Taikoo Place Insiders: Trudy Chan of GO24 Fitness

Get ready to sweat it out! GO24 Fitness is due to open its newest branch right here in Taikoo Place – and excitingly, it’s their very first ONYX concept gym to launch in Hong Kong.

To find out more, we spoke to GO24 Fitness’ co-founder Trudy Chan for the lowdown on what inspired her to launch the business, why Taikoo Place was the perfect location to debut ONYX, and get a sneak preview of what GO24 Fitness has in-store for Taikoo Place’s upcoming Wellness Series this autumn.

For the uninitiated, can you please introduce GO24 Fitness? Given Hong Kong’s crowded fitness scene, what inspired you to start it?

Our mission is to disrupt Hong Kong’s fitness scene! When we launched, we saw that many of Hong Kong’s fitness offerings put themselves first and their members second. At GO24 Fitness, we put our members first – we’re open 24 hours a day even during T8s; we have flexible contracts, engaging classes and top-notch equipment; and we don’t hard sell personal training. While there were existing quality gyms, they were often out of reach financially for many Hong Kongers, so we’ve focused on bringing value along with a great experience and amazing fitness community

Your new Taikoo Place branch is GO24’s first ONYX gym; how does it differ from the rest of your gyms?

ONYX is our premium gym offering designed to cater more specifically to office workers. The primary difference will be towel service, additional group exercise classes including Les Mills BODYPUMP, our signature BURN24 high-intensity interval training, yoga and Pilates including Stick Mobility – plus some additional first-class German and Italian equipment brands.

Why did you decide on Taikoo Place for your newest branch – and for it to be the first ONYX location?

Taikoo Place has been on our radar for almost a decade! Hong Kong has some amazing real estate but even amongst the best, Taikoo Place stands out for the breadth, scale and ambition of what’s been created here. We’re passionate about fitness and believe that creating a community and spaces that inspire people to spend time in them is one of the best ways to keep members on their fitness journey. Ultimately, we see bringing ONYX to Taikoo Place as an opportunity to bring our vibrant community to the larger, diverse neighbourhood here.

Could you tell us more about the workshops that ONYX by GO24 Fitness will be offering for the Taikoo Place Wellness Series this autumn?

All our class offerings are appropriate for everyone from newcomers to experienced gym-goers:

BURN: Our signature BURN sweat sessions comprise either 30 or 45 minutes of high-intensity interval training across eight heart-pumping exercises. Featuring catchy bops and dancing red and blue lights, it’s the ultimate calorie killer!

Stick Mobility: This is perfect for office workers to get those joints moving, muscles working and some deep, therapeutic stretching to help reduce the risk of injury and enhance recovery; it may also help alleviate nagging neck and shoulder pains.

Les Mills BODYPUMP: This is a total body workout that burns calories, shapes and tones your entire body, increases core strength and improves bone health.

How do you think Hong Kongers’ attitude to fitness has changed over the last few years?

When I returned to Hong Kong 15 years ago, partying and drinking every night was popular; now many people opt to work out with friends in the evenings as a social outlet. Flexible work arrangements have also become more popular, so people can more easily incorporate fitness into their routines and improve their work-life balance.

What are GO24’s most popular classes and training equipment?

For cardio, our stair climbers are extremely popular – it’s the most efficient calorie burning machine out there; right behind them are rowing machines, ski ergometers and assault bikes. People have moved away from using running machines for cardio versus these options, so we’ve reduced our running machines and doubled functional areas where people can do battle ropes, sled pulls, kettlebells and other functional movements.

Another trend has been the re-emergence of strength training, so our squat racks and free weights are very popular. The number of women getting into strength training keeps rising and there are some great machines out there, such as glute drives and abductor machines, which are increasingly popular.

And finally, what are your favourite restaurants in the Taikoo Place neighbourhood?

For a healthy sit-down lunch, I’d go for tasty sashimi at Kaki. For a cheat meal, probably La Favorita!