Commercial gyms vs independent gyms in Hong Kong
Most people around join a gym because they want to change their physique or get stronger in certain lifts, but they do not notice that Hong Kong has “sport-specific” gyms other than chains like PURE, 24/7, Go24 or Anytime Fitness! I personally hold a commercial gym membership and get day passes at powerlifting gyms to keep things interesting. Most of my friends only see these independently run gyms on their Instagram feed and don’t really understand the appeal of joining an independent gym. This post can answer the most basic questions about these “mysterious” gyms and give you an insight into what it is like to work out there!
Independent gyms in Hong Kong
There are two types of independent gyms in Hong Kong. There are gyms that are specifically for personal trainers and their clients only and there are gyms that target people that are into a specific sport such as powerlifting, strongman and CrossFit. The first type of gym is quite exclusive in nature and members pay by the hour, plus the coaching service. The second type of gym is more inclusive and tend to foster a sense of community among its members, so let’s just call them community gyms.
Community gyms
These gyms usually have a sport centered around their reputation. For example, Strength Culture (Central) is known for training strongman athletes, Classics Strength Academy (San Po Kong), EXZ Strength and Fitness (Causeway Bay), and HourX (Tuen Mun) are known for training powerlifters. So, you can typically find equipment that tailor to those sports’ athletes needs. If you want to get to know other people that are also into the same sport, there is no better way than to join one of these gyms!
As most of the gyms have athletes that are training specifically for a sport, they make sure they have competition-grade equipment. That means that you can expect to have a proper bench that’s taller and wider than the bench you see in commercial gyms. You can also expect the deadlift bar to be spikier than usual. But I think the beauty of these independent gyms is having calibrated plates. In other words, your 20kg plate is exactly 20kg. Goodbye bumper plates that feel like fake weights. Sayonara bench that can only support half the width of my shoulder. Goodbye the Olympic bar that’s used for benching.
In my experience, new joiners typically have a quick growth as they get motivated by stronger members at the gym. People are also relaxed about using equipment for longer but some may ask if they can work in with you during peak hours. These gyms can get social as members do talk and “chill” even when they are not working out. In some gyms, you can connect to their Bluetooth and blast your own playlist if you feel confident to share your music taste (I’ve planked to Buddhist meditation music once). Apart from that, you should also be aware that people do film their workouts as they wish to improve their form. Camera-shy, or just shy people may not enjoy a workout at these gyms.
How to join?
These independent community gyms typically offer day passes to visitors who do not want to commit to a membership. Usually, these gyms are rather straightforward so you can just apply for a monthly membership and cut off anytime you feel like it. Most of the community gyms have no contracts and you just get a key card to enter whenever. You simply have to give the information they require and you might not even need to put down a credit card for the monthly transaction.
My experience joining Classics Strength Academy (CSA)
I remember feeling very intimidated by the powerlifting community at the very start. I went to Classics Strength Academy (CSA) and saw some really strong people deadlifting 4 plates as a warm up. People also already knew each other so I felt like a complete outsider. Luckily, I teamed up with someone and joined a 2:1 coaching session weekly, so I eased into the community smoothly. I realized that people are mostly just doing their own thing and they don’t judge you for learning or trying out a new technique. As you slowly become a regular, more people may ask you to spot them, check their squat depth and some strong people may even give you tips on how to improve. Gradually, you start to know the people and get absorbed into the powerlifting community. That may motivate you to hit bigger numbers in the future!
But I do see that other powerlifting gyms have the same supportive vibe as they encourage their athletes to compete. The sense of community is very much present in every other strongman or CrossFit gym I see in competitions.
Here is a comparison between commercial and community gyms!
I’d say that community gyms have their charms but it is certainly not for everyone! If you hate socializing at the gym, these gyms may not be your perfect fit. I also notice that these gyms typically do not have a lot of cardio machines lying around. The noise of humanized-forklifts doing deadlifts may get quite intense and intimidating as well. For most people with a 9-5 job, you may appreciate the convenience of having a gym branch nearby. But these gyms are mostly independent and your membership will only allow you access to that one and only gym.
So here is another chart for a quick easy visualization!
| Commercial gym is for people that | Community gym is for people that |
| Like gyms with multiple locations | Do or want to do powerlifting, strongman, or CrossFit |
| Like working out alone | Want to know more gym buddies |
| Like standardized workouts | Is not afraid of camera or noises |
| Dislike loud deadlift noises | Willing to be helped and willing to help |
| Dislike watching people lift massive weights | Like watching people lift weights and stay motivated |