Types of Gym Sessions Explained

So you've decided you want to go to get fit, you go on the internet to look up fitness classes, and you're presented with an endless list of different session types.

Don't worry, we're going to give you an overview of some of the main classes you'll come across!

1) Open Gym

This is your basic gym membership. Normally you'll have to do an induction when you join a gym where they'll go through all the machines and equipment in the gym, and make sure you know the basics so that you can train on your own safely without injuring yourself or damaging equipment. Some gyms will have different tiers that can be cheaper or more expensive, like training only in off peak hours, being allowed to train in multiple locations of the same franchise, access to classes, a certain number of sessions with a personal trainer, or use of other areas like saunas, steam rooms, tennis courts, swimming pools, or ice baths. These monthly memberships can cost as little as £15-20 per month for the lower end memberships at the 'big brand' chain gyms, and can go as high as £120-150 per month to boutique gyms or health clubs. Generally though you'd be looking at £40-60 per month for unlimited anytime access to a gym without personal training or classes included.

2) Fitness Classes

Fitness classes can be anything instructor-led (I know, that doesn't narrow anything down). Classic classes might things like Zumba, yoga or pilates, Les Mills style classes like body pump or boxfit, and the classic step aerobics from the eighties and nineties. These classes tend to be BIG - the kind of classes in a local leisure centre where you've got an instructor at the front with a microphone connected to speakers blasting music to loud enough blow out your eardrums, and 40 to 100 other hot and sweaty people stumbling through the class with equally no idea what they're doing.

Now don't get me wrong, these classes can be GREAT fun, especially if you're going with a group of friends and you're ready to have a laugh, but the level of coaching you're getting is minimal, so it's really just about getting moving and having a good time. These classes are going to be in the £5-10 per session range, which makes them really accessible if you want to go and try one of loads of different types to see which ones you get on with.

3) Circuit Training

Circuit training is a great way to improve your cardio capacity, whether you do it in a class with an instructor, or as part of a workout by yourself. The main thing that determines a circuit, is that it's a set of exercises or movements that you do in the same order, multiple times, with minimal rest between each station. Circuit training tends to not be heavy strength training - we wouldn't recommend trying to get a personal best deadlift in the middle of a full body circuit - and they're a really good way to get a full body workout in a relatively short period of time. Not only do you get more fatigued with each round of the circuit, but the fatigue isn't isolated to just one muscle group, so you'll be conditioning your body to increase endurance and to become more efficient at recovery.

If you're taking a circuit training class, the cost will vary based on how big the class is, and how specialisd the training is, so the price can vary from £5-30 per class.

4) Bootcamps

Bootcamps commonly utilise elements of circuit training. What makes bootcamps such a great training format is that they are INTENSE. Often held outside (whatever the weather!) there's very much a military mindset when it comes to these sessions, so it's as much a psychological fitness training as it is a physical one. These sessions are tough, and the coaches who run them push you hard, so it's inevitable that you're going to forge some serious friendships in these classes, because it's really tough to do it alone. If you're into exercising outdoors, camaraderie, and high energy workouts, bootcamps might be the way to go.

Though they're really effective at rapidly building strength and cardio fitness, it's worth chatting with the coaches who run your local one before you sign up. If you're new to exercise or you're coming back from a long break away, you might find the sessions too intense, and you might not get the most out of the experience.

5) Large Group Training

We're distinguishing large group training from fitness classes purely based on the size of the class. For us, large group training is a class that's big enough that you're not going to feel constantly observed but small enough that you'll get at least a bit of feedback from the instructor running it. 10 to 20 people seems to be the sweet spot for these kinds of classes - the kind of classes that would fill a dance studio, but not an event hall. Spinning classes are a great example of large group training, and nowadays there are loads of really fun ones to try, like boxfit, hybrid lifting classes, and calisthenics, as well as some alternative classes like pole dancing, aerial work and trampolining.

6) Small Group Training

Small group training is a great option if you want some one on one training, but you either can't afford or don't need a coach watching you like a hawk for the whole session. When you're training in a group of 5 or 6 people, you get to benefit from a coach who can personalise and adapt a programme on the spot to suit your needs, goals, and limitations. Small group training allows the sessions to have a more prominent strength training aspect as equipment is more sharable so it's easier to utilise more traditional 'weight lifting' kit. It's a really good way to stay accountable and once going to the gym becomes a bit of a social event, it makes it much easier to stick to your goals.

Small group training can cost anywhere between £15-30 per session, and it might be organised formally with classes you can book in to, or informally where you get together with a group of friends and just split the cost of a trainer between you.

7) Personal Training

Personal training is the gold standard of all the options. If you could afford it, training with a personal trainer three times a week would be the quickest way to see results, but with PT costing anywhere between £30-150 per hour, it would be an eye-watering sum, and a luxury most people can't afford.

However, if you find a trainer that you click with, you can ask them to write you a programme and train with them once a week or even once a month to check in on where you're at, how you're finding the workouts and to give you any feedback or coaching on form. Some gyms offer a certain amount of personal training included when you sign up, or you might get a discount if you buy a certain number of sessions in one go.