When I hit back to the gym a few months ago, I was looking for an intense action with a lot of stretching, core exercises, and cardio activities—something my body wanted after a long period of inactivity. Over time, it made my body go back to feeling active again with increased energy levels.
But there was something with regular gyms that made me feel I was in Black Mirror’s “Fifteen Million Merits.” The routine just got boring.
It was then I realized I wanted a kind of fitness space that didn’t only puts one’s body to active state, but also gave a one-of-a-kind vibe that’d set everyone in high spirits and with a different level of confidence.
Enter Celebrity Fitness, a comprehensive lifestyle-based fitness chain from Indonesia that opened in Manila on the second floor of One Bonifacio High Street Mall last year.
At this gym, members are called SuperStars and trainers are the Starmakers. It offers a full range of unique signature programs which encourage members to not only move, but party.
The programs include Playground, a 35-minute class on the gym floor that incorporates a range of innovative functional equipment and adventurous game-based workouts; Dance N’ Attitude (DNA), a 60-minute class perfect for those who want to get their body grooving to the latest beats; Floating Yoga, a 60-minute class combining yoga, pilates, and functional movements in a suspended hammock; and Saltar, a 60-minute uberfun trampoline workout. Saltar, which means “jump” in Portuguese, is the first workout of its kind in the Philippines.
“Celebrity Fitness brings a unique take on fitness with its brand purpose of making fitness fun, and helping members to look and feel sensational,” said country manager Mark Ellis.
He added, “We believe that fitness builds inner confidence that makes you feel fierce, confident, bold, sexy. And what better way to get started on building your confidence through fitness than with our team of fabulous StarMakers?”
To help SuperStars fast-track their fitness goals and get their body fit like a true superstar, Celebrity Fitness also offers an array of personal training programs with its team of StarMakers. Members who sign up for personal training will get a goal-specific program designed based on their fitness level by the StarMaker they’ve been assigned to, in addition to group fitness recommendations, assessments, and feedback sessions.
What further sets this new fitness gym apart is its fleet of amenities: a cardio area, free weights, Playground areas, a swanking fitness studio, members’ lounge, male and female changing rooms with highly secure lockers that uses Gantner smart lock system, female and male shower areas with rainshower head showers, hair dryers, and free Wi-Fi.
Established in 2003, Celebrity Fitness has over the years established itself as a lifestyle-based fitness chain that appeals to the young and the young-at-heart. Its BGC branch is the brand’s first foray outside of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Ellis enthused, “We’ve been really pleased with the community’s positive interest in the club even during our soft opening phase.”
“With the addition of this One Bonifacio High Street club, we now have a total of 60 Celebrity Fitness clubs in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. We’re very pleased at how the brand’s refreshing approach to fitness has resonated with Filipinos so far, and we look forward to growing the Celebrity Fitness network of clubs in the Philippines,” said Simon Flint, chief executive officer of Evolution Wellness, the company behind the Celebrity Fitness brand.
Officials reveal two more dynamic fitness clubs are set to open in key business districts in the country this year.
“We’re also excited to share our Celebrity Fitness anthem, titled ‘Unleash the Star.’ The music style and lyrics reflect the Celebrity Fitness brand values, which we hope will inspire more people to make positive changes in their lives, and have fun doing so. We think it’s cool, and as far as we know, has never been done before by any other gym brand!” shared Ellis.
Celebrity Fitness One Bonifacio High Street is open Monday to Friday at 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Photos by Mae Gianina C. Pascual