I've always wanted to try a spin class and I'm soo happy my cycling journey started here!…read more My cousin introduced this studio to my brothers and I and let's just say I was hooked! Their website is very straightforward and I love how they have instructor bios and music they like, so you can pick which playlist you'd be most into while riding. They have a great first timer package which is P990 for 3 rides that expire in 2 weeks. Each class is already P1000 so this is a steal! I was able to attend 3 classes during my month long stay. The instructors I had were Ericka, Carla, and MYK. I loved all of their playlists and they were were so encouraging that I didn't feel pressured to keep up. I was very sore after the first time but by the third class, I was just about able to keep up the entire time! In both the cycling and arm exercises. It was also nice that Carla made it a point to remember everyone's names and all of instructors checked up on the riders after class. The price may seem expensive per class, but after looking up other studios, this seems to be the best price (aka the lowest price, haha). I hope I can find another studio in Chicago that is as clean of a facility, has a friendly staff, and has motivating instructors like this studio did!

Electric Studio is a wonderful place for Great Vibes!…read more I am not the type of person who likes joining group classes for exercise. But, my friend told me that Electric Studio was offering 5 classes for Php1500 for First Timers. So, why not, I grabbed it. It was a GREAT deal. Normally, a class is Php1000 per session. The studio is kept meticulously clean and the facilities are top notch. The instructors and staff are the friendliest people you'll ever meet. I tried out each of the instructors' classes to figure out their musical tastes - pop, rock, R&B, EDM etc. The music is a huge factor for me! There have been moments where I wanted to give up. But, once a specific song plays, like a phoenix, I get that push to finish the session! If it is your first time to join, don't push yourself. I'll be honest and say that my endurance was really tested durin my first session! Just 2 minutes into the routine, I was DYING and had to go back at the "rest" zone. It's a bit intimidating especially when you see other older women and men going all out...But, yeah. The intensity actually helps you push yourself to do better! To Electric Studio, keep up the love and the music! So much FUN!

If you're interested in trying indoor cycling out, I highly recommend Electric Studio:…read more1. The place is nice and clean, which for a workout place, is a very important concern 2. Everyone there from the girls at the entrance to the instructors are really friendly and open to answering any questions 3. The songs you ride just make you want to ride harder 4. Their introductory package lets you buy 5 rides for 1500 - that's better than their competition 5. They provide you all the towels you need plus let you rent shoes for free and you don't have to worry about bringing a lock for your locker because those are code protected It's just an overall pleasant experience.

Great class! Teachers are energetic and super motivational! I probably will be very sore tomorrow…read morebut it's all worth it! Eloisa is a wonderful teacher! I also like how they add some choreographed movements to fresh songs. Makes me wanna dance on my bike! Thanks team electric!

Bleh. I had mixed feelings about this studio from the get-go and those sentiments were fulfilled…read moreafter taking one of their signature 45-minute classes. First off, a single class was a whopping 1000 php (~$20). The only "deal" they had was a 5 class pack for 1,500 php which is not useful for short-term travelers. Checking in was easy only because I just so happened to have my ID on me. They otherwise did not tell you to bring one anywhere in the welcome email. They use some weird, modified Schwinn bikes here, one where the handle bars come in a grid-like formation. This does give it a "middle" and a "lower" bar which is what they cued for in their VERY convoluted and jerky choreography. I swear, I was told by the front desk girl who gave me an introductory course of their bike setup at the front (nice of them), that "cardio is not mandatory, but choreo is". I wasn't sure if I had heard her properly, but the weird choreo I eventually experienced convinced me that I had. In addition to the weird jerky "push ups" off each bar and the top handle bars, we were cued to "sway" and "slide". I was thrown off by this but apparently they have a *Jumpstart* class which might go over these "moves". I otherwise jumped right into a *Pure Electric* ride unknowingly. It gave me pause at first, but I did eventually get a hang of it. I still refused to do the crazy push up sequences though because it made me feel epileptic. It also looked ridiculous. In the end, I received no cardio benefit from the class. We were purposefully riding at a lower resistance too as the instructor rarely told you to mess with the knob. She was also very bad at cuing for the choreo. Plus the mic was scratchy. Her music was all over the place as she would randomly play some k-pop. Overall, I was not satisfied, however they were great about getting you acquainted with their equipment so I was able to clip into my bike with ease. Shoe rentals were free (for my first time at least), and the locker room was more spacious than some. Otherwise, this studio comes with a different overall goal, one that may not involve boosting your overall fitness, but it certainly will attempt to improve your ability to follow choreo!

