Gyms In Thailand

[ezzra]

Hi,

I'm currently a member of WOW California gym and the place is slowly going

down hill and probably be looking for a replacement soon,

recommendations,experiences and annoyances of other gym are welcome,

[Kalbo]

Which part of Bangkok (or Thailand) are you in ?

[JAS21]

Yes, don't know where you are...but we have just joined Sports City...it's on Prachachuen Road about a couple of Kms down from its junction with Chang Wattana.

They were offering (promotion) 8000Baht for one years membership (we enquired a while ago and it was something in excess of 20000Baht)...covered the pool/gym/classes and they have a Members Room with free coffee/soft drink and newspapers. We actually did a much better two year deal...eight of us went 'on block'. Think that the offer may now not be available...but you could enquire.

No music in the gym but each 'cardio' m/c has a TV, but you need to bring your own ear phones.

[mightyharriss]

I've lost 18 kilos in a year working out at fitness first Bangna. More of a community there than just a gym... Best gym I have ever been to

[ezzra]

Which part of Bangkok (or Thailand) are you in ?

I'm at the top end of Sukhumvit, near Ekamai, and as far as i know

there aren't other convenient gym that i can walk too.

[Shurup]

CAW near Ekkamai is where I go most of the times. Just wondering what's wrong with it?

[pjbradley]

I attend True Fitness at Asok, a few BTS stops from Ekkamai (I live near BTS On Nut).

It's a Singaporean-owned company with regional branches; Thailand's country manager is an American who's quite approachable and responsive. About 80% of their members pay monthly, about Bt2,200/month, but a three-year plan is about Bt37,000, including VAT, so it's just over Bt1,000/month, and it includes towel service. (That plan covers membership at all Bangkok branches; a higher-cost plan includes membership at all regional clubs, e.g., Singapore, which might be good if you travel.)

The manager works to run a good gym. Cleaning people, for example, are a constant presence in the locker room/shower area. Machines are in good working order; the occasional broken one is fixed promptly. Personal trainers are required to undergo extensive, continuous training and certification (they have two master trainers: a Thai guy and another man from South Korea). Most of them have four-year sports science degrees, and some of them have taken specialized professional-training classes at FIT on their own money (courses there, designed mostly for PT professionals as opposed to the general public, can easily cost Bt40,000).

Training staff are segregated: personal trainers do only PT, whereas the aerobic class instructors teach only classes. The difference is how they're paid: class instructors, who have no interest in sales, are paid about Bt650/hour (not bad money: about Bt52,000/month for a four-hour workday, five days/week). The PT people are paid a sales commission plus a lower hourly rate; their monthly sales quota depends on their job title, with a minimum sales quota of about Bt130,000/month.

In other words, the staff are well paid, so turnover isn't a problem. Many of the trainers are refugees from WOW, where sales pressure is extremely high (lately the trainers there have been ordered to sell vitamins (!) or suffer a lower hourly rate for their training sessions). True trainers are under constant supervision, organized by teams and team leaders.

FItness First has the lowest sales pressure on PT staff, because PT staff are expected to teach classes as well; WOW has the highest; True is in the middle.

Later this year, around October or so, True plans to re-open its club that was destroyed by those democracy-loving arsonists last year at CentralWorld.

Good luck!

[NoshowJones]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

[danbradster]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

Nobody will look like Arnie by only going to the gym. They would have to be using stedoids too, and being one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

I would barely even recommend those park machines to a girl. You can do so much better on a running track or gym.

[robblok]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

Nobody will look like Arnie by only going to the gym. They would have to be using stedoids too, and being one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

I would barely even recommend those park machines to a girl. You can do so much better on a running track or gym.

Indeed, i really don't understand comments like that, as if its easy to get muscular. Its not and everyone who has ever worked out seriously knows this. Often people use it as an excuse not to workout hard.

Without good genetics, a fair share of steriods (without you can get far but not to the top) and a good diet and workout program you will never get there.

