#02 THE FASHION ISSUE An important part of an unhealthy lifestyle Gymbox.com Ivy League Tee & Varsity Tee / ÂŁ30
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SPAR TAN TRAINING
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The Class... Coming Soon! In association with Guilty Pleasures, the ultimate dance class featuring the music you secretly love but know you should hate.
Health Clubbing Huge strength and conditioning area with one of the largest selections of free weights and plate loaded machines Dedicated Olympic lifting areas for sports specific exercise Combat area with Olympic sized boxing ring, over 20 punch and kick bags and matted MMA training area Over 70 state-of-the-art cardio machines with integrated TV and iPod docking Largest functional training space in London Luxury changing rooms Nightclub-inspired design with resident DJs plus special guests Over 100 weekly classes in three individually-designed studios with online booking.
Gymbox Spring/Summer 2012 Collection Our creative team has been working hard behind the scenes, to create our first range of Gymbox clothing. But we thought why stop there, so we decided to team up with one of London’s in demand Fashion labels DavidDavid, to produce a limited edition range of t-shirts to mark the occasion. Along with our very own designs, the DavidDavid Limited Edition of 150 T-shirts will be available to buy online or at all of our clubs. Stay tuned to Gymbox.com for the launch date!
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Left Page Gymbox Ivy League Grey Tee / £30 This Page Gymbox Team Tee / £30
Size XXL Matt Miller, Gymbox VPT Fresh from starring in Channel 4’s hit show Fat Fighters, we caught up with our larger than life VPT Matt Miller. He’s back at Gymbox doing what he does best — helping people work it out! So, what next? The irony of this all, is I’m in the worst shape of my life. I’m going to start taking a little of my own medicine and get back to home base. Get my food right. Get my weight training back on track. Start my yoga classes again. And get back to my patients at Gymbox, I miss you guys! Patients? I have patients not clients. My training style is totally unique with a totally holistic approach - mind, body and spirit to achieve total wellness and body reshaping. As it says on my shirt I’m a Very Personal Trainer. I’m incredibly intuitive about helping people find a way to be a better person. And of course, physicality is a huge part of that! Do you miss Venice Beach? Sure, I’m a long way from home, but listening to Newt Gingrich (American Politician) speak, ain’t it great! But seriously, I love London. I honestly believe it’s the epicentre of what’s new, cool and stylish in the world today and that’s why I’m here. Baywatch Body Workout Will we see more of you inside the box? There’s a couple of exciting things happening and you might not be surprised to see me on TV again. I just loved the opportunity to be myself and spread my message, helping millions of people believe in the positive power of personal change. Last words? Bingo wings be gone! What? Check out my latest blog post on Gymbox.com It just isn’t fair that if the rest of your body is “relatively” in check, that the underarms are so unbearably flabby. You need an action plan! You can read his latest article here: gymbox.com/matthew-miller
Spare Tyre Workout
Beats Working As I used d to sstu stumble tumble out of th the eb bar ar at St. M Martin’s Lane La n hotel, I’d always notice this intriguin intriguing ng place that looked ed lik llike i e a cinema. Could it pos possibly ssi sibl blyy be an actual cinema that was perpetually showing a cult classic called ’Gymbox’ month in month out, year after year? And if so why hadn’t I seen it? It must be one hell of a film! It’s only recently that I found out what was really behind the facade. When I first saw the interior it was something of a revelation, I was transported back to 1980s Manchester (albeit a rebooted 21st century version)!!! Yes, Ben Kelly, the designer behind the iconic Hacienda (aka FAC 51) had created the ultimate gym / nightclub hybrid, it was a real The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe moment. And what’s more, on top of the brilliant contemporary spin on the Hacienda look, there was a high-spec, ultra-modern DJ booth (and yes, they do have turntables for playing vinyl), with actual real life DJ’s playing every evening. It seemed I had been right to be intrigued. It was obvious that Gymbox celebrate and take music very seriously indeed, in fact it’s fair to say that music is central to their whole ethos. When they asked if I’d like to get involved I said yes without hesitation.
