Drivkraft Solna - Gym in Solna, Sweden

Really good gym with everything you need for working out. Most o the time classes don't fit my time schedule but I am mostly here for weight lifting etc. Also they have a real boxing bag area. The kickboxing workout was better than expected and I would recommend it.

I've been a member at this gym for almost a year and oh boy am I eager for my membership to come to an end. Pros - Reasonably well-equipped, but come on, for a gym of this size, one cable-cross is just ludicrous. I've literally used it twice since I joined... Cons - The air: No air-conditioning and poor ventilation; it gets super hot in the summer and all they've done to address it is put out two poor fans which barely make a difference, one of which is even partly broken. - The noise: honestly, I've been a loyal member to a lot of gyms and I've never experienced anything like this. This place is like some kind of community center; with the exception of a select few, the other members at this gym all just want to hang out and chat to each other. The gym even caters to that kind of crowd; there are couches and chairs in all sorts of weird locations. But the talking doesn't stop there, it's omni-present, doesn't matter if you're in the weightlifting areas, in the entrance or wherever. The best part? When the spinning class runs out of air (see "The air" section above) and they open the door to weightlifting area so your can't hear your own thoughts over 1) the incessant chatting of gymgoers around you 2) the music in the weightlifting area 3) the screaming of the spinning instructor and 4) the blasting music from the spinning room, which will obviously mix with 2). - The crowd: in addition to the above, the many teenagers (underaged!) deserve some extra mentioning here; in addition to their constant blabbering they, and especially one group of guys, do everything from fighting, dancing(!), screaming to each other from one side of the room to the other, brag loudly about all the chicks they've f*cked(!) etc. I once spoke to an older woman at the gym, asking if she wasn't offended by them. She said she'd gotten used to it - she'd spoken to the gym's mgmt before but they've supposedly given the guys official warnings on multiple occasions in the past but have never had the balls to suspend them. Also, funny story: a few months ago, a large sign was put up in the entrance reminding all members of the gym's "code of conduct". For instance, it says phone calls should be made in the entrance only. No one adheres to those rules, including the phone rules, but that's another story. Today, during my workout, a woman whom I saw working at the front desk(!) just a few months ago was on the phone while working out. Get this: she had even fastened her phone between her headphones (the larger kind) and her ear so she could speak while doing exercises! I didn't say anything because I wanted to see how long it would go on for - it lasted the full hour I was there! She was still on the phone as I left for the showers. - The staff: they, too, are mainly interested in speaking to their friends, very much encouraging the community centre-activities I mentioned above. Friendly peeps, but belong in a coffee shop rather than in a gym. What I can't get over is how 1) I NEVER see them in the weightlifting area so they obviously have absolutely NO idea of what's going on there, 2) on the code of conduct sign I mentioned above, they point out you should bring up to them if anyone misbehaves, so basically, they're asking their members to snitch on others, as if I don't have better things to do after my 10-hour workdays and 3) they're naive enough to think putting up a sign will make a difference and don't even seem to have started considering putting up surveillance cameras - but then again, I guess it's cheaper to make your paying members report on each other... - The number of members: oftentimes it's even crowded before and after rush hour. - The $$$: 450 SEK/month for a 12-month membership, and they only have one location. That's expensive even disregarding the many cons I listed above. If you only weightlift like I do, you're basically financing all all the Zumba classes, and they don't offer cheaper plans specifically for those only interested in weightlifting like most other gyms do... In one sentence: steer clear of this place.