I hear the same thing from new members almost every week: “I have joined big gyms before, I paid every month, and I barely went.” It is rarely a lack of willpower. Walking onto a busy gym floor with no plan, no one who knows your name and no idea whether you are doing things right puts plenty of people off. That is exactly why we built our gym around small group training, and why I think it suits people who don’t love big gyms.

A member who joined us recently put it perfectly. At her old gym, there was nobody her age, the weights area was full of men lifting weights, and she felt self-conscious every time she walked in. It is exactly the feeling our small groups are designed to take away.

What is small group training?

In our Epsom gym, every session is coached, lasts 60 minutes and has no more than eight people per coach. Your coach sets the session, shows you each movement and adapts it to you, whether you are brand new to exercise, coming back after a break or working around an old injury. You are part of a group, although the programme is still yours.

Why big gyms don’t work for everyone

In my experience, people drift away from big gyms for three reasons: they don’t know what to do, they feel watched or out of place, and nobody notices when they stop coming. None of that is a personal failing. It is simply what happens when you are left on your own.

Small group training tackles all three. The session is planned for you, everyone in the room is there to work on themselves, and if you miss a couple of weeks, your coach (and usually a few members) will ask where you have been. That gentle accountability is what our wellness tribe is all about.

What our sessions look like

Strength Club runs right through the week, and in the new year we are adding three new Function classes to the timetable. If you have been thinking about starting, January is a great time to join us:

A gym in Epsom with a clinic under the same roof

This is the part I am proudest of. Our training area sits inside the same centre as our chiropractors, physio and massage therapists. If a member’s back or shoulder is grumbling, the coach can speak to the clinical team and adjust the session, rather than telling them to “push through it”. Plenty of our patients move into the gym once their care plan finishes, because they want to keep the progress they have made.

Members also get a free InBody body composition scan every two months, so progress is something you can see in numbers, not just in the mirror.

Who is small group training for?

Almost anyone. We train people of all ages and fitness levels, and beginners are very welcome. It particularly suits people who:

• have tried big gyms and lost motivation;
• want to get stronger after an injury or a course of care;
• would like to lose weight and need structure to stay consistent;
• simply enjoy training with friendly faces.

Small group training in Epsom: FAQs