Hola loyal reader. Join Bruce and Mary as they give a tour of the Shape gym at its new location in Progreso, their favorite beach town. As usual, for those of you who prefer to view these posts from the original blog-site, please click here.
Here I am standing at the entrance to Shape Gym, on the corner of Calles 33 y 58, Col. Benito Juarez, Progreso.
We find ourselves on the beach for the first time in a while, as we are invited to a company party hosted by our generous Canadian friends, Chuck and Joanne. So we do what we always do when we hit the beach, we start the day trip with a good and righteous work-out at our favorite Progreso gym, Shape. But now, since their move to this new location, it is our favorite gym in the world. I know, here I am again doing a jog down hyperbole lane, and make no mistake, Merida does offer modern, high end gyms complete with Olympic swimming pools, such as WW gym. Not only are they expensive (Exersite gym at the Altabrisa shopping center is reported to charge $120US/mo. dues, which they would not even disclose to me until I had participated in the tour and rubber room routine, I declined) but, they have no character, in my mind, and are populated almost exclusively by the Meridano elite. Please understand that we have belonged to full service Golds gyms, back in the states, so we know what these high end gyms have to offer but for our needs, Shape has it all, complete with its own, very cool Mexican ambiance.
This is the front desk. The drop-in fee is only 30P each, about $2.60USD at present exchange rates
I’m at the top of an RDL rep. For the first time in years, I am adding legs to my circuit routine. Since my hip ligament surgery I have not been able to do anything involving hip flexion, and repeated attempts have caused flair-ups. Maybe this time I can get away with it.
Here I am, super-setting some hip sled work (on a very nice machine) with my RDLs. Hopefully I’ll be able to graduate to squats.
Mary is doing leg raise/hip thrusts. Think you got strong abs? Try 20 of these.
Mary on the flat bench press.
Here is a guy spotting his gym buddy on skull-crushers.
I’m at the lat pull-down station.
This is a really crappy pic of the cardio area. Shape has 4 treadmills, 3 stair-climbers, 2 ellipticals, and an upright bike. These are all modern, well-maintained machines. I never did get the hang of the “human powered” elliptical machines at my old gym Boscos, when we lived on Calle 59.
Here is another way to get your cardio in, working a body bag. I had forgotten how much fun that is. In the background you can see a platform for a speed bag and doggone it, I forgot to ask if they actually have the bag. That is a really fun way to get your heart rate up.
Mary is doing seated cable rows, an upper middle back exercise.
After our righteous work-outs we do what we always do, grab some beers and grub. A gym rat told us of a cantina which happens to be on the way to Chuck and Joanne’s and we actually find it right where he said it would be. Que bueno!
Thanks for visiting, gentle reader. Bruce appreciates any feedback from you fitness buffs out there and he would be happy to answer, to the best of his ability, any fitness related questions. Hasta proxima Domingo!
I must say that their new location really sucks. I was pretty amazed by the former location they had on 27th street. However, I did notice that the owners had no respect for the heritage building they were renting ( so I am assuming that they got kicked out of it) as they allowed people to drop weights on the gorgoeous tile floors.
Anyways, I went back to their new location which is settled in a slum in Progreso… YUCK! .
Good aspects: Price still affordable, but you can find even cheapear prices with better location close to downtown Progreso, besides great equipment .
Have a great day!
Hola Martinica and thanks for your comment. The new location requires us to taxi instead of walk, from the bus depot, but it is only a 20P taxi ride so we don’t mind. We liked the old location but it was rather cramped, this new location is much more open and the ambiance is so much nicer. I doubt that the owners were kicked out of the old location as the new location is far superior. And I never saw weights dropped on the floor and the all the floors were covered with protective rubber matting so I am unclear as to what you are speaking to in that matter. The only other gym in Progreso I have used is Shrangrila which is ok but Shape outshines them in: Free weights, resistance machines, and they have modern cardio machines. As far as cheaper prices at locations closer to down town, that may be, but 30P drop in fee is cheap enough for us. And we know two Canadian couples that live in Shape’s new neighborhood and I doubt that they would characterize that area as a “slum”.
Again, thanks for commenting.
Cheers!