Sweat and Surprises: Coco Mangga Gym in Sanlitun SOHO

Sweat and Surprises: Coco Mangga Gym in Sanlitun Soho

Tom Arnstein | Sep 26, 2014 1:00 pm | 1 comment | 4616 reads

Walking into Coco Mangga gym is like walking into a German factory-cum-nightclub: checkered steel flooring, pumping Eurojams about flying on the wings of an eagle, lacquered concrete walls with graffiti decals, and an epileptic nightmare’s-worth of strobe lighting. In others words, everything is in place to have one mighty fine workout – except this time it’s on the treadmill, not the dancefloor. But don’t worry, the bar should carry you through:

Located in an otherwise empty wing of Sanlitun SOHO, replete with dust and construction materials only adding to the disused factory vibe, Coco Mangga is in what will be a prime spot for those looking for a lunch hour gym/bar and has all the facilities to boot. To start, 20 or so hi-tech treadmills line the walls, Wi-Fi and media ready to save worrying about precariously propping up your phone and running as close to the screen as possible. The middle of the main room houses all the usual own-brand weight machines but the real reason for turning up is their spinning area in the back, which boasts a further 20 bikes, more disco lights than at your aunt’s third wedding, and a smoke machine – for health benefits, obviously. With two classes per day as well as none other than CCTV’s "Spinning Prince" in charge, Coco Mangga is likely to be one of Beijing’s best gyms for a bipedal workout and as you won’t be able to see anything, it’s also likely to trick your brain into thinking you’re riding into the future. Or to the bar (it’s in eye-shot, don’t worry).

Other amenities include a wood floor gymnasium for classes, a G-plate (or Whole Body Vibration machine), and a state-of-the-art thousand billion RMB body analysis machine. In addition, management has made a point to hire ten foreign personal trainers so that nothing is lost in translation as you splutter your way through righting prior bad decisions.

If you make it over before mid-October, memberships are going for cheap, with a year setting you back around RMB 4,000. If you’re not sure whether it’s the right spot for you, you have until 2am every day to go check it out. Because it turns into a bar after midnight.