Ha, I think you just endorsed this club for the gay community.
Not gay, but will try the club anyway. Can not this weekend, but soon.
[quote=âtango42â]Ha, I think you just endorsed this club for the gay
community.
[/quote]
In that case, I should be more specific in my review and say that, from what
I could tell, Neo19 seems to be more much more popular with gays than NY,
NY. Thatâs seriously speaking.
My âvery good if youâre gayâ comment was meant to cover gyms in general and
was an expression of latent frustration of a woman struggling to pick out
straight, athletic (Taiwanese) men in the sea of gay, athletic men in this
city :grrr:
My experience at Alexanders was also not so hot.
First, they flat out told my local gf that they offered a better price to locals. The first salesperson we spoke to (Yong He branch) was not willing to budge on price.
Eventually went to the salesman at the TPE main station branch where the gf had her membership. He managed to give me a 2-year contract for about NT$36,000, if I remember correctly (that was maybe 4 years ago).
Anyway, I also waited more than THREE MONTHS for my card, having to explain every time I went to the Yong He branch that yes, I was really a member. Eventually a threat to demand a refund got my card delivered within a week.
As it turned out, I left Taiwan earlier than planned, with about 11 months still left on my deal. I asked if there was any way I could get a partial refund or âpointsâ which could be exchanged for meals etc. I was told by front desk staff that I could receive a full refund for the months not used - very impressive. Except of course that it proved too good to be true.
In fact, the scaly sales rep at TPE branch, who had since âleftâ had signed me up for a 5-year contract, which involved paying the NT$36,000 for two years and then a monthly management fee from the third year. This had been done behind my back as my gf had read over every line of the contract very carefully with me. It had not been in the contract, but apparently he had entered it on the computer.
After countless phone calls (and I do mean countless - hours and hours), each time higher up the chain being spun another yarn (you know how it is here) I resorted toâŚwell, the last resort. No, not baseball bats in a dark alley. I threatened to write to the English newspapers and name and shame them (after ll, probably at least 20% of their clientele are foreigners). Immediate response (why donât I ever bring this weapon out earlier?). OK, theyâd give me half my outstanding cash as points, which seemed reasonable to me.
All in all, though, a fairly miserable experience.
Service aside, they do offer great facilities, although I agree with previous posters that I found the old oba-sans hogging the pool (with no actual intention of swimming) more than a little annoying. The gym was always crowded, any time of the day or night.
This quote also seems quite true, particularly at Alexanderâs, with its âhigh-classâ reputation (except itâs not only the young). Itâs a lot like saying âI send my kid to â_____â(insert famous cram school name here)â:
[quote]A lot of young Taiwanese join the gym because it
Happened to pass by and visit Alexandersâ at NY NY last night around 9pm. Got a quick sufficient tour.
Lesson learned: Go view gym after normal business hours so not hit with long sales pitch. I got the tour, with no subsequent sales pitch.
Impression: Seems quite small, in fact so small, that I am sure must be hard to get on machines and equipment during peak hours. Apparently there is another one within 2 minutes walk with a pool. Did not see that one. Trendy. Aerobics class full was packed with 90% women. Not a bad thing.
Didnât get costs yet. Left my phone number (uh oh) and will post with price quotes here later.
My office has a standing agreement with Goldâs Gym so I joined. Will try it for a few months. Seems quite large with tons of equipment. They open 6am and close 12am. Good hours.
Parking will be tough though. They said have to park at high school down the road and across the street⌠not good.
Been a member of Alexanderâs for 2 years. Warner Village.
Most of what has been said is true. The trainers will only help very attractive young women while older sincere people will be struggling with the English instructions and straining themselves.
I recommend checking out a gym during the times you plan on working out.
A lot of people resting on machines. I merely stand at a very intimidating distance, breathe through my mouth and stare at them as they recline. They always move.
There are a lot of machines, weekend evenings the pool is usually free. A little too chlorinated and they got angry at me for using swim fins.
I use the free weights and do circuits. I lift weights like something similiar to Rikkers Island Max Security Prison weight room so I usually piss a circle around the equipment Iâm using and run the guys over who are staring at their pecks in the mirror`and watching TV.
I mean I actually nudge them out of the way.,
I always put my weights away and wipe after I use the machines, donât drop my weights on the ground, donât sleep on the machines, donât belch loudly, donât use my cell phone and have loud volume conversations, donât scream with a Conan the Barbarian cry while lifting. So far none of this has rubbed off on any of the other members.
I donât stare at the gals or bug the obasans/ojisans.
Whenever I see sweat on the machines I say loudly with a sigh, âLOOK AT ALL THE F***inâ sweat!â while cleaning off the machines.
The steam rooms are okayâŚwell it is Gay night on FridaysâŚso if thatâs your thing- happy hunting boys.
Only complaint is that some of the members shower incessantly in the steam room, I usually remove the shower head, set it next to me and give them my
âI will eat your F###ing children alive!!!â look.
They like to try to see my pee-pee too, which is normal I guess.
The men also like to blow dry their balls in front of the mirror for an unnaturally long time. (Note you canât use cell phones in the locker room)
I donât know what they do in the womenâs locker room. Can only imagine what they do with the hair dryers in there.
