For lifters that live in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun, HOURX is a convenient gym as it is a 5 minute walk away from the Tuen Mun Station and it opens 24/7! HOURX opened in 2021 with its only location in Tuen Mun, and it is quite an interesting gym according to our observations. Many of their members are powerlifters, but you can also see people doing Olympic lifting and bodybuilding. Do notice this is not a commercial gym. In other words, it is running independently!
HOURX community
There is a sense of community for those who are regulars at HOURX. The members are incredibly friendly and most of them are very easy to talk to. You can see them printing banners when they take their athletes to competitions, members also go spectate and support each other even if they are not competing. Members are very supportive of one another, and you can see beginners heading to powerlifting competitions with confidence. Members typically would give spots readily and freely, help each other improve and it is very refreshing to witness!
Equipment:
There are 6 spots for you to squat (including racks that are convertible from bench to squat racks), so I never had a problem finding a place during my squat days. You can find 3 benches and they can be taken very swiftly as people do powerlifting and bodybuilding here. They also source competition equipment, so you can expect a better bench at HOURX than a standard commercial gym. They use calibrated plates as well, so you can expect the plates to weigh exactly as the weight stated on them. There are two deadlift platforms, with rows of bars you can choose from. I have seen people do Olympic lifting on it. Judging by the bar placement, people seem to deadlift sideways. I did deadlifts on their platform, and it felt good! No need for reset after each rep.
For the other spaces in the gym, they have many isolation machines. Cable machine is present and you have dumbbells to work on your accessories. HOURX is also an Eleiko reseller, so if you are looking for home-gym equipment, feel free to contact them for more information!
Gear:
People tend to leave their belts and shoes behind but they are not open for public use! Only use if you have obtained permission from the owner. According to my understanding, there are no spare belts for visitors so make sure you bring your own! You can also source a mediocre Velcro belt from Decathlon (V city).
HOURX has chalk available, but make sure you clean up if you spilled or overuse it. There is a vacuum cleaner lying around if you do make a mess. But, they are very tolerant as long as you look after the gym equipment! Be nice!
Coaching:
I see that lifters from HOURX typically have a very good bench with solid technique. They hosted bench press tutorials ($1200 for 4 sessions) and SBD crash courses ($1250 for 5 sessions). Online coaching is also available, they had Daiki Kodama (bench press world champion who pressed 300kg at 74 body weight) to do bench-specific programs as well.
For non-powerlifters, they also have coaching services from bodybuilders! Typically, their coaches are winners of various competitions. I advise people who seek coaching services to find a coach that matches their sport. i.e., Powerlifters should find a powerlifting coach and bodybuilders should find a bodybuilding coach. However, if you have no specific sport-oriented goals, coaches from both sports can help you do body re-composition and help you reach generic fitness goals.
Vibe
Despite being a fairly new gym that opened mid-2021, HOURX did manage to create a sense of community among its members. Powerlifters in Hong Kong also know HOURX as many lifters from this gym participated in multiple levels of competition. I’ve heard some people say their lifting form is rather unconventional or bad, but if it works, who am I to judge?
Lifters are allowed to connect their phones to the speakers so you can hear people playing stuff from Cantopop to anime theme songs (AOT sasageyo and Tokyo Ghoul’s unravel on repeat). I went there once on a Sunday afternoon and it was empty, so we blasted heavy metal.
How to join?
You can dm their Instagram account, which is @hourxfitness.hk and ask for a day pass. I paid them through fps and got the passcode to their door.
The day pass is 80 dollars in 2022, their membership was 500HKD a month (in 2022). They also have a WhatsApp number if you feel more comfortable with texting!
Instagram: @hourxfitness.hk
Contact number and WhatsApp: 9820 4754
I think their price point is quite low, but given that the location is in Tuen Mun, I understand why they are not charging a premium. For a 24/7 gym with good equipment and no commitment, 500 a month is quite a fair price to pay.
Airflow:
I did a SBD workout at HOURX one day and realized that I felt slight lightheadedness during my deadlifts. After going to the washroom and breathing the outside air, I do feel the lightheadedness clearing out. I suspect the airflow may have been the culprit. As HOURX is situated in an old industrial building with windows only on one side, it makes sense if there were less than optimal ventilation. My companion agreed that the ventilation felt different from other gyms so check it out before committing to a monthly membership!
Overall thoughts:
I think HOURX is the best gym for powerlifters who live in the area. For casual gym goers, the vibe at HOURX is quite tolerant and my friend who joined me to visit did not feel intimidated by the slightest. There are limited cardio machines, but who enjoys them genuinely anyway? (Me.) With the ample free weights and isolation machines, most people can get a great workout as a beginner! Their equipment is also good as you progress into being an athlete or bodybuilder. Even with the ventilation and tricky bathroom location, I think HOURX is quite worth its price.
I highly recommend checking out this gym!