#classcruiser

HAPPY NEW YEAR, CRUISERS! May all the fitness fun and happy, healthy living continue on into 2016. From the bottom of our hearts, we here at ClassCruiser would like to thank you for your continued support and genuine interest in the growing wellness community in our great city, Hong Kong.

Recently, we introduced you to one of our partners, Bodywize Yoga, which offers aerial yoga classes. For a double whammy, we suggest unwinding (no pun intended) from hanging upside down in those silks with a world-class treatment at their award-winning spa, most conveniently located just two floors below!

The always-warm-and-lovely owner, Lisa Mak, kindly answered more questions for us, and we captured some snaps of the gorgeous environment to better accompany her words with too.

Hi Lisa! Great to have you again. Please refresh our readers' memories by describing your involvement in the fitness and wellness sector.

My role is a spa director, boutique yoga owner and devoted yoga practitioner. I have always maintained the passion to combine the concepts of wellness and aesthetic beauty into a spa.

How long have you had Bodywize Yoga + Retreat for?

Bodywize Day Spa first opened in 2004 on Sing Woo Road in Happy Valley. After 2 years, we opened another branch nearby—Retreat@Bodywize, a zen-style, tranquil, and peaceful spa sanctuary. In 2008, Bodywize launched its own Yoga studio on Wong Nai Chung Road, again in Happy Valley. And by the end of 2013, we found this new and exciting flagship location in the heart of Causeway Bay which best suits Bodywize’s concept, combining spa and wellness services. 2014 was the year for Bodywize, as it has revolutionized itself ever since the relocation, inspired by what we’ve learned from the past, using this information to help better serve the clients in Causeway Bay.

When did you decide to incorporate the two, and why?

I’d always dreamed of opening the flagship [Bodywize premier spa and wellness] but the powers that be would not allow me to create something like this before. I realized “pretty” isn’t just about a look but it’s also the way we feel about ourselves. My first experience with yoga took me into a space which connected my mind, body and spirit, where I could see myself more clearly. I am glad this happened to me. My passion is to simply make people beautiful so they can regain their confidence and stay healthy and strong.

What is something unique about your spa that sets Bodywize apart from other spas in the city?

Our therapists make it personal and they tune into the clients, performing professional treatments that are personalized to respond to the ever-evolving rhythm of our life and ever-changing nature of our skin. The choices we make everyday: how to react to stress, when to relax, what kind of food nutrition to intake—these are all part of the equation to living a more consistent, balanced, happier life. We want to show our clients the path to complete health and optimal beauty. The treatments are designed to support great skin health, to respect that skin is alive. No two skins are the same. Our spa therapy is shaped and moduled around the client. Bodywize is comitted to provide the best possible experience to my clients.

Do many of your clients visit both the Yoga and the Retreat parts of Bodywize?

As for the yoga members, they often do regular exercise to decrease bouts of depression. When they exercise and sweat, this process can help clean out pores. The spa brings our members one step further on their ultimate goal to achieve a balanced life with consistency. Our spa treatments are designed to deliver focused results, relaxation and restoration.

I often ecourage my spa clients to meditate or do some form of relaxation for every day. Developing ritualistic daily habits of relaxing and exercising can be very beneficial to our emotional health. Many of our spa clients have joined our yoga studio as well, so it is with certainty that they are receiving all of these great benefits.

What is your most popular treatment?

Our most popular treatment is called the “Red Carpet Treat” which just received the “Medi-Spa Treatment of the Year 2015,” presented by the Asia Spa Awards.

How do you decide which treatments to feature at the spa?

Our customers always want a fast and comfortable treatment within 2 hours, through which they can achieve a shiny and glowing effect with improved results both on skin texture and pore size, with rapid face firming. Every treatment is designed to offer efficient outcomes within a reasonable time frame. We use powerful massage sequences and the most potent actives at Retreat Spa.

Where do you find your spa technicians?

We recruit spa therapists and professionals who have had years of work experience specifically conducted in resorts and beauty spas from all around the world. We also welcome very well-groomed applicants with a strong desire to enter the spa and wellness industry.  

What kind of people would you recommend your spa to, and why?

People are different; they react differently to stressful situations. For those who have suffered from stress before, it becomes chronic—we see there is an immediate relief from tension after treatment every time. A long life of serenity and beautiful, healthy skin is not something unachievable; Bodywize helps the client to live with a balanced, and sustainable lifestyle.

How often do you treat yourself to a pampering?

I go at least once or twice a year to get that travel experience of magic and tranquility. Imagine a secluded bay and bird sanctuary on the coastline! Our clients can unwind on the sun terrace, relax in our rain showers, or drink mint tea to the call to prayer and feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of life [in Hong Kong]. Enjoy a daily relaxing treatment to cleanse and invigorate. End a day with gentle yoga and breathing classes and new travel experiences. I do need my little breaks away from the usual routine of life and I am happy every time I get there.

Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? Hard to believe that a sanctuary of this capacity is located smack dab in the middle of one of the most fast-paced and frenzied pockets of any city in the world.

Optimum Performance Studio has got it all: high-performance training machines, the means to educate you on how to use them, classes for the masses, multiple outlets plus space for rent to boot.

Kevin Rushton is the humble and passionate soul behind the business, which began as a retail facility but has since grown over the decade-plus that it’s been around in this city to become the training studio (for both trainers and trainees) and educational platform that it has more recently developed into.

Hi Kevin! Please tell us a bit about yourself. I'm from Nova Scotia in Canada, just outside of Halifax in Oxford. I moved here in 1992 to work on the YMCAs in TST for 9 years. I was only supposed to be here for 2 years but obviously enjoyed it so I ended up staying—and here I am 24 years later! What happened after your stint with the YMCA? After that, I worked for an American fitness manufacturer over 3 years and oversaw 5 regions in Asia. It was a cardio and strength equipment company based out of California. I oversaw the physical fitness section: sports recreation, outdoor camping, aquatics, and corporate wellness. I've always been involved in fitness.

My passion is in fitness organization, education, and training. 

How did you turn that passion into a business? My business partner and I opened Oasis Fitness in 2001. We represent a number of fitness products i.e. TRX, Viper, Triggerpoint, Free Motion, Balance Body, and Power Plate. A lot of the things we have in here we actually distribute in Hong Kong. It's like a storage room! When did you decide to open OPT? We opened the studio in 2005. Part of the reason we decided to open it was because there was a gap between selling the equipment and training people on how to use it. We started with the 2nd floor in 2005; 2 years later we gained access to the 1st floor, and in 2009 we gained access to part of the 3rd floor. 2011 was when we got the full 3rd floor. TST has 1 floor (3,000 sq. ft.) and opened in 2013.

What is OPS? It is a functional training studio where personal trainers, Pilates, and other instructors can rent space. We are a venue for hire. We don't employ anyone aside from reception. We have a couple of physios who utilize some of our rooms for treatments. And the growing part of our business is training and education. We represent the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) now in Southeast Asia and have the partners in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, and Korea at the present. We pay trainers to teach these courses.

Do you guys ever close? We're pretty much open 7 days a week, but Sundays are used for training and education. How long are these courses? NASM is a 6-week certification. Most of our other courses like TRX, Viper, and PowerPlate are 1-day or 8-hour programs.

What do you do on your "off" time? My hobbies include ice hockey, mountain biking—I live on Lantau. That's relaxing for me!

We highly recommend popping by their multi-level facility located conveniently in Central the next time you’re in the area. Here at ClassCruiser, we’ve teamed up with them to offer you some awesome strength and conditioning classes which are just perfect ways to spend an hour to kickstart your week with a friend before grabbing a light dinner in the ‘hood afterwards!

There are people who like to work out alone (to them, the gym is not a social place nor a place to be seen) and then there are others still who like the motivational (and perhaps even slightly competitive) aspect of group training.

We love inspirational stories, and more than that, getting the chance to meet the voices behind them. It’s always the same good stuff you hear about and admire in these go-getters: strength, determination, willpower, and of course, patience. Proving that results really do happen over time if you set your mind to something, we met with Jeremy Lieberman; businessman by day, and fitness enthusiast...well, always! For him, Circuit25 quickly evolved from a mere curiosity to become a passion, a lifestyle—so much so, in fact, that when its original owner left the city, he asked Jeremy to carry the torch.

We’ll let him tell you more!

Hi Jeremy! Please tell us about yourself and how you got involved with Circuit25.

I came to Hong Kong 10 years ago a very unfit, unhealthy, 300-pound, cigarette-smoking, modern lifestyle-living person. When I started to get healthy I discovered Circuit25. Although I am in the restaurant business as a full-time career, I had become a great supporter of Circuit25 and became friendly with the founder, a gentleman named Davide Butson. Davide is a world-class triathlete; he is also a professional photographer, a graphic designer, and instructor; he was operating Circuit25 and I became one of "our" regular members. A couple of years ago, Davide relocated to New York and he asked me—based on my enthusiasm for our brand and our concept—to take over the management. What was your reaction? Thrilled! Because I was and still remain convinced that one of the future business opportunities lies in fitness, and there are a lot of things that I love about the Circuit25 model. I was very humbled to pick up the torch and carry it forward. What are your responsibilities now as the owner? Well, if you include the classes that I attend, I probably spend 8-10 hours a week in total in gauging Circuit25 business and fitness. For me, it's a part-time responsibility but it's a full-time commitment.

