Celebrity Life
The Best Boutique Gyms in Hong Kong
If 2020 was the year everyone decided to put their health first, then 2021 is about maintaining these newfound healthy habits for a lifetime. The traditional gym can be a scary place for the uninitiated, but many new boutique gyms today offer a much more holistic approach, tailored to each individual’s physique and fitness goals.
From female-specific training and body-building to pre- and post-natal training and rehabilitation, these gyms are geared towards helping us achieve our unique goals and to understand there’s no one-size-fits-all method when it comes to effective training.
Joint Dynamics
We’re all guilty of trying to find quick fixes — 30-day transformations, two-week weight-loss programmes, we’ve seen them and tried them all. But Osmond Chiu, gym manager at Joint Dynamics, gives us a stern reminder: “Staying fit and healthy is a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Hong Kong is indisputably a commercially driven city and so is its fitness scene,” says Chiu. “A lot of trainers in Hong Kong are too caught up with the idea of getting their clients visible results in the shortest time possible." While you may get pleasant results at first, it’s unsustainable for the long term and puts people in danger of injuries and subsequent weight gain.
His gym, Joint Dynamics, focuses on intelligent movement to get results in a sustainable and scientific manner, where training is highly personalised to fit individual needs and goals, physically, mentally and physiologically. “Our clients see us as a one-stop-shop to achieve their goals, for losing weight for a wedding or to run their fastest marathon, or simply to be healthier. Our clinicians and trainers work hand in hand to help them achieve their goals while keeping an eye on all aspects of the client,” says Chiu.
Personal training is only a fifth of what Joint Dynamics offers. Other services include physiotherapy, women’s health, osteopathy and sports therapy. Injury prevention and rehabilitation are extremely important, but commonly neglected — we don’t tend to think about treating ourselves until we’ve hurt ourselves. But at Joint Dynamics, integrated and holistic programmes are key.
Says Chiu, “It goes without saying that our bodies only attain their fullest potential when we move well, pain free.”
Pherform
Established in 2016, Pherform is one of the few gyms in Hong Kong that caters specifically to women, offering female-specific training in a small-group format. The programme is designed for women to train on a daily basis, while targeting different systems in the body, structured around metabolic conditioning and improving strength and power.
“We’re on the cusp of changing the mindset of women from training for aesthetic outcomes to utilising our bodies to reach their full capacity,” says managing director Stephanie Poelman. “Women’s bodies can be strong mentally and physically, and it takes a few early adapters to pave the way for more women to appreciate what we’re capable of.”
Poelman comes from a fitness background of team sports and says she thrives best when surrounded by a community of like-minded people. “Being around others always made me more excited for the sport than being on my own. That’s why I believe in and love group training so much.”
At Pherform, she strives to create the same for her clients. Classes are kept small, so coaches can supervise and give feedback to each member. And to keep the community strong, there are always fun challenges and special events on Pherform’s social calendar.
Along with a community of staff and members to motivate you and keep you accountable throughout your journey, newcomers to Pherform undergo the Kickstart 30 programme. For 30 days, the team will work with each participant to define their goals and, more importantly, remove obstacles to see their potential. You’re not blindly turning up to class just for training, but the team will push you towards understanding how your body works, as well as educate you on topics such as nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindset.
Ozone Fitness
Diana Purdy, founder of Ozone Fitness, was in her early forties when she first set foot in a gym, and felt much as any of us did when we first started out — completely intimidated and clueless about what we needed to do to get best results. She had no choice but to pay for hundreds of hours of personal training to ensure her workouts were effective, and becoming a certified personal trainer herself along the way so she could better educate herself about her workouts.
When starting her own gym, Purdy offered clients what she couldn’t have in the beginning: a friendly environment where personal trainers teach clients how to use equipment without the need to pay for costly personal training. Ozone also provides free fitness assessments, body-composition analyses and personalised workouts, regardless of whether you have a personal trainer.
Personalised training matters because everyone has different genetics, limitations and training needs. Ozone’s personalised training is tailored to an individual’s specific fitness level, lifestyle, objectives and schedule.
“Add to that one-on-one personal training — someone who cares, who can keep you motivated, hold you accountable and ensure you’re using correct form with every repetition — and you have a winning formula!”
