13 Tips to Choose the Right Gym For You in Hong Kong

I’m starting to lean into a bit more of the Hong Kong lifestyle content. After all, I’m a Hong Kong resident and have been based here for a combined six-plus years. Life. Check. Style. A work in progress. One particular issue that has plagued me and countless others is finding a gym that matches their fitness needs and budgets in this beleaguered city. 

During these tempestuous, formative, and electrifying years, I’ve been a member of three gyms – two of which have gone under and left me out of a sizable amount of Hamiltons (It’s all about the Hamiltons, baby). I’m not angry. Just plotting my long-term revenge like Chan-wook Park in Oldboy. Your day will come, Goji management. Your day will come. 

I’d like to quote the sales associate from Goji (who was just a pawn in a chess game bigger than himself), the gym where I paid a lump sum upfront and it went under 6 months later, “Sorry, I can’t guarantee your money back because I haven’t even been paid for three months.” Don’t let this be you.

Frankly, after spending a considerable amount of time working on my laptop in the waiting area of my current gym (referred to as “my gym” from here on out) and listening to the incessant sales pitches (and experiencing them myself) made by associates to prospective members – this landscape is volatile and predatory. There’s a lot of dishonesty at play, all in the name of a quick buck. 

This isn’t a post meant to discourage anyone. Rather, a checklist – something to help remind you of both the red and green flags to look out for when choosing a gym in Hong Kong. This quick guide to hopefully arm you to be a bit more strategic in locking down a gym that:

1. Jives with your current and future fitness journey, and
2. Doesn’t put you out of house and home financially. 

Note: Due to the relatively unstable and predatory ecosystem of gyms in Hong Kong, I won’t be recommending any specific gyms in this article. 

Try Before You Buy: Free Trial Memberships

Look, gyms want your money. And most are pretty confident in their ability to close on a deal once you’ve metaphorically and physically stepped in the door. This is a major reason why most gyms in Hong Kong are dishing out free trial memberships like hotcakes. They are typically one to two weeks in length and include access to workout classes that you want to test out. 

In this free week or two, immerse yourself in the gym’s atmosphere and offerings. Take note of what matters to you most. Is it annoyingly busy at the time you go? Is there a lack of equipment (or poor quality) for the particular exercises that you do? Are the instructors or trainers actually knowledgeable or snake oil salespeople? What is the hygiene quality like (if this matters to you)? And most importantly, how does it fit into your everyday routine?

This may be a bit of a gray-area travel (or life) hack but if you are passing through Hong Kong and don’t want to miss a workout, I’d recommend showing up at any gym and requesting a free one-week trial. Most newcomers who settle in Hong Kong won’t have their HKID (Hong Kong ID card) for at least a month or so when they land, so there isn’t a clear way of telling who is and who isn’t passing through.

At my current gym, I’ve watched this one blonde-haired, super tall Nordic (aren’t they all?) brute force his way into bringing at three or four friends for week-long stints. And I don’t hate it one bit. 

Considering my gym incorrectly billed me for three months while I was away and jacked up prices by about USD 20 per month, all under the guise of “ensuring the best environment and resources to inspire,” I wouldn’t feel too bad helping friends passing through Hong Kong get a free trial for a week or two (if the opportunity arose). However, my Stockholm Syndrome runs deep and I secretly love the convenience of my gym – even if they sometimes make me put the lotion on the skin otherwise I get the hose.

Avoid Paying a Lump Sum Upfront

Sales associates are going to do everything in their power to get you to put in more money right away. After all, with the relatively unstable political landscape and archaic lockdown measures over the last several years in Hong Kong, businesses are in need of cold, hard cash and unprepared for another catastrophic disaster or lockdown. Plus, I imagine most sales associates are incentivized with higher commissions for lump sum payments.

Unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, that alien in human skin Mark Zuckerberg, or the VC guy at a crypto conference who called me a ‘third-tier thinker’, and flush with dead presidents (“I’m out for presidents to represent me.”), I’d generally recommend against paying a lump sum upfront. I know it’s cheaper. But losing even a single month’s fee due to the gym going under or temporarily shutting its doors puts you nearly as deep in the red as you would be if you just paid by the month. I paid a lump sum upfront and paid dearly.

Further, I see a lot of temporary and impermanent expats in Hong Kong. There are tens of thousands/hundreds of thousands of expats working in industries that require them to pivot quickly and relocate in the name of work. I’ve had friends sign up for a two-year commitment and get transferred to a Singapore or Kuala Lumpur branch of their company just several months later.

Finally, if you have a family, it would be naive not to consider the political turmoil and landscape. There’s been a mass exodus of expats (including roughly 80% of my friends) over the last few years, including long-term Hong Kong expats who swore they would never leave. Yet they did. All because of the worsening political situation, which I can’t blame them one bit for.

See if You Qualify For a Corporate Discount

Hong Kong is a corporate, finance-driven city. Most major banks, financial institutions, and other corporate entities provide at least some form of a health and fitness discount for their employees. While these companies have no problem working you to the bone and making you question if the money is even worth it, they do typically “promote corporate wellness” on paper. They are also the same companies that throw up LGBTQ+ banners on their LinkedIn page shortly after inking hundred-million-dollar deals with the Saudi Arabian government. 

Make sure to take advantage of their corporate wellness packages and benefits.

Wait a minute…‘Take advantage’ makes it seem like you don’t deserve it and are exploiting some loophole. You deserve it. Claim what’s yours. I sound way too cynical there, which I weirdly am. The weirder part is I’m self-employed and my boss stinks.

For example, I know insurance powerhouse AIA provides up to a 15% discount off the recommended retail price for one of the major gyms in Hong Kong. Some corporate discounts may even include access to more than one location, workout classes and other program perks, and memberships for your family as well – a great way for the whole family to get in the swing of things health-wise (and even meet new friends).

Vet the Gym Thoroughly Online

The information is out there. It just depends on how much research you’re willing to do to find the right gym. If I had spent even ten minutes Googling my previous gym’s name, I would have seen the swath of contentious litigation matters it had been involved in over the last several years. This would have given me pause for concern. Instead, I breezed past the vetting process and what do you know, six months later I was scrambling to try to recover a fraction of my money via WhatsApp.  

Proactively seek out Google Reviews, GeoExpat and AsiaXpat forum threads and/or posts, and even gym social media accounts and business profiles. Most Hong Kong gyms have a very active social media presence, so you can follow them and engage with their posts or tagged posts to see exactly what the equipment, layout, and vibes are. 

Some popular gyms in Hong Kong also have virtual walkthroughs on their websites. Take these with a grain of salt, as they clearly show the gym in pristine condition and omit a beaten down J.P. Morgan junior banker already on the verge of having a breakdown brought one step closer to the edge after trying 40 broken lockers and triggering a cacophony of beeping sounds. If this isn’t a hint about which gym I workout at, I don’t know what is. Nothing beats physically getting in the door and testing things out for yourself.

Finally, take a close look at the gym’s Terms of Service and Conditions that are posted online. This can help you avoid (or minimize) any future disputes or surprises. It’s especially important for understanding their cancellation policies. After all, you don’t want to end up with a gym like Planet Fitness where it requires a strongly worded demand letter from the DOJ AND a team of threatening henchmen (name that Hong Kong bagel shop – cue the Jeopardy! music) just to cancel your $5 per month membership. 

I’m about 80% sure I’m still paying for Planet Fitness 8 years later.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re going to the gym like I know you are (Hey you, keep up the good work, you’re looking yoked), you’re inevitably going to be attracting some attention from your desired sex (male, female, Japanese robot-sex doll) and going to need date ideas. I’ve got you covered. Make sure to check out my post breaking down some of my favorite Hong Kong date ideas (tried and tested).

