Bali - Massa's Fitness Centre, Ubud

Location: Ubud - Massa's Fitness Center
Google maps: Click here 
Web: Facebook / Website
Opening hours: 8.30am - 8pm
Price: IDR 20,000 (AUD $2)

Review: After we spent too much money on a touristy gym on our first day in Ubud, we decided to check out a more local gym called Massa's Fitness Center. According to Google Maps it only a few minutes'  drive away from Monkey Forest. However, a quick workout can turn into a two hour mission due to the traffic conditions in Ubud. 

The gym looks very messy and male dominant from the outside, but don't let that intimidate you. Inside there is a great atmosphere and lots of space and equipment. There is no air conditioning or fans, so be ready to sweat a lot. The weight equipment is very basic, but everything works and there are plenty of weights. There is cardio equipment here but none of it is working. There is a large stretching area to warm up and cool down. We trained there three times - morning and afternoon. It was never really busy but we can't say what it's like at night. They have just got seven brand new weight machines when we were there, which was pretty exciting. You know, if you like that sort of thing.

Some of the equipment we remember:

• Dumbbells up to 30kg
• Smith machine
• Cables
• Adjustable Benches
• Barbell bench press
• Barbell incline bench press
• Pec Dec 
• Dips bar
• Biceps curl machine (cable)
• Lat pull-down 
• Leg press 
• Leg extension & curl
• Bars and lots of plates
• T bar row machine
• Various abs machines 

Given that you only pay IDR 20,000, it is more than worth it. There are also lockers free of charge. However, the bathrooms are pretty basic, not "western style" at all. So don't try and shower there. I spotted few rats running around too but that's all part of it right?! 

The sound system is also on point - Indonesian remixes of all kinds blasting so loud it's sometimes hard to understand each other. You can also ask them to play other music though which is great.

They don't have a water dispenser but sell water at a reasonable price. Supplements like amino tables and mass protein are also available. Here is an example of some of the stuff that they sold at the reception desk.

Massa has turned out to be one of our favourite gyms in Bali - and we have been to quite a few. It is seriously cheap and has great equipment. Once you're used to all the sweat dripping down and the music blasting, it's just amazing. 

Who is this gym for? When we got finally got to the gym we were, once again, the only foreigners and the only females training there. This has become a bit of a theme in some of the local gyms in Bali. However, everyone was really friendly and fun. We had good chats with some of the locals. Whilst it is always less intimidating training as a couple (two girls), neither of us would have felt uncomfortable alone here either. For any female gym goers: don't be scared of locals looking at you - it's probably just because they are impressed by you and wanna steal your routine off you.

Tips: No sweat towels here, so don't forget to bring one and wipe down the new machines when you are done to help keep them clean!

Photos: 

About the author:

"Travelling and fitness - our two biggest passions. Not always easy to combine but we make it work. We have been through New Zealand, Bali, Bangkok and the Philippines. Seeing all the different gyms is pretty incredible and challenging - even for us as Personal Trainers. We want to help fellow fit travellers to find gyms and supplements during their trips. We all know how hard it is to get out of your routine, but we wanna show you that it is possible to lift weights every day while being on the road. Follow us on Instagram @alyshamonk and @florencemarion to see where we are and what we do. Message us for any questions about gyms in NZ and Asia, or any other fitness topics."