Focusing on your fitness? These are the gyms you need to know about
London is a city that’s overflowing with options, whether it be exhibitions you can see or restaurants you can eat in, and the same rings true of gyms. Think of pretty much any type of exercise and there’ll be a space or a class where you can do it in the capital – there are even plenty of run clubs and al fresco workouts if you prefer being in a park and on-demand classes and app-based workouts if you like getting a sweat on in the comfort of your own home.
But which gym to choose? Cost is one big factor. If you want to keep it low, go for a budget-friendly gym chain like Pure Gym and The Gym Group, but if you’re happy to shell out for a high-end exercise experience there are lots of luxury gyms, complete with swanky kit and bougie changing rooms, available. If you’re not a member of any gym yet, it’s worth checking out all the introductory offers that are available to first-timers, as they’re a commitment-free way to see which kind of workouts and which kind of gyms suit you best.
Style of workout is another key thing to think about. Do you want the focus of personal training or are you better in a group setting? Are you after specific classes or do you want to move between different machines on an open gym floor? There are lots of gyms and studios that specialise in certain types of workouts, whether it be yoga, boxing or HIIT training, but if you like the variety, many big-name gym groups have branched out from offering one class style to incorporating other disciplines so you can switch between spinning, pilates, barre and strength training with ease. Ready to get sweaty? These are the best gyms in London to do it in.
BLOK
Whether it’s pumping iron, going hard with HIIT, boxing strong or getting zen with all kinds of yoga, BLOK is the boutique fitness space where you can do it all. There are three gyms in London – one in a converted Victorian tram depot in Clapton, the other in a swish new build in Shoreditch and a studio space in Leyton – and besides looking cool, both offer a varied range of classes designed to get you sweating. They range from callisthenics and circuits to barre and boxing, and the instructors are some of the best in town, so you’re sure to get the most out of each and every session.
Third Space
If you’re prepared to shell out for a truly luxurious gym membership, then Third Space is where you’ll want to sign up – you can even get your kit washed and folded for you. Each of the clubs has slightly different amenities, with rock climbing walls, swimming pools, hot yoga studios, and wet spas just some of the things you can take advantage of but every single Third Space is kitted out to the highest spec, with state-of-the-art equipment in the training areas. There are a range of signature classes, including the weights-based Lift, the full-body The Method to Powerride, with specialist combat, dance and swim training sessions also on offer.
Barry’s
Barry’s is the OG when it comes to HIIT workouts, running a 50-50 split between interval cardio and strength training. Loved by celebs and fitness fanatics from LA to London, you can burn up to 1000 calories in a class (believe us, they make you work HARD) held in Barry’s signature Red Room. There’s a different area of focus for the resistance part of the classes on each day of the week, so you can target specific muscle groups or go in for a full body workout, and you’ll also be racking up speeds on the treadmills, so prepare to sweat, a lot.
1Rebel
1Rebel is a boutique fitness studio offering highly intense fitness sessions against a backdrop of live entertainment. They’ve got several studios across London where the gloves come off and beast mode comes on. Spinning, or Ride, with its banging playlists and epic lighting, is what made 1Rebel famous, but you can also do Reshape (quickfire rounds of high-powered treadmill sessions plus dynamic weights), Rumble (boxing), Rig (circuits of bike, rower, bench and rig) and Reformer (dynamic reformer pilates). Whichever class you choose, you’ll most definitely feel the burn.
Psycle
Starting out as a single-ride studio in London, Psycle is another gym group that made its name with its spin classes, complete with super energetic blends of cardio and weights and thumping playlists, but has since branched out to offer a range of other workouts. If you want more cardio-killer classes, there are HIIT sessions that combine circuits and resistance training. And if you prefer lower-impact exercises, you can take yoga, bar or reformer pilates classes.
F45
For its devotees, F45 is the only way to work out. The high-intensity workouts have taken the globe, and London, by storm, with studios all across the city. The F stands for functional training, which is a combo of circuit and HIIT-style workouts and 45 is the length of minutes of each class. The classes focus on either cardio, resistance or a hybrid of both, running on alternate days, and they are not for the faint-hearted – F45 claims that you can burn up to 1000 calories in some of the sessions, so you can see why its fans are so loyal. If you really want to commit to hitting your fitness goals, you can take on the F45 Challenge, a 45-day programme consisting of regular workouts and personalised meal plans.
BXR City
The City of London is known for its skyscrapers, so of course there’s a gym inside one of them that’s 125 metres up with 360-degree views of the capital below. BXR City at 22 Bishopsgate, designed by luxury studio Bergman Design House (founded by Marie Soliman and Albin Berglund), has a members-only gym floor with the highest climbing wall in London, a boxing training area, and state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym, Wattbike, Eleiko and Hammer Strength. The gym is also home to the pay-to-train Sweat by BXR studio, where you can take pilates, yoga, strength & conditioning and Versaclimber classes, so there are plenty of ways you can work up a sweat at the highest gym in the City.
FRAME
FRAME is all about mood-boosting classes that make you smile as well as sweat. Their programme covers everything from reformer pilates to kettlebells but they always put a fun twist on their workouts – the barre classes have bangin’ boyband playlists, there are music video dance classes, and why do regular aerobics when you could do 80s aerobics, Jane Fonda style? If other gyms make you feel a bit intimidated or nervous, FRAME is where you’ll feel at home.
John Reed
Straight from Berlin and into the City, swish gym JOHN REED is here to shake up your exercise experience with street art-inspired design, bangin’ tunes and workouts to make you sweat. There are two floors of top-of-the-range cardio and weight machines, a free weights area, a dedicated boxing arena, and HIIT, hot yoga, barre and pilates classes on the schedule, so whatever way you like to train you can do it here – and you can wind down in the sauna afterwards too. There’s even a retail space inside the gym so you can make sure your activewear game is on point, and there are live DJs and member events taking place regularly as well.