Disco Barre Studio is bringing back Madonna’s big hits, mirror
balls and the original Lotte Berk technique. Based in The Factory –
a community hub in
Hackney – its classes focus on helping you achieve the body of
a dancer while pumping out a playlist ripped straight from the
decks of Studio 54. Expect a steady mix of traditional ballet
movements – pliés and relevés – tiny pelvic pulses and
booty-building holds that’ll leave your behinds burning. Try to
engage your holds as long as possible as this is what sculpts your
front/ back/side and insides of your legs. Committed to encouraging
inclusivity and fluidity, Gay Barre has just launched for gay men
in the community.

A self-proclaimed “no bullshit zone”, this Holborn
gym combines intense treadmill work with functional training in its
Pillar Killer class. Hate running? This one’s for you. There’s an
even split of 50:50 running and floor work with less emphasis on
sprinting and more on using your legs to power uphill on a steep
incline. To push you harder, the teched-out-treadmills are set to
“parachute” mode to stimulate the resistance of pulling a parachute
behind you. Mix that with more Russian twists than we’ve had Moscow
mules, plenty of planking and endless crunches and you’ve got an
ab-and-cardio workout that’ll have you sculpted like a god in
weeks.

For Crossfit-inspired workouts without the cult-like mentality,
sign up to The Foundry’s City Strongman class. Using all the toys
and equipment that you’d expect to see in the World’s Strongest Man
and Woman competitions, this is hardcore strength training at its
most brutal. Four-people teams make their way around stations
consisting of tyre-flipping, sled-dragging, sandbag carries and
atlas stones. Don’t be intimidated by the size of the tools, the
aim isn’t on lifting big and then collapsing in a chicken-legged
heap. Each week you’re encouraged to beat your PBs, so that your
confidence builds as rapidly as your muscles. Former rugby star Ben
Gotting is the brain behind the brawn – you’ll find him teaching on
Saturdays at the Bank outpost.

Ideal for runners who want to cross train, people who are
returning back to fitness following an injury or those who want to
torture themselves on their lunch break, BXR’s Climb to the Beat
class is a low-impact cardio workout taken entirely on the
VersaClimber machine. Never heard of it? We hadn’t either until we
were strapped into the machine and internally screaming (ok,
occasionally out loud) at ourselves for eating a whole block of
cheese the night before. Despite being kind on your joints, using
the pedals and handles to mimic (faux) climbing blazes more
calories than running or cycling does. Plus, the strobe-lit studio
and killer sound system evoke serious nightclub vibes.

Boxing is the undisputed supermodel workout of choice – from
Charlie’s Angels to Victoria’s, they’ve all ditched their wings for
hand wraps and washboard abs. Join them at Kobox, which has been
king of the ring since it opened its first “fight club meets
nightclub” space way back in 2015. Part boxing gym and part
basement rave, it has knowledgeable trainers who will talk
beginners through the basics and guide regulars on how to perfect
their fighting stance. Complicated to-the-beat punching sequences
ensure your mind is working as hard as your muscles, while killer
floor work with medicine balls, cable ropes and dumbbells gives you
a dynamic 360° workout.

This boutique gym set out to transform the fitness scene – and
succeeded. Each of its six locations – including Angel, Bayswater,
Broadgate, South Bank, St Marys Axe – are drop dead gorgeous with
lots of copper piping, exposed brick and Scandi-tiling, but it’s
Victoria’s world-first cycling amphitheatre that sets our pulses
racing. Expect 80 bikes spread over multiple floors, a sound system
that previewed at
Glasto, smoke, lasers and a trainer that moves between the
different levels like some sort of spin Messiah. The Ride class is
a gruelling 45-minutes but the (mandatory) fist-pumping, singalong
soundtrack helps it fly by. Book in on a Friday night and enjoy
free post-workout prosecco.

Take your TikTok videos up a notch by learning the (correct)
dance routines to some of the most iconic music videos. Fun,
carefree and fairly intense, At Your Beat takes you through
professionally choreographed routines that’ll actually look good on
the dance floor. So much so, you’ll need to ditch your sneakers for
your stilettos for its StrutBEAT Heels session, which takes you
from dad-at-a-disco to Beyonce at Superbowl – and without the need
for an espresso martini. With classes across London (Elephant
Castle, Leicester Square, Marylebone)
a range of music genres and an “anyone can dance” attitude, this
place will be the most fun you’ll have getting sweaty while
sober.

A boxing gym built for and led by boxers, this place is far more
than a bunch of pretty posers hitting punch bags. Built around 12 x
three-minute rounds – the same as world title fights – its circuits
incorporate boxing drills such as bag work, pad work and skipping.
Fact: skipping burns more calories than spinning and Gigi Hadid is
a fan. Classes here are geared up to boost fitness levels – you’ll
quickly hone your technique, fix your stance and stop lowering your
hands under the expert guidance of world champion professionals
such as co-founder Darren Barker. Think of the BoxCon workout as a
grown-up version of Kobox; there’s less drum and bass, an emphasis
on developing skills and you’ll come out feeling like a
pound-for-pound pro.

We bet you five burpees there’s an F45 within a mile radius of
your office/ home/ coffee shop of choice – this Australian
export has quickly taken hold of the capital. Fusing HIIT, circuits
and functional training, you’ll work your way through 27 different
stations that focus on agility, core and resistance movements.
Rests are pretty much non-existent, meaning that a workout here
will kick-start your metabolism and scorch hundreds of calories. As
its name suggests, most classes are 45 minutes long, but weekend
warriors will want to book onto the lengthier 60-minute Hollywood
iteration. It’ll take you from red faced to red carpet quicker than
you can say “Margot Robbie”.