Test For Quality Equipment & Facilities

If you’ve followed my blog for any time then you may know that I spent roughly one year training for a powerlifting competition. It was an absolute blast and the time of my life. However, the gym that I trained at had just two squat racks, which made hectic, crowded early mornings a bit of a hassle – leading to a much later workday than I would have liked.

Currently, I go heavy on the treadmills, so I opted for a gym that has them by the dozens. Hong Kong gyms can pack up quickly (especially at peak hours) so I typically recommend looking for a gym with not only the equipment you frequently use but several sets of it.

Unfortunately, one social club that I’m leading a one-man protest against has a decked-out gym that is stacked with countless squat racks, top-of-the-line plates, and other first-class lifting equipment – so sometimes even when you find a gym (or social club that has a gym) with the right equipment, it just isn’t in the cards.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you’re looking to set aside some time for your personal ‘sacred day’, make sure to check out my post ‘What My Perfect Day in Hong Kong Looks Like’. Hint: It doesn’t include the gym but does include one of my favorite hikes (The Twins).

Solicit Feedback From Current Members, Friends, or Colleagues

Get your information straight from the horse’s mouth. Gyms are an investment. This is somewhere you are (theoretically) going to spend a considerable amount of time each week (and in your life), so probe your friends or colleagues on what they like and dislike about their gym. They may also have a “friend pass” in their back pocket that they can give to you if they like you enough.

Also, having friends or family who are members at the gym you’re considering joining may just be the motivation you need to train. When it came to training for powerlifting, I needed a partner for accountability, so the fact that a buddy of mine was already a member at a gym was a major driver behind my decision to join. 

Granted, he would occasionally yell and grunt at old Cantonese women who took too long using the leg machines but overall it was a positive experience training at a gym with a buddy.

Operating Hours That Match Your Vampiric Schedule

There’s a handful of 24/7 hour gyms that have popped up in Hong Kong recently which I’ve seen countless people flock to. I can’t lie, back home during my early 20s, I was a Planet Fitness guy who made frequent use of their 24/7 services, often finding myself there late at night or early in the morning. 

Side note: At points, it felt like I was in the vampire movie 30 Days of Night with some of the late-night characters who would post up there (most not even to work out).

Hong Kong is a city that doesn’t stop. So why should fitness be confined to the hours of 7 AM to 10 PM? It shouldn’t. If 24/7 fitness matters to you, then consider joining a gym that may or may not have those numbers in its name. 

Or, if you are an early riser who hits the gym before 6 AM, then you may want to shop around a bit to find one that opens earlier than most.

Hop in the Classes Offered

When it comes to the gym, I’m pretty simple and generally prefer to zone out and be left alone during my hour-long session. However, as a city pushing nearly 8 million residents, and sees millions more in tourism each year, Hong Kong is home to athletes, trainers, and nutrition specialists from all around the world – a staggering amount who are relatively well-known and celebrated in their respective fitness industries.

Trial a wide array of classes to see if any tickle your fitness fancy or if their style is in line with what you are looking for in a workout. 

I do have to say that some of the cycling classes and HIIT workouts that I overhear while typing away at my laptop in the waiting room or downstairs cafe sound like an absolute blast. The French woman who blasts techno music while imparting life advice mid-HIIT workout has become my de facto spirit guide and motivation for when I write these blog posts after a workout. “Do better,” “Let’s turn it up,” and “We aren’t done yet,” echo in my head like a catchy melody by Iyaz. 

Look For Trainers That Practice What They Preach

If you are looking to hire a personal trainer at your new gym, it’s important to research the pool of trainers to choose from. Maybe you are in the market for a trainer who is more of a motivational coach or accountability partner rather than an Olympic weightlifting specialist or sports scientist, or maybe you aren’t. Make sure that the trainer pool aligns with your fitness goals.

I primarily stick to training and exercising by myself (I’m using the term ‘training’ very liberally here) so that wasn’t a major catalyst for me to join any particular gym. However, my current gym has a healthy mix of trainers of all specialties. 

