Gym memberships in the UK can range anywhere from £15 to £470 a month; and much like our favourite supermarket or coffee chain, the one we choose to spend our money on reveals a lot about us.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, fitness experts have revealed what the amenities and equipment we gravitate towards could be revealing about our personas.
Personal trainer Monty Simmons and Daniel Herman, founder of the supplement brand Bio-Synergy, have both revealed their verdicts on ‘no nonsense’ Fitness4Less members and ‘very polished’ Equinox fans, who tout ‘slightly nose-in-the-air energy’.
Meanwhile, those opting for PureGym are ‘the pragmatists of the fitness world’ while David Lloyd, which has recently sparked ‘rumours of amorous liaisons in quiet corners with members who use it like a hook-up joint’ is ‘less quick workout, more lifestyle destination’.
Read on to see the gym that makes you ‘a gym bro’ – and which one means ‘you value routine above all else’…
Known as a middle class favourite, David Lloyd gyms promise everything from a variety of saunas to tennis courts and state-of-the-art equipment. Stock image used
The Gym Group
Depending on your location, memberships at the Gym Group can start from as low as £14.99 a month – and even in central London locations, won’t soar much higher than £35. Their focus is accessibility, with 24-hour gyms and ‘a mission to break down barriers to fitness for everyone in the UK, providing top-quality gyms and expert advice at affordable prices’. As of last year, the group has 250 gyms with some 900,000 members.
‘The Gym Group attracts people who treat fitness like a utility bill essential,’ Daniel said. ‘Efficient, and something to get sorted without fuss. Probably the same person who found the best broadband deal on the market.’
Elsewhere, Monty remarked that it’s great ‘if you want a no-frills gym where half the space may be cardio equipment and the overall vibe is “just get it done”.’
PureGym
Most cities have one or more PureGym branches dotted around, its distinctive turquoise colours never far from a university neighbourhood. Opened in 2009, there are now more than 700 locations around the UK, with more than two million members. Membership options start from £18.99 and classes are available. Their website promises: ‘You won’t find pricey extras like pools or cafés that most people never use. Instead, we focus on what really matters – great kit, great spaces, and a warm welcome every time you walk through the door.’
Those that go to a PureGym are ‘the pragmatists of the fitness world’, Daniel explained. ‘They signed up in January, kept going, and have absolutely no interest in paying extra for a towel service they’d never use.’
Meanwhile, Monty said PureGym is ‘your classic middle-ground gym’. ‘Good if you want 24/7 access, student-friendly pricing, and you don’t mind the odd PT hovering nearby with a “free consultation” energy,’ he remarked.
Most cities have one or more PureGym branches dotted around, its distinctive turquoise colours never far from a university neighbourhood. Stock image used
JD Gyms
An off-shoot of the popular JD Sports shops which we’re familiar with seeing on every high street, JD gyms started up in 2014, with its first branch in Hull. Now, there are more than 90 locations across the UK, most open for 24 hours. Much like the trendy shops, JD’s gyms feature moody dark lighting and vibrant neon signs, starting from around £25.99 a month.
Those who enjoy these facilities ‘know how to get a good deal without sacrificing their standards’, Daniel explained.
‘They want decent kit, a solid playlist, and a space where looking the part is very much encouraged,’ he added.
‘JD Gyms has very “getting ready for the gym is part of the gym” energy,’ Monty added. ‘It is a bit more polished and ideal if you want value but still want the place to look good.’
Fitness4Less
With seven branches in the UK – most of them in London – Fitness4Less is an independent, budget option which has been around since 2005. Memberships start from £34.99 a month and tout ‘friendly staff, and state-of-the-art fingerprint entry systems’.
‘The Fitness4Less member has a refreshingly no-nonsense relationship with exercise,’ Daniel shared. ‘They know results come from effort, not aesthetics, and they’re quietly outperforming people paying four times as much.’
‘Fitness4Less is a great cost effective option,’ Monty added. ‘You probably either love training and spend the saved money on supplements, or you just want the cheapest possible place to get the job done.’
