So my usual gym is closed today, so I figured I’d try to take a trial at my local Anytime Fitness branch to see if its any good.
Where is it?
The closest station is Yotsubashi station (Yotsubashi Line). Basically this gym is within walking distance of the downtown Minami area (Namba, Shinsaibashi, etc.)
How much does it cost?
I paid 540 yen (approx $5) for my single-visit trial.
Opening Hours
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days year… but, if you want to take the single-visit trial, you have to visit the gym during the hours it is staffed – between 11:00 and 20:00.
The procedural bullshit
I used Japanese during my visit. The staff don’t really speak English and all the forms were in Japanese. Maybe with the aid of google translate you will be able to bluff them enough to get through the procedures, who knows.
The form I had to fill out for the one-visit trial had five items to fill out:
1. Name
2. Emergency contact no.
3. Emergency contact name
4. Reason why you are considering joining Anytime fitness
5. Are you considering signing up for a membership today?
I quickly filled this form in, showed them my ID, paid the 540 yen, and was given a 2-3 minute tour of the facility. After this I was left to work out in peace.
Overview of the facilities
Equipment: It’s barely passable. Focusing on the first-floor free weights area, there are: 2 squat racks with adjustable benches. As there is no bench press, you’d have to use the squat racks for bench pressing. There are only 2 squat racks, so it’s likely that one or both of them will be occupied by someone squatting and/or benching. There is one Smith Machine and one cable crossover machine. The dumbbells only go up to 30kg. Then there is a little area on the other side of the room with a dip station, some Kettlebells and a tricep pulldown station.
Other facilities: The gym is air-conditioned, nice and clean. Looks pretty new. Actually it’s almost the same as the Anytime Fitness I went to in Manila.
Atmosphere: When I went (approx. 5pm) there were 4-5 Japanese guys in the free weight area. All of them looked like reasonably serious lifters. There were some women doing cardio and some DYEL guys using the machines on the second floor.
Conclusion
I guess it’s worth 540 yen for the trial visit. But I wouldn’t come here again, the free weight area can only be used by 3-4 people before it gets crowded and you have to start waiting for your turn.
