Tag: Zumba

The Material Girl Starts Hard Candy Fitness

Madonna is the face behind a new global fitness club, Hard Candy. You know she goes to the gym. You want your arm muscles to look like hers. Now you can work to achieve those arms, abs and other muscle groups in these new clubs. The first one is set to open in Mexico City in the exclusive Bosques de las Lomas area at the end of November. An additional 10 locations are planned to open in Russia, Brazil, Argentina and throughout Europe and Asia.

Hard Candy Fitness plans to offer innovative training methods in private, group and dynamic formats including classes such as Zumba, Latin Moves and Cardio Kickboxing. Each gym will feature a bike studio, mind and body studio featuring “The Great Wall” where members can practice BarWorks, sculpting, Capoeira and new trends in yoga. For strength and circuit workouts there will be cardiovascular equipment with personal viewing screens and more than 60 pieces of strength training equipment at each location such as free weights, PreCor, Hoist, Free Motion, Nautilus, Hammer Strength, StarTrac, AbCoaster and TRX suspension training. Expect also to find a healthy alternative juice bar or café to replenish post-workout. We do have to wonder if there will be any Pilates classes or equipment since Madonna was one of many celebrities that caught on that trend back in the day.

The locker rooms are reported to be seen to be believed with fine materials that make the place you change and store your close a sanctuary.

It’s a shame that the new chain of clubs hasn’t named any U.S. cities for planned locations. They will no doubt feature the newest exercises and equipment. Hard Candy Fitness, however, will likely be among the more pricy of health club memberships.

Microsoft Kinects with Exercisers

The Xbox 360 and Kinect get you moving without picking up a controller.

Don’t call it a controller. At E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) last week Microsoft widely showcased its controllerless motion interface previously called Project Natal. This means games will continue to get active. Even more than with the Nintendo Wii remote, games using Microsoft’s Kinect won’t be played sitting down. The Kinect is a hands-free controller that captures your moves and sond through a camera placed in front of the TV. Its mount follows your movements so if you’re playing a really active game, it will still keep up with you. There’s plenty of games in development for the device due out by holiday season.

One category expected to excel is fitness games. EA Sports Active, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Kinect Sports and Zumba Fitness are just a few. In addition, you have Kinect Adventures where you’ll do activities like block oncoming balls, and steer rafts on water rides, which involve full-body movements. Dance Central from MTV and Harmonix is another one that will have you moving to the beat. We’re on the lookout for heart pounding cardio and strength training fitness games using the Kinect on the horizon and will report here.