The gym that ran off with my hard-earned HKD (I’m not bitter anymore and am laughing while writing this. I swear, really, I’m fine…hmmm, maybe not) had a crew of personal trainers that were debatably in worse shape than I was at the time (and I was a big, big boy) and simply there to watch their clients train and play on their phones while lazily counting to three – sans input or expertise.

This also takes me to my next major tip. Consider a personal training gym if you really want to maximize your fitness journey.

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you crush an early morning workout and want to immediately gain back whatever calories you burned and toss back some free-flow Aperol spritzes, make sure to check out my breakdown on why Zuma’s Weekend Brunch is the holy grail of brunches in Hong Kong. 

Consider a Personal Training Gym

This is on my to-do list. I just need to scrounge up some extra doll-hairs first and find a new apartment. Hong Kong is arguably one of the best cities in the world to get in the best shape of your life in. There are gyms spread out across the city so it is hard to make an excuse not to swing by the gym before, during, or after work (I sound like a hardo saying “no excuses”). And, there are countless personal trainers who I would consider at the top of their craft offering personal training services – all for a reasonable price.

Based on my research, these can range from roughly HKD 800 to HKD 1,300 per session.

These are the types of gyms where they take before and after photos, provide actual scientifically-researched and backed nutrition and health advice, and hold you accountable. I’ve had a handful of friends do three to six-month stints at personal training gyms – most of which consist of bi or tri-weekly workout sessions and transform into virtually unrecognizable versions of themselves. 

I watched one buddy, who I sat across from at the coworking space, drop from just over 22% body fat to 10% in a six to nine-month span. He doesn’t love my frequent requests for him to pop his shirt when we are in the office.

Ensure Accessibility & Location Access

One of my biggest excuses for avoiding the gym in the past is that it was just too far out of the way. In New Hampshire, everything always seemed to be at least a 30 to 45-minute drive away, so it was easy for me to convince myself against going. Hong Kong is an extremely concentrated and convenient city, so claiming the gym is “too far away” isn’t even a believable lie. For most of us, we live and work all within a one to two-kilometer radius. This can be both an exhilarating and depressing existence.

For most, selecting a gym that is not only close to your home but your workplace (or somewhere in between) is the goal. I remember when I worked at a more traditional company for 9 months in Taiwan, by the end of it, I would spend most of my lunch breaks popping into the gym for a quick run or workout – mainly because I felt like I was on the verge of a Joanna in Office Space blow-up before quitting.

Or, maybe you’re someone who bounces around the city and their work requires them to work between two locations (I have friends whose job would require them to be in Kwun Tong half the week and Central the other half). Ensuring that your future gym has multiple branches means that you aren’t limited to just one location and can easily pivot depending on whatever your personal or professional day requires. 

You may also want to make sure the gym has a branch near your apartment and your work so that you don’t have to stray too far from your bed on your off days. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for me, I work and live within a one-kilometer radius and ride the escalators for about half of all movements (other than the 45 km I run per week).

Finally, when signing up, strive to understand exactly what facilities and locations your gym membership grants you access to. I’ve had friends sign up for one location under a package that they thought allowed them access to the gym’s other Hong Kong locations, only to be turned away after showing up at the second location.

Time is money and the elimination of travel-related barriers leaves no excuse for why you didn’t hit leg day. 

Pale Ale Travel Musing: Then again, some specialty gyms in Hong Kong are worth sucking it up for and making the trek. Sometimes, they are the only type (or caliber) of gym that caters to your specific routine or fitness goal. For example, one powerlifting-specific gym located in San Po Kong is hands down the best gym that I’ve worked out at. Lifters come from all over Hong Kong just to use their deadlift platforms, Eleiko plates, and other high-end powerlifting equipment. The community that they’ve built there is also something worth traveling for, even if it isn’t the most convenient.