Do you have anyone else helping you? I manage the business side and I work hand in hand with a group of 4 or 5 of our regular trainers. Did you personally select the trainers? I inherited about half of them and the other half I've developed since I've taken over the brand. What IS Circuit25? Circuit25 is an outdoor group fitness experience. We have classes that range in size from 3 or 4 members up to 18 to 20 members depending on the time of year, the location, and the time of day. We have hour-long fitness classes that are full-body, outdoor, motivational group experiences. We focus 25 minutes on cardio and core, and we focus 25 minutes on strength training and stretching.

(Note: We realize that only adds up to 50 minutes, but they leave a bit of cushion time for everyone to arrive, get settled, and warm up!)

How did you discover it? Living in Hong Kong, I had seen some of the marketing material. The outdoor part of the workout really appealed to me; I went to my free trial on a Saturday afternoon and it was such a hard workout that I went home and fell asleep for 6 hours. I was unfit at the time but I was really touched by how the other members encouraged me to give it my best. And on my very first workout I knew that it was the kind of challenge that I needed to work on to be able to keep up with the team.

What kind of client base do you have coming through? We are a fitness experience that is geared to accommodate people of all fitness levels. When Circuit25 was first envisioned, it was a reaction to the CrossFit phenomenon, which is known for being super hardcore. And Davide wanted to be able to have a fitness group that anyone could join and be able to progress their ability. So, our members range from the unfit who want to become fit right through to people who have recently completed the New York Marathon; we have members that have just finished a 10k run around Angkor Wat; we have rugby players; we have fitness enthusiasts of all levels. We are a racially and culturally diverse team—we have local Hong Kong people, we have overseas Chinese people, members from Europe, from North America—from different parts of Asia! Generally, the youngest regular members are in their early 20s, although sometimes on the weekends our members who are parents will bring their children who will join the workout. I'm bringing up the rear end in my early 50s and several members are in their late 40s or early 50s. We tend to be 60% female, although there are classes that are overwhelmingly female sometimes. Somehow the boot camp phenomenon, as it's commonly understood, seems to appeal more to females. And that's a myth that I hope to continue to break down. I really find outdoor circuit training is appropriate for both sexes, and all ages. How long has Circuit25 been around for? We are 5 years old. It took about that long for Circuit25 to evolve from a small group that Davide was working out with/guiding to become a more gelled, organized structure.

Do you always meet in Vic Park? No, we also have regular classes on Bowen Road in the Midlevels as well as a popular class in Kowloon Park that's held in the mornings 3 days a week. Is this the only type of exercise you do? I work out with a PT once or twice a week too—and I surf! Working in the F&B industry, is it hard to remain disciplined with all the delicious food you are constantly surrounded by? The hardest thing I do is control my eating—and actually I don't do it well. I never have a hard time convincing myself to come to a workout but I have a really hard time being surrounded by good food; I have a hard time making good eating decisions. I'm much more disciplined when it comes to fitness than eating. And I'd like to think that my heavy fitness schedule compensates for my bad eating decisions/ideas.

We know how you feel, Jeremy! And we salute you for staying disciplined and maintaining your motivation—enough to accept taking over the business—all these years! Keep up the good work, and we hope to see you out on the concrete soon.

Come on, Cruisers! It’s for everyone, which means you!

Hello, Cruisers! With the arrival of winter (finally!) in Hong Kong, we hope you’ve been keeping warm and snug indoors whilst maintaining that workout regime that you’ve been adhering to since summertime and the boom in the fitness scene ‘round these parts.

While we’re always honoured to introduce you to the various boutique studios and fitness-related businesses that the city has to offer, we’re also intent on acknowledging the vast number of healthy lifestyle startups that have appeared on the scene in coalition with the physical aspect of the industry.

Enter Naturally Better Box, the brainchild of Jenny Peikert and Yvonne Leung, two same-same-but-different friends who found their calling in the exponentially large demand for an answer to Hong Kong’s lack of proper knowledge in regards to corporate responsibility and environmental impact.

We caught up with Jenny at the Conrad (Christmas) fair to learn more about how important these oft-neglected details really are to our well-being.

