I was invited down to Gym 01 a few years ago by Brian Adams.
I was very impressed by the facilities and by the coaching which reflects in the level of their fighters.
I go to Gym 01 as much as I can whilst I’m in England in order to train with some of the UK’s top MMA athletes.
They’re a great team and always make me feel very welcome.
I started training at Gym 01 towards the end of 2012 when I moved to Portsmouth for University. I have trained with a few clubs for Kickboxing before, but Gym 01 is just out of this world! Unfortunately I suffered an injury to my leg in 2013, meaning I could not take part in any form of exercise. I was heartbroken. But all the coaches kept by my side to help me in every way possible by supporting me until I was allowed to train again. During my injury I put on a horrific amount of weight, featured in the photo on the right taken 17/02/14.
Once I was allowed to exercise again, I was still in a massive amount of pain, so my coaches: Gareth, Brian and Mark would give me alternative exercises to do in order to aid my recovery and prevent further injury. 10 months on represented in the photo on the right taken 07/01/15, I have lost all the weight that I gained, and I am feeling stronger than ever! I cannot thank Gym 01 enough for everything they have done for me. Joining Gym 01 is the best thing I have ever done, it is not just a gym, it is like having a second supportive family!ays something nice about you and your services. Let your customers review you and tell their friends how great you are.
I started kickboxing at GYM 01 in my second year of university (2013), with the intention of getting fit and losing weight.
I had some experience in martial arts and have trained at a few clubs before all of which did not compare to GYM 01. The staff and facilities are amazing, the coaches offer so much support and advice that you never feel alone in your weight loss journey, unlike other commercial gyms they actually know your name and story here and give up their time to help you in anyway they can.
I’ve also made long life friends and special memories- I even work there in my spare time I love it that much!
Since I have been at the gym I have lost 20kg (3 stone) I feel so fit and strong and full of confidence and I now compete in Amateur Boxing for the gym.
I cannot thank the gym more for what they have done, in all honesty, I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for this gym. Thanks Gareth, Brian, Wayne and my top boxing coach James Connor for all the support.
I started training at Gym 01 during my second year of University (2013) and tried out Kickboxing and Boxing, of which I committed to Boxing and soon after I started competing.
I have always been into sports and going to the gym, but this was my first real experience of trying martial arts, and I couldn’t have started my journey in a better place.
Joining Gym 01 and the Boxing team also became a major path of my recovery from a number of eating disorders in the past. Training at Gym 01 became a routine in my life, and I started to create a balance with my training plan and eating.
In the last year, I have personally achieved so much with the help and guidance of so many people, including the coaches at Gym 01. Training at Gym 01 hasn’t only given me one of the biggest confidence boosts in my life, it’s given me a lifelong skill that I am proud of. The concept of being a girl and being a boxer, seems so bizarre to so many people, however, one major aspect of this gym is that there is no judgements or egos. Everyone comes into the gym for one reason, girl or boy, young or old, it doesn’t matter, we’re all here to train.
The help and support of the coaches has been like no other, the care and passion they show for their members is unique, they’re not just coaches but people who genuinely sit down and get to know you on a personal level. I have met the nicest and most dedicated group of people at this gym, and definitely made a few long life friends!
I couldn’t be prouder of where I am today, eating healthy, maintaining a balance and competing in boxing and all because I decided to try something new!
On the left it’s me on my 18th Birthday during the downfall of a series of eating disorders. Fast forward a few years, on the right it’s me a few days ago at the gym, healthy weight, healthy mind and currently training for upcoming boxing bouts!
When I tell people I train a martial art (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is my particular addiction) I generally get one of two responses;
The truth is I have no legs, I don’t like admitting I’m disabled but there it is … I contracted meningitis at 17 and had to have both legs amputated below the knee and all the fingers on my left hand. I was told by health professionals that sports were a no go area and I should stick to ‘safe’ activities like ‘swimming with the disabled group on Wednesdays’ to improve my physical health and that is what I adhered to for the next 16 years. Although I ditched the swimming quite quickly, I did spend a small fortune on gym memberships and personalised fitness plans for people with issues like me… None of which worked because I hated every minute of it!!
Last year I was told that I needed to have both legs redone/ re shaped… basically they wanted to chop more of me off. I knew that being 16 years older, 5 stone heavier with poor mobility was going to ruin my chances of a decent recovery.. I saw a post on Facebook about Gym 01 and popped in …. This is what struck me initially…
1)No judgements were made about my disability or my capability, instead there were really positive discussion about how I would get the most out of my training..
2)There was no ego, you knew just by feeling the dynamic of the groups training that some were competitive athletes, some were just like me – but they were all in it together.
3)There was an atmosphere of mutual respect and acceptance.
