Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blackjack]

So my fourth gym in 2 years in beomgye has just shut and need to find a new one. Just when i get in the habit of going in everyday, always happens. It was a good gym as well, free weights, large open area and no wait for equipment.

I don't really want to head up to hagwon ga as it is in the opposite direction from work and i like to head in before work. So I am looking for a place around the subway station.

can anyone recommend one?

I know there is one diagonally opp. homeplus in the community centre, which is cheap, but it's too small and you often have to wait for equipment. There is luna on top of shark building it has squash courts and everything (would be great but 330,000 for three months is more than I am willing to pay). there is Jamaica fitness on top of new core, I don't like the feeling in that place and the wait for the lifts is insane.

Cheers

[blackjack]

Bump

[conbon78]

Go onto naver.com and type fitness in korean in the map section. It will pop up any fitness places in the area you are interested in.

[blackjack]

[lukas]

I'm pretty sure there's a Jamaican Fitness around the corner from the converse store. Relatively close to the Beomgye subway station. I'm a little fuzzy since I saw it in passing while I was visiting my friend down there a few weeks ago. I have a membership to that gym, but up north by Bucheon. If it's anything like my gym I would recommend it.

Costs about 195kwon for 3 months, and an extra 5,000 won per month for access to gym clothing and laundry service. It's nice to not have to worry about lugging around/washing dirty gym clothes.

Also, not sure if you're from USA or not, but their machines are Icarians, which have their weights measured in pounds as well a kilos, a plus for me

[JHoul088]

there's one relatively close to homeplus. if you're standing with your back to the front door, turn right and take the road down to the 2nd set of lights. there is a gym there with weights, pool, etc. owner is pretty nice and will likely give you the grand tour and babble on in korean. good luck

[robot]

There are tons; just look around. You'll find one...

-in hagwon-ga in the Topia building B1. Has a pool, too.
-near Homeplus as mentioned above
-in Acro Tower
-in one of those officetel buildings (the one with the Subway sandwhich shop, I think) at Pyeongchon station
-also in the main pedestrian intersection in the Pyeongchon food strip. The building with the 7-11, a couple floors up
-in the Lartz building a couple streets in front of Emart @ Pyeongchon
-near Beomgye station in the Sisa PLS building across from Acro Tower on the upper floors (though I think that may have been demolished last summer)

[blackjack]

[dvorders]

Alright, so I figured I would update this post since I looked at some of the gyms in beomgye. There are a fair amount of gyms in the area, but I only checked out the ones I heard the most information about or the most positive information. I didn't make it down to Hagwon-ga to check the gyms there, but according to google maps and others there are at least 4 gyms there.

First, Jamaican Fitness. This is the most expensive gym in the area, but maybe the nicest. I believe for one year it ran about 1,300,000 Won, but had the best hours. The main drawback to this gym was the elevator you have to take to the gym. I think some workouts are quicker than the amount of time it took me to take the elevator to the um-teenth floor of this shopping complex. The staff were helpful when showing us around, but don't know how helpful they would be on the workout floor.

Second, Hanyang Sports Center. Located past Homeplus if you are walking out exit 1 of the subway, it is a little further away from the main station area. The prices are better here if you get a year membership at about 600,000 Won. The staff are friendly, but don't really help you out during a workout. You can pay by the day (10,000 Won) or a one month membership (90,000 Won), which are both rare at many health clubs in Korea. It also includes a swimming pool which can be bought for daily use. Beward of the massive amounts of children who attend swimming class after 5 pm. Also, a towel fee of 10,000 won per month is needed if you don't want to bring your own towel/clothes.

Third, Fitness Professional Club above Outback Steakhouse on the 7th floor. Overall, this is the best club and the one I joined. They had a trainer who speaks English, albeit not absolutley perfect, but you get the jist. A one-year membership runs 728,000 Won, but prices may go up starting in November. You can get clothes for 100,000 Won a year and rent a mini locker for the same fee. All the trainers here are very helpful and will help you on the workout floor no matter how much English they speak. They are all in great shape and very knowledgable. The facilities are great with barbells ranging up to 50 kg. Also, a few bodybuilders in Korea work-out here, so there are some big guys in the gym. The showers are private and not just a big room with 10 spouts like Hanyang. Personal training is a little expensive and runs about the same as a year's membership for two months of training. They will do a full-body work-up for you and orientation. I am the only foreigner at the gym as of now seeing as it is relatively new. Many foreigners used the old gym located her, but are unaware a new gym has re-opened. This would be my choice by far over the other gyms factoring in price, staff, friendliness and distance.

There are also gyms located near the post office which has a swimming pool and a gym (Shark) and is between Homeplus and the street which Acro-Tower is on. I've been told there is a gym in Acro-Tower, but it is extremely busy and hard to get an available machine and I'm sure it is a little pricey seeing as it is located in Acro-Tower, but don't quote me here since I never went here, it is just an assumption.

[dudi]

dvorders: thanks for the update! I'm new to the area it's great to have all this info.

[dvorders]

where exactly in beomgye do you live? I would recommend Professional Fitness Club above Outback if I had to tell someone where to go. I had the best experience there by far. I know the prices will be changing soon, but they should still be favorable compared to Jamaican Fitness, but you don't have to put up with a 20 elevator ride when you want to do a workout.

[dudi]

[dvorders]

I live right down the road in Hansol Central Park 1. If you ever want to go to the gym just let me know. I enjoy working out with other people, but it's hard to do when you are the only person who is a foreigner at a gym.

[AHawk843]

I'm a (foreigner) member of that gym, too, actually. What time do you usually go?

[dvorders]

I am there almost every day around 5:30 or 6:00 at night. If I just lift weights, I am there for about an hour, but if I run I am there a little longer. When I signed up they told me I was the only foreigner, so I just assumed it was me and a bunch of Koreans.