Hi Jenny! Please tell us a bit about yourself. I was born in Canada but then moved to Hong Kong when I was 4 years old. I went to GSIS (German Swiss International School) at first because my dad insisted we'd only be here for 2 years. Turns out, 35 years later, we still haven't left. I ended up switching over to HKIS (Hong Kong International School) when I was 14 because I knew I wanted a career outside of Germany and if you're studying in German, it kind of limits you. I knew from a young age that I wanted to help people; I just didn't know what it meant or how I could do it. After studying Communications and Design at the University of Toronto, I moved to China where I studied Chinese. Whilst there, I started working at the American Chamber of Commerce, working in their corporate social responsibility department. Basically, what I did was connect corporations and NGOs and in doing so, I learned about both the corporate side (what they need...window dressing, PR) and the NGO side (investors to further their social/environmental cause). Fascinating! What happened from there? I moved from Shanghai to Beijing, where I spent the next 3 years with the Red Cross; I loved doing corporate social responsibility, and actually slept on a cough at their office while I worked with the blind. However, I began to get really sick from all the cobalt in the air pollution. I kept fainting and had shortness of breath. I found out I'm severely gluten-intolerant, I'm a celiac, to the point where I need an Epi-Pen. It took me three years to figure this out. I had to leave China and decided to return to Hong Kong, where I continued to work with big companies on corporate social responsibility (CSR), but we were working with these companies who only cared about how they looked to the public; they didn't actually care about how they integrated the CSR into their companies i.e. “How will we use our paper? What is the work-life balance for our employees? Is there an impact on our environment? Is there slavery in our supply chain?”

Can you elaborate on this frustration? Sure. Companies don't really care. "Employee Day" or "Plant-a-Tree Day" are not solutions. So with all my CSR work I started looking at products differently...take, for example, a candle: a lot of the time, there are sulphates and parabens in it and when they burn, they can irritate people—these sulfates can impact you. In your every day life, you're ingesting your surroundings...whether it's what you smell, what you put on your skin, what you eat. Unfortunately, there are so many nasty chemicals that can affect you.

So how did you meet Yvonne? Yvonne and I actually went to high school together, but because of how large HKIS is, we only really got to know each other in university when we would come back to visit our families here. After I came back from China in 2010, Yvonne was preparing to get married and soon after, became pregnant. All of a sudden, she was thinking about food and all these different things for her baby. She knew that I'd been struggling with health issues and that I am very diligent about finding products that don't impact the environment or its inhabitants, so we started talking, and all of a sudden, I realized that she wasn't the only one who was asking me all these questions. So I began to wonder if maybe there was an educational niche here; you walk into a lot of health food stores and most of the time, the clerks can't answer your questions of "Why?" Eventually, we sat down and  decided that we wanted to start a business together that was naturally better for the world in all ways!

When was this and how did the name come about? This was in March 2014 when we launched the company. We’d been thinking about the name for a long time and what we wanted to aim for, and it was always to make everything "naturally better," so we just added the word "box" to it because everything comes in a box. It made sense. We just really wanted to create something that—and we love hippie—would cater to the greater population. They come in really nice boxes, so they're stylish and reusable too!

How do you source your products? Obviously I had built up my own inventory of products over the years, but when Yvonne came into the picture, there were different needs. What were/are daily needs that we can address in a better way? From toothbrushes to the things, the way you eat, and really knowing what's in the product and where it comes from. It can be social media—often we'll come across things that way, or we love to engage with nutritionists and health-conscious people who we admire and often they'll just recommend products to us, as well as vendors who we really like and who they like to use. We predominantly work with other startups.

What kind of products do you offer mainly? Lifestyle products! Anything from a candle that you want to burn, to skin care, to household cleaning items, and food...although food is not our primary focus—there are other people out there who already do that. We'll maybe feature something we love that we've found through another startup who we like to support. Where do most of your products come from? Australia, because the certification laws are incredibly high compared to the U.S. Organic certification in the U.S. basically means as long as you're 40% (toxin-free) organic you can get approved, which does not meet our standards. We try to find Hong Kong companies that can offer us the standard of what we're looking for in these products and we're really excited to see that there are more and more people takiing initiative in this regard. We'd love to import from Europe but unfortunately that would drive the margin up so high because of the import cost.

What's your personal favourite product? Yvonne's? Mine is the Coal & Canary candles—Hot Barista! I love coffee. I don't drink a lot of it, but I love the smell! I take a sniff and it gives me my morning kick. Yvonne's is the Bambi & Sammi Hair Mask. It's salon-quality without all the nasties! One bag contains four servings. It's simply luxurious! How do you market yourselves? What are some struggles you've faced? Breaking into Hong Kong! Even though there's a rise in health consciousness, there isn't a sense of conscious consumption yet. Most people are brand-conscious, so getting them to think beyond the surface i.e. educating them on production and how it impacts YOU, that's something we're working on. There is this whole process that we go through in order to help these people. What are the next steps for you guys? We are now going to go into distributing the products that we sell, that we really believe in and that we want to share with other people. For example, this (Bambi & Sammi) hair mask—we want spas to carry it, so people can pamper themselves in a way that doesn't impact their environment or its inhabitants without the dangerous side effects to your health.

Also, pushing the art a little bit more! I design all of our cards and we'd like to offer these to the public along with customized illustrations.

