With how severe the haze sitch is going these days, sweating it out in the pollutant-filled outdoors might instead be detrimental to your health. While putting your workouts temporarily on hold is a valid reaction to our current conundrum, perhaps it can be the push you need to sign up for a gym membership.
You’ve got the likes of Anytime Fitness and 24/7 Fitness that remain the popular options, with how many outlets they’ve got under their belt. But if you value ease of access above all else, perhaps the new chocoZAP chain of gyms might suit your fancy. Hailing from Japan, they’re advertised as the definitive “convenience gym”; here’s all you need to know about them.
Image credit: chocoZAP
chocoZAP is one of Japan’s largest gym chains and has over 2,000 outlets across all of the country’s 47 prefectures. They’ve also got overseas locations too, in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and more recently, Singapore. Their success was nothing short of meteoric, growing to over a million members in less than 2 years after entering the market in July 2022.
The ethos behind the gym revolves around the idea that even 5 minutes of exercise is better than nothing, and so they remove inconveniences such as the need for dedicated workout attire and fixed operating hours that might deter someone from hitting the gym. Coupled with the fact that membership is mighty affordable, costing just ¥3,278/month (~S$28), it’s no wonder they’re a hit with the Japanese masses.
Outside of standard gym equipment and amenities, their gyms in Japan are also known for their unexpected range of services that go far beyond just sculpting your dream bod. We’re talking DIY manicures, beauty treatment machines, laundry facilities; some even sport dedicated karaoke rooms and indoor golf simulators.
If you plan to stick with chocoZAP long-term, opt for the annual membership, which comes to $98/month, saving you $240 on fees as compared to paying monthly. But, with monthly membership fees here being set considerably higher than its Japanese counterpart, they’ve got a lot of convincing to do before they can win over the hearts of gym-goers on the Little Red Dot.
The 24/7 Fitness gym at The Cathay mall in Singapore.
For comparison, established gym chains on the island like Anytime Fitness and 24/7 Fitness offer memberships that float around the $100-$120 range. However, chocoZAP Singapore doesn’t lock you into any long-term contracts when you sign up with them, and you can manage sign-ups and cancellations entirely online.
To address the elephant in the room, is signing up for a chocoZAP Singapore membership worth it? Can their arsenal of extraneous amenities do enough heavy lifting to warrant premium fees? Can you even do any heavy lifting in their gym? Read on to find out.
For starters, chocoZAP’s first, and as of writing, only, outlet in Singapore is conveniently located in the heart of the city, in Orchard Towers. It’s roughly a 6-minute walk from Orchard MRT station Exit 11, so the corporate folks in town don’t have an excuse not to head over for a workout before or after work.
BTW, you’ll need to download the GymMaster app (App Store | Google Play), as it’ll serve as your access pass to enter the gym. The app will also allow you to book certain facilities within the gym, which we will touch on later.
chocoZAP Singapore’s Orchard Towers gym is moderately sized. It doesn’t feel too congested, but don’t expect it to be as expansive as the ones operated by ActiveSG. The first thing that stood out to me was the lack of a free weights area – apart from a few sets of dumbbells and kettlebells, you’ll mostly be getting your reps in via pin-loaded machines.
However, the gym boasts a healthy assortment of them, and you’ll most definitely be able to put together a thorough workout routine here. For cardio, there are 5 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, and 2 stationary bikes to work up a sweat.
The upper body machines can be found at the front, and most of them max out at 72kg, which is a tad on the lighter side, especially for gym veterans. Movements you can perform here include lat pull-downs, rows, chest press, lateral raise, preacher curl, and chest fly, to name a few – all great exercises when it comes to building strength.
Some noteworthy mentions include this nifty shoulder press machine that can be converted into a flat or incline press, an ab crunch machine, as well as an assisted pull-up and dip machine. There’s also a cable machine with adjustable pulleys, which itself already unlocks plenty of options, from tricep push-downs to cable kick-backs.
There’s a tiny functional area – or corner, rather – where dumbbells ranging from 2kg to 5kg are parked, along with 4kg, 6kg, and 8kg kettlebells. Nearby, there is a set of adjustable dumbbells that can surprisingly be fitted to weigh around 22.6kg each.
Towards the back of the gym is where you can work your lower body. Your standard leg day inclusions are all here; seated leg curls and extensions, leg presses, as well as hip abduction and adduction can all be performed here.