Ozone also houses a beautiful, heated Himalayan pink-salt floor next to a live jellyfish aquarium. The warmth of the salt and the negative ions it produces helps boost your mood, calm the nervous system and aids muscle recovery. Purdy calls it absolute bliss to stretch out on the floor after a workout, and adds, “For some clients, it’s their favourite part of the gym.”
Calibrate Studios
Stephanie Cuvelier played rugby and netball professionally for many years, and it was only when she retired that she had a huge wake-up call. “I realised that sport doesn’t equal health. And that the sacrifices you make will eventually take a toll one way or another,” she says.
There was a gap in Hong Kong for establishments that combined exercise physiology, which Cuvelier studied in Australia, with personal training. “What I found lacking was somewhere or someone who could really connect the dots — physical, mental and emotional health — and apply it to everyday lives,” says Cuvelier. Calibrate Studios is her vision of the perfect space, bringing together education backed by evidence-based research with the practical component of training.
Personal training is at the core of Calibrate Studios, with group classes from six to eight members per session to ensure quality supervision. “No two individuals are the same. We may tell similar stories, but each person’s body is unique,” Cuvelier says.
Pre- and post-natal training is another speciality of Calibrate Studios. Proper rehabilitation post-partum is an aspect that many new mothers neglect.
“This type of training is a speciality not just of mine, but most all of our trainers,” says Cuvelier. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about training during and after pregnancy and we believe it’s crucial for women to understand the importance of training safely through pregnancy. Potential damage can easily be prevented with education, along with pelvic floor work and core strengthening. This is what you’ll learn at our Calibrate classes.”
The post The Best Boutique Gyms in Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Three new boutique gyms in the CBD to consider
From HIIT to boxing, these are our favourite business district gyms to get a workout in before a full day of work.
The post Three new boutique gyms in the CBD to consider appeared first on The Peak Magazine.
Three new boutique gyms in the CBD to consider
From HIIT to boxing, these are our favourite business district gyms to get a workout in before a full day of work.
For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.
Tried and tested: 4 new HIIT gyms in Singapore
The Peak reviews Barry's Bootcamp, Ritual, Crubox, and Uppercut Boxing.
The post Tried and tested: 4 new HIIT gyms in Singapore appeared first on The Peak Magazine.
Tried and tested: 4 new HIIT gyms in Singapore
The Peak reviews Barry's Bootcamp, Ritual, Crubox, and Uppercut Boxing.
For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.
Fitness guru Victoria Martin-Tay spills her exercise tips and busts a workout myth
We've all heard stories of high-flying corporate whizzes leaving cushy jobs for the pursuit of passion. Victoria Martin-Tay is living proof. The co-owner of Boom, a buzzing boutique boxing gym in Singapore's CBD, is an Ivy League graduate who swapped engineering for fitness. Victoria runs Boom with her husband, Bryan Tay, and is one of the most hands-on gym owners you could ever meet. Knee-deep in operations, she juggles teaching with working front of house and spearheading the gym's growth. Surprisingly, Victoria hasn't always been the fitness guru she is today. She tells us how she fell in love with exercise and got into the business of making others feel good.
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How did you fall in love with fitness?
I was averse to exercise most of my childhood and only started my fitness journey when I moved to the United States for college. Most of my friends at that time saw being active as a stabilising force in their daily lives and could not fathom why I did not work out at all. One of my best friends urged me to start taking strolls in the beautiful fall weather. A stroll became a jog and eventually turned into a run. Before I knew it, I was running half marathons. Moving back to Singapore and adjusting to running in a much warmer, urban environment was not easy and I turned to boutique gyms to find my next new passion. I ended up falling in love with indoor cycling and decided I wanted to become a part-time fitness instructor on top of my full-time job.
You were a cycling instructor at CruCycle for a few years. What inspired you to start Boom?
After three years of teaching spin, during which Bryan and I had sacrificed time with each other as well as family and friends, many people encouraged us to start our own gym. We realised opening Boom seemed like the natural progression for our passion — we loved teaching and derived a greater sense of joy connecting with our customers than from our full time jobs.