They have a separate workout area for women which I think is nice to build confidence in women to use the gym.
Usually the air is good and the temperature comfortable.
Funny not one person had talked to me once in two yearsâother than the salespeople.
Regarding the duration of blow-drying in womenâs locker rooms⌠Iâll give you a clue:
Taiwanese women donât trim! 
Hmm⌠perhaps this should be a separate thread? Mr. Moderator?
Thanks a lot Tash.
I have a moderator moto. If in doubt, leave it alone.
Some do. 
[/tash wrote:
Taiwanese women donât trim!
Iâm still doing my own personal research on this matter.
Any of you guys ever notice how Taiwanese men in the jacuzzi always stand up, turn around to face the jet spray, and then commence to do this gyrating motion with their hips.
Apparently itâs good for your⌠âQiââŚ
That wouldnât go over too well in the west unless youâre at a gay sauna or something.
My contract expires this week. I was told by the salesperson that the 1 year fee is now $40,000 NT and that a 6 month fee at $18,000NT with a montlhy charge of $2,000 NT. after the six month period.
This sounds like a âtake the money and runâ type of stratedy. I guess they arenât thinking long term now. The salesperson was a kind of glorified poser surfer-boy who smelled of cigarettes and had an unusual over -tanned orange glow from a tanning booth.
Must work on the housewives.
Iâm going to see what I can get from him on MondayâI call it my gerbil techniqueâŚrun 'em in circles for hours till they are dizzy and then ram it up hisâŚwell you get the idea.
I was a member at Body Concept or something similar sounding here in Hsinchu for about 6 months.
Nice place, but most of the local guys drove me nuts. Typical dude walks in, get his âtowerâ and key for the locker, and then, without hesitation, heads to the closest airconditioner and either turns it off, or puts the temperature on something insane like 27 C. In the middle of summer! Having done that successfully, dude then turns his short attention span to the nearest TV where heâll spend the next 20 minutes skipping through the channels. No matter who watched what at that point in time. Dude is the only one in the gym see (he thinks). 
What did I do? He turns the temp up, I wait until heâs pushing weights and I turn it down again. Same with the TV â he leaves it for a split second and I change it to something like CNN just to irritate the piss out of dude. :s
It was actually quite funny to see how dude rushed through his sets, especially if I wandered in the general direction of the TV. 
Who won the âbattleâ? Dude did! Dudes donât lose! I quit battle weary after 6 months of channel and temperature hopping. 
By the sound of it, youâre getting ripped off. The first year I arrived I spent 32,000nt for 18 months at California Fitness on Chungshiao East Rd.
It was for a âgoldâ membership and some of my newly aquired friends mentioned that I had gotten ripped off. Sure enough my renewed membership this year cost me 18,000nt for one year but recieved a âplatinumâ membership good for all over Asia and North America.
Iâve been to Alexander at Warner Village and even in Tainan. Garbage gym. Not enough equipment or heavy weights. The stationary bikes were always poorly maintained as well. I would never work out at such a prissy place. Then again, most gyms that Iâve visited here in Taiwan donât exactly fit in the hardcore catergory. California is the closest feeling to my gym back home.
Iâve been swimming at the Beitou YMCA. They have a big building and use the acronym BTSC, I think itâs Beitou Sports Center. Shipai road lane 39. Itâs 110NT to swim. They have a gym on the fifth floor. I havenât been there but my wife says its about 50NT for an hour. That sounds reasonable to me.
I didnât renew my membership last week because I canât commit for that long, so I just bought month to month at $3000/month.
What do your gyms charge for month to month and is there an extra fee or two? They shouldnât charge extra fees, let me tell you.
Somebody told me that you get into the YMCA free if you dress like an Indian chief. But itâs not true.
[quote=âBubba 2 Gunsâ]My contract expires this week. I was told by the salesperson that the 1 year fee is now $40,000 NT and that a 6 month fee at $18,000NT with a montlhy charge of $2,000 NT. after the six month period.
This sounds like a âtake the money and runâ type of stratedy. I guess they arenât thinking long term now. The salesperson was a kind of glorified poser surfer-boy who smelled of cigarettes and had an unusual over -tanned orange glow from a tanning booth.
Must work on the housewives.
Iâm going to see what I can get from him on MondayâI call it my gerbil techniqueâŚrun 'em in circles for hours till they are dizzy and then ram it up hisâŚwell you get the idea.[/quote]
My wife is at Alexandar too, and they were giving her some bullshit renewal figures but she kept bargaining and calling different sales people. She now is just paying about NT2200 monthly with no membership fees. Keep pushin.
[quote]She now is just paying about NT2200 monthly with no membership fees. Keep pushin.
[/quote]
And keep pushing below that 2200 figure. You could be paying 1800 if you know how to workem. Idiots. They play on peopleâs ego. The Gym is one big ego trip and pray on people who are very desperate. Trust me. I worked in one.
[quote=âM0NSTERâ][quote]She now is just paying about NT2200 monthly with no membership fees. Keep pushin.
[/quote]
And keep pushing below that 2200 figure. You could be paying 1800 if you know how to workem. Idiots. They play on peopleâs ego. The Gym is one big ego trip and pray on people who are very desperate. Trust me. I worked in one.[/quote]
Can you give some advise on working them more?