Andy's moved to a new custom-built gym on Garscube Road and if I could add another star to my…read moreprevious 5-star review then I would. The gym is amazing - there's a wooden deadlift platform at the back and a strip of artificial grass for a Prowler (which is a new bit of gym equipment to me, but one that I really like already) as well as all the usual kit - a couple of rowing machines, kettle bells, dumbbells, bars, racks, benches, all that stuff. He's got several classes a day which are all included in your gym membership - strength training, conditioning, olympic lifting, Ladies Who Lift, strongman training, even two yoga sessions a week. It's a large, open space and it's a really fantastic environment to train in. There are also a couple of new members of staff and everybody is super friendly. The trainers are professional yet a lot of fun and everybody gets along really well - there are no big egos here. They run client days out every few weeks (laser tag, rock climbing, I'm sure they're open to any daft suggestions you have) and it actually feels like you're part of a really friendly gym community. If you're looking for a place to lift some weights, get fit and have a lot of fun at the same time (especially if you're a woman who is thinking of doing more strength training, I can't recommend Ladies Who Lift highly enough), then this is the gym for you.

As promised, here's my review update now that I've finished the 6 week programme with AG Fitness…read more The first few weeks were coached with a strong focus on form and getting movements right, which I really enjoyed. As I'm a little bit out of fitness it was nice to get back into correct squatting position and deadlifts. Then in the second part of the programme we moved into a more full on workout - a 45 minute weightlifting session followed by some high intensive interval cardio sessions on the bike/rowing machine. OUCH. These are seriously a killer after you've already done a workout but they definitely feel like they're working. He'll also give you a programme to do in the house/at the gym for extra training other than seeing him which is great. I really enjoy that Andy takes the time at the start of our sessions to sit down and talk through what we've been eating that week. I'm terrible at keeping a food journal but if you did keep one, he'd look over it for you and suggest small tweeks for improvement. He isn't too focused on weight loss and instead is really encouraging about improvement in terms of form and strength which is really positive - we both leave our sessions feeling pretty damn good (even if we are in a load of pain). For the price (£185 for 6 weeks, 1 session per week for two people), I think it's worth the money. Andy is always on hand for advice (he has suggested that I can text him for food advice if I'm eating out, I haven't taken him up on that yet!) and Graeme & I enjoy getting trained together. The other reason I enjoy it is because (in my mind) it's a non-negotiable date in my diary that I can't get out of, so it's good to keep you going week-on-week. The gym where Andy trains from (Edenfit) is normally pretty quiet - on a Monday night, you're lucky if there's more than 3 other people there. I can't fault the facilities even though they aren't particularly slick or modern - they're functional, and that's what counts. Update as of August 2015: Andy is now temporarily based at a gym in the West End as Edenfit closed down. He's looking at getting his own specialised gym set up soon!

Oooommm... I started doing yoga about 5 years ago when I was still living in the US. There was a…read moreperiod of time that I was going fairly regularly and could reap all the benefits of yoga. However, I moved to sunny Glasgow and was swallowed whole by something called the Strathclyde MBA. After a long arduous year, I finally emerged out of my hole victorious, but slightly unfit and not as flexible as before *shrug* With the wonderfulness that is livingsocial, a friend and I purchased a 12-week unlimited yoga pass for Yoga Glasgow for only £20 (normally £90). Since jumping back on the yoga train, all I can say is that I absolutely love the teachers at Yoga Glasgow, Siobhan and Cathy. Both are very knowledgeable, and walk around the room making any adjustments necessary (i.e. pushing you further in stretch/pose). Yoga Glasgow is housed in the Movement Studio, nestled along the peaceful Claremont Terrace just off of Sauchiehall Street. It's fairly convenient to get to if you're based in either the City Centre or West End, because St. George's Cross and Charing Cross is only a short brisk walk away. With classes on offer everyday to suit varying levels, Yoga Glasgow is a great studio. Drop-in classes are available for about £8-9 each.

Warm welcoming, very friendly coaches and participants, and a great place for a workout that can be…read moreeasily scaled by the coaches to suit your level of fitness.

