January news update
MONROE X THE BRICK
As their namesake Marilyn was a big advocate for fitness, so are our friends from Bistro & Bar Monroe. If anything screams fitness, it’s good intentions in January.
Together with their decorated bartender, they have crafted something truly special for all ‘The Brick’ members going into 2024.
Allow them to present: Good Intentions! / Better Intentions!
From the 15th of January until the 15th of February all members are invited to drop by Monroe after their workout to enjoy a complementary cocktail (with or without alcohol).
Good Intentions!
Celery / Cilantro / Jalapeño / Lime / Agave / Salt / Tajin
”A fresh non-alcoholic cocktail with a light spicy punch that immediately wakes you up. A vitamin bomb with taste to match.”
Better Intentions!
Cazadores Tequila Blanco / Mandarin Napoléon / Celery / Cilantro / Jalapeño / Lime / Agave / Salt / Tajin
”This tasty cocktail blends a little dash of Mexico with the sweet touch of tangerine.”
All cocktails created by Yuni Herremans
Not sure how to get there? It’s literally around the corner, you can’t miss it.
So hurry on down to taste these exotic flavors created exclusively for the Brick members.
Your first one is on the house! Happy New Year!
BOY MEETS (MUSCLE) WORLD
We have a conundrum for you all.
We are looking for someone and it’s up to you to find out who that is.
We are writing 1984, the year of George Orwell’s Big Brother, but also, a little more relevant, the start of bodybuilding in Belgium.
His dad was the owner of “Muscle World”, a gym were the OG Belgian bodybuilders trained. Dad had multiple Mr. Belgium bodybuilding titles under his belt and was a serious Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia contender. No big deal. His 2 brothers even held the titles of Belgian powerlifting champs and bodybuilding prodigies.
Our little gym rat grew up in a real life “Pumping Iron” movie, a childhood filled by flexing bodybuilders, geeking out over Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Who could this mystery kid with the superflex be?
Let’s see if we can figure out who it is by closely examining the picture below.
Nothing? We’ll drop some more hints then.
He discovered a fleeting love for football early on in life, even made it to 1st national futsal—until kickboxing came knocking, and he realized he was born to throw punches, not soccer balls.
He kicked off his kickboxing escapade under the wing of the one and only Murat Direkci, a champ who hit so hard, even the air got bruised.
Doesn’t ring any bells yet? Ok let’s go on then…
A decade ago he gave a trial class at M4TERIA, where The Brick had it’s humble beginnings. He brought his signature brand of teaching to the table, instantly impressing everyone present and as the Hunter S. Thompson quote goes: “If you’re going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you’re going to be locked up.” So there was not much we could do to keep him out of jail, besides giving him a job.
Time-warp to his early days as a Personal Trainer, where he casually became the muscle maestro for Harut and Marat Grigorian, pulverizing all records with Glory Kickboxing, racking up championships, and turning The Brick into a powerhouse.
Still nothing you say? Ok let’s try an even more recent approach.
When he’s not whipping the Antwerp jet-set into shape or torturing packed group classes in the Circus, he’s on a globetrotting adventure from Mykonos to Miami along with his offspring Matthew—acting as both coach and cheerleader on his son’s quest to the football hall of fame.
If you don’t know by now we probably can’t help you. We’ll just tell you.
It was always Glenn Van Roy people!
A blend of passion, muscles & gossip with more adventure than a Marvel movie. You can join him for PT workouts that’ll make you question your life choices or classes that make regular fitness look like a snooze fest. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Find him on Instagram @glenn_vanroy
BRING A FRIEND
While we are always happy to accommodate your invitees, we only ask you to bring them after making an appointment with the front desk and not between 18:00 & 21:00.
CLARINS X THE BRICK
A masseur called Jacques Courtin started Clarins, a French luxury skincare brand, in 1954. Courtin made his own treatment oils that he claimed firmed the skin, and sold them from his salon in Paris. He built up quite a fanbase, including endorsements from some big French celebrities of the time.
He pinched the name Clarins from a character he played in a school production, and saw it as a good luck charm. In fact, it seems he loved the name so much that he incorporated it into his own in 1978, becoming Jacques Courtin-Clarins.
In 1980, Clarins was the top-selling luxury skincare brand in France; in 1981 it had expanded to the US; by 1990 it was the top selling brand in Europe; and today it is distributed to 150 countries around the world. Courtin-Clarins died in 2007 but his sons, Christian and Olivier, are now involved in carrying on the family company.
Now, 70 years later, to celebrate their arrival in Antwerp, Clarins is treating the Brick members to some quality goodies in February, so keep your eyes out for yours.
But it doesn’t end there!
Clarins is also offering all The Brick Members a flat 20% discount in their beautiful monobrand indefinitely. So head on over to their beatiful new store on 28, Schuttershofstraat and give your skin the treatment it is craving during these cold winter months.
