Knees up!

After discovering the rock climbing gym, I went to the centre of town in the Place de la Republique, turned right into a dark alley way, walked through a parking lot and found the town's not-so-mythical gym!!

A real gym! It is tiny, and it wouldn't be out of place in an 1980s Jane Fonda workout video, but you take what you can get.



A plus: There were TWO age-suitable-good-looking men working out in the front room already.

It is 180 euros for 6 months if you are a student, which I am definitely going to pretend that I am. 30 Euros a month isn't so bad, and I really need something to do and its easy to whittle away 2 hours the gym.

They have classes as well, but I doubt they have yoga :(

Also the sucky thing is is that I don't think you can use the cardio when there is a class in session because they are both in the same room. I will just have to use the weight room. I will become a bulky he-man by the time I return to Toronto! Jokes, I'm way to lazy for that!

Also the hours are hilarious, it opens at 10 every morning, becuase, why would anyone want to to work out before they go to work? Gosh, what a ridiculous notion!

I'm not saying gyms have to be 24 hours, though they should be, but they should at least open at 6! School here starts at 8:30 am, not even 9, so what if a student wants to catch a workout before class? I guess that is just not an idea that enters into French consiousness.

Also, that would mean that the gym workers would have to be there at 6, which is completely unreasonable.

On Wed the gym is open at 2pm. Apparently people have no inclination to work out Wed morning either. At least the closing time is 9, which is not late, but is at least doable if you end work at 6. On Saturday, the gym is open for a whole 3 hours! Score! 10am-1pm. Bien Sur, the gym is closed on Sunday, but I never raised my hopes to include an opening on that day. You can't even shit on Sunday so why would you be able to squat?


Also, my English roommate pointed out that in England people go to the gym and there are a lot of BUFF people, but then I pointed out that there were also a lot of fat people in England. We decided that French people were naturally skinny and saw no reason to go to the gym to gain muscles when they were already slim. As opposed to America/Canada/England where people overeat and then act like a hamster to shed the weight.

I remember reading in French Women Don't get Fat, that French women do not torture themselves by running on a treadmill. Instead they play Tennis or an enjoyable sport several times a week.


Ah, the french, always in pursuit of the maximum amount of pleasure. The original Utilitarians.