These handled cannonballs of metal take up little space in a gym, but have been used to develop strength and endurance for years. ? Most agree that the kettlebell was doing the rounds in Russia as early as 1704, when they were used as a counterweight for measuring grains and other things ⚖️. People figured out that lifting them provided health and strength benefits (as well as the opportunity to see who was the strongest… show offs!) ? Skip to the 90’s and Pavel Tsatouline bought the kettlebell into the mainstream with his article “ ? Vodka, ? Pickle Juice, Kettlebell Lifting and Other Russia ..read more

“Swinging” has many definitions ?, however in this post we’re talking about the kettlebell swing. Put simply, it involves holding a kettlebell by the handle and swinging it between your legs to about eye level ? using either one or two hands ?. Sounds straightforward enough, but this ballistic movement that also involves momentum can be a tricky movement to master ? – which is where we come in! We can show you how to get your form spot on so you get in on some of these benefits! ➡️ Full body workout Swings will strengthen your core, lower back, glutes, hamstring, mid-back, upper-back, forearm ..read more

February 2024 Engine House Hero: Jackpot Jenny! We can not even begin to describe the wonderful success Jenny is having at the gym each and every time she turns up to a class – and you know what, she’s smashing every goal and new challenge she turns her hand to! That’s why we like to call her Jackpot Jenny, because girrrrrl you are on fire! Jenny is also a frequent competitor in the Mettle Bender Powerlifting Competition, using it as a way to set her benchmarks and monitor her progress with the barbell – from what we’ve seen so far we can’t wait to see what she pulls out of the hat ..read more

We’ll admit it – we’ve got a backlog of heros all lined up and waiting in the wings, so we’d better get on with it, because nobody puts the hero’s in the corner! January’s hero’s are the wonderful Nick & Penny – this diligent duo have shown impeccable and consistent effort in the gym to better their well being and give themselves, their bodies and brains the time needed to grow stronger and healthier. Moreover, they are just simply the best humans, ever. Thank you Nick & Penny for being fantabulous members of our gym family! Get 2 weeks free! Sitting on the fence about sig ..read more

Did someone mention The New Year already? It was us! We’re thinking forward because quite honestly if we think backwards, it gets us nowhere fast. We’re not going to mention “new year resolutions”, but we did want to talk about goals. January seems a popular time to set goals of some sort or another. And many of us will look at our gym kit abandoned in a corner gathering dust, or take a look in the mirror and give ourselves a stern talking to and the result is that we’re hit with wave of inspiration and a goal is set that this year we’re gonna do it – get fit, weigh less, get strong and keep ..read more

“The body is one piece” – that’s what one of our favourite coaches, Dan John, has been saying for years. But what does he mean? ? In a nutshell, he’s telling us that your entire body needs to be strong *and* to move well. Focusing on too many specific things isn’t going to the cut the mustard.? Much like your body hasn’t been patched together by Frankenstein in the vague hope all the bits will work together (with the help of 1000 volts ⚡), your training approach shouldn’t suffer the same fate either. Random mash-ups of training and diet just don’t work, not in the long term.? We train differe ..read more

Have you ever walked into a gym and thought about just walking straight back out again ?? If the answer is yes, we’re not surprised. Sometimes the rows and rows of machines and devices look like something out of a medivial torture chamber ⚔️ rather than a place to get fit. How are you supposed to know where to start or what each of the things do or if you’re even going to benefit from using them? ? No one needs complicated. That’s why this week we’re taking a look at your one stop shop bit of kit that you can use to get your body strong in all the right places. The Barbell. ?️ On first glance ..read more

At the end of every year, we like to review how our members have been doing overall, who’s been in, who’s done what and when. And we reckon, a good indicator ? is attendance ? Last year, Jonathan had the most open gym attendances with a whopping 186 under his belt – that’s an average of 0.51 sessions EVERY SINGLE DAY for an entire year! We’re big believers that consistency is the key ?️, and Jonathan, you’ve got it by the bucket full. Congratulations to you, Sir! ? Get 2 weeks free! Sitting on the fence about signing up? We get it – we wouldn’t want to buy before we try either! That’s why ..read more

November’s Engine House Hero is Alison! ? Alison has been training us with a little over a year now, having racked up 194 classes. One of her goals was to achieve an unassisted pull up. Sounds like a small goal, but pull ups can be one of those movements that can defeat the most determined because of its technicality. We’re so proud of Alison for her consistent training and dedication to work towards hitting her goal – not only that her enthusiasm in the gym is a great motivator for her fellow training buddies. Alison, keep your chin up over the bar, you’re doing fabulously! ? Get 2 weeks f ..read more

Kara gets her spot in our Engine House Hero Hall Of Fame for stepping out of her comfort zone, setting herself a challenge and sticking to the plan. When we asked Kara if she was going to take part in the Mettle Bender Competition a few months ago it was at first a point blank “no”. Fair enough we thought ?… but having mulled the idea over ? Kara decided she was actually going to give it a go, so she spoke to the trainers and a plan was put together to not only help Kara with her lift technique and progression but also give her the confidence boost she needed to see it through ?. Kara’s made ..read more