They say Causeway Bay is one of the most crowded areas in Hong Kong, made up of blocks of heavily built-up (and by up, we mean up) areas which make a very small chunk of the city seem endless in terms of sights, colours, smells, and sounds.

Enter Bodywize Yoga + Retreat, a relatively recent transplant (via Happy Valley next door) to a neighbourhood that is constantly evolving and continuously growing upwards rather than outwards. Nestled comfortably in the solid Cubus building at the edge of Hoi Ping Road, this award-winning wellness centre takes up real estate on the 1st and 3rd floors respectively. And it is truly as advertised, a genuine sanctuary in the midst of all the stress of the city life.

We spoke to the owner and a true example of the school of zen herself, Lisa Mak, to find out more about what this heavenly space has to offer in terms of yoga classes and spa services.

Hello Lisa! Please tell us a bit about yourself.  

I was born in Hong Kong but I lived in Australia for 16 years and then moved back to Hong Kong close to 12 years ago now.

What were you doing in Australia?

I had a spa and practiced yoga. I also got married there to an Australian.

How did you discover yoga and wellness?

It was there [in Australia] that I was first inspired about 15 years ago because the wellness and spa industry there was already developed quite maturely. I had a Swedish friend who I practiced yoga with and from there, I began to spend most of my waking hours thinking of how to create a beauty concept that would be connected to wellness.

So you came back and decided to open up a wellness sanctuary then?

Bodywize Day Spa was first opened here in 2004, at Sing Woo Road in Happy Valley. I designed a charming patio filled with amenitites that could serve as a warm weather getaway in the style of a backyard and it just naturally transformed into a relaxing retreat.  With the exception of hotel spas, there were no day spas that offered a luxurious space for practice of mindfulness and relaxation; in those days when I joined a yoga retreat, it was run with style and comfort in an incredible location, where I could reconnect with myself through spa treatments, yoga, nutrition, healing through Reiki and endless fun.

After a couple of years, success blossomed and we opened another spa just down the street—our style of zen plus the tranquil and peaceful sanctuary brought the ultimate antidote to Hong Kong’s high-stress lifestyle. I’d asked myself, “Why not incorporate Yoga into our services?” and that was what inspired the launch of Bodywize Yoga in 2008.

Through the first stage of my yoga journey, it guided me to create a space that connects body, mind and spirit where we could see our real beauty. “Pretty” isn’t just about a look but it’s also the way we feel about ourselves. Through Bodywize, I can deliver the best possible experience to my clients.

When did you move from Happy Valley to Causeway Bay?

We launched Bodywize’s flagship location—combining a spa and wellness concept with 21st-century convenience and a personalized yoga service—into this building, Cubus, in May 2014. Located in heart of downtown Causeway Bay, the beautifully designed sanctuary blends classic ambience and zen Buddhism décor with state-of-the-art amenities, boasting 6000 sq. ft. of pampering space to create a premier spa and wellness center.

What kind of clients do you get coming through?

Our clients are professionals who can get extremely busy all the time. They are really looking to yoga for stress relief and to find that inner peace. This is precisely the type of yoga they need. We get mostly female clients, a mix of locals and expats. When we were in Happy Valley, it was 60% western, and 40% local. Interestingly now we are reaching out to a higher percentage of almost 60% local and 40% western now that we are in Causeway Bay.

Tell us more about Anti-Gravity Yoga! It looks fun.

I bought the “Master Developer” license of AntiGravity Yoga from NYC, and launched the first AG workshop with the founder of this program, Christopher Harrison at the W hotel in November 2012. I have significant past dance experience and taught aerobics at a health club back in my earlier days of employment. I’d always wished there was something that would integrate both yoga and dance. Starting around 2010, many yoga studios in Hong Kong started rolling up their mats and shutting their doors, and I saw that the morale [in the community] was really low. I thought to myself that this type of hammock yoga could at least can bring us a new perspective. We could choose to turn our whole personal worlds upside down and inside out and then look at things from a different perspective. Would this be more exciting or more simple? Why couldn’t we just try to incorporate yoga, Pilates and fitness in order to make it either a class for fun or an offering of deep relaxation?

What are some of the physical benefits of practicing AntiGravity Yoga?

We use more therapeutic ways to inspire our clients. It is not exactly related to aerial arts where you’re on a stage performance. Our clients aren’t looking for those. You’ll almost get the immediate results after taking several sessions. The hammock helps relieving pressure while aligning the vertebrae. We can hold challenging postures longer and in correct alignment. To stretch further with less strain, and also create body awareness while increasing overall agility. With the aid of the hammock, one can easily perform advanced inversions without neck or back compression.

What are your most popular classes?

Air Therapy and Yoga Therapy!

Where is your personal sanctuary away from this sanctuary you’ve so kindly created for others?

