Get down to the beat

Come and visit our new concept gyms at London Bridge Cottons and the Strand, where Fitness First have created BEAT, a great new way to work out.

When devising it, one of the key ideas behind BEAT was to create a gym with a more engaging environment. Each class works like a circuit, so the middle of the gym is left completely open for the more athletic and aerobic components, whilst the outside is lined with treadmills, rowing and other cardio machines.

The whole experience is that of one big group workout in the round with a great soundtrack and nightclub style lighting. Unlike normal workouts, BEAT classes use heart rate monitors connected to giant TV screens to encourage you to challenge yourself and optimise your workouts by displaying your heart rate percentage (along with everybody else’s – for those of you with a competitive nature!) in different colours on huge screens. The colours change depending on the percentage of optimum heart rate you are working at.

There are five different sessions available depending on your fitness levels and goals. Beginners should start with Move Better – 65% HR, where exercises gradually take you to 65% of your personal heart rate capacity. Fat Burner – 70% HR is suitable for all levels of fitness, whether you want to burn fat or get your fitness on track, while Pro Athlete – 80% HR focuses on athletic power techniques and active recovery. Cardio Fit 85% HR gradually increases in intensity to raise your heart rate to 85% and finally HIIT Pro – 90% HR, for the seriously fit, which pushes you to over 90% heart rate by alternating periods of high intensity dynamic and explosive exercises with short recovery intervals.

We recently held an event at our London Cotton Bridge gym for bloggers to take part in a beat class, so come along and see what all of the excitement is about!