Meet the Weider Powerswitch 100. A complete set of dumbbells with plates of up to 100 lbs and comes with a stand. So if you have enough money to shell out and you’re just not too comfortable working out at the gym with strangers, this one is for you.

So where did I see this? I found this in CHRIS Sports in SM (disclaimer: I don’t own that store) while I was looking for a birthday gift for my brother a few weeks ago. Before you decide to buy this equipment, I suggest you first look for online reviews because like any other product, I’ve seen both positive and negative reviews. There were praises saying that it is an excellent product and there were also comments saying that it is not safe for beginners. Maybe you should try it for yourself and see if it is suitable for you.

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I can remember back in the late 90′s that Slimmers World was the first thing that came to my mind when people mention the word “gym”. Let’s face it: Slimmers World was among the first in the country to put up a gym inside SM Malls and although there is a lot of competition now, they still continue to become one of the top choices when it comes to gyms.

First Impressions: More of a ladies’ gym?
I don’t know why but I have an impression that about half of the people who work out at Slimmers are women. Maybe because they used to be the sponsor gym of Binibining Pilipinas during the late 90′s. I think this one is a good thing especially when you are looking for places to find women.

Another impression that I have which seems unusual is that the gym’s reception looks like a hospital. Yeah, you read it right – a hospital. This is because most of their personnel are wearing doctor’s clothes which will make you think you are going for a medical check-up. On the bright side, this gives them an “expert” look when it comes to health and fitness.

People and Equipment
Based on what I’ve seen in their branch at SM City North EDSA, their gym-goers are really serious people who are really into getting in best shape. According to friends who have been in various gyms, Slimmers World trainers are really one of the best. They seem to be real experts in fitness.

However, when it comes to their pieces of equipment, some of them are quite old (I guess they need to replace them) and only a few. I remember that during peak hours, you may have to wait until the machines are vacant before you can use them. I think they need to improve in this area.

Rates
The rates are pretty competitive and they do have a variety of options below. According to their sales personnel they accept cash or credit card as payment

Buy 1 month, get 1 month Free – 3,500 Pesos

3 Months – 3,375 Pesos

6 Months – 5,400 Pesos

1 Year – 9,450 Pesos

Lifetime Membership – 40,000+ Pesos

This ends up the series on gym guide. Check out the other related posts in the series:
Part 1: Gold’s Gym
Part 2: Fitness First

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Fitness First is perhaps the most popular gym in the metro. Reason? They have so many branches, mostly in malls, making them the most accessible gym in the Philippines.

First Impressions: Nice and plenty equipment

The first thing that will catch your attention upon entering Fitness First (especially in their new branches) are their numerous, big, high-quality TechnoGym fitness equipment. If you ever had the chance to be toured by their staff inside the gym, you will see a lot of equipment which are obviously imported.

Having numerous equipment is a big advantage for its members because you wouldn’t have to wait for one person to finish exercising before you are able to use the equipment. You can use it anytime you want.

Aside from having lots of equipment, you will notice too that unlike other gyms, you do not need to bring your own padlock because their lockers are already equipped with its own lock.

One thing about their facilities though that makes me wonder is why they are serving softdrinks as part of their free privileges. I mean, most people are there to lose weight and eat healthy so why the need for it?

People and Trainers

Depending on the branch, you’ll see that the population working out at Fitness First are 60% male and around 40% female. You will also see some high-profile people and celebrities working out there (just like in Gold’s Gym) which means that it’s a high-class gym. Based on the kind of people who work out, it appears to me that Fitness First is more of a “tone the muscles” gym instead of a body building gym like Gold’s.

The club prides itself in their 1:1 trainer-trainee ratio. However, I found out that getting a personal trainer is not cheap. I don’t mean to generalize but I have also been told that if you are a guy, and you are a beginner, you might be a little overwhelmed by their trainers since they usually push people to the limit. This may seem like a good thing for intermediate to expert gym-goers but for beginners, it may be a bad thing. Anyway, I’m not referring to all trainers but only some. It’s up to you to check them out.

Rates

These are the rates for Fitness First regular branches.

1 year home membership (workout at 1 branch only): 2,500 Pesos per month
1 year passport membership (workout at any of Fitness First regular branches): 2,600 Pesos per month

4 months home membership (workout at 1 branch only): 2,800 Pesos per month
4 months passport membership (workout at any of Fitness First regular branches): 2,900 Pesos per month

Note that actual rates may vary. They accept credit cards for monthly installments or cash if you wish to pay in full. They also have an admin fee and it varies from branch to branch.

In case you were wondering, Fitness First also has two premium branches with higher membership costs. These branches are called Fitness First Platinum (one of which is located in Trinoma and the other in RCBC Plaza). These branches are exclusive because they have added facilities and privileges. I think they cost above 3,500 per month the last time I checked. Could anyone confirm?

Related posts in Gym Guide:
Part 1: Gold’s Gym
Part 3: Slimmers World

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Last weekend, I got the chance to visit Gold’s Gym in Waltermart North Edsa. It has been quite a while since I visited one of their branches and this time I was stunned.

First Impressions: A Boxing Gym?

When I entered Gold’s Gym in Waltermart, my attention was caught by their boxing ring. Surprising isn’t it? It’s not common to see one in a fitness gym and if I remember it correctly, they never had a boxing ring the last time I checked one of their branches a few years ago. According to their staff, it’s a new feature of their gym after Elorde boxing gym was bought by Gold’s. Now, almost all Gold’s gym branches have a boxing ring so if you think you have the Manny Pacquiao in you, go ahead and check out any of Gold’s gym branches.

Equipment and People

I was toured by one of their personnel inside the gym. It’s not that big (compared to their other branches) but I was impressed by their equipment especially their complete line of weights, cardio equipment and if I may say it again – their boxing ring. I must admit that I really wanted to try to get into the ring (at least to have a feel what it’s like to be a boxer) but too bad, there was a boxing match the time I visited so maybe next time.

Their pieces of equipment are of superb and excellent quality. However, I think that they need to add more since there were only a few and I’m not sure if they are enough for all the gym-goers in that branch during peak hours. I would also like to add that you need to bring your own padlock for the lockers.

With their equipment suited for bodybuilding, I can say that Gold’s Gym is highly recommendable for those who want to get big muscles (just take a look at the logo of Gold’s Gym). I think that bodybuilders are their target market and is probably the main reason why there were only a few women working out when I visited.

Rates and Payment

Their staff was kind enough to explain to me their rates as follows:

UNLIMITED WORK-OUTS:

FEE: P25,200 – (good for 1 year: P2,100 per month)

FIXED NUMBER OF WORK OUTS – 144 visits per year (around 3 times per week):

FEE: P16,500 (good for the entire year: P 1,375 per month)

Note that actual rates may vary and this does not include the boxing facility. They accept credit cards for monthly installments or cash if you wish to pay in full.

If you will notice from the above rates, you will save more on a fixed number of sessions rather than unlimited. While this may give you less freedom to work-out whenever you feel like, I still think that it is more economical since the ideal number of times to exercise is 3-4 times a week, so it is definitely worth it!

But if you believe that you are a gym rat, I bet that the unlimited one is the right thing for you!

Related posts in Gym Guide:
Part 2: Fitness First
Part 3: Slimmers World
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Talk about men’s fitness at the PGG Forums