While we are more than happy to spend money on an expensive haircut, a good bottle of wine or a night out, for many, the idea of a personal trainer has always seemed outrageously self-indulgent. Surely you have to be worth a fortune to afford a one-on-one workout? That’s not the case.

An estimated quarter of a million people join a gym on January 1st but by the end of May, over a third of us have stopped going altogether, and the guilt kicks in guilt that you’re wasting money by not using your gym membership. In London personal training sessions on average cost £50 or £60 an hour, with some places charging a higher premium but for many the expense is motivation in itself. You are more likely to drag yourself to the gym or park in between sessions to make it worthwhile as well as to avoid the shame of not improving week on week. So where to go? This is our pick of the Top 5 Personal Training gyms in the capital. All have no joining fees or contracts.

1. Ultimate Performance

Ultimate Performance (U.P.) was founded in 2009 in London by world-leading personal trainer Nick Mitchell. Since then U.P. have forged a reputation as the world’s foremost body transformation experts delivering exceptional client results under the mantra ‘maximum results, minimum time’.

The business has grown to become the world’s only truly international personal training company, with 21 private personal training facilities across the globe, including 7 in London. U.P. now boasts a team of more than 300 elite personal trainers across the global business, working with thousands of successful body transformation clients.

Men’s Fitness Magazine describes U.P. as: ‘The Goldman Sachs, Real Madrid and Apple of Personal Training. They’re that far ahead of the field.’ Notable U.P. clients include Glenn Powell, Olivia Colman, Kevin McHale, Lamorne Morris, Paddy McGuinness, Scott Mills and Gemma Atkinson.

The company prides itself on a results-driven training and nutrition methodology across its Personal Training, Group Training and Online Personal Training packages to optimise health, fitness and body composition.

If all thats not enough the CEO and founder of Ultimate Performance, Nick Mitchell, is the author of four best-selling books, including 12 Week Body Plan, Your Ultimate Body Transformation Plan, Principles of Muscle Building Program Design, and most recently Body Transformation Meal Plan Design.

Where: 7 locations across London: London City, Mayfair, Kensington, Chelsea, Canary Wharf, Paddington and St Paul’s

How much: Available on request

@ultimateperformancelive

2. SIX3NINE

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Did you know that your body contains 639 muscles? That number inspired the name of Six3Nine, a fitness secret that’s fast becoming the go to place to achieve your fitness and health goals. Hidden behind a discreet door on a busy road in Covent Garden, this is no ordinary gym space. Circles and lines are painted on the floor with kettle-bells, free weights, cables and gymnastic equipment filling the rest of space.

Once you’re matched with a trainer, they examine, in minute detail, your medical, injury and fitness history and create tailor made sessions to help you to make improvements you never thought possible. With sustainability at the core of their ethos, the team at Six3Nine goes to great lengths to ensure what they promise is both realistic and achievable. They look at a person’s entire lifestyle and deliver a program that’s truly bespoke to you.

Where: 41-44 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5AD

How much: 8 (hourly) sessions a month costs £595.

@639PT

3. PGPT

For the last 15 years, Pete Gaffney and the team at PGPT have been amongst London’s best personal trainers helping high-achieving professionals look and feel fitter without wasting their time, energy, or resources. One of the unique benefits of PGPT is that they are a mobile personal training company that comes to you. There are no extra membership fees, no queues for equipment and no need to work out with an audience. So no more excuses to avoid exercise.
Find a time that is convenient for you, and they will run your session wherever is most suitable; in your office, at home or in a local park; the choice is yours. Their personal training team of fitness experts cover areas all across North-West London and beyond.
By completing their programme, they have kept Royals, Politicians, and Chief Executives of FTSE-listed and Fortune 500 businesses in peak physical condition. It has given them the energy to lead their high-pressure lifestyles effortlessly. The team has 65 years of combined experience gained from over 60,000 hours of in-person and online personal training sessions, which means they have delivered over 1350 total body transformations.

4. Bodyline FitnessBodyline 1As Ealing’s only Personal Training studio, Bodyline Fitness is a popular choice for those out West looking at getting into, or staying in fit and healthy shape. Bodyline opened its doors 12 years ago and has 10 highly qualified personal trainers including three professional sports people from the world of Squash, Boxing and Athletics, as well as an Osteopath & Sports Massage Therapist. You also have option to escape the fast city pace for a full countryside weekend of fitness classes designed to boost your fitness and reboot your energy levels, on one of their regular fitness weekends in Wales and The Costwolds.

Where: 5-6 Spring Bridge Mews, London
W5 2AB

How much: 8 (hourly) sessions a month cost £344.

@BodylineStudios

5. Twist Studios

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Some of us don’t want anyone around when we are pushing ourselves to the limit and working up a sweat in a Personal Training session. If you’re one of those people then Twist Studios in South London’s Forest Hill could be your PT haven.

Twist 2

Founded by an Ironman and Triathlon veteran, Twist is a great option for a marathon runner needing expert advise, a sedentary office worker new to training, or a regular gym user wanting re-motivation. Babies and toddlers are also welcome to come along to your personal training session so no need for those babysitter excuses to interrupt your commitment to train regularly.

Where: 99a Dartmouth Road, 
London
 SE23 3HT

How much: 8 (hourly) sessions a month costs £320.

@TwistStudiosFH

6. Pure Fitness Shoreditch

Pure Fitness Shoreditch, is a private training facility set in the heart of Shoreditch and Hoxton in fashionable East London, headed up by celebrity master trainer Geoff Clement and current star of the Red Hot 100 with Thomas Knights. In 2014 they were shortlisted as one of the “Best Fitness Facilities” as voted at the London Lifestyle Awards.

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Like all the choices in our Top 5, these guys are all about fitness longevity, not fad. Fitness is for life and not just for a few months during the year and through training with PT gyms like Pure Fitness, you will get the chance to consistently surpass your goals and live a healthy, fit and happy lifestyle.

Where: 18 Long Street, London, E2 8HQ

How much: 8 (hourly) sessions a month costs £600.

@pfshoreditch