Would You Work Out At Madonna's Gym?




I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, but the ageless (except for her hands) superstar has announced the opening of her new line of fitness centers - "Hard Candy Fitness" (Seriously?! - better than Sweet and Sticky I suppose?)

It makes sense that someone who keep as fit as Madonna would have an interest in a fitness venture. At 52, Madonna is FIT - and has always taken her health very seriously.
The new chain will open its first location in Mexico City on November 29th, and there are plans to expand to Brazil, Argentina, Russia and other locations in Europe and Asia.
So besides the fact that it's "Madonna's gym", what does "Hard Candy Fitness"(cringes again) have to offer?
The venture is a partnership with the 24 Hour Fitness people, which means we will likely see a cookie-cutter gym with Madonna's name and a few higher-end frills.(Trying not to be harsh, but the very same thing happened in my city with a high profile Canadian hoops star).
The 30,000-square-foot club will have a children's book center, a fashion line, a spa called La Isla Bonita, and a day care center (Like a Virgin).
Back up a second...

...I'll get over "Hard Candy Fitness" eventually, but I can't even begin to explain how wrong it is to call your daycare center "Like a Virgin". What's next? A children's clothing line called "Material Girl"? Oh wait...
The gym will also include a fruit bar center, a bike studio, cardio equipment with individual viewing screens and various types of dance fitness programs in the form of Zumba, Latin Moves and Cardio Kickboxing. These types of classes are popular at the moment and I suspect they will stay on top of the hottest group exercise trends.
How much will this set you back? "Not as much as you might think" - according to the managing director (source). I guess that's code for, "yup, it's going to be overpriced but not as ridiculously exorbitant as you might have expected".
I should be thankful Madonna doesn't train with Tracy Anderson anymore and isn't going into business with her. I can just imagine touring that gym; "This is the weight room... here are the 1 lb dumbbells, the 2lb dumbbells and over there are the heavy one's - the 3 pounders - careful with those ones!"
The gym will be equipped with some of the more well-known cardio and strength training brands such as; Hammer Strength, PreCor, Nautilus, Hoist, StarTrac, Free Motion, AbCoaster, and TRX suspension training. I'm more interested in how many squat racks, benches and free weights they have, but they are appealing to the higher-end masses presumably - those who like the bells and whistles.

Things I would hope NOT to see in Madonna's Gym

  • A woman's only sections called "No "Guy's"
  • The fruit bar featuring "Vanilla Ice" smoothies.
  • The snack bar selling a terrible version of American Pie
  • Trainers that have fathered Madonna's children.
  • TV's featuring any of Madonna's movies.
In all seriousness, it will probably be a neat experience and have some "flare", which most clubs don't have. I prefer the bare-bones iron-heavy set-ups, with lots of floor space, but I'm usually in the minority there.
With Madonna's international appeal, it could be a recipe for runaway success. As Mark Mastrov, Madonna's business partner in the venture says; "Madonna's touch will be everywhere".... I'll leave that one alone!

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