Equinox Fitness
Philanthropic
Cycle for Survival Relays in Chicago and New York
Feeling an urgent need to do good while breathing very hard? Listen up: This weekend and next, Memorial Sloan Kettering and Equinox are hosting their annual Cycle for Survival ride, in which teams of riders (or a few crazy individuals) pedal hard for four hours. There are morning and afternoon rides, hosted at various Equinox locations around each city, and a list of instructors is posted online (along with answers to lot's of questions.) Plenty of teams still looking for members. Share the Love anyone?
Workout
Friday Evenings with James Ervin
If body language were actually a language, then James Ervin is fluent — and I'm the stuttering American tourist in a Paris bistro struggling to order a beer. The man can say things with the slightest twitch of his chest, or turn of his foot, or tilt of the James Ervin head, that are inaccessible to tall, white, male bloggers.
Gym Marketing
Equinox Goes Web 2.0 With Very Big Billboards
We're not sure the 'Nox has fully figured out Web 2.0, but they've definitely figured out signage. Exhibit A: The new building-covering stretch-o billboard covering Equinox's New York City flagship gym promoting their new "My Body. My Biography" campaign. Were you perhaps wondering about that? It's an Internet crowdsourcing thing. The club has invited its members to come online and share their fitness stories. As in: "I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes at 45...Knowing that if I didn't take some action soon I'd be facing serious health problems I decided to join Equinox." We approve of the idea. Clearly a more uplifting marketing direction than the naked guy in wheel pose, (though sexy has its virtues). But it also seems more corporate, brand building art project — groovy interface with nice Jason Mraz backing — than long term investment in, you know, social media.
Advertorial
Equinox has Nice Trainers and Cyndi Lauper
And now a word from Equinox Fitness, who invites you to come work out free of charge for three days, at your convenience.... Why Equinox, you ask? Many reasons, among which these two: They've got very cool trainers, and they've got Cyndi Lauper. True story: I arrive at my local Equinox the other day, having mistimed my target spin class. Noting my situation, a trainer at the reception area offers me a half-hour training session on the house. I hesitate. What's he selling, I wonder? "No strings attached," he says. And so we're off, and this guy was good. He had me lunging and lifting in all kinds of ways I would never do on my own, and he was fun to talk with. From missed spin class to killer workout without missing a beat. Now, yes, I expect to get a follow up email from the guy, but his was absolutely not the hard sell. He clearly liked his job, and just had some free time. That's the way it should work! And then there's this: While heading to the cardio equipment that very same day to warm up, I notice a sign saying that Cyndi Lauper has compiled a workout playlist for Equinox. You may recall that Equinox launched its "EQ Sessions" earlier this year. These are custom made "iMixes" created by deejays and rockstars like Cyndi, whose mix features artists like Joey Ramone, will.i.am, and the Kings of Leon. As Ross Perot used to say: I don't need ten reason, or even two reasons. Just give me one reason why you wouldn't take Equinox up on its free trial membership?
Advertorial
Equinox Trainers Are Unusually Well Trained
And now a word from our sponsor, who would love for you to stop by.... The first thing you'll notice when you walk into an Equinox are the excellent black t-shirts on the staff. The people working the reception area have t-shirts which say "GREET" in white block letters. The trainers' t-shirts say "TRAIN." Equinox has actually developed its own school for personal trainers, the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. One of the big jokes about the world of personal training is that there are about million bogus certification programs, most of which will gladly call you a "certified personal trainer" if you take their afternoon workshop and pass a simple test. That's not the way it works at Equinox. Every Equinox trainer, in fact, has to complete 150 hours of in-house education. Courses include anatomy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, post rehab protocols and the club's proprietary Three Cycle System. Let's put it this way: Personal trainers working in po-dunk health clubs all across America dream of making it to an Equinox to work. It's the big time. So, let's say you're looking for some personal transformation. Equinox GREETERS and TRAINERS may be able to help. Why not stop by for a free three day trial?
