Life1
Few people know this, but the rehabilitation of districts VII, VIII, and IX – which means kicking gypsies out of municipal housing – is progressing at a tremendous pace. The previous government was not exactly famous for its substantive work and decisions, as they spent most of their time perfecting industrial-scale theft. I don't know if the much-talked-about Hunvald real estate scandal means anything to anyone, but that's what happens when large-scale thievery meets something that resulted in the greatest development and purification of the mentioned three districts in recent years. The MSZP-led administration, without batting an eyelid, evicted the original inhabitants from municipal housing, opening the way for development and block rehabilitations. As the district breathes a sigh of relief, investors are appearing in increasing numbers, because let's not forget, we are talking about the heart of Budapest, a central district. The results of this are Corvin Promenade, Cordia residential park, Silverside apartment complex, and Metropolis residential park, to name just a few examples. Infamous squares such as Orczy Square, Gutenberg, Teleki, and Köztársaság Square are constantly being renovated. Previously, if you didn't go there with a samurai sword, you had no chance against the Portuguese of Budapest.
The most spectacular signs of change are undoubtedly marked by Corvin Promenade. Despite a difficult start, the promenade and the Cordia residential park have grown into a success story, allowing Life1, among others, to become one of the most popular gyms in the city. This is despite (or perhaps because) it is located in District VIII. Unfortunately, this enormous popularity also causes the downfall of the place, because the gym has long since reached the upper limit of its capacity; it's simply impossible to find a time when you don't have to wait 20 minutes for a machine. Life1 perfectly illustrates the bane of this country. As long as money keeps coming in, maintaining quality and the enjoyment of working out doesn't matter. This is what distinguishes an exclusive club abroad from mainstream average gyms: they draw a line, and if they reach that number of guests, no new members, no new guests are allowed, thereby maintaining an enjoyable, high standard that isn't ruined by the unpleasant atmosphere created by crowds...
Life1 could be a damn good place, because it is, but with this incredible crowd, they will suffocate themselves, and if they don't realize this sooner or later, people will leave just as I did. I went to Futó street 48-50 four times with my monthly pass, and then I gave up because it was simply impossible to work out. I tried going in the morning, late evening, at noon, it didn't matter when, because it was always full, and after a while, I had to realize that the large crowd wasn't even necessary because the floor area of the weights section is fundamentally small, so 10-15 people are enough to make you feel like it's totally packed. Not to mention that during peak hours, between 4 and 8 PM, there's such a crowd of people that it's like Cattaneo or Digweed are throwing a party in the Studio. The gym is completely unsuitable for any meaningful work, so I left after 4 visits. However, for those who want to show off, chat, and make phone calls, Life1 is a perfect choice, so anyone who envisions their workouts this way should definitely get an annual pass.
As for the financial aspects of the gym, well, the place is quite pricey, I must say. A monthly pass costs 18,000 forints, and they don't even provide towels. Then, a single personal training session is 4,000 forints, for which there doesn't seem to be much demand, because usually 3-5 trainers walk around the gym in red polo shirts, like I'm watching the zombie scenes from the movie "Dawn of the Dead." Of course, when I was training Petra there, they immediately pounced on me, saying "yoyoyo, buddy, you shouldn't push this here because only employees can train here..." the usual BS. I told the manager, "Hey, listen, I could bring 8-10 girls here to start with, and in return, all I ask is to help them during their workouts." "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE." But I said, "Look, man, you don't understand. 8 new passes, 8 x 18,000 forints is 144,000, plus what they'll spend here." "No, it's not possible." He was a young man blessed with excellent business acumen, I must admit.
Life1 has assembled a serious medical team. There's a lab, cardiology, health assessments, dietetics, and a whole bunch of other stuff. It must be good, because they charge 36,000 for a cardiology examination, but there's also a health assessment for 19,000 (blood pressure measurement, ECG...)