Fitness First
A renowned fitness brand which has been around since 1993, Fitness First has locations across the world, with more than 20 venues in London alone. Usually the beginning of a premium offering, with a standard membership starting from £90 a month, FF say there are ‘are experts in everything health and wellbeing, supported by four key best in class brand pillars: Classes, Equipment, Personal Trainers and Customised Workouts’.
Monty says it’s the perfect choice for a ‘mid-market gym’. ‘A little gym bro, slightly corporate, usually decent for classes, but you may have to dodge a few PT sales pitches on the way in,’ he explained.
Meanwhile, Daniel shared, ‘the Fitness First loyalist has been on the same treadmill metaphorically and literally since 2000s’.
‘They value routine above all else and have quietly outlasted every fitness trend that swept past them.’
Gymbox
Positioning themselves as disruptors in the gym space, Gymbox promises a ‘new’ type of workout space. Its trendy website reads: ‘Apple was born in a garage, we were born in a car park in the heart of the West End. We replaced cars, bikes and vans with nightly resident DJs, neon lights and dancers. We reset the industry. Fast forward to now and we’re home to the most unique and diverse classes in London. Olympic sized boxing rings, combat cages, world-class free weights sections, live DJs and larger-than-life personal trainers.’ Memberships start from £47.50.
‘Gymbox is very gym bro energy, but dressed up as boutique fitness,’ Monty said. ‘It is loud, dramatic, class-heavy, and feels like the gym is trying to be half nightclub, half training space.’
Daniel added: ‘Gymbox members workout with the same energy they bring to their Spotify Wrapped reveal hard, loud, and with a strong sense of personal brand. They’re here for the rave-lit boxing class and not afraid to let you know it.’
David Lloyd
Known as a middle class favourite, David Lloyd gyms promise everything from a variety of saunas to tennis courts and state-of-the-art equipment. Membership packages include family and couple bundles, but an individual one can be around £65 to £220 a month. However, in recent months, many have questioned whether the hefty fee is worth it, with members complaining of ‘rumours of “amorous” liaisons in quiet corners’ and gymgoers ‘who use it like a hook-up joint and rival cliques’.
Daniel said: ‘David Lloyd is less a gym membership and more a lifestyle statement typically held by someone who wants the children entertained, a prosecco available post-Pilates, and the option to call it “the club” without irony.’
Monty agreed, explaining that it’s more ‘for coffee after training, tennis, kids’ clubs, and possibly spending more time recovering from the workout than doing the workout’.
Equinox
Branding itself as a luxury gym, Equinox is beloved among the elite, with membership thought to cost anywhere from £245 to more than £470 a month. With spas, baths and treatments aplenty, there are even Equinox Hotels around the world.
‘Equinox is where you go if you want to strut on a treadmill and feel like your shoes should be polished on the way in,’ Monty said. ‘Very premium, very polished, slightly nose-in-the-air energy.’
‘The Equinox member doesn’t just exercise, they optimise,’ Daniel added. ‘Expect a meticulously tracked HRV score, a smoothie that costs more than most people’s lunch, and a genuine belief that the membership fee is an investment.’
Third Space
A London exclusive, luxury Third Space venues are the capital’s elite health clubs
Individual club membership rates start from £245 per month. Group Membership is £285 and Group Plus Membership is £325 per month
A London exclusive, luxury Third Space venues are the capital’s elite health clubs, ‘individual in style, bound by a common philosophy: to be the Third Space for our members, inspiring them to be their personal best.’ From opulent pools with marble tiles, Reformer Pilates classes, to ‘natural fitness food’ on offer. Individual club membership rates start from £245 per month. Group Membership is £285 and Group Plus Membership is £325 per month.
According to Daniel, it’s where ‘serious athletes, and seriously wealthy Londoners exist in harmonious, marble-clad proximity members are either training for something significant or simply enjoy a gym where the changing rooms smell better than most hotels’.
‘Third Space is the gym membership you buy so you can tell people you have it,’ Monty said. ‘Beautiful facilities, very London, and slightly more about the identity of exercising than just the exercise itself.’
