38 Sports and Activities
Hustle for Muscle A Primer on Korean Gyms
Gwangju News, May 2022
gwangjunewsgic.com
COMMUNITY
By William Urbanski
B
ruce Lee once said, “if you’re over thirty and unwilling to spend this minimum time (30 minutes three days a week) for better fitness, you’d better be prepared to spend even more time being ill”1. These words, along with a few select other quotes from The Art of Expressing the Human Body basically form the foundation of my fitness strategy. While not all people aspire to have a physique like Lee’s (his muscles were developed to the point that they apparently felt like “warm marble”), his attitude and insights towards exercise can serve as inspiration and guidance for us all. Gwangju is particularly blessed with an abundance of fitness centers that are more often than not clean, well-equipped, affordable, and offer a wide range of activities. If you have ever considered joining a gym and live in Gwangju, there is really no excuse not to sign up for a three-month, six-month, or yearlong membership and to either begin or continue your fitness journey. While I am no Bruce Lee (yet), I definitely subscribe to his belief that partaking in a regular exercise program is not something you should be doing, but something you have to be doing. Hopefully this article will provide a bird’s eye view of what being a member at a Korean gym is actually like, while also providing some guidance on how to get the most out of your workouts after you set your foot through the door. Also, you have heard this before, but pretty please, check with a doctor before you start any sort of exercise program. KOREA GYM BASICS I have had memberships at a number of private fitness centers in Korea, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses (pun intended). Their similarities
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are great enough that I think it is appropriate to talk about Korean gyms in general terms. A basic yearly membership at any well-equipped gym should run no more than four-hundred thousand won. That being said, the price per month gets cheaper the longer you sign up. So, I would advise signing up for a longer term rather than renewing a three- or six-month membership whenever needed. There are a few things to watch out for when signing up. First of all, many gyms can provide workout clothes – usually just a basic T-shirt and shorts – but this is optional and you have to pay for it. I have used this service and actually really liked it a lot because of its convenience, but if you live close to the gym (more on that later), it is almost just as easy to bring your own gear, so I do not think this service is necessarily worth the cost. Also, before you sign up for anything, have a clear idea of what you would like to do or what equipment you would like to use. Most gyms have a sauna, “GX” classes (basically aerobic classes, but could also be Pilates or yoga), plus the standard weight room with treadmills, weight machines, and free weights. Signing up for all of these programs can be quite expensive, easily tripling the cost of membership, so really think hard about what you would like to do. While I suggest focusing on weight training (for reasons I will explain below), I have had very positive experiences with saunas and GX classes as well, especially yoga. One thing to really watch out for are personal training fees. Some gyms may encourage you to sign up for one-on-one lessons which can be extremely expensive. If you take one-on-one lessons, you are paying for someone to develop a personal fitness
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