It’s important to stay healthy and government guidance tends to give all-sorts of answers to staying fit and healthy, or getting your beach body with what you eat and how many times you go to the gym. The truth is everyone has a beach body, so rock that bikini if you want to and don’t let society dictate what you have to look like. If you do want to go to the gym though and whatever your goal is, read on we might have found just the gym for you!
Nestled in the quiet Tulip Industrial Estate, most commonly known for The Range, is Hunslet Pure Gym. The glass frontage and bright lettering looks impressive and the interior is just as impressive, approaching the gym you can see members inside through the windows pumping iron with the weights and running or training hard taking full advantage of the new improved equipment and atmosphere.
The gym has recently been overhauled and it does look very impressive. Simon, the manager, kindly explained some of the new features which are encouraging and motivating both old and new visitors to the gym. Simon let me play with the new lighting and equipment in the studio, there’s now strip lighting round the edge of the studio which changes as the class progresses.
“For more intense sessions I turn the lights onto a vibrant red setting then when it comes to cycling fast and exerting yourself I have a setting to make the lighting flicker and flash” he explained.
Aside from the lights the new toys also include extensive functional equipment such as dumbbells and kettle bells, a tough nut which is a tyre you step inside and carry. There was much more besides, which the staff were more than happy to demonstrate for me and it looks like hard work.
If you’re a little intimidated by the gym don’t worry the equipment is accessible and if you need support there are always personal trainers (PT’s) around who will help you use the equipment, or just provide some encouragement as you get going on the equipment. If you would like some dedicated guidance you can hire these PT’s separately which is especially useful if you need a bit of help getting started or pushing past a training plateau.
Simon also ran through the classes that are offered at the gym, they’re designed to be accessible to everyone of all training levels and abilities and most PT’s who run the classes will offer modifiers to make the routines more or less challenging.
Looking at the schedule there are both free classes and classes for a small charge, Pump for example is a free class and there are both beginners classes and the regular class, the cycling classes offer the same feature. There are also inductions which means a PT will go through subjects like weight loss or using the equipment with a group of about 15 members, perfect for newbies.
The feeling of the gym is very relaxed and calm despite the exertion going on and there is something for everyone from runners looking to get out of the cold winter to people looking to work on strength and everything in between.
I spoke to some members who have been coming to the gym for a long time and have noticed that now the refurbishment has been completed the atmosphere is positive and new people have been joining up and attending regularly.
Talk in the locker room is that women (as I only managed to drag woman away from their workouts) were initially nervous about coming because of preconceptions of what a gym is and feeling they will look out of place because they’re what’s socially considered out of shape. These women though have loved coming to Hunslet Pure Gym and say that this isn’t the case and everyone should at least try the gym once! Everyone is welcome and nobody should feel they can’t join.
There is more information on their website at www.puregym.com/gyms/leeds-hunslet so have a look, drop them a line if you’re unsure and give it a go!
Other gyms are available.
