Want to get ‘Fit to Last’?

The Fit to Last gym can be a little tricky to find, but once you do you’ll be glad to have hunted it down. They’re based in Clapham North Arts Centre (and made this handy video to help you find them) and this gym is perfect for people who are looking for something a bit different to your standard gym…

Fit to Last is all about creating a private, friendly environment. We know we aren’t the only ones who don’t want to be around the sweaty, grunting strangers of the local gym, feel daunted by new equipment and get nervous with lifting heavy out of fear of injury. Gyms can be intense places. Thankfully, Fit to Last is for people looking to learn about how and when they should be working out, and all in an incredibly supportive environment. We went down to check out 3 of the services they offer…

1. The 3D Heath Review (usually takes 10-15 minutes)
We started our session here. Coach James, also the co-owner, was really welcoming and knowledgeable. The scan itself took 30 seconds before James talked us through the results. We were able to see, in great detail, where and how much body fat we had. We were then able to consult James about what our goals were and together, using the super snazzy tech, we came up with some really tangible actions. He made us a plan that clearly said how often we’d have to come and work out to achieve our goals, in our set period of time. What we especially appreciated here was James’ approach. It wasn’t in the least bit forceful or guilt-trippy and there was no mention of BMI or comparative techniques to other people in your age group / weight group. Absolutely nothing was there to make you feel bad about yourself or your habits. James is anti-calorie counting and instead uses a much less intimidating approach to nutrition that focusses on portion control over anything else. The whole experience felt very personable and non-judgmental and all of our results and fitness plan were e-mailed to us afterwards so we could re-look at it in our own time. 

2. Functional Movement Screen (usually takes 15 minutes)
The really personal experience continued through to the second element of the session – our picture was taken and it appeared on the screen, along with our name, which it will continue to do whenever we return. It logs all of your details and James even asked what music we liked (naturally we chose Madonna) and all our favourite tunes played throughout the next two sessions. It was such a nice touch and instantly we felt much more relaxed. This part was great and we’d really recommend this (and the previous session) even to regular gym goers. The FMS involved us doing a few simple exercises like light stepping and jumping, which is useful to forecast any potential injuries and look in more detail at our form. It means that our sessions were tailored specifically to strengthen areas of weakness and iron out any issues with form.

3. Weight Training Workshop (60 minutes)
One of the biggest off-putting factors of the gym can be simply knowing if you’re doing it right. James asked what types of exercises we liked doing, or would be interested in doing, and he really took the time to take us through each of those and practice with us until our form was 10/10. Whilst this sounds intense, with Madonna playing in the background and with great chat from James, it really was fun and insightful. James made tweaks to our form that we immediately felt the impact of- things like tucking our chin in whilst lifting really released some tension and make the move easier and allowed for a full range of motion. He’s clearly an expert and does everything he can to put you at ease. We felt so much more confident after just one hour with him and can only imagine how much knowledge you could gain by returning consistently.

We left our time with Fit to Last feeling empowered and motivated to go again. If you feel overwhelmed by the people, equipment or whether or not you’re doing the moves correctly at the local gym, then this is your place.

P.S: Want to win a 3D Health Review, Functional Movement and Weight Training Workshop? ‘Course you do. Head over to our instagram to enter!