Advertorial
Equinox Has Got the Gymnos Vibe
And now a word from our sponsor, who invites you to come for a complimentary, several day visit.... Allow me to say again that interior design matters in a workout space. Surprisingly so. One thing that grows on you about Equinox Fitness Clubs is not simply that they are clean, and that the equipment is new, but also that there is a feeling of lightness. You do not get that crowded, basement recreation center feeling that plagues so many gyms, with their treadmills crammed at odd angles against the walls. The feng shui at Equinox is impeccable. The club keeps its spaces open, and favors natural materials: Steel, wood, glass, all done in restrained, modern ways — and very consistently from club to club. Also, the lighting is excellent; the various signs and blackboards Scandinavian in their fonts; and the mosaic tiles in the showers cheeful. It all makes a difference. The word "gym" comes from the Greek root gymnos which means "naked." In ancient Greece, the gymnasium was a sacred place, a place to perfect the physical aesthetic as a tribute to the gods. The best health clubs reflect this feeling in their design choices; and Equinox is one of the best. Curious: The club is once again offering you, dear reader, a free three-day trial membership. Go for it!
Advertorial
Variety is the Spice of Life
And now a word from our sponsor.... It would be normal for you to disregard my pleas on behalf of Equinox. You're busy. It's a commercial. But I don't want you to miss the point: Three days of free high end gym. Maybe the gym is just a utility to you, and you're happy at the NYSC, on that ridiculously cheap lifetime membership deal you got last winter. You go, you work out, you shower, you leave. Who needs the nice towels, the brand new equipment, the way above average classes, the great music, the slick web site, the clean steam room, the beautiful people, the excellent smoothies? Or maybe you're already styling at some other fancy joint, and/or you're committed to your yoga studio. Sure, I understand. But what about a change of scenery? Why not treat yourself to a long weekend visit? Go on a health binge. Use the pool, nap on the chaise lounges reading strange fitness mags. Linger in the bathroom using all the products by the sinks. Weigh yourself. Or not. In short, soak it up. Get a friend or two to join you. Point is, there's absolutely no downside. Equinox wants you to come for free. Yes, they'll take your name and info an all that, but there's no obligation. They actually believe in their product. Give it a try baby. No downside.
Advertorial
Equinox Has Nice Walls
And now, yes, a word from our sponsor, and please don't kill us for all these commercial interruptions. Really, want to know something that's cool about Equinox? They have the best interior design. The clubs are not all the same, but they all share certain elements: Great tile work in the showers, lot's of polished concrete mixed with natural wood and brushed steel and excellent lighting (i.e. nothing harsh and fluorescent). The clubs are genuinely nice places to hang out. The front lounge in the 17th Street Equinox has one of the greatest couches in Manhattan. I gather Clodagh did the design of that space, and, FYI, among interior design junkies, she's the bomb. Here's a tip: It's a secret pleasure is to simply trail your knuckles along the cool wall by the staircase in the Greenwich Ave. location. It's made of some kind of super-smooth metal, buffed to appear almost like frosted glass. Here's my point: When you find yourself admiring the walls of your gym, you know you're in a place that's been well done. And that matters when you're trying to recover from subway or office or from post-spin class dizzyness. Don't be silly, snap up this three day free trial while it lasts. It ends October 29th....
Conversations
New Gym Smell
Friend C. says she thinks Equinox is putting something in the air. "I smell the place when I walk by, and it makes me want to work out," she says.
"Huh," I say.
"My brother works at the Dakota Mountain Lodge in Park City. The place smells great, and I asked him about it. It's called 'Leatherwood,' he told me. They put it in the air conditioner. I was amazed. The spa at Dakota, the Golden Door, smells totally different than the rest of the place. In there they use Green Bamboo smell."
"Equinox is not treating their air," I say. "They're just cleaning all the time."
"The Bellagio in Las Vegas has patented their smell. You can't buy it."
"Really?
"I'm telling you. I walk by that Equinox on Prince Street, and I have to tear myself away. They're pumping it in."
Advertorial
Equinox Does the Internets
And now a word from our sponsor, who, by the way, wants you to visit for free.... Did I mention that I happen to be an Equinox member? Mark that down as blogger actually uses the products that he shamelessly promotes. Here's one thing that I use all the time: The Equinox web site. You can check the class schedule on the site — to see who's teaching when, and if there's a sub — and even book your spinning bike online. Also, once you've registered on "MYEQ," (that's the name of the site), it automatically keep track of your club visits. At the end of the month, you can pull up a little chart that shows on which days you worked out, and on which you did not. Obviously, I pay attention to this kind of thing, and I'm impressed: The graphics are slick, and the bar charts highly satisfying. Also, Equinox recently translated MYEQ for your mobile phone, including an iPhone app. So, you can pull it all up quickly while on the run. One other thing they let you do: Send three day free trial memberships to friends. I'm sending you one right now....
I highly recommend the Philanthropic Spin Class. Four Hours? It is ..." More comments...