Manila Athletic Club offers a holistic fitness experience that makes healthy living more accessible to Filipinos.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, every Filipino deserves a third place — a space outside the home and away from work that is dedicated to keeping you grounded within a community. And if you’re someone who leads an active lifestyle, then Manila Athletic Club might just be the third space for you.
Manila Athletic Club recently opened its doors earlier this year and identifies itself as “Your fitness oasis in the heart of your neighborhood.” Situated within San Juan, Metro Manila, the space offers a holistic approach to healthy living to provide the Metro’s fitness community with a convenient way to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives.
Within Manila Athletic Club, there are two studios you can choose from: MNL Pilates, a Pilates studio that offers both group and solo reformer classes, and Elorde Knockout, a collaboration with the renowned Elorde boxing gyms that provides elevated and high-quality cardio and combat workouts.
“The goal of Manila Athletic Club was really to make fitness, healthy lifestyle, more accessible to all,” co-owner Alexandra Tan told The GAME. “Accessible in terms of the location, the price point, and really making it a lot more fun, not intimidating.”
We got the chance to spend a morning at Manila Athletic Club, and here’s what we discovered.
Best of both worlds
Located on the third floor of G Square Wilson in San Juan, we walked into Manila Athletic Club and instantly spotted the juxtaposition of the two workout studios. On the right was Elorde Knockout, a boxing gym, complete with equipment, that offers boxing, Muay Thai, and HIIT classes, as well as full access to their gym equipment.
Past Elorde Knockout was MNL Pilates, a new studio that offers different kinds of classes that utilize the principles of Pilates and incorporate them into functional movements to create an effective full-body workout.
These two fitness studios offer very different forms of exercise — but having both in one space was the point.
Alexandra explained further, “So it’s really two super different experiences. For Knockout, it’s a lot more high-intensity. You’re working one-on-one with a trainer…In MNL Pilates, on the other hand, a lot of people get intimidated doing Pilates for the first time, so what we did is designed a class called Essentials, where we really cover all the fundamentals of Pilates, from your breathing, your form, safety.”
At Manila Athletic Club, there is something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a high-calorie-burning cardio session or a strengthening workout. On top of this, members of Manila Athletic Club get to enjoy benefits from both studios, which allows their clients to craft versatile workout programs for themselves that blend the benefits of both boxing and pilates.
High-quality workouts
When we visited Manila Athletic Club for the first time, we got to try out an Essentials Pilates class, one of the four types of classes offered at MNL Pilates. Essentials classes, as explained to us before our workout, are designed to build a strong foundation in Pilates by learning the fundamental principles of the movements.
Although this is their entry-level class, it still proved to be a challenge, but thanks to our instructor Coach Sharon, we were able to get the hang of it (and feel the burn) pretty quickly.
We began by learning the proper breathing technique used in Pilates classes, and Coach Sharon also taught us how to properly engage our core and align our spine throughout the different moves. From there, she walked us through the entire full-body workout, and her excellent cueing allowed each of us to properly execute the moves, correcting our form along the way.
This was what stood out the most for me. The instructors at MNL Pilates put an emphasis on clear directions that guide the class-takers from start to finish. Although Coach Sharon was not demonstrating the moves herself, throughout the entire 45-minute class, I felt confident that I was doing the right thing because of her clear guidance.
This high-quality form of teaching sets MNL Pilates apart.
Although we did not get to try out Elorde Knockout (just yet), by collaborating with the well-known Elorde franchise, Alexandra assures us that all their instructors are also well-equipped to deliver high-quality classes, as they are also professionals who have competed in the amateur circuit.
Great amenities
When it comes to delivering high-quality experiences, the devil is in the details, and the details are another thing that Manila Athletic Club gets right.
Bridging MNL Pilates and Eldore Knockout is a common area where you can relax after a tough class, have a healthy snack or drink, or work before and after your classes. The area is spacious and it is what brings the word “club” to Manila Athletic Club. This is where their clients get to go beyond just taking classes and build a community centered around fitness.
Another perk of Manila Athletic Club is its superior bathroom facilities. Each of the bathrooms gives you your own space, complete with a toilet, shower, and changing area, not to mention all the amenities you need: soap, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, lotion hairbrushes — they cover the whole nine yards to make sure your experience is as seamless as possible.
“Myself and my other founders, Dan and Tal, we’re very much advocates of a very healthy lifestyle,” Alexandra shared. “We’re all very active and we’re a big believer in incorporating it into your day-to-day lives, and most importantly, making it enjoyable because that’s really what’s going to bring you back and make it part of your day-to-day.”
Ultimately, this vision is what makes Manila Athletic Club a great third space in the middle of the busy Metro. Here, you get more than a workout — you get the convenience, comfort, and quality that you need to build a truly effective active lifestyle.
Images taken by Excel Panlaque and Kim Santos of KLIQ, Inc.