Inch By Inch - The Body Temple

This review will cover a gym meant for an elite class of the society, located in the western suburbs of Mumbai in the heart of the, soon to be, centrally located area called Versova. Incidentally, very few know that this gym in particular is not the first of its kind and ain't a "new thing" in this world (or at least to Mumbai), for it has been doing pretty well in other areas of the city - like Marine Drive, Matunga and Tardeo.

This is the first of its kind in the suburbs though. It got launched a little more than a month ago, where it was initially scheduled for a launch in the last week of November'13. The launch invited many known faces including actors like Gulshan Grover, Arshad Warsi and Ronit Roy.  I felt rather humbled to be given the honor of doing the lighting of the gym by the respected owner, Mr. Sunil Agarwal himself. I was bursting to say, it was primarily my father who did the work.

Gulshan Grover 

Ronit Roy with Mansi

Arshad Warsi with Mr. Sunil Agarwal and Shital 

The gym is a one stop destination for fitness enthusiasts with the best of facilities one could ask for. It has the facility for PT only sessions where every member is appointed a Personal Trainer, but first, all the trainers are monitored, trained and guided with vigilance at all times -  by a Master Trainer Mr. Shane  who I personally believe to be a Fitness magician with a ingrained passion for workouts and gymming. The exercises he designs and gives you are something you may have never come across in your life. That , truly makes you trust his judgement and experience and  that he has truly put in his heart and soul and knows what he is doing.

Then, there are the Functional training group sessions - if PT has been the ultimate workout experience and you believe you have seen everything then let me tell you , you are definitely in for a bundle of surprises that are coming your way. As  they employ the latest techniques most efficient for weight loss known as Kettle Bell Workouts along with some creative inventions of the Master Trainer himself you tend to enjoy the workouts. 

At no point, you will feel like you are dragging yourself to the gym or the workouts are becoming monotonous or boring, because these workouts get changed periodically to keep your motivation and energy levels up. You may have experienced many gyms and trained with many trainers across Mumbai, but once you visit this gym you'll see there is yet more to explore. 

They even have a Spa which provides an assortment of services, I haven't tried any of their Spa services myself but I'm told they are worth a visit. They have a tie-up with a Thai based Spa. 

A Spinning Studio managed and run by Top Spin gears up a session on alternate days.  A detoxifying peppy workout with an electrifying trainer who conducts the show. I was fortunate enough to do a trial  session, after which, I would certainly recommend any and everybody to adjust your schedules and devote an hour full of fun and frolic to your body - be it just for a spinning session. 

Their Group Ex Studio offers a whole variety of sessions including TRX training, Zumba, Kickboxing and Yoga. They even have Tarang from Kolkata who are offering music classes to learn varied kind of instruments. 

A Revive Saloon, operates on the  lower ground level offering a variety of services. I personally found their services for Men very reasonable as compared to the others in the area. Even their Face packs and Facials are worth the money. They give you good value for every service. 

There is also a Swimming Pool, where many novice swimmers come to learn swimming and others simply come to beat the heat. There are a few people like me who just love the water and are ready for a dip anytime. 

That's not the end of it folks, there is more- they have a lounge outside which is open to the public. the outside area excluding the swimming pool section, is where people are welcome to hangout, bring their laptops and work sipping a coffee or tea or else simply just rejuvenate themselves with fun games and books displayed in the racks over there. The assortment of food items are well selected and nutritious. 

On weekends, they even have wine served in the bar made over there. When I say weekend it implies Friday, Saturday , Sunday. 

There's still something left, I almost forgot to mention it - They have steam facilities provided in the shower and changing area of the gym for their members. 

 I feel the Upside of the gym is that : 

1. Their facilities ensure personalized attention. 

2. It is a members only gym, no trial sessions are provided. 

3. You are here for your body not to socialize, they shout out " Focus" 

The Downside is :

Since every member is given a PT, the number of members who are there in the gym are limited. Thus, many people find it a sign of the gym being rated " No Good" , when they see that. They claim that they get the pump to workout out and go to the gym everyday just because of the buzz in the gym with the great crowd which visits everyday. The momentum does not build when they are on their own seeing only one face and that is of their trainer. 

Some people like to " stay with the club " , so if the crowd goes to a gym they join the same gym. Over here, there isn't such a phenomenon. People here come for genuine attention to their body, mind and soul. Not the glamour and glitterati. 

Personally, I find the gym closest to my house and best intact with all possible facilities. I get to meet a few known faces and few others I'm opportune to relate to coming from nearby places. My workouts are optimized, my travel time is saved, my swimming experience is soothing and pleasurable and I am getting everything I need. In fact, none of the gyms around are offering such a vast variety of options to choose from. 

The ambiance and interiors created for the gym is not like any gym I've ever visited.   I've been to the best of gyms in town like True Fitness, We can Work it Out, Leena Mogre, e-Gym, Gold's Gym, Fitness First  and small gyms like Physio Flex, Barbarian and Daljit Gym. None of the gym worked anywhere close to creating a serene soothing setup like this gym, in fact I can safely say - no gym has even worked at the slightest towards this aspect. 

They have truly meant it when they said " Body Temple" creating an ambiance of Thai Temple or a Buddhist temple. It feels very soothing and sets you up when your senses nourish the sight, smell and feel of the place. By the time, you begin your workout you are ready. 

If the Customer Relationship Management of the gym is poor then the gym may have the best of facilities, most qualified trainers, latest high end equipments; but the gym does not last long. At Fitness First specially I'd faced a very indifferent arrogant management who were totally rigid in  their approach to resolve any queries or complains concerning their members. But what made this gym stand out amongst the rest was their Friendly and humble relationship with every member. The management would pay heed to each complain and genuinely put in efforts to resolve them and thus in turn not just satisfy the customer but also improve their overall services offered to rest of their members.

When I met the owner Mrs Shital Nahar, herself, I was surprised to find her closely informed about my progress and workouts. A unique feature I'd not come across any gym before. It meant that the gym was paying attention and reporting every little detail upwards, their communication channels were well set. Where other gyms would've addressed it differently, this was one big plus point. I mean I felt I was given great value and care I expect a gym to give me.

In conclusion, The gym rocks !!!!