Gyms in Tokyo

[Tabanico]

I don't like gold's gyms at all. The equipment is always shite and it is full of people who like other people to know that they are into FITNESS because they think the brand has some sort of cachet. I think I pay about 6-8000 for joyfit which is no frills but it's open 24hrs, you can use any branch, and my branch has better equipment than any other gym I've been to in Japan. I think Tipness was more expensive but it varies by branch, I think, and the level of extras you take (you can rent gym gear which is pretty good actually!).

Tipness Roppongi has the added benefit of the occasional celeb though. I can now say that i saw that guy from Thermae Romana while he was butt naked.

 

[Secretmugen]

Thanks for the tip on Joyfit and Tipness (ha), I'm trying to teach myself good workout habits while I wait to move. Personal training is something I'd prefer not to continue despite the results, since I think it's better in the end to know how train myself instead of being dependent on an instructor.

 

[Tabanico]

Yeah, I have never seen the point of personal trainers. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but the only ones i have seen are either on steroids (so what works for them isn't going to work for you), or they've just done some entry-level course that is mostly bro-science (so they are probably just going to give you some cookie-cutter workout that you could get for free off the internet). Like, the whole business model of personal training mitigates against good service - a good trainer should teach you how to train yourself and set you on your way; but that isn't going to make them any money.

I dunno how advanced you are, but I find that the following sites have got good free resources in terms of the latest research, advice about specific exercises, and research-backed workout plans:
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/ (scroll down to 'foundational content' - good for the basics of diet and nutrition; great guides to the big lifts; decent workouts; and the latest research)
https://rippedbody.com/training/ (great workout plans with volume based on the latest research)
https://mennohenselmans.com/ (great for keeping up with the latest research)

 

[Secretmugen]

Yeah, I have never seen the point of personal trainers. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but the only ones i have seen are either on steroids (so what works for them isn't going to work for you), or they've just done some entry-level course that is mostly bro-science (so they are probably just going to give you some cookie-cutter workout that you could get for free off the internet). Like, the whole business model of personal training mitigates against good service - a good trainer should teach you how to train yourself and set you on your way; but that isn't going to make them any money.

I dunno how advanced you are, but I find that the following sites have got good free resources in terms of the latest research, advice about specific exercises, and research-backed workout plans:
https://www.strongerbyscience.com/ (scroll down to 'foundational content' - good for the basics of diet and nutrition; great guides to the big lifts; decent workouts; and the latest research)
https://rippedbody.com/training/ (great workout plans with volume based on the latest research)
https://mennohenselmans.com/ (great for keeping up with the latest research)

Bookmarking this post, thanks for this.

As for why I keep doing personal training...it's largely both because I'm still learning proper fitness and diets, but also because I hated working out with a passion when I first started. For most of my life, I was definitely happy to be a shut-in slob and lazy, but after hitting 114 kg during COVID and becoming pre-diabetic, something had to change. I've lost 35 pounds, no longer at risk for diabetes. I gained a few back in the last weeks in California before moving, and now I'm working hard to either lose weight or at least not gain more before I get to Japan. For me, it was just uber helpful to have someone who knew their shit keep me accountable, and I made good friends with both of the trainers I had at my old gym.

I'm not too worried about shedding weight in Japan because I'll be doing tons of cardio on a daily basis, so if that becomes my daily life for a year instead of several weeks at a time, I have faith I can eventually hit my goal of 90 kg with some proper diet adjustments.

 

[Alice]

Out of curiosity, what's the average monthly membership fee for a decent gym chain? I've read Gold Gym is somewhere around 10k a month, and if that's the case, one of the more expensive apartments on my list becomes slightly cheaper with their fitness center on premises.

I wouldn’t trust apartment and hotel gyms.
They usually have mostly cardio and maybe a rack of weights, but lack machines. Even some luxury gyms lack pretty basic weight training machines depending on location, you really have to check.

Around 8000 yen is normal for a decent gym.

 

[Alice]

Yeah, I have never seen the point of personal trainers

I agree they are just some cuties doing baito, not actually skilled people. But it was incredibly helpful for me the first few times when basically starting from zero.

 

[Secretmugen]

I wouldn’t trust apartment and hotel gyms.
They usually have mostly cardio and maybe a rack of weights, but lack machines. Even some luxury gyms lack pretty basic weight training machines depending on location, you really have to check.

Around 8000 yen is normal for a decent gym.

Thanks for the advice, Alice!

 

[Sudsy]

maybe a rack of weights

The last hotel gym I saw had 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10kg dumbells. That was the entire weight section.

 

[MikeH]

Tipness Roppongi has the added benefit of the occasional celeb though. I can now say that i saw that guy from Thermae Romana while he was butt naked.

Not to be competitive or anything but did I already tell you about the time I saw Miki Ando totally naked?

Unfortunately she had all her clothes on.

 

[Sudsy]

Holy fuck man. I have been coming to this gym for probably nearly ten years and in all that time I have never had to deal with western style douchebaggery where people leave weights lying around or mistaking equipment etc.

