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New gym at Plaza Bugambillias


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Checked out the new gym on the top floor of Plaza Bugambillias today and decided to give it a try for two months.  Charges the same as Zona and I can walk to this one.  Lots of nice equipment spaciously arranged.  Pretty much everything you'd find in a decent gym these days plus separate areas for aerobics, Zumba and the like.

The young man running it, Oscar Reynoso, looks pretty fit himself and if I understood him correctly, he's a member of the family that owns Plaza B, the movies and El Torito.

Let's hope this flies, this would be a nice addition to Ajijic.

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As a neighbor, the noise didn't seem too bad at first, but since today, with more happening, it looks like it will be a problem.  This morning I was blasted out of my sleep at 6:30 by the carpenter behind my house, as often happens, but not so early.  When I went to the front of my house I could hear the blasting noise from Plaza B which is what motivated the neighbor to blast his music.  What a way to start the day - horrible!

I went up there later for a class schedule.  The name of that class is "Insanity" - I'm not making that up!!!  There will be around 6 hours of classes every morning starting at 6 (!!)) and 6 more hours later in the day.  The large dance studio has been divided into 3 sections all with their own music and no separation of sound between.  The exterior walls are not solid but very open air allowing lots of noise to escape.  It's like the place is only half built.  I heard "music" coming from there last night around 4:30 am probably from workers.  To have to hear more 2 hours later was too much.  Overall, the noise problem will be worse than the bar, 12 hours a day!  

MC, the person you mentioned as the owner is the same who has always encouraged LOUD music in that place, as he seems to believe the myth that loud music attracts business.  He has treated the neighbors with contempt along with people who run shops in the Plaza who now are assaulted by this noise in the open air atrium.  The construction noise had a bad effect on all their business, and now it's all these classes!  Major Bad Idea!!

The schedule shows that several teachers will be teaching classes 4 or 5 hours every day!  This is a recipe for disaster!!  It's also doubtful that there are enough students to make this worthwhile, but I'm sure they'll keep blasting the noise if only 2 show up.  It's a tossup if these teachers will experience total burnout or stress injuries first.

As a former professional dancer with world class training, I am qualified to make these assessments.  I saw one class in session with a couple of gringas (?) and it was the very old style high impact aerobics which was widely discredited in the USA around 25 years ago!  Too much speed and impact leads to chronic stress related injuries in various parts of the body.  Plus few people here have the quality aeroblc shoes necessary for such a class.  They were actually stepping on the balls of the feet because the music was too fast to allow them to lower their heels all the way to the floor every time.  This will lead to achilles tendonitis, and is a major NO in real dance training.  NO ONE should be teaching exercise classes without a solid background in dance.  There is an actual technique of jumping; you can't get around it!

CUIDADO if you are over 30 trying to do this!  Definitely NOT recommended for the aging body.

With teachers teaching up to 15 classes a week of this poor technique, they will certainly either burn out or get stress related injuries which take at least 6 months of rest and/or treatment, surgery or no, to heal.  Better to avoid injuries by NOT taking high impact classes!  Exercise teachers can get very cheap shoddy "certification" which simply means they attended a weekend seminar or something and still end up knowing nothing.   There might be other classes - something low impact would be a better option if they even have that!  A class based on martial arts, pilates, or yoga technique would be a better choice anywhere you go.

Using LOUD music is one big indicator of an inferior teacher.  A real exercise teacher TEACHES the moves and needs to be heard without yelling!  A good teacher will give individual corrections to students.  "Follow the Leader" is bad teaching.

Like I said, CUIDADO!!  BEWARE!!

 

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I, for one, very much appreciate your learned information relative to the new exercise studio at Plaza Bugambilias ezpz.  You sound like you actually know what you are talking about and as one with an aging body who was seriously considering checking this place out for a few months, I will now reconsider and go down the street west by a few blocks and revisit that place -- forget the name.

I was turned off by a flyer I saw when at the movies recently -- apparently they charge graduated amounts depending on how many "areas" of the club you want to use....I don't get that reasoning.

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Guest bennie2

looked like junk from the day they started. wouldnt be caught dead there. there are other places for classes. (w/out teenage nonsence, blasting amps, jumpingup/ down while screaming. been there done that, im out the door in 10 mins ). in addition, that whole street is creepy. filthy outside & the mall is cheesy. ezpz, you took the words out of my mouth. 

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Well I can't comment on the classes since I don't do that, strictly weight training.  I have my own lifecycle for aerobics plus walking.  The weight equipment is pretty good, they could use some more plates.  Seems like blasting music is the norm here, Zona does it too.  I asked them to turn it down when I was there and I did.  At least they won't be playing it at 11PM since they aren't open.

Yeah the construction is pretty basic, nothing unusual about that.  The third floor is basically open air.

I doubt they can sustain that many classes.  A lot of young Mexicans there, particularly women, in the afternoons when I go.

You're not going to find NOB quality gyms here.  This one has what I want and I can walk to it from my house.  I joined for two months to try it out.  A lot of money spent there, we'll see if it survives.

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47 minutes ago, hensley said:

Good luck to anyone that has to drive there for parking, especially on Wednesday's.

I'll say.  If I had to drive there I'd go to Zona instead.  That corner is always a bit crazy, on Wednesdays it is impossible.