No lie, this was one beastly workout! This is a fitness concept originating from Dubai and headed…read moreby some dudes from New Zealand. Go figure, the instructor for the class and everyone who works here is from New Zealand as well, but still Filipino! I took the BLACK Total Body (Back Focus) which was a 55 minute class with Butts. I was surprised that classes would take place upstairs after making your way up the spiral staircase and grabbing your towel. Woah, the BLACK room is truly enveloping! Classes have you hopping on this ballin' treadmill (called Skillrun). This comes with a touch screen monitor where you have the option of cycling through three different modes -- Run, Sled, and Parachute. We didn't mess with the parachute function during this particular class, but I can say that you will be using the run feature quite often. Think of this as HIIT with a mix of weight training. If you've done Barry's Bootcamp before, it's very similar. The instructors at Bare though have you running as hard as possible for the 10 minute period you're on the tread and with no rest periods. While you're pounding away on the treads, they'll play some poppin' music too and there's even a large flat screen playing some music videos. The lighting was rather wicked too. It really puts you into the zone. We hopped on and off the tread at least 4 times, switching to weights in between. I'd say there's like very little rest. They encourage you to hydrate well before since you won't really have time to mid-workout and you'll be sweating buckets. You cannot escape the Manila humidity even in AC after all. A very fun and challenging workout I had even in my semi-jet lagged state. Butts was great about making you feel welcomed and comfortable and even the members were super down-to-earth. The locker room was small, but it served its need. Lockers came with a combination code for locking your stuff away, showers had soaps and shampoos, and they even provide a blow dryer and flat iron. I signed up via ClassPass for an inexpensive amount of credits, but usually if you're lurking well before the class time of choice, the classes usually linger around 10 credits. On it's own, memberships sound crazy expensive, but in the end you pay for the community and the fun, motivating workout classes.

Updated down to 3 Stars…read more As much as I still like this gym and this branch, their towel service has been really inconsistent lately. I don't mind paying the P50 for a set of two (workout towel + bath towel); and tolerated it when I would have to get two workout towels (one for actually working out and one for after showering - imagine having to towel dry your whole body with a hand towel/washcloth), I think it's not acceptable (for a gym at least) to have no towels at all. The past weeks, it's been no bath towel, no workout towel - and now it's down to no towel at all. So bring your own towels if you can; or go home sweaty and stinky. ------ 3.5 stars. Last year I came home after living for 3 years in the states. The last 2 or so months there were really stressful for me and I'm the type who eats when stressed. I had this notion that I wouldn't be able to go back to the states for a while so I ate everything in my path. Seriously. Grocery Cupcakes. Animal Style In N Out. "I don't care anymore" ice cream. Needless to say, when I got back, I wasn't exactly in best shape. And adjusting to the weather (or air?) here, my asthma went haywire too. I knew I needed to get back to exercising and was quite happy to find out that this Gold's Gym was only a few blocks away from my place. So I started going. The gym itself is a bit small. There's only one pair of dumbbells for each weight (need the 30 pound ones and they're in use? Use the 25 or 35 ones first. Or wait). And there are also only about 8 treadmills and a few other cardio machines (not counting the spinning machines). In terms of weight equipment, i'd say they they have a complete assortment - you can workout all body parts, maybe just wait a bit if machines are in use. They also have a wet and dry sauna - the dry one is under repair as of this writing, while the wet one is on during specific times of the day. They do have a pretty large aerobics class area and a good number of spinning class type bikes as well. The gym's size is a little small compared to the Glorietta or Galleria branches and may get crowded during peak hours. I tend to go at around 10am when there's no one around - and even then I would have to sometimes wait for some machines. There are times as well in the morning when a whole soccer team comes in and basically takes over the weights area and a lot of the cardio class area. What is great about this branch though are the people - and I honestly think people could make or break the my experience. The staff is generally helpful and friendly and I've been given pretty good advice especially since my asthma is triggered when I do cardio. Overall, I like my little gym. I still don't have abs (I blame it on my non-diet haha) but I do feel much better than I did months ago. Gold's is convenient, and the people are nice. Since I go at odd hours, I don't have much trouble with crowds, or, at least I don't have to wait too long. But please, if you're in and on a machine, don't take calls. If you do need to take a call, vacate the machine so others can use it ?