See if They Provide Complimentary Workout Clothes & Gear

Look, I hate doing laundry. Maybe it is because I always convince myself I have more important things to do. Or, maybe it is because when I was in my early 20s, I washed a load of my favorite clothes with a gallon of bleach and ruined them. To this day, I still wear one of those rugby shirts around my apartment as a Scarlet letter and palpable reminder of my past and present ineptitude. 

So, the fact that my current gym provides me with an entire kit that I need to workout and not need to do laundry later that night is a huge bonus for me. The only thing I need to bring are my running/workout shoes. Everything else is provided – including workout shirts, shorts, socks, and sweat towels. Granted, my workout shoes are criminally smelly and because I carry them around in my backpack, it smells like Bigfoot’s big foot when you open it up.

I haven’t crunched the numbers but this does save on needing to constantly do laundry at home or bring it to a laundromat. It’s not uncommon for flats in Hong Kong to omit a washer/dryer, so if keeping laundry at a minimum and being able to pop into the gym with just your shoes is a motivator, then I recommend inquiring about the clothes provided (if any).

I would note that only about 50% of those I see at my gym wear the clothes provided. The other 40% (I’m terrible at math) prefer to wear their own. Granted, the ones who do wear their own clothes typically are fashionable so I end up looking like some sort of amorphous blob in my all-black gear next to them. But I am somewhat of an amorphous blob, so it doesn’t bother me.

Also, one time I threw on a pair of the gym’s provided shorts in a hurry and didn’t really pay much attention to how things felt. About 10 minutes into my run, it felt extremely breezy in my derriere region. So I reached back and realized there was a gaping hole exposing my hairy ass to everyone who walked by.

Explore Additional Gym Amenities & Perks

As a man built like a Finnish brick outhouse, this Big Body is very much one who thrives in a sauna. I’m already a naturally sweaty person so a nice sauna or steam room allows me to unabashedly exist in my natural state. In fact, the sauna promotes and rewards it. 

If you’re someone like me, who spends at least 15 minutes of their hour-long workout in the sauna (I consider it part of my workout), then I recommend inquiring about and vetting the additional amenities and facilities of your prospective gym.

One of the branches of my current gym also has a 20-meter-long swimming pool. I don’t have access to that branch but if I did, I’d mix in a few cannonballs like the plump catcher ‘Porter’ from The Sandlot. 

Some other key amenities and features that I think are worth keeping an eye out for include:

• Dedicated stretching area,
• Phone charging stations,
• Cafes and juice bars,
• Private yoga studios,
• Dryers.

I also do have to give a shout-out to the lounge at my gym as I have spent many hours post-workout on my laptop tackling last-minute client work and cooling down before stepping outside to brace the heat and humidity.

Pale Ale Travel Musing: By the way, if you live in Hong Kong and have made it this far, I’m sure you’ve figured out which gym I’m a member of. If you take a step back and reflect on Big Body-esque members who are frequently posted up with a laptop, crushing double espressos down at Nood (mentioned in my article tackling the top Laptop Friendly Cafes in Hong Kong), then you probably have an idea who this Big Body is. If you don’t, just yell out ‘Big Body, Big Body, where art thou Big Body?’ next time you are at Nood and I’ll come running. 

Avoid the Gym Vultures, Use Common Sense

That ended up way longer than I thought. However, I enjoyed it. Choosing a gym in Hong Kong shouldn’t be so hard but it strangely can be. I hope this article helps alleviate some of that stress, puts you on notice of what you should keep out for, and allows you to approach your gym-hunting process a bit more strategically.

If you like more of this lifestyle content (mixed in with travel and food content, of course) then I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via email. If there are any other lifestyle topics that you’d like to see me cover in Hong Kong (my base), I’m all ears and flexible. Also, if you have any other gym-hunting tips in Hong Kong, please leave them in the comments so others can benefit from them!

Now please excuse me, it’s time to go get a sweat in. Note: I wrote that sentence at about 3 PM and circled back to this article at 8 PM and I now have a large golden stuffed crust supreme pizza from Pizza Hut in front of me. And it’s gone. I did make it to the gym though.

Live well everyone,

Big Body