Unlike most Workout Wednesday posts, this week's installment refers to more of a workout location than a specific workout. This unique feature is the "Cardio Cinema"—a movie theater within a gym—and is located inside the newly renovated Gold's Gym in Simi Valley.

The idea behind the workout is this: A dark theater is packed full of treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes, and a different film is featured every day. Due to the fact that show times wouldn't be very convenient in a gym setting, the films are played on a loop, so people wanting to watch the entire movie can see it in its entirety if they stay long enough.

The movies themselves range from the family friendly (The Rookie) to new releases (Cassandra's Dream, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets) to Vin Diesel (A Man Apart). At any given time, people of all ages can usually be found in the theater—with the exception of a few older ladies who spent about two minutes on the treadmill during A Man Apart before leaving in a huff.

The nice thing about the Cardio Cinema environment is the fact that a person can take part in three different workout activities while enjoying a movie on the big screen. One of the best features of this workout is the fact that time goes by much faster when you're engrossed in a movie than when you're working out in a regular gym environment.

And for those who want to finish watching a movie but have worked up so much of a sweat that they can't continue any longer, a few comfy chairs are set up along the walls of the theater for that exact purpose.

True, the best workouts are probably the result of intense focus on the exercise at hand—not allowing for distractions—but for those who would otherwise be sitting at home watching a movie, this is a far better alternative.

Overall Workout: Self-directed.
Hobby-Developing Potential: High, especially if you love movies
Next-Day Pain: Depends on how hard you push yourself
Cost: Gold's Gym membership. If you already belong to a Gold's Gym in LA, your membership may include the Simi location. (Check your contract for more details.)

Location:
Gold's Gym – Simi Valley
1357 E. Los Angeles Ave.
Simi Valley, CA 93065
Website

Photo by BG for LAist