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How to Find a Good Gym in Hong Kong

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  1. #1

    Lightbulb How to Find a Good Gym in Hong Kong

    I know there are quite a few threads seeking advice about gyms in Hong Kong, but I've yet to find any with a satisfactory conclusion.

    Personally I'm looking for a place with olympic bars and squat racks. Ideally just a small local gym without all the cardio stuff. I don't know if such a thing exists here.

    I went to look at TF fitness today, after seeing it mentioned on this forum. It seemed OK and not particularly crowded. Their sort-of-olympic lifting platform was positioned under an air con duct, so that anyone over 4 feet tall would certainly not be trying any olympic lifts there. They had one squat rack, several benches (one decline and a couple incline). They were friendly and didn't go too crazy trying to sell stuff, but after I negotiated the price down to 4,600 for a year (still seems a lot) they tried too hard to get me to give a deposit immediately so I made my excuses and left.

    Does anyone know of any alternatives? Perhaps you can share some insights about where you train, how much it costs, what equipment they have etc., as there isn't much information online.

    I'd like to find somewhere near Kowloon City/San Po Kong, but I think Mongkok is probably the closest I'll find anything.

    Alternatively, I'm looking at just buying the equipment (bar, plates, rack, bench), so if anyone has done something similar it would be great to hear about it.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
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    Not sure where the nearest one would be for you, but the cross fit gym I go to has open gym time slots where you can just go and do your own thing. Might be worth looking in to as a possible option.


  3. #3

    Thanks DeannaX - I found three crossfit gyms here:
    http://www.crossfit852.com/ - 13/f Li Dong Building, 7-11 Li Yuen East St, Central
    http://www.crossfittyphoon.com/ - G/F, 38 - 40, Third Street, Sai Ying Pun
    http://www.crossfitasphodel.com/ - Unit 11C, Wah Ha Factory Building, 8 Shipyard Lane, Quarry Bay

    I've been a member of a crossfit gym before, and the way it is structured is not for me. I would love to use their equipment, although I would want a bench - last time I checked bench press isn't really a crossfit thing - perhaps you could share what kind of equipment your particular gym has?

    Anyway, the pricing on those websites seems a little over the top for what I'd be getting.


  4. #4

    I've been on the prowl for a good gym now for well over a month. I know people that have attended more or less every gym in Hong Kong, including the big ones like California Fitness, PURE, Fitness First, etc.
    From what I've gathered - if you can afford it, PURE seems to be the most valued. Sadly they won't negotiate the price like other gyms are willing to. However they do have special discounts if you're lucky (full-time students for example).
    PURE has a gym in Langham Place (Mong Kok) and California Fitness recently opened a brand new gym in Mong Kok area too.
    I used to go to California Fitness, but out of my 1 year membership - I went maybe three times? I felt really unmotivated in CF.. the dark lighting, generally unsanitary looking choice of floor, etc.
    So I'm now considering PURE in Langham simply because it's the most convenient. (Connected to Mong Kok MTR station).
    If you're looking to join a gym with swimming pool access though - California Fitness in MegaBox gives you that perk. However getting to MegaBox with public transport is a pain.


  5. #5

    Thanks for your reply Sweeneykill. I went to have a look at PURE in Langham today - I got a seven day free trial without being harangued to sign things and give them money, which was lovely. They gave me a 'shoe bag' (?!).

    Good things: clean, a million complementary towels etc., nice staff, no hassle. Foam rollers.

    Bad things: I went at quite a busy time; the weights room has only one power rack (no squat rack). A PT spent at least half an hour teaching his client to deadlift in the power rack (a deadlift is where you pick the barbell up off the floor). I don't blame him though, because there is no space to deadlift - at least the PT was doing it with good form. There is no way you could do olympic lifts here without killing someone. Four benches: one incline, one decline, two flat - positioned too close to each other for spotters. Few if any pull up bars - PTs using the only one I could see to do stuff with balls (?). The majority of stuff is cardio and machines. They have a 'boxing' area, but no jump ropes (of course I could just bring one).

    Basically, the small amount of stuff I would be paying for is squeezed into a tiny area that is not useful unless it's empty. I'll go back some time early in the morning to see if it improves, and enjoy my free trial and shoe bag.

    I'll have a look at CF and Physical next - MegaBox is fairly easy for me too; there's a green minibus that goes there directly from by my flat.


