BEST FOR… GENERALISTS:
BOOK
HEARTCORE S T U D I O S I N CHELSEA, CITY, FULHAM, H A M P S T E A D, KENSINGTON, NOTTING HILL
YOURSELF
A N D PA R K L ANE
• Heartcore offers classes in everything from kettlebells and barre to Pilates and yoga, so the choice is yours. They’ve seen an 85 per cent increase in male clientele this year; in July alone, more men came to Heartcore than in the whole of 2014, a fact they attribute to attendees wising up to the benefits of the boutique service. “Most gym members train in ways they think will get them the results they want, then they stop training when that doesn’t happen,” says founder and trainer Jess Schuring. “We’ve seen thousands of clients drop over a stone while building lean muscle between Christmas and the end of February. Almost everyone we work with feels results straight away – you’re firmer around the middle so you can ditch the holiday fat pants, you stand a little taller, which helps you look and feel more confident, and you move a little easier. If this is what you can get for a few classes a week over two months, imagine the results you could achieve in a year.”
A WINNING JANUARY Next “Gym-uary”, forget about the same old treadmill ritual and hoping for the best. To give yourself a real chance of seeing some results, declare war on that extra timber with a boutique gym programme. Get planning!
The first class at Heartcore is free, with bulk packages also available. heartcore.co.uk
THE D E TA I L S :
The traditional gym membership is dying a slow death. Onerous contracts, excessive bureaucracy and a lack of creativity in the traditional gym landscape means membership cards often collect dust at the bottom of drawers, while every month, significant amounts are deducted from bank accounts whose owners tell themselves they’ll “start going again soon”.
In fact, recent research by thinkmoney.co.uk showed that almost a million people are paying for gym memberships that they never use, wasting on average around £480 a year.
So as “Gym-uary” looms, with its inevitable New Year’s resolutions, perhaps you need to rethink your approach to that optimistic weight-loss goal to avoid giving up on it by January 7. Again.
BEST FOR… LUXURY LOMAX
“Boutique” gyms, which are cooler, more luxurious, and sprouting up all over London, are one solution.
These gyms don’t want you to sign up a year in advance, throw money down the drain and forget you even have a membership apart from when you look regretfully at your bank statement.
These are pay-as-you-go gyms with dedicated classes, committed staff and a devoted clientele. These are places with juice bars, pumping music and darkened rooms.
These are studios where your targets can actually be achieved before winter’s end. Then you can decide whether to stick with the programme, as opposed to looking back sadly and sighing “Maybe next year.”
Yes, you might spend a little more on these gym experiences – but you’ll stand a much better chance of getting where you want to go.
S TU D I O I N C H E L S E A , O R H O M E S E S S I O N S AVA I L A B L E
• With massage therapists, acupuncturists and osteopaths, plus an on-site restaurant and juice bar, Lomax offers enough variety to keep everyone happy. “With traditional gym memberships, members are typically paying for services that they don’t use or need,” explains Olu Adepitan, head of fitness at Lomax. “Paying a bit more for what you actually need will get you the results and save you time. Applying yourself to three or four varied sessions per week throughout January and February will mean you can easily shed any extra pounds gained over the Christmas period.” The first class at Lomax is free, with bulk packages available. lomaxpt.com
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