I made a post last month about my first visit to the newest Reebok CrossFit Sentinel branch here in Seoul. I didn’t work out then, but this past Sunday I decided to pay the drop-in fee and train on my usual rest day. I hardly worked out the 2 weeks prior since I was playing Army and conducting field training throughout the month. I’m pretty sure this box is the newest in Asia and largest thus far. It’s definitely the nicest box I’ve been to being in the International Finance Center in Seoul.

lobby the showers the bathroom

Anyway, I decided to take the 2:00 PM class that day. I walked in at 1:30 and paid my 34,000 won (roughly $34 US). Yes that’s pricey, but it’s not like I’ll be training here often. I didn’t have to reserve a spot online or anything – just showed up and paid. The front desk was friendly to me and gave me a locker key to store my clothes. The lockers and bathroom were very clean – was this really a box or an Equinox gym. Upon entering the locker room and shower area, it’s expected for you to take your shoes off (adhering to the culture). After changing into my workout clothes, I go inside the gym area and meet my trainer. She was welcoming and even said she would have class in english just for me – in spite of my objections of not having her go through the trouble. It was a small group working out since it was a Sunday, and everyone understood English anyway. Warm-up was well-organized and instructed. The WOD called for Turkish Get-Ups. So as any decent box would do, the movement was demonstrated first. We then did an EMOM for 8 minutes of Turkish Get-Ups with a kettle bell left arm and right arm. After that, we jumped into the WOD:

15-Minute AMRAP of 1 Turkish Get Up (Either Arm), 10 Box Jump-Overs, and 200-Meter Run

It was a good workout only because I have some experience with Turkish Get-Ups. Just a critique – if I was a novice to this movement, this wouldn’t be the safest WOD. Turkish get-ups are highly technical and are meant to be slow and controlled emphasizing strength, technique, and balance. If the goal of a work out is to do as many rounds as possible, there’s the risk of sacrificing technique to squeeze out one more round. Imagine the injuries from a Turkish get-up (shoulder dislocation, dropping the kettle bell on your face, etc.). Anyway, the trainer knew what she was doing (emphasizing the use of a light weight) and was looking out for anything that looked dangerous. Luckily nobody got hurt.

the champ in Korean Muscle and Fitness Writing our scores The cafe in the lobby

We all wrote our scores. I stuck around for a little bit to watch another work out then I showered, changed, and turned my key in. Overall, I had a great time because of the facility layout and professional staff. If you’re traveling to Seoul and don’t mind the drop-in fee, I recommend giving this box a visit.

How to get here:

Transfer to the Seoul subway line 5 or 9. Come out of exit number 3 at Yeouido Station to find IFC Mall.

Take the elevator all the way to the 3rd Floor of the IFC building (IFC Mall is the basement of the building).