Its like saying i wont ride a racing bike as i might go as fast as lance armstrong i keep riding a tricyle.

[NoshowJones]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

Nobody will look like Arnie by only going to the gym. They would have to be using stedoids too, and being one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

I would barely even recommend those park machines to a girl. You can do so much better on a running track or gym.

I use these machines nearly every day and I have never yet seen a girl using them, and the park I use has a running track.

[poanoi]

I have come to realize we all define what can pass as fun enough workout very differently,

what works for me is dumbbells, a bench, and a triceps press.

If i am to do anything cardio, it will have to be some kind of sport competing against someone,

like playing tennis, but since i'm stuck with a bad back, i'm stuck with my ole dumbbells,

(that are invariably displaced at the gym by lazy illiterate insignificant others)

[danbradster]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

Nobody will look like Arnie by only going to the gym. They would have to be using stedoids too, and being one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

I would barely even recommend those park machines to a girl. You can do so much better on a running track or gym.

I use these machines nearly every day and I have never yet seen a girl using them, and the park I use has a running track.

The machines I see are used 80% by girls. Maybe we saw different machines.

[NoshowJones]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

Nobody will look like Arnie by only going to the gym. They would have to be using stedoids too, and being one of the best bodybuilders in the world.

I would barely even recommend those park machines to a girl. You can do so much better on a running track or gym.

I use these machines nearly every day and I have never yet seen a girl using them, and the park I use has a running track.

The machines I see are used 80% by girls. Maybe we saw different machines.

No, we live in different places.

[robblok]

Whatever, everyon has his or her preference how they want to look and how they want to workout. That is for them to decide, I like to workout at home as it saves me a lot of traveling. Economically it does not make much sense if you look what i have invested. But i think its a small price to pay to keep me working out, as i am sure if i had to travel far (and i have to to find a decent gym) i could have given up or gotten a lot less workouts.

As for the muscle thing, everyone has different views about that too, but in reality your not going to be Arnold or Stalone over night, even with lots of dedication good workout and great machines you won't even get near as they were top of the line in their given time. I am sure they have used steriods but the biggest factor was their genetics and hard worktout.Steroids do help but are not magic, and I am also sure they trained hard and good.

Even in great gyms not everyone is muscular.. I am trying to get my gf to workout with me but in a higher rep range to get more tones (not muscular don't like that on a female) But she is affraid just like some others that just touching some weights will change her. I say just doing squats at high reps will only make her more firm.

The best gym i have seen so far is ultimategym, it is not big but it has old school machines and people who really know what they are doing guiding the people who train there through the exercises. Also they have gym ettiquete so no dumbells out of place of people on phones keepin machines occupied. For me it would suffice.

[ezzra]

After nearly 2 years have passed since the original post, and now that CAWOW is largely out

of the picture for most of the people who use to go there, what are the best local gym available?

we know of the big 2, Fitness first and True fitness, any others worth considering?

[robblok]

After nearly 2 years have passed since the original post, and now that CAWOW is largely out

of the picture for most of the people who use to go there, what are the best local gym available?

we know of the big 2, Fitness first and True fitness, any others worth considering?

I don't know that area but if you like those two go there. It all depends how willing you are to travel and such.

[Kalbo]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

What a pile of cock

[NoshowJones]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

What a pile of cock

Can you explain what you mean? Or are you one of those monkeymen?

[robblok]

There are plenty of exercise machines in parks all over Thailand which are well maintained and cost nothing to use, but if you want to look ridiculous like over muscled monkey men, Stallone and that Arnold chap spring to mind, some parks also have good weight lifting equipment.

What a pile of cock

Can you explain what you mean? Or are you one of those monkeymen?

Just as others have explained its not easy to become one of the "monkeymen" as you call them. You really lack a lot of knowledge on the subject, gaining muscle is a hard job and won't go fast.