As for the clientele, there is total and complete cluelessness. I don't think anyone knows the basic unwritten rules of gyms, but I didn't expect anything else, seeing that this is a gym frequented almost exclusively by people who only have a gym membership because it looks good in their wallet. Besides, the place is full of foreigners, including a good number of Portuguese natives with thick gold chains, as one would expect, but they are almost exclusively at the bench press and doing bicep curls. I guess that's what they're used to in the courtyard of the apartment building on Venyige Street. Furthermore, as I mentioned, the majority of people who come here are those for whom working out means putting on sneakers and a tracksuit.
The cardio section on the second floor is totally fine. It's clear that a lot of money was invested in the place, and it's really well done. The aerobics rooms are on the cardio level. An incredible number of women attend these classes, but just like the weightlifting level, this is also saturated; even the less popular classes are almost full, or at least that's how it was when I was there. The wellness section also deserves praise. There's a large swimming pool (swimming cap mandatory), the sauna is fine, but the solarium is a piece of crap. In my opinion, even if you lie out in Szabadság Square at night, you'll get a better tan. When choosing the weightlifting machines, it's evident that design was the primary consideration over utility. There are much better quality machines on the market suitable for more effective work, but considering the attitude of most people who come here and their approach to working out, these machines will be more than enough for them.
Life1 has devised a clever and well-functioning system that connects everything within the gym. Based on a "one card for everything" principle, this card opens your locker, allows you to sign up for aerobics or the solarium, lets you use anything you need, and all your consumption is charged to it. If you lose it, have it blocked very quickly, because the amount on it can skyrocket in moments, which is why everyone guards it carefully (I almost lost it twice). You cannot leave until you have settled the amount on your card at the reception.
Speaking of reception. Finally, a place where they realized that the reception is one of the most important representative areas that often greatly determines our impression of a company. Because if I go somewhere, the first thing I see will be the reception, and I shouldn't have to stare at some bag with overgrown hair and a crappy attitude. Many places don't pay attention to this. They spend millions on design and image improvement, but they don't pay enough attention to such a small but important detail. At Life1, the receptionists are kind, pretty, and helpful; it's clear they love working there. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the buffet counter, because you know, there are staff members who serve with such a bored face and roughly the same amount of brains, but damn it, with such an expression that you'd most like to slap them across the face, then backhand them, just to make them snap out of it.
The changing room. Well, yes, this is an interesting part of the gym because I went to Life1 with 3 different girls, but all 3 girls got lost, and 2 of them couldn't close their locker with the card. There's a common anteroom, from which 2 doors open. To the left is the men's, to the right is the women's changing room. The changing room has two entrances/exits. One door opens to the gym area, the other to the anteroom. Now, this caused a problem for all 3 young ladies, not that I was surprised, after all, they only perform highly responsible work... In the shower area, I always got annoyed because there's a tap that you push, water flows for 5 seconds, then stops. I can't stand these petty, stingy solutions. It's like in exclusive entertainment venues where only hot water flowed in the restrooms, so people wouldn't drink there but would move nicely towards the bar. The other thing is that there was nowhere to put the card while showering, because you close your locker while showering and take it with you.
If I had to rate the place, the crowd and the resulting complete unsuitability for quality training would significantly detract from the overall score, which can be a rather big drawback for a gym. For women, the situation is different because they do completely different types of workouts. They have the cardio section upstairs with at least 30 machines + the aerobics rooms, for those who can fit in, of course. For picking up girls, I think it's perfectly fine; the wellness area is especially suitable for this, and besides, the place is full of women in their 20s and 30s struggling with their self-esteem crises.
Overall, Life1 could be a very sophisticated, very cool place, but there are indications that within a few years, the erosion process will definitely begin, because many people go there, and with such a large number of people, the gym wears out very quickly. People will simply wear it down, following the principle that too many Eskimos ruin a good thing. I don't have precise data on how much they invested in the place (not a small amount), but until their investment pays off and the money invested is recouped, I see very little chance of them embarking on further multimillion-dollar renovations. Then again, I might be wrong, and they might expand the place, which, let's admit, there would be a real demand for, and primarily for Life1's own benefit.
