Fitness First or California Wow? The Big Debate

Fitness First or California Wow? The Big Debate a photo by bangkokrecorder.com on Flickr.

In a billion baht industry, health clubs in Thailand are constantly facing off to attract new members. Most affluent gym-goers in Bangkok can be divided into members of either UK-based Fitness First and California Wow from the US. Before we ask fitness freaks their thoughts on which gym outdoes the other, let's start with a little history lesson...


Fitness First
Fitness First was founded in 1992, with the first branch opening in Bournemouth, England in February the following year. Fourteen years later, 500 Fitness First gyms can be found in 17 countries in Europe, Australia and the Asia-Pacific with more than 1.2 million members. Bangkok boasts 14 Fitness First outlets, while FF managing director Simon Flint said the company also plans to expand to Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Pattaya and possibly Phuket. The UK-based gym is targeting 1.2 billion baht in revenues this year.

California Wow
California Fitness (CFC) came to Thailand in 2001 to directly challenge Fitness First. Eric Levine, california Wow CEO, has invested heavily into setting up nine branches in Bangkok and Chiang Mai with each outlet costing up to 200 million baht. California Wow has become known for its assertive marketing campaigns with loud sales offices on the ground floor of every branch, of which the buildings are also plastered with enlarged posters of oiled bodies. The other main shareholder in CFC is Major Cineplex, Thailand's largest cinema company, which owns 49% of the gym chain.

Both Fitness First and California Wow offer "special deals," which sales assistants usually press you to buy that very day as the "promotion" will end the following day. However, while Fitness First members get an all-inclusive package, California Wow members have to pay extra for yoga and pilates classes and a padlock for locker doors. Though, some argue that yoga classes offered at California Wow are more authentic, with the gym flying in yoga teachers from India.

Joining Fitness First generally costs 20 percent more than California Wow membership, with monthly subscription fees ranging between 1,000 THB to 2,500 THB. Some California Wow promotions offer lifetime membership starting at 20,000 THB. However, California Wow's hard sell tactics can actually put off passers-by and members themselves.

"...they are hustling me almost every time I'm in the gym to 'upgrade' my membership. They even try selling to me in the middle of my workouts," wrote in one disgruntled member to a local newspaper.

And according to its members, the US-based gym's "industrial" approach to marketing is very much a recurring theme throughout the gym.

""There are more people than machines," wrote the same unhappy patron.

Image"They [Fitness First and California Fitness] are quite similar in classes, equipment, etc., but I found Fitness First had a nicer atmosphere….definitely friendlier," said one former Fitness First member who was lured by a more cost effective deal at California Wow. "It felt more like my gym at Fitness First, at California Wow I feel like I'm just a body paying the bill."

Another member found the hands-off approach sarcastically refreshing: "I like being left alone and completely ignored by the unhelpful staff because I hate being told what to do."

A recent experiment carried out by the Bangkok Post comparing the two gyms found racial discrimination when asking for membership quotes. A Thai and a foreigner were recruited to pose separately as prospective members looking for a deal at Fitness First and California Wow. At Fitness First, both parties were treated fairly and came away happy with their service. At California Wow, however, the Thai client received a better deal than the farang customer.

ImagePerhaps that's why California Wow enjoys a majority Thai clientele, whereas Fitness First members are more international. However, Fitness First's foreign patrons pose yet another conundrum:

"Since California Wow does not have that many farang customers and since the locker room does not have ample walking space, one is mostly spared one of Western civilization highlights: the parading in the nude of all kinds of misshaped elderly males. At Fitness First this phenomenon can be viewed daily, clearly demonstrating the cultural insensitivities of most foreign visitors, that is, not taking into consideration the Thais' tendency for modesty…" (source: www.thaiwebsites.com/exercise.asp)

However, for the some the prospect of nudity is one of the motivational factors for joining a particular gym, especially California Wow.

ImageWhen asked why he joined California Wow on Silom road, one young, buffed DJ Station frequenter honestly replied: "There are hot guys there."

However, the heterosexual outlook is perhaps a little more bleak: "For a year I thought I liked the potential prospect of meeting hot babes there but I never did - not even once!" fumed one California Wow patron.

Image"As a single farang, I wouldn't say that there's any kind of chemistry at Fitness First at the branches that I have been to in the city centre, anyway," said one member. "It's quite a sterile environment…and the music is inoffensively androgenous."

Meanwhile, some would argue that the "obnoxious"-ly loud music at California Fitness with their resident afternoon DJ and signature techno beats could repel clients. But judging from ability to poach members from other gyms, it would appear that their enticing promotional deals far outweigh any threat of inner ear damage.

While they could both count as your friends, it's clear Fitness First and California Wow members are very different. Fitness First is like your straight corporate buddy with money to burn and little time for nonsense, while California Wow is like your colourfully gay hairdresser who likes house music and gossiping.