Fast forward 12 months (6 months post amputation) with the unwavering support (and patience) of my coaches and teammates I am back in class training BJJ regularly, with my personal training sessions supporting disability specific training. I am down 2 dress sizes (I don’t weigh myself regularly anymore), physically I am making huge leaps forwards in terms of strength, stamina and flexibility.
Training at Gym 01 is more than just ‘going to the gym’, it’s about outstanding coaches and teammates, it’s about a better way of doing things, being a little better than you were yesterday because you’ve put the work in. I am seriously grateful for the experience I have when I train at gym 01… Onward and upward…Oss xx
Prior to joining Gym 01 I was bored and completely frustrated. Despite having lost some weight I had hit a plateau and without seeing any gains my workouts were no longer as enjoyable as they once were.
Although having little to no experience in martial arts and combat sports it had always been something I was open to trying but never actually getting round to doing. I finally stopped making excuses and just got on did it. Since then I have not looked back and it has quite simply been one of the best things I have ever done.
Without even realising it was achieving goals both ones I had set and ones I didn’t even know I wanted to. My plateau was broken through and the weight was dropping off quicker than ever. I dropped 2 and a half stone in just over 6 months. My flexibility was improving and I was seeing lean muscular gains. The funny thing was though I wasn’t thinking about any of it they were just additional benefits. All I was thinking about was improving the skills and techniques I was learning.
I walked into the perfect support network without looking for it. If I didn’t know something about technique, training, nutrition or supplementation I just asked. With (training partner’s + coaches = friends) always willing to assist and give advice you cannot go wrong.
I joined with the intention of losing more weight for aesthetic value, I not only achieved this but embarked on a journey that has me learning new things and growing as a person I have developed both my patience and discipline greatly. Best of all, I know I am nowhere near the end of that journey and looking forward to the future. It’s great for the confidence being that bit lighter around the waist too. I thank Gym 01 for providing me the perfect environment to both shrink and grow as a person.
As a 57 year old woman with little previous fitness experience, I am probably the least likely person you would expect to see training at Gym 01, BUT I do, and I love it!
The staff are incredibly knowledgeable, helpful & friendly. Changing facilities are basic but always clean. The equipment room is small but never crowded – mat space is huge!
If you really want to get fit but you’re worried about feeling self-conscious, stop worrying. Gym 01 is the place for you!!
As a member of the British army I’m constantly being moved from pillar to post. So when, three years ago, I was posted to Portsmouth one of my first priorities was to find a decent kickboxing club.
Previously, I had done a few years of semi-contact kickboxing and never even considered Thai-boxing or even really knew what “K1 Kickboxing” really was. So when I started at GYM01 I was as surprised as anyone else. I would joke that the gym was my church but then people only go to church once a week, I was training there 6 or 7 times a week.
If I was ever away on exercise or deployments the first thing I ever wanted to do when I got back as get to the gym. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a gym monkey, I was never one of those people who trained like this before, I just realised a good thing when I saw one.
Then something happened in my life that really brought to the forefront the importance of this little industrial unit in my life. 9 months ago I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Suffice to say that my life seemed to be imploding around me and looking down the barrel of major surgery to remove my entire stomach was a harrowing enough thought without the prospect of chemotherapy.
In the week leading up to the surgery I threw myself in totraining, when told Gareth what was happening, what became clear to me then, as it is now, that he wasn’t just my coach but also a mate. Whilst I sat in his office telling him why I could never train again (because my surgeon said I would never be able to), it was quite an emotional time for me.
After my surgery and 7-8 weeks of recovery, I was back, light training and no contact with Jade Baker-Morge in her beginner classes. They were perfect for me, still learning and no ones basic technique is perfect, every lesson was worthwhile and I always left with a great sense of accomplishment (thank you Jade!)
Eventually I progressed back into the intermediate and advanced classes but what happened after that was something I never ever expected or even thought possible. When I spoke to Gareth after my surgery I felt positive and strong, I told him my ambition was to fight on “Shock n Awe”, but even then I think we both knew that that was never going to be a reality but more a pipe dream. Something to aim for, something to train towards.
Whilst everyone around me (people at work, my friends, family, the army) was telling me what I couldn’t do, one person asked me what I wanted to do. “Do you want to fight”? And my answer of course, was yes! So Gareth and I embarked on a fight training regime that was hard, not only physically but also emotionally, it took a lot for me to train hard but for every ounce of effort I gave, what I got in return was so much more.
By the time my fight night came round, I’d never been fitter, never looked and felt so good and never knew who my friends really were. I owe a lot of my recovery to the most important person in my life (my girl friend) and people tell me what an amazing recovery I’ve had, but when I look back, I’ll never forget how much I owe to GYM01. I could pay the same amount to some commercial corporate fitness ‘institute’ but never would I have been more then a name on a spreadsheet. I drew my fight in the end, but I leave Gym 01 a winner in the end.
And so, as life in the army goes on and I am now posted again away from Portsmouth, the thing I’ll miss most……….GYM01.