I feel this is a big part of my life. It’s my passion. When I am here, I see many Bodywize clients regain their health and confidence. Also, I am a Buddhist and often I give yoga classes to local practitioners inside a monastery in Tai Po.

When you’re not living the Bodywize mantra and lifestyle, what are you doing?

I love travelling. I have spent much of my life aboard, travelling far and wide before setting in Hong Kong. Throughout my travels, I’m constantly absorbing what will eventually become a result of my all passions encompassed.

At 7500 sq. ft., Hanuman Thai Boxing & Fitness Centre is the largest Thai boxing gym in Hong Kong, boasting both a 20-ft. ring plus stage and another 18-ft. floor ring—and this is meant for beginners. What’s more is that it’s also equipped with 13 boxing bags and 2 teardrop bags, all of which leave you to wonder who better to train with than current and ex-professional fighters directly from Thailand?

This place has got it all.

Thanks to owner and Muay Thai enthusiast Lavin Kaliandasani—or Ricky, as he’s better known—the city has this huge state-of-the-art space to train in, just a short walk away from the MTR station in Hung Hom. Bringing together curious newbies and seasoned champs alike, a session at Hanuman is definitely worth the trip to the edge of The Dark Side if you don’t already live or work there! But we’ll let the boss do the talking.

Hi Ricky! Please tell us a bit about yourself—including how you got into Muay Thai boxing.

I was born in Hong Kong and lived here all my life except for 3 years where I returned to India at a military school. I was quite into sports since a young age but never that into fitness. My main business is watch manufacturing and running around between China & Hong Kong is still a thing that I do. I spend about 2-3 days at my factory in China which means having to sit at a desk all day. How I got into Thai boxing is funny. My kid brother who is about 14 years younger than me came to me a couple of years back asking me to pay for him to learn Muay Thai. I gave him the money under the condition that he would come home and teach me what he had learned but that never happened. So one day he insisted that all three of us brothers went to try it out. And since that day I haven’t stopped. Muay Thai is not just a sport or a fitness regime but a lifestyle.

How did the idea of opening up Hanuman come to be?

I just fell in love with Muay Thai and my passion drove me to open up my own gym. I found a trainer that was unhappy with his job at the time and after a couple of meetings we opened up.

When did you open it up and why in Hung Hom?

I have been living with my family in Hung Hom for 20 years so it sounded like the best area to open up given that there are no other Muay Thai gyms in the area. We target mainly the 9-6 office job public that reside and works in this area. My own office is literally right next to the gym.

What challenges did you first face when you opened the gym?

Even ‘til today the main challenge we face is to constantly maintain a good team of trainers. It’s not easy to find good talent and good trainers. It’s 2 different things, being a good fighter and a good trainer: a good fighter concentrates on himself whereas a good trainer really gives his heart to teaching his students. Also finding trainers that can work as a team is quite the task but we believe that we have done a good job and maintain an "ALL THAI TRAINERS” motto.

What was the kickboxing/fitness scene like then and what is it like now? Can you describe the change? What does the future hold for this sort of activity in Hong Kong?

The kickboxing/fitness scene at the time when we started was still young and upcoming. Now we have gyms popping up everywhere saying that they provide kickboxing/Muay Thai but from what I see there are still few gyms in our standard that provide the same local, real Muay Thai training. Basically we bring real Thai-style training for people who can’t travel to Thailand.

Why "Hanuman" and what does it mean? Does the term hold any personal significance to you?

As a Hong Konger, everyone and anyone knows Suen Ng Hong which is “The Monkey King” from the famous programme journey from the west. And coming from an Indian origin, Hanuman is our monkey god whose teachings I have followed since a young age. In Thai they have the monkey lord too so that ended up being the best brand that we decided to go with as they relate to each other perfectly.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Being a businessman and landing in this field is truly something that not everyone can do. For me, Hanuman is my pride and that in itself is very rewarding to me. Apart from that when I see my clients or fellow students happy and satisfied with their training or when they learn something new—that’s what excites me the most. I never thought of Hanuman as a business but more of a hobby and a facility through which to teach people in Hong Kong. How to protect themselves—especially for women—and how to lead a disciplined lifestyle. I mean, what else can you do in Hong Kong except go out to drink and party? This is a place where I see people coming to workout and hang out…to have fun! That’s truly rewarding.

What kind of clients do you get coming through?

All kinds! Young, old, small, big. All sizes all shapes. Most of them work or live around in the area but then we have some people that live out in Stanley and even Clearwater Bay that come work out here!

What is your most popular class or feature?

All are equally popular as we don’t have that many varieties. Our classes are more personalized training so every time our trainers work 1-on-1 with students they adapt to their level of fitness so they can only excel and go forward. Other than that we do have 2 sections: "THAI BOXING” which is more suited for beginners and people who are more fitness oriented, and then “RINGSIDE” which is geared more towards fighter training and full body contact sparring with trainers and other fellow students.

