When I lived in Jing'an I was a member of One Wellness and really enjoyed it - although it is a bit more pricey they don't bargin with you - all set prices. It is a "boutique" gym, so smaller with no pool but great new equipment, rarely crowded, yoga classes, juice bar/coffee, outdoor seating for post-gym workout, and massage as well if you want it. Overall nice people, clean and well maintained. All depends on what kind of gym you're looking for.

I was also a member of FF until they closed (at least they paid off all the membership fees outstanding they owed us!) Am now with Ambassy Club on Huaihai and never regretted joining it. It's never crowded except for the "guilt trip" days like right after a major holiday or on Saturday, and then it's like everyone swarms in to condone for their sins of eating and drinking. Highly recommended!

Wills gym at Zhongshan park is going downhill (as of 2009). They've just taken out ALL the lockers in the changing room and replaced them with tiny lockers to squeeze more people in. They've also taken out toilets to do this, so now there are only 2 toilets for about 200 ladies... gross! There is also minimal A/C on the cardio machines so you sweat your face off in the summer.

Also, the pool is very oddly shaped for swimming lengths, which we like to do. It's fine if there are less than 5 people in the pool, but any more and you can't swim in a straight line without swimming up someone's butt!

We are looking for a new gym needless to say!

Wills gym at Zhongshan park is going downhill (as of 2009). They've just taken out ALL the lockers in the changing room and replaced them with tiny lockers to squeeze more people in. They've also taken out toilets to do this, so now there are only 2 toilets for about 200 ladies... gross! There is also minimal A/C on the cardio machines so you sweat your face off in the summer.

Also, the pool is very oddly shaped for swimming lengths, which we like to do. It's fine if there are less than 5 people in the pool, but any more and you can't swim in a straight line without swimming up someone's butt!

We are looking for a new gym needless to say!

what abt the Will's gym at loushanguan?

The tera club gym on the 12th floor of the cloud nine shopping mall is a great gym, however extremely crowded during the after work rush. I've belonged to this gym for 4months now, and enjoy the free weight and machines, along with variety of classes and the roof top pool. While the memberships are generally 1yr and expensive, I was able to work them down to 6months with a slight drop in price. As with anything in China it's negotiable. Hope this helps.

Hello, i`m not so new in China, but living in SH for just one week.
Me and my housband just moved in neer the Thump Plaza in Pudong. I`m looking for some gym neer this place becouse i don`t want to take a taxi, wolking will be a good exercise before and after the gym .
May be can someone help me whit an adress and some feedback about it, may be some prices.
just replay or pm .

Tks!

I am also in the market for a new gym. I am looking at Wills and Tera, both near Zhongshan Park. I have read the positive and negative reviews but since they are right next to my office (in Cloud 9) those are my only two options.

Anyone have current pricing on these two gyms?

After a year of broken treadmills and filthy locker rooms at MOB on Xinzha Lu I checked out and subsequently joined W Fitness on the 8th floor of Jin Ying 金鹰 building on Shanxi Bei Road. I paid 2000 RMB for MOB last year and W Fitness is about 3 times that (depending on 1 year 2 year, peak or off peak blah blah blah). W Fitness just opened in August so everything is new but the place is small, actually tiny like a fitness center in a posh hotel, very little in terms of machines and free weights. I have been there regularly now for about 2 weeks and the most people I have ever seen at one time is 12 and that includes two staff relentlessly cleaning the machines. They have some high tech machines (alas I have no idea how to work them) but the place is very clean and very empty. I was also told I can use the membership at all Wills in the city for what it's worth.

emilylopez wrote:When I lived in Jing'an I was a member of One Wellness and really enjoyed it - although it is a bit more pricey they don't bargin with you - all set prices. It is a "boutique" gym, so smaller with no pool but great new equipment, rarely crowded, yoga classes, juice bar/coffee, outdoor seating for post-gym workout, and massage as well if you want it. Overall nice people, clean and well maintained. All depends on what kind of gym you're looking for.

Absolutely true, If you are looking for a quiet, clean gym this is very good. Even at its busiest (6:30-8:30pm) there are only 10 people at most. I have never had an issue about waiting in line for a treadmill and the trainers are extremely helpful. Plus the Technogym equipment is really helpful.

The pilates and yoga classes usually only have 2-3 people in them max which is really nice as their cost is included in with the membership. The outdoor deck is really nice as well and the whole workout area is well ventilated.

The only issue is that there are no rowing machines set up.

...

...

Woops... accidental tripple post. No idea how that happened.

Hi Everyone,
I am Sandy Rochard and i am new to these places called Shanghai.Well i am interested the make my physic[body] but not getting the appropriate gym.So i request the local people of Shanghai please guide me.

Thanks

hawks wrote:I like Ambassy Club on huaihai zhong lu. Upscale and gym is being expanded. Also fantastic outdoor pool w/ food/bar, among many others facilities. Not so cheap (9,000), but includes 1,000 F&B benefit.

so what's the "F&B" benefit?

i saw some of the clubs did student, or other discounts, does ambassy do any? are there any other cheaper clubs in this part of hengshan lu?[/u]

"F&B" means Food and Beverages.

amyatwharton wrote:Any recommendations for a gym in/near the YangPu district? In general, do gyms usually offer 6 month or month-to-month memberships? Thanks!

