Client Reviews
Client Messages
Client Successes
PAUL
When Paul came to me he was overweight, had never trained and spent most of his time gaming instead of moving. He was nervous, embarrassed, and had zero confidence, especially around women.
We started simple. Resistance training, built up slowly, nothing thrown at him too fast. Alongside that we sorted his nutrition out using our own calorie tracking system here at The Shelter, built to keep his calories as high as possible so he never felt like he was starving himself. Sustainable, not brutal.
Over the year, Paul lost 20kg. We got a photo of him holding a weight plate to mark the transformation, and it says more than any before and after ever could.
But the real win wasn't the number on the scale. It was the confidence that came with it. Paul went from someone who wouldn't approach anyone to walking around in skinny jeans he never thought he'd fit into. He finally had the confidence to go and talk to the woman who's now his wife.
Peter
Peter is my oldest client, turning 85 this year. He'd had a knee operation on one side years ago, and chose not to have it on the other, the more painful, less mobile side. That decision left him walking a bit unevenly, with weak glutes and tight hips ever since.
He's been training with me for around 10 months now. We've focused on glute strength, abductor strength, upper body work, and core strength to keep him upright. Peter's always had a strong upper body, decades of gardening will do that, he was still selling plants at car boot sales well into his 80s. The real work has been undoing years of poor lifting habits that finally caught up with him.
The results speak for themselves. He walks faster. He stands taller. He can squat deeper than he has in years, and his ankle and knee mobility is the best it's been in a decade. He's more independent on the stairs, and he can get up and down off the floor with far less support than before.
Sharon
Sharon was already active when she came to me, circuits, bootcamp classes, plenty of fitness under her belt. What she didn't have was strength training. In her 50s and through menopause, she wanted to build real strength and work on her core, not just keep doing more of the same.
The difference weight training made surprised even her. Just this week she told me it's completely changed her fat loss, and for the first time she can actually see the shape of the muscle coming through, her arms, her shoulders. We posted a video of her training and she had message after message telling her how amazing she looked. That kind of thing does more for confidence than any scale ever could.
There was a setback along the way. Sharon picked up a hamstring injury training elsewhere, and we had to rebuild it properly, slow assisted movements, no rushing it. She's now run three half marathons, beating her own best time every single one.
Sharon's biggest fear used to be not being able to get up off the floor as she gets older. Now she's stronger, fitter, and moving better than she has in years.
Jonathan
Jonathan's one of my long-term clients, and there's a running joke between us, fit at 50. He trained right through turning 50 and came out the other side with PBs on both his bench press and deadlift.
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The real win with Jonathan wasn't physical, it was accountability. Like a lot of people, he struggled to stay consistent on his own. Two structured sessions a week gave him something locked in, and once that was in place, everything else followed, walking, cycling, extra activity he wouldn't have bothered with otherwise. Once the training's locked in, the rest of life tends to fall in line around it.
The part I'm proudest of, though, is his daughter. She started coming along after watching him train, and now she's properly into it herself, genuinely loves the barbell work. Training well doesn't just change you. It changes what the people around you think is possible.
Kelsey
When Kelsey came to me she was very nervous, not confident in how she looked. She was the type to wear baggy t-shirts, anything oversized, so nobody could see the shape of her body.
We built her up through proper resistance training, dumbbell and barbell work, taught properly from the ground up. Every session finished with a short high-intensity circuit, five to ten minutes, just enough to keep her fitness sharp. That structure, weights first, circuit finisher, is exactly what we run at The Shelter now.
As her strength grew, so did her confidence. She went on to take up boxing. She's had three fights. She's won all three.
When I opened The Shelter, Kelsey came to train with me, wearing a crop top and leggings without a second thought, and you can see her abs in the training videos we've made. My job is to give you the tools and the confidence to be independent.
Is The Shelter right for you?
This is for you if...
- You haven't been to a gym in years, or ever​
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- You want to get stronger without being thrown in the deep end​
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- You'd rather train with 2 or 3 people​
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- You want a coach who actually knows your name​
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- You're ready to move more, even if it's just twice a week
This isn't for you if...