Is there a question you get asked a lot in your line of work?

Yeah—when are we going to start our own fight league, which is in the planning!

Is there a personal mantra you like to live by?

Never say never. When there’s a will there’s always a way. Dreaming big isn’t bad. I always get at least half way there!

Can you elaborate on that last one?

I’m 35 and this November was the first time I entered the ring as a professional fighter. It’s never too late to do anything. Although I lost by a few points, it was an experience I will never forget and not my last. I will definitely fight again!

That’s incredible and a great attitude to have. How often do you work out?

About 4-5 days a week.

When you aren't exercising, what do you do in your down time?

Travelling most of the time. Other than that, I’m a father of three and give them my weekends.

Any guilty pleasures in terms of food?

Yes, I am a foodie so I love to eat and drink well. But when I’m training for a fight, mainly just raw foods and light meals.

With the health and fitness industry functioning at an all-time high in Hong Kong, it’s no surprise that one of the darlings of the bunch, spinning, remains a crowd favourite in a thriving sea of workout trends.

Thankfully, enthusiasts of the indoor cycling movement such as Margaret Kao have created safe, fun, and personable spaces like TORQ Cycle where—pardon the pun—they have taken a more hands-on approach to the individual workout, really concentrating on the growth and development of each body that takes a seat on one of their bikes.

Hi Margaret! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm Taiwanese, but I grew up in New Zealand. I went to Duke University in the U.S. where I studied Psychology, Chemistry and Japanese—I was pre-med, so after I graduated I was at Harvard for a year and then I transferred to Columbia. It was then that I decided to change careers from medicine to finance. When I was in New York, I worked for a venture capital firm for nanotechnology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals...and then in 2007 I decided to come out to Hong Kong because my family's business has always been in Asia.

When and how did you first discover spinning?

It was in the U.S. just before 2005—I used to do it in New York at my gym. There was a famous instructor there so I decided to try it one day and I really enjoyed it. I also had a PT at the time; I was into getting healthy and fit while trying to keep up with my studies and work. New York City is very health-conscious, there’s a strong fitness community there.

Were you always into fitness yourself?

No. In high school, I was always studying! Then when I went to Duke, it just so happened that most of my friends were athletes—it’s a very athletic school. And because after that I went into health care, it just naturally developed.

What made you decide to open Torq?

I was a member at a mass market gym and I just felt like for the price you were paying, you weren't getting good customer service and quality. So I opened Torq about 3 years ago because I wanted to create a boutique studio which I believe at that time was missing in Hong Kong; where customers could pay as you go and in packages, not locked into 1-2 year memberships. A place where we care about our customers and what we provide: great classes, great facilities, and great instructors.

What were some of the major challenges you first faced when you opened the studio?

There's been a lot of competition because Hong Kong is small—Central is small. Thankfully, we've done very well and have been able to create our own community. Another challenge is trying to convert people who already have 1-2 year memberships to join boutique studios. And of course, rent is high!

How do you differentiate yourselves from other independent studios?

Some people will just do spinning with us because our quality is better—we are different because we combine functional training with indoor cycling whereas other gyms don't provide that. We track all of your performances on your profile. We track your speed, your power, calories burned, and it's synced with your profile—we email you your data after you take a class. We also stream the data in front of the class so there's a competitive element as well. It gives you an extra edge, a push to perform better in class.

What if some people find that intimidating?

You have the option to take yourself off the board, but most people are focused on their own fitness so it’s not an issue. It's also a good teaching tool for the instructors.

How often do you spin a week? 3-4 times a week. When I first opened I spun every day. Now I integrate yoga or Pilates into my workout because my muscles were getting tight and I wanted more of a balance.

What are some rewards of the job that you’ve experienced? Being a part of the entrepreneurial community and creating the brand and the company in Hong Kong that wasn't there before. Creating an indoor cycling fitness community and an amazing team as well. Our instructors are the best, they've been doing this for 10-15 years. High quality. Also seeing results in our customers, seeing how hard they work in class, getting feedback after class. We've helped a lot of people lose weight or meet their fitness goals, and we have the results to prove it.

Just out of curiosity, how much spinning would it take before one might begin to notice significant results?

About 3 months of training plus a healthy diet. Spinning 4-5 times a week. It takes a lot of dedication—we have some people coming in for doubles! You seem very disciplined all around. Any guilty pleasures, cheat eats? I'm lucky that I don't like sweet foods but I love salty foods—salt and vinegar chips! The saltier, the sour-er the better. I'm not a big pasta/bread person but I like rice. Sushi with rice is another thing I enjoy, but I’ll try and substitute that with brown rice and quinoa.