I have gym guilt. That kind of guilt that pecks away at you (and your wobbly bits) when you haven't…read moreexercised in far too long. That's me, right now. I used to go to the gym, but I was bored. I had a routine, I did it, I came home and was a bit unenthused about the whole thing. A friend suggested I try Crossfit. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, but when I walked into Crossfit Glasgow, I knew that this would be different. Crossfit is tucked away in one of the arches under the train lines, in Tradeston. Before you become a full member, you need to do a Fundamentals course of 5 classes (£35 for the 5 classes) covering the basic skills you need to be able to do a Crossfit class. These are normally small group classes of about 4-8 people per class and involve the basic skills of weightlifting, squats and a few other crucial movements. Fundamentals are great to get really helpful pointers on your movements and be corrected if you were doing anything wrong, to minimise the chance of injury (and looking like an idiot). Don't be fooled though: these classes end with a killer workout and you will be sweating like a beast once it's over. Once you "graduate" Fundamentals (my words, not theirs!) you will be able to go along to the normal scheduled classes. Essentially what happens is you turn up for a timetabled class, and have an instructor guide you through that day's workout. So no picking and choosing, and no coming up with your own routine. It's called the Workout of the Day (WOD) and can be a real mixed bag of pain and/or torture. There are 8 classes a day spread out from 6.15am to 7.15pm. If you are competent enough, you can work out in the open gym at other times of the day. There is a lot of codewords and exercises you'll never have heard of if you're new to Crossfit. But it's a friendly environment where people will help you out if you ask. The coaches are super supportive and encouraging, and will push you to keep going when you really want to give up. Returning to my original point is that I stopped going to Crossfit because I was poor (it is £30 per month for two visits per week) and also a little bit lazy. If you want somewhere that's going to challenge you and give you an awesome buzz from lifting up heavy things, then Crossfit might be the gym for you.

It's been a while now and I'm still here - so I guess it is time for an update…read more I still mean everything I wrote in my previous review: I love the atmosphere, the interior, the variety in classes and most importantly, the people. Since my last review, I did not give up on Barre classes, and even though I still think of my old love Lagree Fitness at times, I am more than happy that Barre is here for me. I know this is just the type of training I can keep on doing for a long time - because I love it, because it challenges me and because the results show. There is a lot of room for improvement, both in skills and my body, but I feel I can change in a sustainable way, levelling up gradually. I have also started doing yoga regularly, taking mostly Foundations classes. This is a beginner type of activity, and as I only learned from videos before, it helped me a lot to get things right. But this is not the biggest asset of this class: the time and location makes it possible to have this as our regular event with my boyfriend, who is away three to four days a week, and comes back on Thursday afternoons, full of stress and various work related thoughts. We really need something that helps us leave all problems behind for a while, ease our minds and be able to concentrate on what is before us - and this is exactly something that was not possible before we both started participating in our weekly sessions. Neither of the two different experiences would be the same without the ladies I had the joy of meeting in this studio. Not only are all instructors absolutely brilliant, kind, helpful as well as beautiful personalities, but I can say just as nice things about the clientele these wonderful people attract here. So the overall verdict is - possibly all the stars in the sky. I hope The Kali Collective are here to stay for long.

Tucked away in the pentagon building the Kali collective is somewhat of a hidden gem…read more There are a good mixture of classes with a variety of yoga and levels. I particularly love Katie's barre class for a tough yet rewarding work out. Ultimately it is the instructors that make this studio. They are so friendly, so positive and make the studio the sort of place you always want to go.

Not boxed in 4 years? Meg will ease you right in with open arms, and will having you coming back…read morefor more. Meg hosts Metafit and Boxing classes within the intimate space of Barbreck Studio. Expect an energetic set, banter, individual attention, and bucket loads of sweat. While I'm terrified of attempting Metafit, I've been hitting the pads and the bag for the past month and a half. Meg has been a great motivator while correcting your technique. It's hard to box after a long day of work (or a killer core session), but in the past few weeks my endurance has been improving. Meg also offers Metafit, Circuits, and Spinning classes throughout Glasgow, Paisley and East Kilbride in addition to personal training.

Firstly my rating is based mostly on the quality of training I have received here rather than the…read moredecor. After losing my second home that was Varsity Gym, I was on the look out for a new challenge to replace my beloved Warrior class. I had heard about Fightcamp before but was unsure if I would be able to survive the intensity I hear some of its former participants brag about. Anyways, I set myself the challenge of signing up and seeing it through. I am currently on week 2 of 6 and loving every minute of it. The sessions consist of muay thai, boxing and lots of strength and conditioning work. You will discover muscles in your body that you didnt know existed! The coaches John and Paddy are fantastic and keep you motivated to push yourself more than you thought you could. The Griphouse itself is a little run down and dirty around the edges but it gives that extra bit of grass roots kick ass feeling to your training. I will update this review once I have completed all 6 weeks of the Fightcamp programme, watch this space!

