Bungee workouts are totally trending in Hong Kong, and you can currently find them in just two places: Grand Jete Dance Centre in San Po Kong and 4D Pro Bungee Fitness in Central.

From their social media, 4D Pro seems to be more closely related to TRX, whereas the bungee workout at Grande Jete Dance Centre is closer to dance. The founder (Gloria Sit) actually brought it over from Bangkok where it originally started and is currently the only Bungee Workout certified studio in Hong Kong (complete with Bungee Workout certified instructors).

The studio

You’ll find Grande Jete Dance Centre on the 9th floor of a brand spanking new building in San Po Kong, which is closest to Diamond Hill MTR station. With most of the other units on the floor still unoccupied, the studio is in a corner unit that’s brightly lit with natural light, white floors and plenty of mirrors.

Each class can hold up to seven people with bungee cords attached to the ceiling, and each cord (with varying degrees of resistance) can support up to 300 lbs safely.

Interestingly, the studio also has a kitchen for hosting baking and cooking workshops, but there are no other facilities such as restrooms or showers.

The class

Each Bungee Workout class is 60 minutes long and classified as HIIT (high-intensity interval training). In all honesty, I was actually expecting a very chill workout of hanging and/or swinging around—similar to aerial yoga—but boy, was I wrong.

We started with 15 minutes of warm-up, which consisted of some simple dance movements, squats and stretches, after which we were told to put on our gear: a pair of neoprene shorts and a leg/hip harness.

Going back to our spots (marked by a small piece of tape/sticker on the floor), Gloria instructed each of us to jump so that she could hook us individually onto the cords.

Once attached, we started with a few sets of simple squats (which were harder than expected due to the cords’ resistance). You actually need a lot of core and leg strength to stay down, and to keep your body straight throughout the class.

Other moves included: the ‘Michael Jackson’ forward slanting pose (which again, takes a lot of core strength to stay in place), push-ups on the floor, Mission Impossible-style flying push-ups, like diving push-ups (where you dive head first into the ground and pray that your T-rex arms will be strong enough to push you back up), and the Superman/woman, where you feel like a baby bird who’s just learned to fly, running start and all.

Throughout it all, I could definitely feel my core working as I tried to focus on balance, posture and poise.

Verdict

By the end of the class, I was a sweaty mess thanks to all the HIIT intervals we did for each move. It was surprisingly tough yet fun at the same time, thanks to the high-energy music, fun instructor, and small class size (everyone was so friendly as well).

I have to say though that the leg harness can be a little uncomfortable since it tends to sit right in the crotch area and that’s how you’re supported. Also, if you have any back issues, it might not be advisable to do the Bungee Workout as there can be quite a lot of impact on your spine as you snap forwards and backward.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Bungee Workout class in Hong Kong (especially the dance element) and could totally see myself incorporating it into my workout routine, perhaps once a week…?

The location is a bit out of the way if you live on HK island, but why not book a weekend class and make a day trip out of it (to explore the San Po Kong area, Kowloon City and/or Diamond Hill)?

Details

Class price: HK$350 for 1 session; packages available

Schedule: Check here

What to wear: Slim fit leggings; barefoot

Bungee Workout Hong Kong, Room 903, 33 Tseuk Luk Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, grandjetedancecenter.com