney's Gym, I'm just blown away.

The size of the place is the first huge positive - I can't think of many gym's where you can fit in TWO full size rings and still have any room left, let alone in the same area fit a bank of twelve assorted heavy bags, reflex bag, speed bag, three cycling machines, a rowing machine an exercise area and skipping area.

The separate weights room is just as well equipped. According to Mr Rooney that this is just the beginning as he is in the process of setting up a full exercise/dance studio and a further exercise suite.

One of the nice things, so my girlfriend points out, is that it is has separate changing rooms and showers for both the male and female members. She has often moaned that she has had to block doors so she can get changed as often there is just the one changing room.

Mind you she also says it is one of the first gyms she has been in that is truly Female friendly. That may explain why there are many female members.

OK, they don't have a Freddie Roach (Wild Card) or a Naazim Richardson (Shulers) but they do have a first class team of coaches available including the esteemed John Rooney, who has trained many well known fighters to championship honours.

All in all I have to give Rooney's a five star rating, it's a shame there are not more as I would think once the upgrade to the facilities is done it would deserve even more stars.

If you are looking for a gym, whether just a novice, looking to box to keep fit or a professional, I can highly recommend Rooney's Gym - better still so does my girlfriend.

Keywords: Boxing, Gym, Martial Arts, training, exercise