- You're already deep into training and want a hardcore programme
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- you want a 24/7 gym you can drop into whenever
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- You're chasing competition numbers, we have another service for this
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- You want to train completely alone with no guidance
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- You don't want to be apart of a community
Sound familiar?
This is what most of our members were dealing with before they walked in.
You feel stiff and slow
Getting up off the sofa isn't as easy as it used to be, and you know you should be moving more.
Gyms feel like they're not for you
You've tried one before, or thought about it, and the crowd, the mirrors & not knowing what to do put you right off.
You don't know where to start
You want to get fitter but have no idea what to actually do, or how to build it up without hurting yourself.
what changes when you train here
This is what our members tell us, in their own words.
You feel steady on your feet
Stairs, grandkids, garden work, it all gets easier.
You walk in without dreading it
No nerves at the door. You know the coach, you know the group, you know what's coming.​
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU AGAIN
Stronger, more capable and proud of showing up.​
what happens after you click
Three steps, nothing complicated.
Book your free taster
Takes two minutes
Fill in the quick form and we'll be in touch to sort a time that works for you.
Come try a session
No pressure, no commitment
You'll meet your coach, see the studio, and try a small group or 1-to-1 session.
Pick your membership
Only if it's right for you
Choose Foundation, Hybrid or Private, whatever suits how often you want to train.
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY GET
No fluff, just what's in the membership.
1. Small group sessions
Max four people, so you always get proper attention.​
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2. 1-to-1 coaching option
Available on Hybrid and Private memberships.
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3. Form and technique checks
Every session, someone's watching how you move.
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4. Nutrition and habit support
Simple, practical guidance, not a strict diet plan.
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5. Flexible scheduling
Book sessions around your week, not the other way round.
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6. A studio, not a warehouse
Small, private, and built to feel safe rather than intimidating.
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7. Private members-only Facebook group
Recipe books, information guides, and support between sessions.
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8. Members-only events and discounts
Exclusive perks with local businesses we've teamed up with.
How much does it cost?
Depends what you're after, we've got three memberships to suit different goals. Best way to get the right number for you is to book your free taster, we'll go through pricing there and get you on the right one.
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What actually happens in a session?
Every session runs the same structure. Short warm up to get your body moving, then we lift, then we finish with some fitness and breathing work. No minutes on a treadmill here. 50 minutes, always coach led.
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Do I need to be fit before I start?
No. Most people who walk through the door haven't trained in years, or ever. You don't need to arrive ready, you just need to show up. All ages, all abilities.
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What's the difference between small group and 1:1?
Small groups are max four people, so you still get proper coaching and attention, and the energy of training alongside others tends to push you harder. 1:1 is just you and the coach, fully private, ideal if you want total focus or have something specific to work around.
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Can you work around injuries or health conditions?
Yes. We've worked with bad knees, hip replacements, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, heart conditions, menopause, you name it. Nothing's ever just thrown at you, everything's built around the person.
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What are your opening times?
6am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 2pm Saturdays. Book through the app up to 30 days ahead, so you can plan around your own week.
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Can I try before I commit?
Absolutely. Free taster session, no pressure, no commitment. Best way to see if the place feels right before you decide anything.
Questions people usually ask
If yours isn't here, just ask us.
Meet your coach
Over a decade coaching, and a studio built around getting people moving safely.
Some of my proudest accompolishments
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A decade of coaching, over 100 people trained in person and online
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In 2023 contributed to winning an award for Strength and Conditioning Gym of the Year.
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Qualified in nutrition, first aid, and Personal training with British Powerlifting Coaching accreditation
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Helped rehab a client back from a car accident to lifting with confidence again
Coaching's been part of my life for a decade now, right back to running classes before I was even qualified. Since then I've trained over 100 people, in person and online, and I'm proud of every single one of them, not just the ones chasing numbers on a bar. My own background covers competitive rowing, boxing and powerlifting, and I'm currently working my way into strongman too. Diabetes runs in my family, which pushed me to build real experience coaching around it. But if you ask what I'm proudest of, it's helping a client rebuild after a car accident and finding a genuine love for rehab and support along the way. Every person who's walked through the door, here at The Shelter or before it, has been part of that same journey. In 2022, I watched one of my athletes, Skye, walk away from the World Championships with a silver medal, and moments like that are exactly why I do this.