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How it works
Small group personal training in Rainham
A handful of people, a coach at every session and a programme planned in blocks. Over 50 session times a week, and you don't have to book the same one every week.
The short answer
What is small group personal training?
A personal training session shared with a handful of people. A coach runs it and adjusts every exercise to suit you.
It's not a class where everyone does the same thing, and it's not 1-2-1. It's in the middle: a coach watching your form, your own version of every exercise, and people to train (and moan) with. Sessions are 60 minutes.
Group, not generic
How can one session suit everyone?
Same pattern, different versions.
On one pull day Tony had Noah, Dawn and Matt doing the same movement three ways: weighted chin-ups, assisted chin-ups and a pulldown. Three people, three goals, one session. Nicole deadlifts 85kg in the same session as someone lifting nearly double.
“'Group' doesn't mean generic. It means efficient coaching with individual prescriptions.”
Tony
The 6 Week Kickstart
What happens in the first six weeks?
Up to 18 sessions, two or three a week, with check-ins in between.
Find your starting point
Your intro session. What you've done before, what hurts, what you want. Then we pick your weights.
Learn the movements
Your coach shows you each exercise and sets your version of it. Two or three sessions a week.
Build the habit
Weekly check-ins, a few changes to your food (not an overhaul) and session times that fit your week.
Add a bit
A bit more weight, another rep, better form. It all gets written down, so you can see it.
Feel the difference
Most people feel it within the first couple of sessions: a bit more energy, a bit less achy, a bit more proud of themselves.
Decide what's next
Most people say they feel more like themselves again, and ask how they can carry on. Turned up and don't feel better? You get your money back.
After the first six weeks
How is the programme planned?
In long blocks. The last one ran 16 weeks before we changed the programme, so you can actually see your numbers go up.
- Strength first with classes that go with it
- Progress tracked by the weights you lift, plus body fat, muscle and weight
- A coach on the end of the phone message whenever
- Book what suits you no fixed slot, so shifts and travel aren't a problem
Comparing options
Small group PT, 1-2-1 PT or a gym membership?
| Question | Small group PT at Top Condition | 1-2-1 PT | A regular gym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is a coach watching my form? | Every session | Every session | Only if you pay extra |
| Who decides what I do? | Your coach, with your own version of every exercise | Your trainer | You |
| Who's training with me? | A handful of regulars | No one | Whoever's in |
| Cost | More than a gym, less than a trainer on top of one | £50+ a session, plus a gym membership | The cheapest |
| Help between sessions? | Messages, check-ins, nutrition coaching | Sometimes | Rarely |
“If you're confident, know what you're doing, and can train consistently on your own, crack on. You probably don't need us. But that's not where a lot of people are. Paying £40-£60 a month for a gym you don't use isn't great value. It's just cheaper.”
Tony
How is it different from a class?
In a class everyone does the same thing. Here everyone follows the same plan with their own version of each exercise: on a pull day that might be weighted chin-ups for one person, assisted chin-ups for the next and a pulldown for someone else.
What times are the sessions?
Over 50 session times a week: from 6am, mid-morning, lunchtimes, after the school run, evenings after work and weekend mornings. You don't have to book the same time every week, so shifts and travel aren't a problem.
How often should I train?
Two or three times a week. That's what the Kickstart is built around, and our shift workers and the people who travel for work still manage it.
Do I get help between sessions?
Yes. Message your coach whenever you need to. We track the weights you lift, check in regularly and measure changes in body fat, muscle and weight. There's a members' group too.
Do you help with food?
Yes, it's part of the Kickstart. No fad diets and no tracking every crumb. We help you tidy your food up so it works a bit better for you.
Can I train with an injury or a health condition?
Usually, yes. We work around injuries and limitations. Louise has trained with MS for 12 years, and Alison's knee went from heading for a replacement to no pain at all.
The 6 Week Kickstart
Start with six weeks.
Up to 18 sessions, help with your food and a check-in every week. Turn up, and if you don't feel better, you get your money back.