I joined talwalkars in Bangalore recently. Before talking about the gym let me tell you something about myself. I am a person who is into bodybuilding for the past two years and have participated in bodybuilding events also. I just wanted to get a feel of what the gym would feel like because all my friends who had joined talwalkars had very good opinion about the club.
The good things…..
The first thing I noticed about the club was the attitude of the staff throughout all the levels- the attendants to the manager. The courteous and friendly nature is more than enough for a person to feel good after your work(if u are going in the evening) or it will help you to get a pleasant start for the day(in case you are a morning visitor to the club). The attendants in the cloak room are very friendly and the staff who cleans the mats and the surfaces of the equipments are also very helpful and are always on their toes to answer your call. The trainers (though may not look like trainers of a gym or a health club), are knowledgeable and it seems the training that they are given is of a high quality.
They are very friendly and would be always with you to assist you and to clear your doubts on how to do the exercises without getting injured and at the same time maximizing the results. Though at peak times the gym looks crowded ( a part of that is because of the large number of trainers, unlike other high class gyms where the number of trainers are sometimes inadequate), you wont have to wait that long (5 minutes max) to get your machines. The cleanliness level which is maintained inside the gym area as well as in the toilets and bathrooms is also highly impressive.
Though they charge a premium price, I think that the money you pay is worth it.
The exercise equipments are also of the finest quality and well maintained too.
The not so good things…..
No doubt that talwalkars is the finest option for a person who wants to reduce the bodyweight or to increase the fitness levels. But for the youth or those in the age group of 18-30, who may want to build big muscles and a huge build, sorry…this is not the place foe you guys. They don’t have enough expertise on hardcore bodybuilding.
Though most of their clients in Bangalore are from the software industry, many of them in the late thirties and forties, and for them bodybuilding is simply out of question, this piece of advice is for the hardcore Arnold fans. The trainers themselves are amused if you have some previous experience and you pump with heavy weights. And sometimes they even advice you to use small weights.
But as a person who knows something about bodybuilding, the heavier you want to become , the more weight you should lift and thereby exerting your muscles more…..So go to a small local gym that uses a lot of free weights rather than machines , if your ambition is to become at least on fourth of what Arnold was in his glory days……
So , if being fit rather than a muscular body is your aim….then go for talwalkar….PROVIDED YOU CAN AFFORD IT.
They have mainly three programs.
weight gain( only alternate days of training and you get a diet counseling , some 11k for 8 months is the best deal). general fitness ( 13-14 k for eight months) weight loss ( cant remember the exact fees)