Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OMGtrev]

I'm going back to Korea in a few weeks and have been hitting the gym here at home pretty constantly and I'd like to be able to continue when I get settled (in Pohang). I'm sure my employers will help me get a membership, but I was just wondering how gyms there might differ from the US and other western countries. Is the equipment pretty much the same? Is the gym-etiquette much different? What is a typical monthly payment for a membership and how is that usually paid? Any other info would be much appreciated.

[Gibberish]

They're crowded, and have a noticeable lack of free weights and power lifting weights, like bench presses, squat racks, et all. Most of the stuff they have are machines, which suck and can be ancient, and some weird stuff, like those bands you put around your waist that vibrate for... some health benefit that I don't understand. Be prepared for tons of buck naked Korean men in the locker rooms.

Needless to say, when I go to the gym, I just go already in my gym clothes and then just go home immediately when I'm done. It's worth it to avoid the locker room. I suggest finding a 24 hour gym and going late, like 10PM or later.

[jiberish]

Typically gyms are smaller and of sub standard to those in you would find in the USA. But in small towns memberships can be very cheap. Like 30-50 a month.

[Ruthdes]

I don't usually comment on bad English, but OP, please read this: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe
Especially if you're coming back here to teach English! For everyone else, it's worth a laugh

As for your question, what has been reported so far is pretty spot on. You don't get much for your money, and unless you pay a lot for a big, new gym, you'll probably be in a small space with a lot of equipment squashed in. I pay 150,000 for three months for a small gym. But I'm a woman so I don't need really heavy weights to get my money's worth. I generally use the treadmill, cross trainer, and a combination of free weights and machines. It suits me well for my goals, but seems kind of expensive considering there are no classes and not that much equipment. I suspect it's also expensive because it's in Gangnam, and I'm paying for location.

[Old fat expat]

Korean gyms are germ factories. I have never seen another gym member wipe down a machine after using it. Nor have I ever seen disinfectant bottles available if you wanted to be fair to others. You may also wonder why the cleaning ladies use black mops.

Take your own towel. Once you have seen what some of the members do with their towels, you'll be glad you did. Seeing a pile of used towels in the used basket, one with skid marks sitting on top was enough to convince me. Also knowing the sparingly little amount of detergent used in washing community towels is also good reason not to share.

Be prepared for loud Korean pop with your workout. If you like Korean pop, you'll be in heaven.

You are likely to have random conversations with Korean dudes while in the dressing rooms in the nude. As much as I dislike random conversations with any ajoshie, nude ones rate even lower.

Don't expect the other members to re-rack any of their weights after they have finished. Expect to go looking for dumb-bell sets scattered throughout the gym.

Expect to have other members use machines as seats while they attend to their cell phones. Don't expect others to 'work in' with you on sets.

Other members will come on and tell you they have a good gym. Good for them. The above is my experience. Be prepared for lots of

Good luck with your work outs. Wish you the best.

[Cerberus]

well, I guess I got lucky (has happened to me a lot in my K experience)

wandered into my current gym purely by coincidence, as I was out and about looking for one in my first days here. This was after seeing some more well known/advertised "gyms' around here, specifically one.

almost all of the observations thus far are pretty spot on. You're likely to find less free weights and variety than you'd like, but if you find a decent enough gym it can be managed around.

K's don't yet quite understand the concept of working with someone to use a bench for e.g. and they like to occupy space they're not even using with themselves or their cellphones, etc.

I just look around and see if it's not being used, take it off and set it aside and then take the bench, etc

it'll all depend on your gym - mine I was kind of a celebrity from day one, and once I became a regular and got to know the other regulars.. well I'm always polite, but generally have the run of the place. I also take care to come during off peak hours.

I also can't say I've encountered the bad hygiene issues, much less dirty towels, much less towels with skid marks on them. My place is quite clean.

There's an eternal locker room which I use and an internal one (with the showers, sauns) which I do not, as it's just too humid and small spaced for comfort and I just don't want to deal with any of it when home and a home shower is a 10 min walk away.

scout around for the gym that best suits your needs. Be willing to be flexible, for e..g it'll be rare to find a gym with a full set of dumbbells though the decent ones should at least go up to 25 kilos.

Squat racksalso tend to be rare. But like I said, almost all of these things can be worked around.

I'd dare speculate you may be better off looking for a gym in working place area, it'll likely be more hard-core, meaning better equipped by our standards.. and have a more dedicated core of regular lifters.

[jiberish]

The best thing is if you find a good gym with that equipment it is almost never used. So no waiting

[conbon78]

I run outside in Korea because the gyms make me want to pull my hair out. Not only are the treadmills not usually calibrated, but they are just off and I can't figure out why. For example, I'll sprint on one treadmill at 11.0 and the next one at 9.0 and feel like I'm exerting the same effort. So I've resorted to running outside, which (other than the air quality) can be fairly nice. Depending on where you are located, there is usually a river that you can run alongside.

I loved going to the gyms in the states. I met people, went to classes, there was just variety. Here, it sucks. Its really taken the fun out of working out. I hate the weights and the classes are full of sequins and 80's work out gear. Its sad and pathetic in so many ways.

[Cerberus]

oh I forgot.

bring an MP3 player which you can wear while working out, for e.g. mine has a expandable sports strap, so I simply wear it around my upper arm.

the comment about K-Pop isn't a joke. You will hear this stuff and if it doesn't kill you and take out any at all joy or aggression you had in your workout.. they'll put on trot and if that doesn't kill you..

there's the creme de la shitty creme - the Korean male ballad.

it'll make you want to drill a hole in your skull without anaesthesia.

[0ju]

[PatrickGHBusan]

I ran outside 3-4 times a week and went to the gym in my building (lucky there was one there), 5-8K a run with a long 10K as my 4th run of the week (mostly every other week as I got pretty busy)

I lived in Busan so I could run next to the ocean, along the beach boardwalk. I also ran some cross-country (nearby mountain trails). The hills were great for a different challenge.

The Gym I went to before we moved in a building that had one was pretty nice. I was combined to an onchon (spa) and that was pretty convenient.

The fee at my last Gym was 45 000W per month and also included an onchon ( a nice one).

[OMGtrev]

[Cerberus]

[Globutron]

...I think Il'l go for a night run by the river.

Though, my running ability is... well, its' a bit like watching a fat mans' dog chase after a cat. (Not that 'Im fat). 30 seconds of jogging and Im doomed to exhaustion.

Woe is me.

[Cerberus]