Now there appears to be a member who is just putting whatever weights he uses wherever the fuck he likes and it is doing my fucking nut in.

Now I have to wander around the place to look for the right weights.

One of the best things about going to the gym in Japan negated in an instant by some fucking douchebag - probably one of the grunting, clanging teenagers from the local university, who mostly spend their time looking at their abs in the mirror and doing bicep curls in the squat rack.

Sigh.

New release from Austrian Death Machine just for you!

 

[Tabanico]

So usually this would be my deload week but since I'm away all next week I figured I'd do some reverse pyramid training to get a few heavier reps in at the top of the pyramid and more reps than usual at the bottom.

Went pretty well got a few reps in at 160kg and 175kg on the squat and deadlift which are heavy for me. But I was super distracted by the absolute bell-end next to me.

First he was using the squat rack that I like to use for squats (the pins are at slightly different heights). Second, he was squatting about 60kg, with his heels on plates, using a weightlifting belt and wearing vibrams. Third, and really the worst: after finishing his squats he started fucking curling the barbell plus 2.5kg plates and still insisted on using a weightlifting belt!!

Like, the only people.who.wear vibrams at this gym are ALL douchebags. We have a third Olympic bar that you can use without having to take up space in the squat rack - in addition to a lighter straight bar, and two ez-curl bars and a whole fucking rack of dumbbells so you can work on your arms without taking up the squat rack. And WHO THE FUCK NEEDS A BELT TO CURL 25 KILOS???

Holy fuck man, some people.

Anyway, off now to find some wine for post workout recovery.

 

[Sudsy]

squatting about 60kg, with his heels on plates, using a weightlifting belt and wearing vibrams.

Here - watch a tiny woman squat more than twice what he did while weighing less than what he was squatting.

curling the barbell plus 2.5kg plates and still insisted on using a weightlifting belt!!

The only time it's acceptable to curl in the squat rack is if you own the squat rack and it's set up in your damned home.

We need to make this article into a pamphlet and hand them to everyone who curls there. OR hell, even get the staff to put up a poster.

I think I can find a place to make this into a T-shirt though....

 

[MikeH]

Here - watch a tiny woman squat more than twice what he did while weighing less than what he was squatting.

I agree with everything you say. Also I want to be squeezed between those thighs. And get a t-shirt about it.

 

[Sudsy]

I agree with everything you say. Also I want to be squeezed between those thighs. And get a t-shirt about it.

Get in line.

 

[Durg50]

Bookmarking this post, thanks for this.

As for why I keep doing personal training...it's largely both because I'm still learning proper fitness and diets, but also because I hated working out with a passion when I first started. For most of my life, I was definitely happy to be a shut-in slob and lazy, but after hitting 114 kg during COVID and becoming pre-diabetic, something had to change. I've lost 35 pounds, no longer at risk for diabetes. I gained a few back in the last weeks in California before moving, and now I'm working hard to either lose weight or at least not gain more before I get to Japan. For me, it was just uber helpful to have someone who knew their shit keep me accountable, and I made good friends with both of the trainers I had at my old gym.

I'm not too worried about shedding weight in Japan because I'll be doing tons of cardio on a daily basis, so if that becomes my daily life for a year instead of several weeks at a time, I have faith I can eventually hit my goal of 90 kg with some proper diet adjustments.

Dont neglect fibre intake. A lot of influencers and online goals focus on protein, carbs and fats.

I rarely see or read any of these people talking about importance of fibre.

You can follow their advice and look and feel great but if you neglect fibre intake you could end up with a lot of gut issues.

 

[Sudsy]

Dont neglect fibre intake.

Very very good point. As anyone who's ever ended up straining to push out a brick can confirm....

You can follow their advice and look and feel great but if you neglect fibre intake you could end up with a lot of gut issues.

You also feel satiated longer when you have a good helping of fiber with a meal, which aids in sticking to a calories restriction.

 

[Secretmugen]

Appreciate the advice on fiber intake @Durg50 @Sudsy and it's definitely something I need to start to be better about. Guess I'll need to start being more creative about it though...if I eat another salad after these last few weeks, I might just lose it lmao.

 

[Sudsy]

Appreciate the advice on fiber intake @Durg50 @Sudsy and it's definitely something I need to start to be better about. Guess I'll need to start being more creative about it though...if I eat another salad after these last few weeks, I might just lose it lmao.

Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, hummus (be careful of calories with that one), chia seeds, almonds, flaxseed powder, green or brown lentils, edamame, oats, avocado, hemp protein, morning glory are all great sources.

One that gets overlooked a lot is dried figs - those are loaded with fiber, but also have a ton of minerals, and are nicely portable so they make a good snack.

 

[Secretmugen]

Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, hummus (be careful of calories with that one), chia seeds, almonds, flaxseed powder, green or brown lentils, edamame, oats, avocado, hemp protein, morning glory are all great sources.

One that gets overlooked a lot is dried figs - those are loaded with fiber, but also have a ton of minerals, and are nicely portable so they make a good snack.

