SOMA, so good: even gyms get the luxe treatment now
Sydney's latest luxury fitness centre may come with infrared saunas and Dyson hairdryers, but its focus is squarely on working out.
SOMA takes up a sizeable chunk of the bottom floor of Chifley Tower in Sydney’s CBD.
In the beginning, rock stars were the original, er... rock stars. Then came chefs as rock stars – bad boys (and occasionally, girls) of the kitchen who ripped up the French culinary rule book and didn’t give a fig what you thought about it.
Now, undoubtedly, we have reached a new age: fitness gurus as rock stars, thanks to social media sensations like Rich Lister Kayla Itsines, co-founder of the online workout phenomenon Sweat, and to the proliferation of gyms like F45, co-owned by Mark Wahlberg.
Kayla Itsines, rock-star fitness trainer. Damian Bennett
Australia's fitness industry is now worth $2.9 billion annually, according to IBIS World. ClassPass, a US-based startup that provides access to to more than 30,000 fitness studios and gyms globally through a monthly membership, was recently declared the decade’s first unicorn, valued at $US1 billion ($1.49 billion).
Even literal rock stars are in on the game, with stars like early mover Beyoncé relaunching her athleisure range Ivy Park in collaboration with Adidas in January.
Beyonce in her Ivy Park activewear.
With such growth comes a spectrum of offerings – and at the pointy end comes SOMA, a luxury space that takes up a sizeable chunk of the bottom floor of Chifley Tower in Sydney’s CBD. At first I mistake it for a restaurant or hotel lobby; it’s so grand, it seems it can’t possibly be a gym.
And that, of course, is the whole idea. Co-founders Simon Anderson and Franco Atashi, who met while working as personal trainers at Fitness First, realised that while their corporate clients liked being trained by them, they didn't like coming to the big-box venue.
We work with people who have nice homes, who go on nice holidays. We thought, why not make a gym like that?
— Simon Anderson
“We work with people who have nice homes, who go on nice holidays,” says Anderson. “We thought, why not make a gym like that? We wanted a space that was beautiful but not intimidating, an oasis for people to take time out of their workday.”
Geared towards professionals aged 30 and older, SOMA is the result of three years of searching for the right space, the right design and the right mix of trainers. All 30 trainers at SOMA have been trained by Anderson and Atashi, with regular follow-up seminars.
Designed by Giant Design in a palette of navy and brass, with enough polished concrete to make Tom Dixon blush, SOMA feels like a hotel lobby from the inside, too.
SOMA is a luxury space.
Most city gyms are a hive of activity – with people rushing from the treadmill to the rower and back before their lunch break is over. SOMA is comparatively quiet. In a dimly lit room, soft music plays as clients come in and out, almost all of them with a trainer. Eight women are working on their glutes, abs and posture in a class Anderson and Atashi started after noting many clients had little to no core or glute strength.
“Everything we design keeps our clients in mind. We try to eliminate all exercises that will hurt you,” Anderson says. “Squats with a bar – they can go wrong really quickly. Even a deadlift, lifting from the ground, can be dangerous if you don’t do it correctly. We prefer pulling movements, with cables, to pushing movements, because they’re safe and effective for glutes and abs.”
Simon Anderson and Franco Atashi.
Every new client undergoes a personal assessment, including a full body scan to assess fat and muscle mass. Being relatively fit, I assume I’ll breeze through mine, but Atashi informs me my quads and calves are working overtime to compensate for my lack of glute strength. Over our next two sessions, he gives me simple exercises to correct this, videoing them for me so that I can follow his program at home.
It’s a far cry from the intense workout I’d expected, which is a welcome surprise. “You’re already fit,” says Atashi. “We’re not here to push what you already have. We’re here to develop what you don’t.”
SOMA's reformer room.
Although boutique gyms are nothing new, this level of luxury is relatively niche – which comes, of course, at a price. SOMA membership, capped at 800 people for now, starts at $59 a week, compared with $17 for Fitness First or $16 for Anytime Fitness. But then, Fitness First doesn’t offer an infrared sauna or Dyson hairdryers.
SOMA, which is Greek for “body”, bills itself as “strength, studio, spa, social”, with the spa run by Francesca Angelini, who makes all its organic products herself. For the social element, each Friday there’s a boozy happy hour.
The gym has circuit training and weights, though the founders prefer pulling to pushing exercises.
For those content to train at their own pace, SOMA offers about 70 classes a week, from reformer and mat pilates to Barre, circuit training and three kinds of yoga including the popular “broga” – a yoga class just for men.
“The boys get a bit intimidated because they’re not as flexible as the women,” says Anderson. “We started [the class] in November to celebrate Movember and raise money, but it was so popular we kept it going.”
Entirely self-funded with plans for expansion, Anderson and Atashi, along with co-founder Amy Atashi (a barrister and Franco’s wife)have put everything they have (quite literally) into the gym. “Our clients are at the top of their game and they need a space that reflects that,” says Anderson. “We want them to feel comfortable and supported.”
Not very rock star, perhaps, but probably a good deal healthier.
One of the gym's highly polished locker rooms.
Other luxury fitness studios to try
Warrior One (Melbourne)
Sound baths, full moon rituals and an interior that feels more like a day spa than a yoga studio. 59C Martin Street, Brighton
Bodhi and Ride (Melbourne)
A spin on the US-based cult hit SoulCycle, Bodhi has three locations that could double as start-up offices with their polished concrete-meets-exposed brick aesthetic. Port Melbourne, CBD and South Yarra
Studio360 Cycle (Adelaide)
Each Studio 360 bike is equipped with a TECHPAC, allowing you to see exactly how hard you've worked that day, and comparing it with your previous workouts. Possibly scary, probably useful. 1194-1196 South Road, Clovelly Park
Science of Fitness Platinum (Brisbane)
Personalised sessions allow trainers to explain the whys and hows of your workout, minimising injury and maximising efficiency. 17 Gibbon Street, Woolloongabba
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