360Athletic review: putting the personal back into training

Fitness, physio and nutrition may be the holy trinity for gym-goers, but how many of us have time to cover all those bases?

The answer is more than you might think, thanks to London’s 360Athletic. As the name suggests, this small, friendly gym approaches fitness from every angle, offering physiotherapy services and healthy eating advice alongside tailored personal training.

The Pimlico-based studio was founded in August 2018 by personal trainer Ben West and physiotherapist Jordane Zammit Tabona, who set out to provide busy Londoners with flexible coaching that offers maximum results.

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Each member undergoes an initial movement screening to create a personalised training programme, with a massage therapist and an osteopath on site to tackle any problems, and monthly reviews and body composition updates to help stay on track.

Eager to get in on this honing and toning, The Week Portfolio dropped in recently to work out at one of 360Athletic’s signature small classes. These 60-minute intensive sessions see guests matched with up to three like-minded individuals to train together under the expert eyes of the gym’s coaches.

Combining the motivation and fun of group exercise with the intimacy and focus of personal training, it’s a great solution for anyone who lacks time, cash or will-power. Or as West puts it: “We’re trying to bridge the gap between the quite expensive one-to-one training and the big platforms where people might feel a bit intimidated, or can be a bit too loud or a bit too messy.”

The sweaty stuff takes place down in the basement training area, a compact but well-equipped space with a good range of hi-tech workout equipment and machines.

Here, I join two other guests for a challenging circuits session that combines heart-pumping sprints on exercise bikes and rowing machines with muscle-building sets of reps using free weights, kettlebells, resistance bands and more.

Our knowledgeable instructors, Ollie and Louis, offer a constant stream of advice and encouragement throughout, to keep our techniques tip top and our motivation even higher.

Staggering up to airy glass-fronted welcome space on the ground floor an hour later, I’m already looking forward to another workout session to perfect my new moves. After a little recovery time, that is.

In the meantime, I head over to the gym’s smoothie bar to refuel with a surprisingly tasty protein shake as I flick through a copy of the gym’s Nutrition Bible. Filled with recipes and tips written by West, it includes all the right ingredients for optimum physical well-being - which pretty much sums up 360Athletic as a whole.

Membership starts at £269 a month, with unlimited access to classes. A discounted 30-day trial is available for £149 and includes ten personal training sessions, unlimited classes and a movement screening, as well as a full-body composition analysis. 170 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1DX; 020 3848 7491‬; www.360athletic.co.uk