Fitness buffs looking for the TLC can find it at two venues in Hong Kong. TLC - which stands for The Lift Club rather than tender loving care - has added two branches to its chain of gyms. The triple-level branch in Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, and the Harcourt Road, Admiralty Centre, each covers more than 10,000 square feet. Club manager Doris Ho said a third branch would open in Causeway Bay early next year. 'Once people join up they can use any of our outlets,' she said. TLC claims it is the first fitness chain in the territory to be approved by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a Chicago-based association responsible for creating an international certification programme for fitness professionals and setting training guidelines. The club is using a different sporting theme for each outlet. In the Far East Finance Centre in Admiralty, there is an indoor golf driving range. Golf programmes and training are also available. At the Tsim Sha Tsui branch, there is a half-size basketball court and rock climbing will be available at the Causeway Bay branch. The branches offer cross-circuit training classes, which combine weight training with a cardio-vascular workout. A TLC lifetime membership costs $1,500 and the monthly subscription is $550. More than 1,300 people have joined. Ms Ho said TLC was the first gym in Hong Kong to feature 'cardio theatre' - a system where members could listen and watch the television show of their choice while exercising on cardio machines. Each treadmill, step machine and exercise bicycle has a personal control unit and headset for the overhead television screens. 'Sometimes exercising can be boring but, this way, the time goes a lot faster,' Ms Ho said. Also available at both centres is a masseuse and health food shop where sandwiches, salads and health drinks are available.