We wanted to start Boom to focus on the importance of being strong. We are not talking about Arnold-Schwarzenegger type of strength but functional strength instead — this makes the tedious daily chores so much easier to manage such as running after children, lifting up a carry-on to the overhead bin and carrying shopping bags.
Describe your fitness routine and your diet.
Between teaching and running a business, I am on my feet all the time, which keeps me incredibly active, as evidenced by my FitBit step count. Unfortunately, I also have less time to dedicate to my personal workouts — that’s limited to only twice or thrice a week. We joke all the time that cleaning the studio helps to keep us in shape.
I used to work at a desk all day and exercise for 50 minutes five to seven times a week. Now, I'm on my feet for a large part of the day, and only can only sneak in a couple of 30- to 40-minute long workouts a week. My physique then and now isn't that much different, except that I have gotten even more toned with less working out. I attribute that to a significant shift from cardio intensive workouts to more strength-based exercises. As for my diet, I always tell people I cannot be a role model for a healthy balanced diet. I’m your typical indulgent everything-probably-does-taste-better-with-lard Singaporean foodie.
Give us the real deal. What’s a fitness myth you’d like to bust?
People like to think they have to do hour-long cardio workouts many times a week to lose weight. I think this is foolish for so many reasons because your body plateaus from these cardio workouts so quickly. Cardio alone is not the most effective way to workout or maximise total calorie burn. Lastly, not many of us have the time for hour-long workouts so frequently every week. A more effective solution would be pairing twenty minutes of strength training with twenty minutes of effective, interval cardio. This is more sustainable in the long term for fat burn, as well as cardiovascular and muscular strength.
Do you ever tire of working out?
Yes, I get tired from working out, and also being constantly active and involved in running the business. But now I know not to overdo it. Having gone through health scares a year ago reminded me that working out should help me and not harm me. Understanding one’s body and limits is crucial. My body is not capable of always functioning at its best if I don't have sufficient rest. Over the last three years of teaching, I’ve been at my fitness prime, but it was also the sickest three years of my entire life — imagine the paradox! I came down with colds and flus much more than I used to in grade school and each time I fell ill, I was sick for a long time. My body was working on overdrive to keep itself fit.
How do you unwind?
I attempt cooking and baking with my husband. It’s a way for us to work together in a much less stressful environment. In line with being active but also unwinding at the same time, we’ll often take a stroll around our neighbourhood or drive to Botanic Gardens to walk around. A good massage also works wonders for us mentally and physically.
Speaking of massages, tell us your favourite spa or wellness resort.
My husband and I are partial towards the Ritz Carlton brand as we got married at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Singapore. For our honeymoon we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, which is notably my favourite wellness destination. Come on, it’s Hawaii, how can you not be relaxed? Without venturing too far from home, I would also say the Auriga Spa at Capella is fantastic.
Complete this sentence: “My fitness mantra is…..”
Find your balance. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, and not enough of one can leave you unfulfilled. Balance often unlocks our hearts and minds to receive happiness and inner peace.
Can you share five personal wellness tips for women who struggle to keep up with their fitness routines?
1. When you’re starting out, consistency is key. You don’t have to jump into working out five times a week, every week. Start with twice or thrice, but do it consistently and weekly.
2. Workout smart. Look for shorter workouts that incorporate both strength training and cardio.
3. Don’t be afraid of weights. You don’t have to go super heavy like a body builder, but you should pick up weights that challenge your muscles a little. If you don’t feel any soreness in the days following your workout, the weights you’ve used are not heavy enough. Incorporating weight training into your workout helps to eventually reduce your body’s fat layer as your muscle layer becomes more defined. This eventuality combined with your consistency will give you results.
4. Diet is crucial. I can’t say I keep to a very healthy diet but I find that when I eat terribly, I'm sluggish, and feel heavier and find it even more difficult to drag myself to a workout. I find myself sleepy all the time, and just wanting to eat more. Sometimes your diet affects your physical willingness to workout.
5. This is more a warning than a tip, and it’s one my mother used to remind me of. Make it a habit, before it’s too late, before you have to start doing it because of health concerns. By then, sometimes, it may be too late, and some things are harder to reverse.
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The post Fitness guru Victoria Martin-Tay spills her exercise tips and busts a workout myth appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.