I stumbled across Method Movement on instagram and liked its vibe. The studio on Brompton Rd looked sleek and stylish with a boho feel. It offers a range of classes including yoga, barre, boxing and HIIT sessions; the latter claiming to sculpt the ultimate bikini body. I booked in for the “Bondi Method”
What They Say:
We believe that fitness and wellness should be simple: no gimmicks, no fluff – just good, hard, honest work. With that purpose in mind, we started reimagining a modern fitness experience that could cut through the noise of modern London.
Ours is a no-nonsense studio with a luxurious aesthetic easily configured to meet a wide range of workout requirements.
Our trainers are among Britain’s most-respected in their fields and serve as advisers to leading brands such as GQ, Men’s Health, and Marie Claire. Founder and head trainer Joshua Clark has assembled a team with cross-discipline expertise spanning yoga, barre, high-intensity training, and emerging combat sports. Together, Method trainers have developed a technically-focused programme that takes the best of traditional fitness and adds a contemporary flavour.
My Experience:
The entrance to the studio is unassuming and, stepping down to the basement, you are greeted by a surprisingly light and airy space. This studio has been cleverly designed to feel much bigger than its footprint, and was all glass, clean white walls and mirrors. Nothing looked out of place; even the kettle bells had been painted white! We were warmly welcomed by the receptionist and waited in the lobby as the previous class finished off. Glancing out of the window was a beautiful outdoor studio where meditation and yoga classes are held. Two girls sat deep in meditation in the soft sunshine… dreamy.
A stream of willowy girls assembled for the class and we were called in. We started off with some good mobility and then moved on to some banded glute activation drills which were brilliantly effective/utter hell!
A couple of things still regularly surprise me when I go to new classes – especially in well-heeled residential parts of London like this:
Firstly, what an absolute unit I feel like compared to the average gym-goer. I am by no means hench, but wow do look it when I stand next to some of these teeny girls… goddam mirrors!
Secondly, I seriously suck at small isolated movements. The rest of the class were cruising through these glute drills as I winced in pain and our instructor, Joshua, gave me a knowing look “you think you’re tough doing CrossFit but you’re not so tough now are you….?!”. I KNOW these things come with practice, but it’s humbling to be shown up by girls who look like they might blow away in a strong gust!
The main session was essentially a 12-station circuit, with 2 x 40 second movements at each station. The movements were varied with deadlifts, goblet squats, dumbbell press, tricep extensions, true form running, weighted step-ups and pull ups to name a few. We each started on a different station and rotated around the room throughout the class; Joshua had a good technical focus and got around the room and corrected form/encouraged people as needed.
The workout was as hard as you made it; you could choose your weights and rest if you needed to – definitely accessible to anyone. There was a wide range of dumbbells and plates and, not really knowing what to gun for in 40 seconds, I generally went a bit heavy and fatigued with about 10 seconds to go… got a great pump on though! The trueform runner (a self-powered treadmill) was probably the hardest station – I was cajoled to go fast and was properly blowing by end of it. Those things are scary! The faster you go, the more you accelerate, I was seriously concerned I might go hurtling across the room at one point.
By the end of the sesh I felt like I’d had a good whole body workout; this was the triceps, legs and abs session – the focus varies on different days of the week. We ended off with a stretch in the outdoor studio and I could happily have laid in the dappled sunshine for a good couple of hours!
As everyone sauntered off we didn’t even have to put our gear away – everything was done for us – luxurious! (Blitz members… don’t go getting any ideas!)
There were about a dozen girls in the class and I got the impression this is part of their regular regime to keep the bod toned, rather than something they do for FUN. There were some pumping tunes and the coach was upbeat, but there wasn’t much interaction from the other girls during the class and they slipped off their separate ways straight afterwards – I think this is pretty normal and you’re lucky if you find a gym where everyone in the class knows each other and has a laugh as they train; it reminded me that’s one of the things I love about CrossFit.
The space itself was lovely, and the people were really friendly. This is the kind of gym you might build if you lived in a stonking great house, and it’s perfect for ladies who live nearby and want to come and tone their physiques before going for brunch. The body sculpting wasn’t quite for me, but that’s probably largely because I’m not used to (or good at!) that type of training. That said, I will definitely go back for a yoga session – the outdoor studio was utterly charming.
In Summary
Beautifully designed with a Venice Beach vibe. The class itself isn’t the kind of thing I’d do regularly, but that’s just my preference and it’s perfect for women who want to go and lift some weights in a safe, calm and friendly environment under the guidance of a coach. If you did a few of these sessions a week you’d quickly build some muscle tone and you can take it as hard or easy as you want to. I’ll definitely go back for yoga – maybe at nighttime, under the stars!
Where: Method Movement, Brompton Road SW5
Cost: £28 for the first 2 sessions, then blocks from £18 per session. Monthly memberships also available.
How to book: http://www.methodmovement.co.uk
Hols Does Fitness 