Photo: Emanuele D’Angelo | livincool.com
So, I’ll be creating a set of parties for Gymbox that will start in early 2012, as well as creating playlists for the gyms themselves. And I’m already in the final mix phase of a series of podcasts that will be available to download online, so you can listen to them on the move. The podcasts will provide a unique workout sound track with a large nod to both my nightclub and fashion show DJing experience. Major inspiration for the mixes has come from Kraftwerk’s “Tour De France Soundtracks” album (it includes my personal favourite ode to the workout “Elektro Kardiogramm”) and the now classic 45:33 Nike Original Run mix by LCD Sound system (I hugely recommend both). You can download it here: soundcloud.com/gymbox/gymbox-work-box Nathan Gregory Wilkins
Show Off Big -Style
Are you in our Facebook gallery? For the last month our very own street style photographer has been pounding the streets of London town, not simply to give her calves a work out – seriously they’re shaping up to be the finest pins in the trade – instead Rachael has been on the look out for super stylish candidates for our latest competition. If you find yourself in the vicinity of one our gyms during the month of February, and a young woman approaches you with a camera, strike a pose, and give her your finest ‘blue steel’. Then head over to our Facebook page to find out if you’re in with a chance to win a year’s free membership. Simply tag your picture, to put yourself in the running. Follow this link: www.facebook.com/GymboxOfficial
Combat Can I kick it, Yes I can. By Chris & Karel Cloak & Swagger Welcome to the world’s best hangover cure. Who knew that having a man shouting at you while you chase him around a ring for 40 minutes would be what you wanted after a heavy night of partying. The morning after a big night on the town, taking up a combat class at GYMBOX was probably not my wisest of decisions, but my instructor insists he’ll go easy on me. Phillip Tieu is my trainer for the session and a veteran Muay Thai fighter, who has been kicking and punching his way to the top since the tender age of five. As Tieu discusses the sport, he wraps up my hands in grip tape, which he assures me is for my own protection; but I can’t help but feel that I’ve been thrown to the lions. He also kindly reminds me that the majority of the clients he teaches are newbies and city workers.
Stepping into the ring I feel memories of playing Ready 2 Rumble on the Dreamcast flood back to me. But there is little time for reminiscing; we jump straight into a series of warm-up techniques, jumps and squats. Philip has me shadow him, and quickly learn the basics of Muay Thai. Kicking, blocking and landing one-two combination punches soon has the alcohol from last night seeping out of me. Landing big kicks and hearing the thud on the pad is hugely satisfying. I soon start to switch off and react only to Phillip’s commands. Before I know it, it is time for a water break, and boy do I need it. Back in the ring, he continually watches my stance and pushes me to improve. Minor adjustments in my technique result in heavier connections and quicker movements. Again, I start to switch off, desensitizing myself to the world around me. As the final bell rings I snap back into reality and as I gaze down at the sweat on my hands I know I’ll be dreaming of trimming bonsai trees tonight. cloakandswagger.com Part of the Vice Bloggers Network
In the Frame By Joanna McGarry Stylist Magazine If I’d known what Bartendaz - a new style of body toning, hailing from the USA - was before heading down for my sample session, it’s pretty likely I would have ran (jogged) in the opposite direction. I hadn’t exercised for months, the gym had become as alien a place to me as a classroom, so when, upon arrival at Gymbox’s Bank branch, I was met with a large, looming yellow frame (think monkey bars in the park, except higher and more overbearing), I was certain it was game over for me. That was, until Arleigh - a 45 year old man with the style, strength and poise of a 25 year old, responsible for spearheading Bartendaz across London - and Matt, an ex-pro footballer known to his counterparts as the ’king of cardio’, put me at total ease. I say total ease, Arleigh made it refreshingly clear that this brand of workout was no picnic. He assured me that following the session, every muscle in my body would have been rigorously exerted and would be howling to prove it, all of which made me oddly determined to master it.
Frame I began by harnessing my right knee into an industrial sized elastic band looped around the bar above me. Mercifully, the band acts as an assistant in hoisting my body up over the bar, (handy if you’re not one of those people that feels the need to do chin-ups against any bar that they come across) it’s hard - really hard - but I managed five reps on both sides of my hands through grunts and gritted teeth. I felt genuinely powerful for a few seconds.
Arleigh tells me Bartendaz works by using your body weight in place of traditional weights to tone muscle and burn fat simultaneously; incorporating glutes, abs, triceps - interspersed with quick bursts of floor movements; I puffed my way through press ups, sit ups and lunges. It wasn’t until the fiftieth minute, when my upper arms refused to hold my bodyweight any longer, that Arleigh learnt the true extent of my lack of gym going. Kindly, he noted that I had done well for a total novice, which was just the kind of encouragement I needed to book in for my next class. Follow Joanna’s progress at Stylist Magazine: stylist.co.uk/people/stylist-team-blogs/
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FARRINGDON’S NEW SUPERCLUB IS NOW OPEN Get your butt down here to see what all the hype is about Hurry down to the new Gymbox Farringdon next to Farringdon Rail Station on Cowcross Street.
gymbox.com Bank 71 Lombard Street London, EC3V 9AY
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