Sorta like SuperLake. :)

 

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Guest bennie2

ezpz, classes: blasting music & screaming was non existent untill several years ago. the classes were usually decent. the socalled "certified teachers" from guad are advised (now) to turnup volume/scream&yell to get the "energy up". this stared about 4 years ago. they play heavymetal music w/sound effects like car crashes. douteful that most of those classes will be filled, some will be cancelled. arobics will be in the morning/late afternoons maybe untill 8pm. saturday mornings, non on sundays. (dont know if the gym area will blast music that loud, who knows). again your expectations are way too high for a lower end backwater town. it is what it is, live & let live. 

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Guest bennie2

MC, you cannot say this is a major city/resort or susburb that offers high end services. prior to you moving here, this was farm country. you would not have the bodega problems (for example), piles of garbage, graffitti, loudspeakers. (it was nicer before there was a bugabillia/torittos IMO). there were really good exercise classes for women. (some in a very nice buildings). there was a quiet gym. when i wanted luxury i would travel home, somewhere in south america, or another part of mex. im sure the gym area in the new place is decent. the rest i could live w/out. smart to do a short term membership. my comment was directed to ezpz. after reading her posts i dontknow why she would even go there? its not going to change: "it is what it is". on the bright side, semi unrelated: the chicken i had in tango the other day was superior to many 4 star restaurants. (& no loud music)!

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4 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Similar in equipment, not as expensive, 250 Pesos per month.  Much bigger and more open air.  Noisier I suspect.

Go take a look.  Easy to do, just walk in.

Not quite that easy. I am in Victoria. ???. I will check it out when we come down but was just interested in the comparison. Presume they don't have a sauna, one of the plus points for Sky for me. 

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12 hours ago, ericurmudgeon said:

 Presume they don't have a sauna, one of the plus points for Sky for me. 

I haven't been there yet but was told by a friend that yes they do have a sauna.

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20 hours ago, bennie2 said:

your expectations are way too high for a lower end backwater town

 

17 hours ago, bennie2 said:

you cannot say this is a major city/resort or susburb that offers high end services

Bennie, no one is pretending this is a resort city with high end services; but, neither is it a lower end backwater town.  You may be saying this to prove a point or get a reaction but doing so makes you sound, imo,  like a pompous and pretentious lout.  You contribute a lot of good advice in this board but these negative comments are over the top and easily provoke the reaction you got from MC - "Why do you live here".   Just sayin'

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Guest bennie2

elbartman, i am entitled to have an opinion, pompous or what ever. the town has a tendency to be lower end. my point was about people having highend expectations. there are exercise teachers here who do know what they are doing. there also was a very nice high place up the highway. wood floors brandnew w/spin bikes. to "expect" all of these things on upstairs from torittos is a stretch. maybe you should ask ezpz why she doesnt move? my UNsolicted advice is do not takeout a long term membership w/this new gym. 

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Bennie, respectfully, I don't think you know what "lower end" is.  It sure isn't Ajijic or any of the Lakeside villages.  Take a ride east along the lake past where the pavement ends and you will get a good look at lower end.

You just seem to be so down on the place I don't understand why you live here.  If I felt that way about it, I'd leave.  It's not about your opinion it is that you don't give the impression you're very happy here.

I hope the gym makes it but I am only signing up for 2 months at a time.  There's always Zona which has definitely demonstrated staying power.

They do have a steam room and showers.  The weight equipment and machines are new or obviously refurbished.  A lot of money was spent there, I hope it makes it.  I love being able to walk a couple blocks to a fully equipped gym.

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I was in the gym at bugambillias today around 11am to have a first look.  I was quite impressed  that it was so expansive and well equiped and most important to me the music I thought was quite reasonable compared to Sky gym.  I signed up at Sky for a month and the relentless, blaring music as well the indifference of the staff when one could find one was unacceptable to me.

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Well one of the staff started blaring the music around 4PM even though the place was empty.  I'm going to talk with Oscar about that.

The trainer there, Jorge, is very willing to spot for me.  I am working out alone this week, my work out buddy will be back next week.

Only problem I see is that they don't have enough of the smaller olympic plates, for example only 2-10 pounders.  If they start to get busy there just won't be enough iron to go around.  Plenty of nice benches, bars and machines.  These are the new non slip olympic bars that don't require retainer clips.  Really nice to use.

  

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19 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

Bennie, respectfully, I don't think you know what "lower end" is.  It sure isn't Ajijic or any of the Lakeside villages.  Take a ride east along the lake past where the pavement ends and you will get a good look at lower end.

I'm with Bennie on this one. Our first week here Ms. Chillin and her sisters hired a Mexican cab/tour guide. He said the gringos in Ajijic liked the cobblestones and rundown infrastructure, anytime there was to be an "upgrading", the gringos cried out that they wanted preserve the "Rustico", He said Chapala residents liked paved roads, and fixed sidewalks, potholes, etc. This seems a prominent viewpoint among the Chapalans, and would easily explain why limited funds find their way Ajijic. They also get tired of newcomers lecturing them how they should live, what they should eat, and especially how to fix things based on a video they saw on Youtube.

I think Bennie is very much from the "adapt or die" school of thought.

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