DARE II
It’s party time again. Save the date friends.
Thursday 29/2.
We dare you.
Limited capacity 500 members.
Held at the foundations of Apollo, our new location.
Address will be spoiled soon.
Music. Food. Drinks. All-in.
There will be an online registration in the next newsletter.
TRUST YOUR INNER NINJA
Guess what’s happening on Thursday, January 25th.
NINJA is finally opening in the South of Antwerp!
At Ninja, they’re all about welcoming you for a scrumptious, no-fuss artisanal bite.
The masterminds behind Ninja picked up a trick or two in the charming streets of Istanbul, Turkey.
Thanks to Ugur Akkus (Extrema Outdoor), one of the owners with a golden network, their crew earned the trust of the coolest kebab chefs in this Euro-Asian hub. Imagine a culinary maestro sharing the secret sauce (literally!) with co-owner Jules Koninckx (Maven), revealing his ancient recipe passed on through the ages.
At Ninja, they’re sizzling up marinated goodness – think fine beef, veal, and lamb – on a vertical meat skewer over an open wood fire fueled by oak.
It’s basically a flavor overload. In a classic Turkish stone oven, they’re whipping up authentic Lavash flatbread, teaming up with fresh, crisp lettuce, and fries cooked in beef fat.
Oh, and the name Ninja? Forget about swords; we’ve got some seriously sharp knives for the meat-cutting magic.
Get ready to soak in the vibes of their funky interior design. The epic team-up with Antwerp’s interior cool cats Ruby Carmen, they’ve created a space that’s as wild as your taste buds, using colors that pop and materials that scream premium.
By the way, a little birdy told me they are working on a special The Brick event.
More info soon!
THE BRICK COLLABS
This new button can be found on your The Brick app and highlights all the current discounts and extras you can enjoy from our The Brick partners & friends.
Be sure to check back regularly for updates!
HOUSE RULES
While we understand that everyone can have a bad day, we can not tolerate that certain ill-mannered behaviors negatively impact others’ experiences.
We would like to remind everyone to be respectful of their surroundings and courtly towards their fellow gym buddies & staff. A polite communication and cleaning up after oneself are the bare minimum.
Get that good karma in while you can.
CLASS UPDATE
THE BRICK
TUESDAY
17:30 SPINNING by SETH
WEDNESDAY
20:30 SPINNING by GIO
THURSDAY
07:00 SPINNING by BART
THURSDAY
12:30 PARTY CYCLING by SILKE
SATORI
FRIDAY
08:30 SCULPT PILATES by SOFIE
SATURDAY
15:00 VINYASA YOGA by SOFIE
SATURDAY
15:00 REFORMER PILATES by SOPHIA
SUNDAY
09:00 REFORMER PILATES by OONA
CROSSFIT
SATURDAY
12:00 EXTRA TEAMWOD DURING FUNDAMENTALS CYCLE
BOOKINGS AND CANCELS
We would like to thank everyone for showing up to their reservations.
But there is always room for improvement.
So a friendly reminder for everyone:
Reservations are only possible from 07:00 ‘till 22:00.
It’s a flexible system but cancelations have to be done 4 hours before the starting hour of the class.
A lot of you asked us to add this feature to the system through the survey so let’s try it out:
You can now cancel until 1 hour before the start of the class but penalty points will still apply if not done 4 hours before the starting hour.
Cancel your classes on time through the app and don’t forget to check in on all locations with your QR-code, badge or card. Once you have used your QR-code go back to your dashboard to refresh it before using it again.
Phone, e-mail or social media are not valid ways to cancel your classes.
Your co-members thank you.
BRICKTAPES
We have a lot of new mixes in our Spotify channel again this month.
This is where our deejays & guests curate their very own music especially for you.
More new music for you guys this month.
Check out these 2 new lists by the former City Pigeons & give them a follow:
BOBBI ANTONNI (@bobbi_antonni)
LE WINDEY (@le_windey)
For a full list of playlists click here.
To start listening one of the playlists now, click the images below.
PACK’D
WE ALL WANT TO BE HEALTHY.
Known factors are exercising and eating healthy, but when it comes to nutrients, it gets a bit more complicated.
PACK’D aims to make it all a little less complicated.
For those who eat healthily and live a perfectly balanced lifestyle, you really wouldn’t need supplements.
But we both know that not every meal we eat is healthy.
And that’s not a problem at all: our Essentials Box is an insurance for the burgundian lifestyle.
We’ve worked with professionals in the sports and nutrients industry to create a selection of daily essentials that will work towards a healthy, energized body and focused mind.
CORPORATE ACCOUNTS
Transform your employees’ spirit and productivity levels by offering them the ultimate health program as part of a flexible benefits package.
By joining The Brick your employees will have unlimited access
to our locations at reduced corporate rates.
Click the link below for more info.