The Gold's here isn't my home branch (New Manila is), but I do find myself here relatively often…read more The gym is in a great location, just a block off from the heart of Bonifacio High Street and on the 5th floor above CPK and Applebee's. It's literally in the middle of BGC. The staff here is friendly and pretty aloof, which is nice. The gym itself has also been consistently clean, especially notable given how busy it is. The peak hours rule definitely applies from 5-9pm!! People love coming here right after work on weekdays, it seems. The gym itself is pretty small and there is zero redundancy in workout equipment in the weight room. Get used to waiting. Luckily most of the gym-goers here are friendly and are open to letting you cycle in. I wish there were more weights available as that would definitely improve their score. The gym itself feels kinda cramped too.

More than five years ago I used to come here about twice a week. I love the group classes and the…read moreteachers, I used to get a great massage in the Fitness First Spa (now gone). Occasionally I'd still come here for special events. I came today because it was the only Fitness First gym I know open on Christmas day. The last time I was here was May 2015 so let's see if anything's changed. AIR-CONDITIONING/VENTILATION I remember writing on the club's complaint form a year ago because air conditioning was very bad. So bad that a lot of people would be leaving group classes especially RPM/cycling because it gets too warm in some parts of the room. But now it's very cold that I was shivering in the locker room. EQUIPMENT The tricep rope thing that attaches to the cable machine smells! Other machines were fine. Glad to see 2 preacher curl benches (gone in FF RCBC). Not all the workout benches used for the BodyStep class have the rubber that grips the floor! While they might be safe to use for BodyPump, be careful not to use them in Step classes. Bikes for RPM/Cycling are new-ish, can't complain about them. Yoga mats didn't smell bad. CLASSES I attended Crunch's BodyAttack and Ahlee's BodyStep class. Love both classes and teachers! It was my first time with Crunch who I think is one of the manager of the club. I kinda like the class atmosphere in this club, everyone's just doing their best to workout plus they seem to be enjoying what they're doing.

Lots and lots of people in Manila are getting into biking nowadays which is always good. It lessens…read morecars on the road, harmful emissions are minimized, and people get healthier! Mountain bikes however, are called as such for a reason. They aren't made just to circle around the UP Academic Oval for its whole lifespan. Once you're confident enough with your biking skills, you can taste trail riding in Timberland, San Mateo. If you see cars carrying muddy bikes in Commonwealth, Timberland is where they came from. There are plenty of bike trails for different skill levels. There's the Basic Trail for the newbies and the Blue Zone and the Green Zone for more advanced riders. I wouldn't recommend coming here all by your lonesome. It's safer to go with a companion and infinitely more fun. Don't get too cocky on the descents, too as this is where accidents usually happen. Don't become part of the statistic!

Ang sabi nila, hindi ka isang ganap na seklista kung hindi mo pa napapadyakan ang Timberland…read more Kung ikaw ay isang nagsisimulang mountain/road cyclist, tiyak nabanggit na ito sa'yo ng mga mas matatanda at mas matatagal mo nang kakilalang seklista. Isa kasi ang bundok ng Timberland sa may pinakamatatatarik na kalsada sa buong Metro Manila. Pwede itong akayatin ng sasakyan pero syempre, ang akyatin ito ng naka bisikleta ay hamon para sa lahat ng pumapadyak. Pinakamagandang pumunta dito ng umaga, tipong alas-6, para pagdating ng alas-9, ay nagsisimula ka nang pumadyak pababa. Sasalubingin ka ng magandang tanawin sa paanan pa lang ng bundok, habang tumataas ay lalo mo rin nalalanghap ang sariwang hangin dahil sa hinahapo mong paghinga. Hindi biro ang pumadyak dito pataas, talagang nakakapagod at nakakahingal, lalo na sa mga baguhan. Kadalasang pinag-eensayuhan ng mga matatagal nang seklista itong Timberland. Madalas kang makakakita ng mga road at mountain bikers na bilog at panatag na ang padyak, mga sanay na sanay nang magbisikleta sa paahon. May mga kainan ding makikita sa ilang bahagi ng bundok tulad ng Biker's Cafe at isa pa sa bandang itaas malapit sa gate ng Timberland Subdivision.

