UK Fitnerds ahoy! Need advice/recs

[Polaris]

I'm really unsure where to post this topic, so feel free to move it if I decided on a wrong place.

 

Anyhow. I'm travelling to the UK soon, and will be staying in a small town/village in Leicestershire for about a month and a half. The thing is, I'm fairly set in my ways of where and what fitness-related stuff I buy in my own country, but in the UK... I have no clue. So, UK nerds, please educate me! I'm mainly looking for online store recs (Amazon and eBay sellers included), but I'll also welcome tips about shops in Leicester, Nuneaton, or somewhere around that general area.

 

Some things I'm looking for, hopefully in student-budget-friendly price range:

• Supplements, the usual creatine, citrulline, caffeine, etc. Also if you know a pre-workout that tastes good (I'm very partial to lemon and bitter flavors in general) and that you can order without enormous postage, do sharae.
• Protein bars. This is a tough one, since I'm quite picky about the taste and composition, so I need options to try out. I like them soft and not too sweet (many chocolate and berry flavors are sooo sweet). The bars I regularly eat are some combination of chocolate, orange, and lemon (yes, there's a pattern here.) In Finnish Lidls, there's this sport supplement brand called Sportyfeel that has really good and cheap protein bars, do they have that in the UK as well?
• Fitness clothes/shoes/gear, because while I'm bringing my own, let's face it, you can never have too many workout tops. Lifting and running gear mainly, as those are my drugs of choice. Especially if there's a secret Diagon Alley where they sell affordable lifting or running shoes, you need to tell me.
• Non-fitness clothes/shoes. Ok so not fitness-related, but if I wanna head out and buy some affordable summer clothes, which shops do I hit?
• Hair products and cosmetics. Another thing mostly unrelated to fitness, but as I started packing, I realized how many of the brands I usually use are Finnish. Not because I'm particularly patriotic, they just make products here that work for egg white pale skin and fine* hair here. (*Not fine as in 'gorgeous', but fine as in 'if I cut bangs, the size of my ponytail will shrink in half')

 

Also, while I'm there, if anyone lives in the area and wants to meet, hit me up. And, in case I get lucky: if you happen to live near Gatwick airport and wouldn't mind lending a fellow nerd a couch to crash on next Sunday night, I'd be very grateful. (Stupid flight schedule is stupid - my plane will arrive too late for trains and buses, so it's either couchsurfing or sleeping (not sleeping, in my case) on the airport floor.)

[Guzzi]

Hey! I'm totally at the wrong end of the country to meet up, but I might be able to point you in a direction or two.

Workout clothes - If you're on a budget then you should probably consider TKMaxx. It's a complete nightmare to shop in, rails piled with clothes all jumbled up, but you *can* find some decent workout clothes. And it's cheap. You won't get any other gear there though, lol! It mostly caters to discount fashionistas.

Primark is a cheap place to find clothes, though the quality can be less than perfect.

I can't help much with protein bars and such, maybe@SpecialSundae could help with that?

[SpecialSundae]

Where are you visiting in Leicestershire? I can probably hook you up with a gym.

 

The Sweaty Betty sale starts next Thursday and their stuff is to die for in terms of fitness gear. Leagues ahead of almost anything else, IMO. Plus, if you buy their stuff they do free classes (your nearest stores seem to be Nottingham and Cambridge). We're about the same size so you'll probably be a S to XS.

 

Not sure I can help on protein bars as I like ones which are basically sweeties/candy with lots of protein. MyProtein and USN are my go-tos for supplements as they both do tested ranges. I think there's a 60% off sale on USN this weekend but I'll let you know if there are more coming through. Both do free P&P or pretty minimal costs.

 

Boots have plenty of stuff for fine hair and pale skin. You'll be absolutely fine!

 

I won't be able to make it down to say hello, but if you get up to Edinburgh I'll give you a tour!

[Happytin]

I have consulted my Finnish friends who either currently live in the UK or have done for a short while and they offer the following as things they wish they had known:

 

Finn hair - I believe mine just used Herbal Essences though that may be because it's cheap. I promise we have shampoos and conditioners for fine, blonde hair in the supermarkets.

 

Quark is a sort of cottage cheese you can buy here. We don't have nearly as many dairy products as in Finland. Quark and Skyr are your main non-standard yoghurt options.

 

We offer unsmoked bacon! Apparently this isn't a thing in Finland. You can buy this in any supermarket or butchers. Unsmoked is usually packaged in blue, while smoked is packaged in red.

 

There's lots of Lidl branches in the area you'll be staying in, so hopefully you'll be able to find your protein bars. I can't remember having seen them though to be honest.

 

Non-fitness clothing wise you're coming at the right time! The high street shops are cutting prices left and right on summer clothes. Depending on your style try (increasing in cost) Primark, Gap, Next, River Island, John Lewis.

 

I lived in Warwickshire (which is next to Leicestershire) for many years so if you have any non-fitness questions about the area, or travel and sightseeing then I'm your bear.

[Happytin]

I just went to my local Lidl in Edinburgh and couldn't find any protein bars at all :\

[Sarah Barr]

Late to the party, I know, but if you're still needing recommendations...

 

I go to Holland and Barrett (high street health food shop chain) for protein powder, supplements, protein bars, etc. I'm in Edinburgh too, but google maps says there's a H&B in the Highcross shopping centre in Leicester. Can't speak as to whether they'll have bars that aren't supersweet, but the staff are usually very helpful.