Boasting 7,000 sq. ft. of space in a prime location overlooking the skyline from a North Point-of-view, Coastal Fitness is undoubtedly one of Hong Kong’s premier performance training facilities and perhaps even second home to many of the city’s most dedicated (Cross)fitness enthusiasts.

We had a chance to sit down with the founder, Ed Haynes—whose brother and mother are also regular faces ‘round these parts as a trainer and client respectively—as he explained to us the growth and direction his business has seen over the years, and how Coastal has become his livelihood in every positive sense of the word.

Hi Ed! Please tell us a bit about yourself. I grew up in Hong Kong—I went to school here and then moved away to go to university in the UK. The dream was always to work in the fitness industry so as soon as I graduated, I moved back to Hong Kong and set up Coastal Fitness within the first 6 months of graduating. That was about 6 years ago now. Was Coastal Fitness always a Crossfit idea? No, not at all. We still don't call ourselves a Crossfit company. Crossfit was a service/methdology—a sport—that we stumbled upon 3 years ago. When we first started out, we were only doing PT. Then we first started our group training service when we launched our "Smack" program back in 2010/2011. Did you open Coastal with your brother, Ant? No, I actually opened and set up Coastal on my own and ran it by myself for the first 15 months! Then I employed Ant and Andy (Bratsanos) at the same time. Now we have 9 full-time trainers. Why "Coastal?” The name “Coastal” first originated because at the time I was living on the Gold Coast with my parents.

So how did you discover CrossFit? So a bit of background on myself as an athlete is that I used to play rugby—I played for the Hong Kong team for 6-7 years so a lot of my education was in classic strength conditioning. And then obviously I was always looking to learn more and discover innovative ways to train myself and clients. I stumbled across the methodology of CrossFit in 2011 (through online research—Andy introduced me to it) and that led me to want to learn more!

And how did it develop from there?

We signed up for the first-ever CrossFit Level 1 Certification in Asia in Singapore in 2011; it was more of a way for me to get my foot in the door and learn more about it. Now, not only are we using CrossFit as a training methodology but we actually compete overseas as well, including the regionals in Australia which is the biggest competition on the CrossFit calendar. We're really pushing the envelope with performance within our facitility. What’s it like to work so closely with your brother? We've developed a really healthy working relationship. When we set foot in the gym or if it's anything business-related, we have those hats on, but when we step out of the facility, it's a brotherly relationship. We've managed to maintain a healthy relationship since Day 1. Have you always been in this space? Yeah, since we've owned the facility this has been our space for the last 3 years.

How have you seen the CrossFit industry grow in Hong Kong? If you look at the number of affiliate gyms, you can see that there are 8 or 9 now. Each facility has a growing membership which has been a great thing. The more awareness and the more people that are doing this means a bigger community, which allows us to leverage off of it like organizing events, bringing people together, and raising awareness of health and fitness. The fitness industry in terms of education, what's available to the consumer, and the amount of people partaking in exercise has come a long, long way since I first started. What does CrossFit bring into your life? Well, it's my livelihood, really. As a business owner, CrossFit is a very large part of what we offer here at Coastal Fitness and running a business which offers a CrossFit service. And I guess the second for me, using CrossFit and the ideas of its methodology, I'm always learning new things, I'm constantly improving and the cool thing about it is I get to compete IN it against people around the world. It's replaced that bubble from competitive sport to be able to compete in a different sport. I've always been into competitive sports. How much of Coastal is CrossFit vs. regular workouts/PT? It’s hard to quanify because CrossFit is a group class membership but we have over 70 PT clients here at Coastal who are all training more than twice a week with us, plus we also have individual clients who train overseas and around Hong Kong where we actually do program design for them. We have clients all across the UK, Guam, Philippines, New Zealand...we work with athletes in a vast array of sports from rugby to tennis to swimmers to power lifters.

That’s incredible! How do they find out about you? Research is one way but if you look at the history of our marketing strategy, a lot of our business comes from word of mouth. It also helps that all of our coaches come from athletic backgrounds—that has a potential allure to other athletes as well. What do you do in your downtime? Personally, I'm at home to eat and go to bed. That's my downtime. When I get home I'll probably spend the first hour doing admin work, program design work—any work I need to do to finish off the day, but my policy sf that I try to do anything to do with technology by 9. After that, the computer screen gets turned off and I don't watch TV. From 9 p.m. on it's chill-out time or sleep preparation. I read books, listen to Podcasts (note from editor: that’s technology, but we’ll let it slide!), stretch...I'm currently enrolled in a course in business systems so that's taking a lot of my time. I'm typically in bed before 10. Any guilty pleasures in terms of food? I love burgers. I'm just a burger guy.

Fair enough. Where’s the best burger in Hong Kong? I'm a big fan of Stone's in Tai Hang.