Gym at Wuhan

Gym at Wuhan

Finally, after 3 months I came to Wuhan, I have a bit of time to continue my blog.

This article is about my experience in the local gym @ Wuhan. Thanks to Mun Onn, who has passed me the membership of this gym for FREE, very generous of him!

This gym is called Celebrity Fitness (名人健身房). At first, I thought it was operated by the same management of the gym @ Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur, which coincidentally bearing the same name. I was very excited to visit the gym, but the weather was cold in Feb (when we arrived at Wuhan). Moreover I was down with flu and cough, so I didn't pay a visit to the gym until sometime in Mar.

As I was in Wuhan in 2009, I knew what is a local gym like, it is unfair to compare to commercial gym like California Fitness, Fitness First and so on. But when I visited the gym for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised with the gym facilities.

The locker room is "clean" (by China standard), but very small, almost no space to walk around freely. During peak hours, it can be very frustrating when the whole locker room were filled with people!

There is a sauna room, which operates between Mon and Sat: Mon Wed Fri for men, Tue Thu Sat for women. The sauna room is located between the mens and womens' changing room, each with a door leading to the sauna room. I always wonder, what happened if a man went into the sauna room on Tue Thu or Sat by accident? Or vice versa.

The workout area has about 10 to 15 track mills, each with a TV. The machine and free weights area are together. During peak hours, this area is like a market!!! The gym does not give a towel, nor the gymmers are carrying a towel to wipe off their perspiration. Guys were working out without their shirts on, with dripping sweat all over the place. All equipments including the benches are covered with sweat! Can you imagine? I guess another culture shock for me!

As I am allergy to smoke and dust, I am ultra-sensitive to smoke. When someone smokes within 20 metres, I will know. What can be worst than working out in a gym with some people smoking while they work out?! Is that crazy?! What makes me more surprised is some of the smokers are the personal trainers (employed by the gym)?!

Well, again, I have to accept the differences in culture. Since I am already here in Wuhan, there is no choice of turning back. It would be pitiful if I cannot accept the differences. I guess that is the sacrifice we have to made. If every where is like home (Singapore), there is nothing for me to write here, right?

Watch out for my next blog...