The Eastwood City branch is where I go . They need newer equipments to upgrade but good enough for…read moreme . The trainers , I have no idea how much more you need to pay to avail of their services . Anybody has any idea ?

Getting me to go to a gym would require a lot of emotional, physical and mental preparation. So it…read morewas surprising that I said yes to a membership offer from Fitness First. The branch in SM North EDSA is my favorite because it is located in the top level of The Block so you could look out the floor to ceiling glass windows and enjoy a good view of the mall. It's not as crowded as other branches that are close to office buildings like the ones in Makati or in Ortigas. So, hitting the gym early in the morning meant having your pick of machines to work with. Signing up for a membership includes a session with a personal trainer who can do your assessment and create a program to help you achieve your fitness goal. The facilities are really great. They have a room with several treadmills and elliptical machines where they continuously play the latest blockbuster films, so exercising just got easier. They have signature classes and group classes you can join including cycling, zumba, yoga, and more. When those classes are not in session, you can use the area allotted to it for you stretching. I love that they have a steam room and clean showers and a dressing room where you can take a few minutes to cool down and relax. It really is a high-quality gym with world-class standards.

Ever since I got back from Honolulu I've had this insatiable urge to work out. Naturally I decided…read moreto go gym-hopping to avoid slipping back into couch potato mode. My first stop, Fitness First. I was only supposed to ask how much a daily use of the gym was, but Chris offered to give me a tour of the entire gym, explaining the facilities and showing me where I could get coffee. Classes are held at a certain schedule every week. These include gentle flow yoga, advanced flow yoga, cycling, hip hop, RPM, Zumba, and many others. What I clearly remember is that they have this one room where you can watch movies while exercising. And if you're alone in the room, you get to choose whatever movie you want. They were playing How to Train Your Dragon 2 while I was there. Wow. Watching movies and working out? Talk about shooting two birds with one stone. When can I start? Then Chris sat down with me and discussed prices. Okay, this is the part where I kind of zoned out. A one-time use of the gym's facilities costs P500, around P3,295 for a 5-month membership, and that's without even considering the start-up and admin fees. For this reason, I wouldn't apply for a membership just yet. If you're like me, curious about getting fit but reluctant to shell out too much cash on the get-go, I suggest trying this place out first to see if it meets and your needs and standards before signing up for a membership.

Back in 2012, I signed up for a one-year contract at Fitness First in hopes of getting a slimmer,…read morefitter and healthier me. CHOS! Parang ad lang! Hahaha. But seriously, I did sign up because I wanted to "look" better. I'm a big-boned girl so finding better fitting clothes became a challenge for me. I didn't want to be stick thin and I wasn't very big either. I just really wanted to boost my self-confidence and being physically fit was one of my own personal goals to achieve that. During my 1-year Fitness First stint, I would often visit their Eastwood branch. It was the closest where I lived plus I found that particular gym better than the others I've gotten to see and work out in. It was very spacious and if I went in early in the morning, I'd have the gym mostly to myself. Fitness First Eastwood has a pretty accommodating staff. They would answer my queries and they were also very reliable in terms of extending help when I needed it. They were also very encouraging and that definitely helped me in my journey to becoming more fit. The equipment of Fitness First is no doubt top notch. Everything you need to run, lose weight, get muscled up and achieve fitness, they have it! I particularly loved their theatre room where it housed several cardio machines like the elliptical and the treadmill. Gym goers could actually request for a certain movie, if you wanted! Super cool right? I also loved the classes here in Fitness First Eastwood. I got to attend a cycling class (which whipped my ass) and a Body Jam class, which is kind of like their Zumba classes. Too bad I wasn't able to try their yoga, though. I'm sure I would have loved it too. Fitness First Eastwood has definitely raised my standards in terms of gyms here in the Metro. For me, it's the best I've tried. I will be back when my schedule finally permits it - and when I have enough money to spare. Hahaha.