I suggest the New Asia Hotel which has the newest and latest building fitness center hotel in Shanghai. It is only a 10-minute walk from the 'First Street of China' Nanjing Road and 15 minutes by taxi to the Yuyuan Garden. Their facilities there were good too.

heard of star gym before? The facilities are not bad and the membership was cheap. got it on promotion attttt arroouunnd 950 rmb per year?

...

Zhongshan park area? What's availabe other than Terra WEllness and Will's since both got some horrible reviews from people on this forum. Is there any other alternative.

When I was in Beijing, I went to this gym called Haosha(big chain.) Anything like that?

zaydxpres wrote:Zhongshan park area? What's availabe other than Terra WEllness and Will's since both got some horrible reviews from people on this forum. Is there any other alternative.

When I was in Beijing, I went to this gym called Haosha(big chain.) Anything like that?

am wondering same

personally, i think china in general lack of good gyms, ive never found 100lbs dumbbells

traveler2 wrote:personally, i think china in general lack of good gyms, ive never found 100lbs dumbbells

That's because they use the metric system here. Look for 45 Kg dumbells instead. It's the same weight. Lots of gyms have them.

Larry252 wrote:

traveler2 wrote:personally, i think china in general lack of good gyms, ive never found 100lbs dumbbells

That's because they use the metric system here. Look for 45 Kg dumbells instead. It's the same weight. Lots of gyms have them.

never seen one (no matter if its lbs/kg) i guess ive been to the wrong places. Anyway, it doesnt seem that such big weights are popular among chinese people when it comes about lifting weights.

Tera Wellness Club is offering my company corporate discount, anyone has feedback about this club?

traveler2 wrote:

Larry252 wrote:

traveler2 wrote:personally, i think china in general lack of good gyms, ive never found 100lbs dumbbells

That's because they use the metric system here. Look for 45 Kg dumbells instead. It's the same weight. Lots of gyms have them.

never seen one (no matter if its lbs/kg) i guess ive been to the wrong places. Anyway, it doesnt seem that such big weights are popular among chinese people when it comes about lifting weights.

That's because half the people in Shanghai weigh less than one of those weights. From what I've seen, the most popular weight lifting thing for the locals is sliding a bench under a squat assist machine to do assisted bench presses (so they can use the hydraulic torch at the bottom to push up 4-5 times the weight they can actually lift. It does wonders for their self-esteem.)

At least half the gyms I've been to have dumbells up to 50 Kg. Not too many people who use them though.

toonster wrote:Tera Wellness Club is offering my company corporate discount, anyone has feedback about this club?

toonster, depends on which branch. I've only been to 2 on Pudong side, the Pucheng Lu one and the ZhangYang Lu one (in Times Square)

The Times Square one has newer facilities and machines. Downs are no swimming pool and smaller donut weights are completely void (like 5lbs, 10lbs)

Pucheng Lu one has very old facilities and machines. eg. some threadmills dont work at all or the belts tend to undergo slip if you run too fast or are too heavy on a slow belt speed. It's got a pool but the changing rooms are a little run-down.

Both of them, don't lend out free towels (I think its 10RMB a pop/towel). Trainers are pretty good and classes (cycling, tai-bo or whatever they are called)are abundant too. They close at 10 on weekdays, 9 on weekends and special times on holidays.

hope this helps.

Thanks, the offer is for Fenyang Road (heard it's new)
strange that, they told me it's with corporate discount but yet to hear what's the actual price

I called the sales, he said he will check the 6months membership (because i'll be leaving by then) but never heard from him thereafter

Larry252 wrote:

traveler2 wrote:

Larry252 wrote:

traveler2 wrote:personally, i think china in general lack of good gyms, ive never found 100lbs dumbbells

That's because they use the metric system here. Look for 45 Kg dumbells instead. It's the same weight. Lots of gyms have them.

never seen one (no matter if its lbs/kg) i guess ive been to the wrong places. Anyway, it doesnt seem that such big weights are popular among chinese people when it comes about lifting weights.

That's because half the people in Shanghai weigh less than one of those weights. From what I've seen, the most popular weight lifting thing for the locals is sliding a bench under a squat assist machine to do assisted bench presses (so they can use the hydraulic torch at the bottom to push up 4-5 times the weight they can actually lift. It does wonders for their self-esteem.)

At least half the gyms I've been to have dumbells up to 50 Kg. Not too many people who use them though.

No self-respecting Chinese that does serious weightlifting (whether for bodybuilding, martial arts, whatever) would go to a general purpose club, especially not to those clubs that let any laowai in.

maneo wrote:

Larry252 wrote:No self-respecting Chinese that does serious weightlifting (whether for bodybuilding, martial arts, whatever) would go to a general purpose club, especially not to those clubs that let any laowai in.

I havent met any chinese in "serious" weightlifting, do they lift hard? wb style? i follow some wb principles, i consider it hardcore weightlifting rather than serious