Officially opening its doors on February 11 with a personal visit from the material girl herself, Hard Candy Fitness Toronto is the second branch of Madonna’s international fitness studios in North America. The club is located at Yonge and Gerrard on the fourth floor of the Aura building. The club is accessible by TTC through the underground passageway from College subway station.
Toronto was selected because “it’s one of Madonna’s favorite Canadian cities,” explained Justin Elie, operations manager for the club. Elie explains that the vibe of the club thrives on a sense of community among those who embody a healthy lifestyle, and it looks for inspiration from people who live healthy lifestyles, like Madonna.
Memberships cost $99 per month with an enrollment fee of $69. There are no student memberships or student discounts. Included in the membership are some classes, access to the facility’s workout areas, and locker rooms. Personal training and speciality classes have extra fees.
Classes are catered to all fitness levels, ranging from traditional fitness classes like cycling, to many classes with new twists.
The 42,000 square foot facility has a high ceiling and enormous windows throughout, providing members with a large amount of natural light while working out. Even before entering the club, you can see a picture of Madonna.
Patrons enter the club through glass doors that extend from floor to ceiling. Beside the reception is a juice bar area featuring Madonna themed drinks and other healthy goodies to fuel the body.
The setup of the personal training area is interesting. It’s open concept and located next to a turf area that has group training-type equipment. More pictures of Madonna in some of her famous and unforgettable looks are hung on the wall opposite to the turf area. Members access the locker rooms on that side as well. Inside, there is an abundance of towels and toiletries for club members, as well as lockers for daytime use only, and showers and washroom facilities.
A generous amount of space is dedicated to the workout and weight training areas with a shocking amount of training equipment — rows upon rows of stationary bikes, elliptical machines, stepping machines, hand weights, bar weights, and weight machines. Next are the three studios: one for spinning-type classes, one for cardio-type classes and one for yoga-type classes. Like the workout and weight training areas, each studio is spacious. While watching some of the famous “Addicted to Sweat” classes, one noticeable aspect was that the class had a mix of different ages and fitness levels. Everyone seemed to be having fun while working out to the music pumping from the speakers.
The final stop was the mural of Madonna created by artist Mr. Brianwash, who created the artwork for one of Madonna’s album covers. The mural takes up an entire wall, giving somewhat of an Andy Warhol feel.
The company truly lives up to their motto: “No sweat, no candy.” The entire place is spacious, clean, and has a friendly atmosphere. With that being said, I must say Hard Candy Fitness Toronto is definitely in a class of its own.
