When I was living in Manila I went to Gold’s Gym in Makati (Glorietta 3). This is what I thought.
Where is it?
If you’re staying in the southern area of Makati (around Greenbelt / Glorietta), then this gym is very conveniently located. The main entrance is inside Glorietta 3 (on the 3rd floor), but you can also enter from a staircase from inside the Coldstone Creamery which is on Parkway Drive just off Makati Ave (there are no signs indicating any entrance to Gold’s Gym. Also, the ice creams are a tempting distraction from your workout – be careful).
How much does it cost?
Short-term visitors: PHP500 (approx. $10) for a one-day pass, PHP2500 (approx. $50) for a weekly pass, and PHP3800 (approx. $80) for a monthly pass.
There is a website – http://www.metrodeal.com – that sometimes has deals for Gold’s Gym. During my visit to Manila I paid something like PHP1450 for a monthly pass and that coupon was accepted by the staff at Gold’s Gym. So be sure to search for a discounted pass on that site before paying the full price above.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 06:00 – 24:00
Saturday: 06:00 – 22:00
Sunday: 08:00 – 21:00
How are the facilities and atmosphere?
Equipment: The weights area in general is pretty old and not well maintained. I could at least get a decent workout in though. It has a power rack, a squat rack, one or two bench presses, Oly barbells for deadlifting, a leg press, pull-up/dip station, cable pulley machine, barbells and dumbbells, etc.
A lot of the pin-loaded machines are Nautilus machines that look like they’re from the 70’s. Half of them don’t work properly, and the ones that work just feel very awkward to use. I’d just stick to the free weights area.
There are also cardio machines available for use if you don’t get enough cardio running away from the ladyboy hookers on P. Burgos st.
Other facilities: The gym also has a room on the second floor for Zumba, spin classes and shit like that. There are change rooms/lockers and toilets which are generally pretty filthy. If you are going to use the lockers, you’ll need to bring your own padlock. A few basic supplements are also available for purchase at the front counter. The gym isn’t air conditioned, and the few electric fans placed on the floor are usually pointed towards the staff counter in the corner – keeping the staff cool while the gym-goer’s drip sweat everywhere.
Atmosphere: There is a mix of people here – a few serious lifters, a few people that dunno WTF they are doing. Mostly locals with a sprinkling of foreign members. The staff generally seem pretty useless and unconcerned about what’s going on in the gym. People leave their weights on the ground and don’t replace the dumbbells on the racks properly – so good luck finding that matching pair of 25kg dumbbells you’re looking for.
It can be pretty crowded in the evenings and you might have to wait to use the power rack, squat rack or bench. Go during the day or later at night if you can.
Conclusion
This gym is conveniently located in the south part of Makati. It’s enough to do your basic barbell lifts if you don’t mind sweating in the hot temperature. It’s not so clean or well-maintained, but would definitely be worth it if you can get the discounted monthly rate (see above). Overall, I don’t have too many positive things to say about it other than it served its purpose.
Have you been to this gym? Leave a comment and let us know what you thought!
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