You advertise that you are different from other gyms, but HOW are you different?

G&T’s IS different. A gym should be like a giant adult fairground - the sessions and week to week experience should be FUN! Firstly, PLEASE NEVER PANIC if you are new to fitness - we have seen this many times and are sympathetic to your plight!

It amazes me when clients ask if I can prepare a programme for them as if it is an ‘extra’ they are prepared to pay for, or do not expect, until I came to realise that, of course, many gyms will not give you a programme UNLESS you have paid a lot of money for a Personal Trainer to show them! (or presumably they think you'll 'know' what to do, and how to progress!).

I seriously (and AS a Personal Trainer), could not live with myself unless I’d shown you how to use all machines safely and most effectively, including all the weights, and given you one of the 8 weights programmes we run in-house.

Simply put, we start you on three exercise sets, (unless you are very unconditioned), on generally an 8 rep system (unless if you want to build a lot of muscle, OR are under 21years old). However, if you are sitting down over a computer, or driving, all day, (or we spot that you need to 'work back', we also have our postural starter programme to address this; to shorten the muscles that are lengthened all day (and possibly weak), and stretching muscles that have been in a fixed position or shortened.

We carry Free-Weights to 17.5k – I advocate Free-Weights over all other training protocols, using compound exercises to super-boost your metabolism. I promise you we have exercises FAR more interesting than just Biceps Curls! I personally guarantee you’ll never have had training like this! I have built up a huge library of creative exericese over the many years I have been teaching!

In the weights room we also use a multi gym (a good start, to teach you your 'arcs'), and the fantastic Reverse Hyper, again working glutes, (buttocks), Hamstrings, and the whole length of the spine.

We have: 3 x T/Mills, 2 x stationery bikes, a Commercial X-Bike (like a mountain bike, the handlebars sway - the handles move in sync with the leg’s motion to replicate the whole standing/cycling action, 2 x elliptical trainers (these are great for warming up, prior to weights), a Reebok Mechanical rower, (which gives different resistances), and 2 x water rowers (lovely machines which use water therefore the whole experience is very like real rowing).

Going skiing? Use us before you go, with our ski simulator machine, (and backed up with our free weights ‘Piste Programme’)! In fact use this machine anytime, as it is GREAT for hitting the frontal plane (all other machines hit the saggital plane rather more, so this is using different muscles, to the side of the body)

You’ll not be doing the rather dated ‘work on this Treadmill for 40 mins at 75% of your max heart rate’ rubbish either, we can give you effective training for superior cardio benefits and as importantly FAT BURNING in far less time with the latest training protocols (in fact we’ve done this type of training for the last 8 years). Get in some 'H.I.I.T', and work with 'castle wall' and 'spike training' at G&T's! (ask!)

I get bored in the gym. Period. This makes me a far better coach!! To avoid ennui, I actively seek out ways to make it more interesting for us all, always, even on the individual machines. (Do you know I can think of 6 different ‘strokes’ on the water rower alone: normal, under hand, ‘chinnies’, ‘statics’, over-head, [tough!], and single arm).
I also encourage you to try our semi-permanent circuits set up in the studio end for 30 mins of your normal session. Called ‘Clockwork Carnage!’, you’ll be totally fired up by the time you leave (and because we use a giant set of playing cards, you can’t blame me for the random exercises you’ll get!). Great fun. We often do other programmes pinched from our circuits class, in the studio, if you fancy it, or if we are busy down the gym end!

Our latest protocol is RBT (rest based training) mini class- working in small groups with Cat - offered anytime but offering specific classes 3 times a week- the members are loving it (see the video on the NING site)! We have a portfolio of gym challenges (about 22 at the last count!). Only when you feel ready!

Why not try Tabata with us, towards the end of your sessions (4 mins) – the icing on the cake, you’ll know you’ve been there! Or we can do Gym Circuits (anytime) but specifically on Mondays 6.30, on the machines to really stoke up your metabolism. If this all sounds a little scary – remember you are under the supervision of a PT with 14 years experience – I won’t just chuck you in the deep end – but you will be expected to get to the gym, commit, get to our classes if you can, and get RESULTS!!!! This is good for you in terms of dropping clothes sizes, incinerating body fat, and feeling fabulous – and good for our reputation as your friends notice the changes!

NB - OR if you are gym savvy, you can simply come in and do your own thing! (as long as it is safe).

Cat