Full Body at Gymclass, Spitalfields

When Luke Baden, Fitness Manager and top PT at Third Space London, left his role to become Master Trainer at boutique style studio Gymclass London, I’ve got to admit I was a bit surprised. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Gymclass (read my previous review of the Notting Hill Studio here), but with Luke being renowned for his mega high intensity, hardcore strength and fitness classes at Third Space London, surely he wouldn't be able to work us quite as hard/to our full capacity  at the smaller, more niche style studio?

Rule 1 of GymClass - Protein shake essential! Yep, they're better than Barry's :P

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong! As Luke invited an array of PT’s, bloggers, instagrammers and general fitness fiends to a special VIP session last Tuesday night, he was about to prove that he could be JUST as hardcore, if not MORE, in his swankey new home....

Gym class - Upper floor studio

And, gotta say, the new Spitalfields venue for GymClass is pretty swankey! It basically brings  all the best parts from the original Notting Hill studio, making it better, newer and I'd argue more intense for their East London crowd. 

Changing rooms on point, all amenities you need

With two separate studios, kitted out with all the essential pieces of equipment plus more (dumbbells, ski-ergs, rowing machines, kettle bells, to name a few), GymClass have all the means to give you a full body blasting from every angle. Combining metabolic training with resistance based moves for an all over body workout, it's a high-octane, muscle building, sweat inducing session at it's finest!

Studio no.2 

So, on Tuesday as we entered the lower floor studio (one of two), with the lights dimmed and music already pounding, Luke was busy writing our session up on the mirror. You see, at GymClass, no session is the same, which means your body is kept guessing, working in different ways each time to capitalize on those fitness gains.... :P

Our poison tonight? Eight rounds of different fitness drills…. The words ‘why exactly did we agree to this’ were mumbled by a few mouths as we began our 'warm-up' (.... more of a 'boil over' than a 'warm up'). Perfect preparation for our eight circuits to come....

Photo stolen from Joe.... he looks nervous for a reason!

Signature Full Body:

1.      EMOM

2.      TABATA

3.      EMOM

4.      AMRAP

5.      HIIT

6.      HIIT

7.      CIRCUIT

8.      Paradise City

9.      Finisher

To anyone not familiar with the acronyms above,  think yourself lucky – they’re intense!

Sana and I pre-class... blissfully unaware of the circuit to come....

First up was EMOM, which refers to 'every minute on the minute'. So, for the first eight minutes, we had a sequence of 15 chest to floor burpees, 10 chest presses and 25 jump squats, to be completed 8 times round, every minute on the minute (EMOM). And that was just round one!

Moving onto Tabata, it was another eight minute blast of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off… isn’t it funny how 10 seconds goes SOOOO fast when it’s the cool down, yet 20 seconds of speed skaters last a lifetime?! Another round of EMOM, we then brought out the weights for AMRAP  - abbreviation for “as many as rounds as possible”.

To the weights!

Squats into jumping jacks, weighted lunges with bicep curls, throwing in a shoulder press at the top ‘just for fun’, finishing with mountain climbers before going straight back to those jumping jack squats to repeat AMRAP…. I think you get the just of it!

But no, we weren't done there.... not even close! Two more rounds of HIIT, followed with an additional 8 minute circuit bringing back out the weights, we moved on to the penultimate round, 'Paradise City'. Trust me, the only thing ‘Paradise City’ about this round was the Guns n Rose soundtrack -there was no ‘paradise’ in the routine Luke was taking us through!

As we approached the final ‘Finisher’ round, combining plank jack push ups, squat jumps with extra height to fit in that foot tap at the top, and full body dumbbell finishers, it's safe to speak for everyone when I say the entire crew was absolutely, without a doubt, WIPED!

SweatyFlo and I. Sweaty being the key word.... on both parts!

In all honesty, I’ve probably never worked as hard in my life. I used to think to get a really hardcore, intense workout you needed to be on and off treadmills, weight benches, rowing machines, ski-erg’s etc, however GymClass proved that all you really need is your own bodyweight, a couple of heavy dumbbells and an awesome instructor (:P @luke) – and you’ll get all the benefits and more!

Bodyweight handstand pressups 

What I particularly liked about the class is that, despite getting VERY little rest, as we only had 8 minutes on each ‘routine’ before switching to another, it definitely kept you engaged. Just when it felt like your body was about to give up, you were dying for water and air con, the instructor moved on to the next block. That little reset and refresh most definitely left you feeling like you're able to give some more!

When the weights aren't heavy enough, just shoulder press the girls instead :P 

Plus, as the classes are kept relatively small (14-20 participants), and the instructor is constantly walking round correcting form, encouraging you to up your weights (yeah, thanks Luke) and keeping you focused, there really is that one to interaction and supervision that many other classes lack. Basically, you get all the same benefits of personal training alongside the motivation that comes with working out in a group - the best combo, right?

Endorphin high much?

Luke, Gym Class, well done – you managed to absolutely KILL a squad of apparently ‘fit’ names in fitness. RESPECT!

So, the need to know for all you newbies keen to try..... Single classes at GymClass cost £27 per session, however they are currently offering a special intro price of £17 for first timers, available at both Spitalfields and Notting Hill. Visit https://www.gym-class.co.uk/ to find out more info and book in for your blasting!