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Third Space is a flashy fitness club with seven London locations used by some celebrities.
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Members have access to a gym, pool, spa, doctor, and 45 classes for a minimum of $220 a month.
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Two Insider reporters tried a 50-minute cardio/weight training class that pushed them to the max.
We attended a workout class and toured around one of the most luxurious fitness clubs in London, called Third Space, where celebrities go. Membership costs between £180 ($220) and £245 ($306) a month.
Third Space has seven locations across London. We visited the club’s biggest facility based in the Canary Wharf financial district.
When members enter Third Space, the first thing they see is a 23-meter rock climbing wall, which costs £35 ($44) for an induction.
The first floor of Third Space was purely for strength and conditioning. In the weights section, there were around 20 squat racks and dumbbells went up to 50 kilograms.
Slightly separated from the weight sections was the circuit workout area, which used to be a basketball court. There was a running track, a scoreboard, and lots of different types of free weights.
Just above was the boxing ring and at least eight punchbags. Third Space said that high-profile boxers sometimes train here.
There were a staggering 82 bikes in one room where spin classes take place.
Members can pay between £65 ($81) to £90 ($112) more to have a personal trainer monitor their fitness in swimming, running, and other physical workouts in the club.
Memberships also include access to a spa, a doctor, and an altitude chamber for when they want to practice training at a height.
The changing rooms were open and spacious. Members can pick up fresh towels when they walk in and hand them in after their workout.
We found the lockers were quite small after shoving our rucksacks and coats inside them. But there were ironing boards available to use in case clothing became crushed. There’s also the option to have a personal locker which allows members to have their clothes washed and dried for them.
Lockers to keep valuables safe and charged while members use the facility were located at the entrance of the changing room.
We tested out one of the 45 classes Third Space offers at their Canary Wharf location, called Sweat X. We did sprint intervals for about 25 minutes on treadmills, then spent another 25 minutes doing conditioning work using dumbbells. Talk about sweaty!
Our class was led by personal trainer Sally Rees, who leads five classes four days a week at the club — on top of being a dancer. Becoming a trainer at Third Space is competitive. Aspiring trainers need to have a minimum of two years experience, Josh Silverman, head of education at Third Space, told Insider.
We wore “silent disco”-style headphones, which blasted music as well as Rees’ instructions. This was because the class was led in an open part of the gym, and could disturb others. The sprint intervals were a challenge for us — we work out regularly, but largely do weightlifting. The 10 other people, some who seemed to be regulars, were sprinting at speeds nearly double than us.
We felt more in our element during the dumbbell conditioning, even though its fast pace still challenged us. Rees was particularly motivating, pushing us to increase our running speeds each round, or add more reps during the weightlifting movements.
We had to take a breather following the sprint intervals, which left us out of breath and sweaty…
…but we had a chance to cool off during a stretch session at the end of the class.
Following the Sweat X class, we headed into the club’s cafe, Natural Fitness Foods, which offered snacks, meals, and drinks for takeaway and eat-in.
We tried the protein smoothies, which were priced between $8.70 to $11.20 (£6.95 to £8.95) for the signature shakes, while a “build-your-own” option was $9.95 (£7.95). Natural Fitness Foods also offers a 6-week food delivery program tailored to one’s nutritional needs for $244 (£195).
Next to the cafe was a shop that sold gym wear.
Overall, the facility is a world apart from most commercial gyms. From the variety of equipment, dozens of classes, personalized health guidance and luxurious amenities — it’s clear why Third Space attracts high-profile figures. However, its cost puts it out of the reach of many.
Read the original article on Business Insider
