Hot on the heels of the smattering of aqua boxing gym openings in the CBD area (such as Ground Zero, Boom Singapore, and Uppercut) comes Absolute You. A boutique fitness brand from Thailand — the largest in the country, apparently — the studio has made Singapore its first pitstop to international domination.
If you’re thinking the name sounds a tad familiar, it’s because Absolute Cycle (part of the Absolute You family) has made OUE Downtown Gallery its home for a couple months now. But the difference between the two is that the former focuses solely on spinning classes, while the latter offers Pilates Reformer, yoga, and rhythm cycling workouts. Think of it as a three-in-one concept under one roof, so you can work on your strength, flexibility, and cardio.
Apart from it possessing what could be the slowest loading website we’ve seen in recent times — sorry, but it’s true — the white-walled space is cozy and welcoming, sprawling over 6,000 sq ft on the second level of Peranakan Place (above all the bars and restaurants).
We opted to attempt the rhythm cycling workout since it promised to burn 500 to 800 calories in a 45-minute class. (Also because we’ve never done it before.) But boy oh boy were we in for an intense sweat session — spinning has got to be the hardest thing we’ve ever done in our lives. Granted, we’re not one of those gym buffs who live for circuit training and lean protein — mostly we just groan through insanity workouts once a week.
But still, we figured our occasional cycling activity at East Coast Park would prepare us for the workout.
Unfortunately, we were dead wrong. Five minutes into the thing, and our thighs were on fire. Our arms were weak. Our legs were wobbly. We wondered, were we done yet? Sadly, it was just the warm-up.
It all went by in a blur — there was the part where you’re going so fast you thank the cycling gods your shoes are clipped in to the pedals, the slow part with resistance from the evil machine, the part where you cycle while lifting tiny weights, the part where you wonder when the darned song will ever end so you can take a five-second break, the part where you ask yourself why you just had to inhale that slice of chocolate cake the day before, the part where the instructor motivates you with words of encouragement, and the part where it’s lights out and you can relax a smidgen in secret without anyone judging your weak ass.
Finally, as with all things in life, the workout came to an end, and we stepped off the machine of torture, feeling like we’d burned enough calories for the week.
But would we go back again? Heck yeah — we want those abs. Besides, sweat is just fat crying, right?
Absolute You is at Peranakan Place, 178A Orchard Rd, 6732-1522. Mon-Fri 7am-9:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-6pm.
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