Madonna's Upscale Gym a Hit in Mexico City; More Gyms to Open in Russia

By Ray Downs, Christian Post Reporter Monday, October 03, 2011

Madonna's upscale Hard Candy gym has been such a hit in Mexico City that the Material Girl/international businesswoman is reportedly opening more locations in other countries, AméricaEconomía reports via WorldCrunch.

Next month will mark the one month anniversary of the Hard Candy gym in Mexico City, which has personal cable television on each exercising machine, plush décor, exercise classes based on Madonna's dance routines, and photos of Madonna throughout the building.

Hard Candy gym's decor was influenced by the singer's personal taste, reports the Associated Press (AP).

Chris Dedicik, the general director of New Evolution Ventures, a partner in the gym, told the AP that Madonna "chose the graphics, colors, the machines" and also "weighed in on the choreography of all the classes and given them a twist to make them more dynamic, more special and to better reflect her style."

The name "Hard Candy" is supposed to be a fusion of the phrases "hard body" and "eye candy."

"It's a sexy name that gives you the opportunity to have fun and to build strength as far as the imagination will allow," Madonna told the AP.

Although the gym has been a hit, it has experienced a few bumps along the way. In December, 2010, just a month after opening, the gym became embroiled in bureaucratic trouble because it did not have the appropriate land permits or a security plan needed to operate, according to the AP.

However, the Mexico City government gave the gym more time to get the necessary paperwork in order and the gym was able to stay open.

According to AméricaEconomía, Madonna fell in love with Mexico City during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour. She chose the Mexican capital as the place for her gym chain's first location "as a place to fine-tune our brand and then expand it to other countries and, in the long term, develop a global brand that includes the United States," she said in a statement last year.

Membership at Hard Candy costs $827 to join and $159 per month after the first two months. Two new locations are expected to open in Moscow and St. Petersburg.