Figs! I LOVE figs! Never even considered those, thanks a heap. I'll make sure to find some as soon as I move in a few weeks.

 

[Keihan]

I hope you assholes realize how good you have it these days, especially being in Tokyo. When I arrived in Osaka two decades ago, my only option was a Konami Sports Club near my first NOVA branch in the shithole suburbs. Plus side, the tomboy college student staffer girl that assisted me signing up wanted to fuck. Otherwise, it was an embarrassing excuse for a "gym" full of shitty machines meant for women or the elderly. No benches. No racks. No decent free weights. I heard the larger branches downtown (like Umeda) had a slightly better variety of equipment but were also significantly more expensive and, worse, full of douchebag English "teachers" and other repulsive gaijin. When I finally went home six years later, my female cousin almost beat me in arm-wrestling and when I got back to a real gym and a real bench my arms were shaking trying to put up two plates a couple times.

 

[YokoMonger]

First he was using the squat rack that I like to use for squats (the pins are at slightly different heights). Second, he was squatting about 60kg, with his heels on plates, using a weightlifting belt and wearing vibrams. Third, and really the worst: after finishing his squats he started fucking curling the barbell plus 2.5kg plates and still insisted on using a weightlifting belt!!

Like, the only people.who.wear vibrams at this gym are ALL douchebags. We have a third Olympic bar that you can use without having to take up space in the squat rack - in addition to a lighter straight bar, and two ez-curl bars and a whole fucking rack of dumbbells so you can work on your arms without taking up the squat rack. And WHO THE FUCK NEEDS A BELT TO CURL 25 KILOS???

Gotta call you out about being a bit bitchy on this one. Other people might have their favorite rack as well, might not have the flexibility for ass to grass squats with heels on ground and need support, like the feel of vibrams or chucks when lifting heavy, don't care about taking the belt off, or maybe like the added support for pre-existing conditions, etc. Except for curling in squat rack. I feel that pain.

At my gym, the fucking trainers got the customers doing banded pull-ups, deadlifts (using the safety rails!!!), using those fucking TRX straps, and even one-legged dumbbell squats in the racks. It's a shame as the older customers obviously would try their damnedest to do a good workout if they knew how, but they were told by a retard with "personal trainer" on their shirt (written in English no less) that light weights with half range of motion while doing some unrelated calisthenic movement is how you workout with weights.

 

[Sudsy]

using those fucking TRX straps

Why the fuck would you use those in a gym? I have a set, they’re strictly for business travel in case I end up in a hotel with a shitty gym (or no gym at all).

 

[Tabanico]

Gotta call you out about being a bit bitchy on this one. Other people might have their favorite rack as well, might not have the flexibility for ass to grass squats with heels on ground and need support, like the feel of vibrams or chucks when lifting heavy, don't care about taking the belt off, or maybe like the added support for pre-existing conditions, etc. Except for curling in squat rack. I feel that pain.

At my gym, the fucking trainers got the customers doing banded pull-ups, deadlifts (using the safety rails!!!), using those fucking TRX straps, and even one-legged dumbbell squats in the racks. It's a shame as the older customers obviously would try their damnedest to do a good workout if they knew how, but they were told by a retard with "personal trainer" on their shirt (written in English no less) that light weights with half range of motion while doing some unrelated calisthenic movement is how you workout with weights.

Yeah, I realise I am being unreasonable about the vibrams IN THEORY. Just, in practice, everyone who wears them at my gym is ALWAYS doing a stupid workout. And yeah, belts and plates under heels are legitimate approaches to exercising - it's just that in my experience the people who tend to obsess over details like that end up spending so much time obsessing over the 20% that they neglect the 80% of just basic stuff that is going to help them actually progress. It occupies the same part of my mental landscape as the guys who turn up in brand new underarmour kit, weightlifting shoes, straps, protein shaker, beats headphones, and then do fifteen bicep workouts each week and wonder why their arms aren't getting any bigger. The guys who like to lift up their shirt to check their abs in the mirror while they are doing one of those bicep workouts. I think the number of people who actually need plates under their heels is pretty small - just start with lighter weights and work on your form and work your way up. And taking off your belt between sets of bicep curls only to put it on for the mammoth task of curling a 20kg bar with what I remember now were actually 1.25kg plates in the squat rack is just fucking unhinged.

 

[MikeH]

Yeah, I realise I am being unreasonable about the vibrams IN THEORY. Just, in practice, everyone who wears them at my gym is ALWAYS doing a stupid workout.

Vibrams are awesome!

For taking with you in a business trip with just carry-on luggage and using them in a hotel gym treadmill. Though I do understand how that would be taken as a stupid workout.

 

[Durg50]

when I got back to a real gym and a real bench my arms were shaking trying to put up two plates a couple times.

100kg bench (i assume you are talking bench here) is pretty damn good for an asian english teacher that got black out drunk regularly and carries around a beer in his bag at all times. Dont be so hard in yourself.