The Maze of Aguilar's Gym in Puebla, Mexico
How did I make it out?
I have NEVER been in a place like Aguilar's gym! Located in Puebla, Mexico, Aguilar's gym is in the heart of the city center, surrounded by amazing tacos and local stores. Ana, her family, and I were there for one day so I got an early morning workout in at Aguilar's. And yes, I was greeted by the massive jacked statue out front as well as the second floor flex monster.
My overall summary of Aguilar's gym is that it's a maze of rooms! I counted over 20 rooms in my quick walk through in preparation to write this article. Most of the rooms connect so it literally is a fitness maze. Additionally, there is no conceivable rhyme or reason to the placement of machinery or free weights throughout the gym. I think Aguilar found equipment throughout the years and just kept placing it open spaces. You will find a chest machine circa 1980s next to a leg press machine, walk two rooms away, and find a similar chest machine (also circa 1980s) in the corner near a completely unrelated piece of equipment. I saw only one dumbbell rack (second floor for those of you trying to find it), two bench presses (different rooms), and a few incline bench presses which were extremely difficult to use because the barbell followed the path of the racks.
When I went I saw most members using the downstairs equipment and there's so many machines that you should always be able to find an available machine. However, you fill likely do a few circles in the maze to find what you're looking for. As stated, most machines are aging but functional. They might need some lube but I never felt like I could be injured. Don't expect much room between machines or free weights. Most rooms are packed full of equipment and you will need to maneuver around one to get to another.
On the second floor, Aguilar's gym has an open, mirrored space for stretching or calisthenics. There are smaller weights nearby for a mirrored, light-weight HIIT workout. Above this space is a small space for bikes, while there are also bikes in the northwest corner. Overlooking the stretching/calisthenics space is a beautiful Catholic altar so don't cuss when your heart rate rises.
As much as this gym is absolutely unorganized with multiple floors of interconnected rooms filled with aging equipment, I will admit something- I LOVED IT. There's something about being in a foreign country and making it work in a grimy setting. There's a beauty in seeing how other people do fitness, and being flexible in how to stay in shape while in an uncomfortable environment. Also...it's cheap for a drop-in fee.