All in all, although you won’t be able to do your big compound movements like barbell deadlifts and squats, there’s more than enough alternatives here, especially for novices to the gym, to carry out a legit full-body workout.
Also worth mentioning is the fact that unlike many commercial gyms, chocoZAP Singapore does not have a strict dress code. Yes, you can literally clock out, show up in a suit and tie, and work out to your heart’s content. chocoZAP aims to remove common barriers to working out, including the need for proper gym attire, so you have one less excuse to skip a gym visit.
Now here’s where it gets interesting – much like their outlets in Japan, chocoZAP Singapore also has a similar hodgepodge of unusual amenities. There are 6 in total that you can book via the Gym Master app, and all of them are free to use; simply hit the “Bookings” tab on the left, and you’ll be able to schedule sessions.
If you’ve had a particularly intense workout, pop by the EMS machine, as it sends electrical impulses through your body to aid with muscle recovery. The pelvic support chair is another gizmo you can try; we’ve heard it’s particularly effective at fighting off period cramps for women.
To look extra snatched, feel free to use the gym’s beauty device, which uses RF and ultrasound technology to break down fat cells and tighten the skin. Finally, you won’t have to book expensive red light therapy sessions any longer, as you can have a quick session with the gym’s skin whitening machine.
One thing to keep in mind is that all these machines are communal, which might be a turn-off for those who are sticklers for hygiene. However, there are alcohol sprays and wipes for users to clean up after themselves, and we were assured that all apparatus for the various machines are regularly cleaned and sanitised.
There is also a free, self-service laundry area equipped with a few washing machines and tumble dryers, so you can supplement your gym sesh with a laundry run to be extra efficient. For workaholics who can’t pry their eyes away from their email inbox, plop yourself down at the dedicated workspace to smash those KPIs as you did with your PRs moments ago.
If you’ve not got the time to schedule a good rub down, there are massage chairs available here too, perfectly capable of kneading away at your sore muscles. Funnily enough, despite all the extra glitz, the gym does not have showers, so you can’t quite take a quick rinse after your workouts here.
Speaking of what the gym lacks, if you’ve ever seen videos of chocoZAP gyms in Japan, you’ll know how extensive their range of amenities can get; here are some that we would kill to also have in the Singapore branch:
The gym at the ActiveSG Queenstown Sport Centre.
As a frequent gym-goer myself, chocoZAP Singapore’s offerings are intriguing to say the least, but if your main goal is to put on some serious mass and lift heavy, then you’d be better off looking somewhere else. That’s because the lack of heavy free weights at chocoZAP Singapore is a major limiting factor when it comes to strength progression.
But that’s not to say you can’t build muscle or lose a good amount of kilos by working out at chocoZAP Singapore. In fact, I would say it’s great for beginners at the gym who are intimidated by the innate intensity of commercial gyms, from the clanging iron weights to the blaring music.
The space here is tactfully designed to be as welcoming as possible, with its soft lighting and clean parquet flooring. The pin-loaded machines here are also good for building a solid baseline of strength; as the weight stacks have enough heft and resistance, you can definitely make some solid gains here if you put in the work.
A chocoZAP karaoke room found in one of their Japanese outlets.
Image credit: chocoZAP
It’s also interesting to learn that some folks choose to sign up for chocoZAP membership solely for their unique amenities, but until Singapore’s selection can rival that of their overseas outlets, it’s better to view these perks as a bonus.
We’ve asked if there’s any possibility of bringing that Japanese flair over, and they’re trying their best to work with our country’s strict regulations so only time will tell.
We were also told they’re looking into opening a 2nd outlet in Bendemeer or Potong Pasir in early 2027, so perhaps you’ll have another location you can work out at in the near future.
Should you be considering signing up for a chocoZAP Singapore membership, you’re in luck. From now till 4th November 2026, key in the code <TSL10151104> when signing up to enjoy a discounted rate of just $88/month, with the $25 joining fee waived.
Those interested in checking out the gym in-person can also consider purchasing a Day Pass to head down for their first workout, no strings attached. Perhaps that could spur the start of your fitness journey, because who knows how long it’ll be before we can even take a leisurely jog at our local parks without coughing our lungs out.
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Photography by Chloe Chan.
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