  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by ivor.houlker:
    Thanks for your reply Sweeneykill. I went to have a look at PURE in Langham today - I got a seven day free trial without being harangued to sign things and give them money, which was lovely. They gave me a 'shoe bag' (?!).

    Good things: clean, a million complementary towels etc., nice staff, no hassle. Foam rollers.

    Bad things: I went at quite a busy time; the weights room has only one power rack (no squat rack). A PT spent at least half an hour teaching his client to deadlift in the power rack (a deadlift is where you pick the barbell up off the floor). I don't blame him though, because there is no space to deadlift - at least the PT was doing it with good form. There is no way you could do olympic lifts here without killing someone. Four benches: one incline, one decline, two flat - positioned too close to each other for spotters. Few if any pull up bars - PTs using the only one I could see to do stuff with balls (?). The majority of stuff is cardio and machines. They have a 'boxing' area, but no jump ropes (of course I could just bring one).

    Basically, the small amount of stuff I would be paying for is squeezed into a tiny area that is not useful unless it's empty. I'll go back some time early in the morning to see if it improves, and enjoy my free trial and shoe bag.

    I'll have a look at CF and Physical next - MegaBox is fairly easy for me too; there's a green minibus that goes there directly from by my flat.
    My hours are pretty flexible so when I went there, it was in the afternoon in the middle of the weak. (Not peak hours for sure).
    I did notice the weights area is quite small.
    I'm not big on lifting weights, so I would mainly go there for the yoga classes & gym classes. And then I would lift weights if it's not crowded. But if you're joining and mainly focus on weights, I can see why you would be reluctant.
    I love the clean atmosphere though and the staff all seem friendly.
    Use the 7-day free trial to your advantage to test it out.

  7. #7

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    i am a ex-PT in Pure Fit and CF. i can tell Pure Fit has a very high standard for PTs and everything. Highly recommend


  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by maxwong777:
    i am a ex-PT in Pure Fit and CF. i can tell Pure Fit has a very high standard for PTs and everything. Highly recommend
    Hi Max - in that case, can I ask where do you work now?

    While I'm glad you think the PURE PTs are of a good standard (presumably you're implying the CF ones are not?), I find the number of PTs in Hong Kong quite a shock. For contrast, my previous gym in the UK had no PTs (although there was a weekly lifting class). Even the most overpriced commercial gym I've been a member of in the UK (David Lloyd) had at most two or three PTs at any given time, mostly helping older clients.

    Clearly this is a very different (and more profitable) business model. However I would question whether it's more beneficial to people in general. Perhaps you can tell me why there are so many PTs here?

  9. #9

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by ivor.houlker:
    Perhaps you can tell me why there are so many PTs here?
    $$$$$$$$$$

    Sent from my GT-P6800 using GeoClicks mobile app

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    2,446
    Quote Originally Posted by ivor.houlker:
    While I'm glad you think the PURE PTs are of a good standard (presumably you're implying the CF ones are not?), I find the number of PTs in Hong Kong quite a shock. For contrast, my previous gym in the UK had no PTs (although there was a weekly lifting class). Even the most overpriced commercial gym I've been a member of in the UK (David Lloyd) had at most two or three PTs at any given time, mostly helping older clients.

    Clearly this is a very different (and more profitable) business model. However I would question whether it's more beneficial to people in general. Perhaps you can tell me why there are so many PTs here?
    Totally different business model here (as you rightly say). Ever seen a gym instructor here? I haven't. Everyone's a trainer which means you have to pay for their "advice". None of this giving it away for free, or heaven forbid, having a few gym instructors on the floor just to keep an eye on people and help them out if they need it like in the UK.

    I wouldn't even call most of the trainers here actual PTs. They're salespeople wearing gym kit.

    I know a couple of ex-Pure PTs and they're very good....which is why they left! They got tired of being given sales targets when their career aspirations were actually to, er, train people.

    However, I also know a couple of current Pure PTs and they're, er, let's just say that they're not up to UK standards. One of them couldn't find work in a gym in London (despite having qualified as a PT) which is pretty shocking!! Several of the big UK chains take people on who aren't even qualified as gym instructors, let alone PTs (hello Virgin Active!) yet this guy couldn't find work. Draw your own conclusions from that one. And yes, he's working in Pure right now.

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