Take the Fitness First Branches Tour (Part 2)

This post details the fun reasons why Fitness First Philippines Passport members should consider going to the other branches for a visit. I’ve already talked about the first 4 Metro Manila branches in the previous post-Take the Fitness First Branches Tour (Part 1), and, the remaining 6 branches are as follows:

Fitness First Greenhills If you’ve ever wondered where your instructors usually video themselves for the tapes that they send to New Zealand for their Les Mills certification, then the answer is the Greenhills studio. Oh, and just in case you didn’t know it, all the Fitness First instructors who teach the Les Mills programs, namely Body Balance, Body Combat, Body Jam, Body Pump and RPM, are required to have themselves certified within the first year that they teach.

What makes the Greenhills branch studio so suitable for this type of activity is the fact that it is one of the few studios, aside from the Alabang, Eastwood and RCBC branches, that has its mirrors in front, which makes it possible to shoot both the participants’ reflections and the instructor in the same frame with one camera set-up. And given its wide layout, the Greenhills studio makes for a nice change from the usual elongated studio.

Plus, if you go really early to the Greenhills branch, as in you should have gotten inside the open parking lot by 6:59am and left by 8:30am, then your parking is free.

You can also take advantage of the fact that the Greenhills branch is so very near the famous Greenhills tiangge, especially now that it’s almost Christmas season. Work out and then shop.

Fitness First Ortigas Working out at Ortigas becomes a real treat if you enjoy panoramic views, because the Ortigas branch is on the 35th floor of Wynsum Bldg. on Emerald St. On one side you can see the Makati skyscrapers, another shows off the Greenhills skyline, while another is a sweeping sight of the mountains that border Marikina and Antipolo. And at night, the strings of light lining the metropolis are wonderful to see.

A view of the sky can also be enjoyed while taking a bath because the upper portions of the glass wall were left untreated. You can almost imagine that you’re outdoors taking a rain bath with the only overhead 8-inch showerheads available among all the Fitness First branches.

At night, though, it becomes not so charming, because with the absence of outside light, the bathers’ reflections, usually from the neck up for those who are more than five feet tall, are on the glass wall, so it can be quite disconcerting to see the member beside you going through his personal rituals.

Parking is a flat rate of P40, and the small gym area makes it quite uncomfortable in the evenings when it fills up with office people. It would be best to go in the mornings to late afternoons.

Fitness First Makati The Makati branch is the Mother branch, i.e., it is the pioneer of all the branches.

It boasts of shower stalls that are elongated, and aside from RCBC, the only branch with provisions for hanging clothes by adding a bar at the side of the shower stall.

It is also the only branch where the female locker room is conveniently connected to the massage area of Body Care, so don’t stay on that side because male clients can see you through the door’s small glass portion; unless, you have an exhibitionist streak, then it becomes a good excuse to be “accidentally” seen.

Fitness First Manila The Manila branch has been touted as the only one with a mind and body studio, plus, looking through the schedule, has the most number of RPM classes. Like the Metro East branch, it is housed within the mall itself, so you can go gallivanting right after your workout. It needs to have its light fixtures adjusted, though, because it is a bit dark.

Fitness First Metro East This branch is the second one to be located within the mall, and it has the most spacious covered free parking slots.

The stability balls are stored creatively in the studio by providing a hanging rack with wooden circular slots for the balls to be cradled in, which makes it a nice change from being dumped in a mini-mountain in some corner of the studio.

Taking the cycling class is also fun because the room is on a mezzanine level, so you have a mini bird’s eye view of the gym. And if you like a “cave” feeling, the rowing area was planted right under the mezzanine, so it’s very cozy. The stretching area also has mirrors and bars, just like in a ballet studio.

Fitness First RCBC Only the Fitness First Plus members can avail of RCBC’s facilities. The singular advantage of being a Fitness First Plus member is if you enjoy swimming pools, because the Fitness First RCBC branch is the only one with an indoor heated swimming pool, flanked by a stone floor area on one side that’s perfect for yoga and meditation, and a deep stone bath with seats and whirling water on the other side that’s perfect for relaxing those aching muscles.

Accordingly, it’s the only one that can offer aqua classes, which are recommended for those with knee or weight problems and arthritis, because, aside from being an intense workout, the water’s buoyancy makes you lighter in the water by at least 50%, thus, making it easier to move. Although there’s no need to know how to swim, it would be helpful to be familiar with floating and to be comfortable in the water.

The Fitness First Plus members are also provided with bath and workout towels, and the bathrooms are made of marble, with a mini dressing room area attached, and, aside from the requisite body wash and shampoo, the dispenser has conditioner, not the shampoo plus conditioner being offered in all the other branches, but just the conditioner. Those with long or dry hair will find the last feature really useful.

Your Body Care massage Gift Certificates that were purchased in the other branches are not honored here, because their rates are higher compared to the other Body Care branches.

So, as I’ve mentioned, unless you find working out in the water to be your thing, then you’re better off being a regular Passport member. Besides, RCBC doesn’t even have its own cycling room (the miniscule dance studio doubles as a cycling room), and, I don’t know why, but it was excluded from the Nike Tribes competition.

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