Me, doing yoga? I know, what has the world come to?!…read more I'd wanted to try yoga for ages but I could never find somewhere that had classes when I wanted them and I was worried about being a newbie. A friend of mine posted about Infinity Yoga on instagram, and when I looked into it, it seemed like it could be for me. Based in Merchant City/Trongate behind Mono, they have a jam-packed timetable of classes so there should be something to suit everyone. While the classes are mostly heated classes, they do have Hatha yoga (no heating) and pilates. I went along to the lunch time session to try Hatha yoga. I'm not going to lie, I was really, really nervous. Thankfully the staff were really friendly and explained everything to me so I relaxed quickly. You leave your shoes at the door, and check in on the clipboard. There's changing areas with showers and you leave your stuff on the racks (it's all secure from the public so no need to worry). There's one main yoga space with mats laid out. I went in, picked a mat and got into the class, lead by Gemma. I found it a real struggle (I won't lie, I stupidly thought yoga would be easy) but at the same time I really loved it. Gemma was a great instructor, giving detailed instructions and always checking everyone was doing the poses right (or as close to it as I could manage, ha!) The lunch class goes for 45 minutes and I left feeling all stretched out, relaxed and euphoric. I'm really looking forward to going back, and am planning on going at least once a week from now on. - A beginner's membership is £15 for 3 classes, and then they have a range of options after that like pay-as-you-go or monthly memberships, or bulk packs of 10 classes. - Parking is available at King Street car park for £1.90 for an hour. - Bring a water bottle and towel. - No need to bring a yoga mat as they are provided for you.

Aww this is a GREAT yoga studio!…read more I'm currently on their introduction package, which is as much yoga as you like for 30 days for £30 - a fantastic deal. I'm in week 2 of it, and have been to, I think, 6 classes, and have had 6 different instructors! There's a wide range of different styles of yoga on offer, and the instructors seem really versatile. They're also just really lovely. What has really struck me about this place is the friendliness of it. The instructors seem to like to have a bit of a wee giggle during class - they often attend each other's classes, so there's some good natured banter. It's certainly not a place for po-faced yogis. And the other clients will say hello and have a little chat too. It's just a nice friendly, down to earth place. I love the studio itself. A long wooden floored studio with full length mirrors up one side (OK I hate the mirrors part of it - ugh!), and it's so lovely and toasty warm. Even if it's not a hot yoga class, there's beautiful residual warmth and it's so comfortable and relaxing. The mats are steamed after each class which is great for hygiene, and you are provided with towels or little face towels if you need them, for no charge. Shoes are left at the door, so you can pad about barefoot and still have lovely clean tootsies. So I'm enjoying it so far and the 30 day trial is a good opportunity to find out if it will suit me long term. But already I feel quite at home here.

I heard about this from the lovely Lucy B and decided to give it a go for myself. Their website has…read moreall the information you need to know and I found getting in touch with the guy who runs it (Graham) really easy as he replied to my emails quickly. I went along to the Monday night Bellahouston session and wasn't sure what to expect. I was giving it a go as part of their one week free trial but it is normally £7 per class if you pay as you go, or you can buy 10 sessions or even a monthly membership which works out really cheap. Graham was really friendly and helpful with any questions and got me to fill out a quick health form. I was with a few friends and he dished out bibs for everyone to wear - possibly a little embarrassing at first but everyone wears them and you'll quickly forget. This is because the classes are split into colour coded sections for your level of fitness so you'll always be with people who are at a similar level to you which is great. We did a warm up and then got stuck into the exercise. Graham had the manner of someone who was supportive and encouraging without being a shouty, aggressive person which is my style of exercise. I found everything we did was a challenge and I liked working in pairs. Everyone there was very friendly and I thought it was a pretty supportive environment. The class went by super quick and I really liked it. My only reason for not signing up for the monthly membership is that it's outside - I know myself and I know I would use bad weather as a reason not to go. But I'm definitely putting this on my list to do list once we hit spring next year!

Four years on from my first review, and I'm still going to Outside Fitness, and I'm still…read moreabsolutely loving it. I think you'd be hard pressed to find many exercise classes that can hold people's interest and motivation for that length of time - certainly I've never persevered with anything else for as long as this. I think I must have been going since about 2008 or thereabouts - 8 years and counting! One conclusion I could make from that is that Outside Fitness becomes a way of life. I really miss it if I can't attend for any reason, and I'm generally there twice a week through all seasons and all weathers. I would go more often if I could. The classes are Mon and Weds at Bellahouston Park, Tues and Thurs at Kelvingrove Art Galleries, and Saturday at Queen's Park. The classes can be tough, but I always enjoy them, and you know you're in safe hands. Graham and Mark (the trainers who take the classes) are lovely guys, and real experts about fitness and exercise. Graham is a personal trainer as well, and health and fitness is his life - he knows everything! I've had real ups and downs with my health over the years, and Graham has always made sure that he's giving me the correct sort of exercises despite various challenges. He's great with nutrition too, and his advice has been fantastic, and very much appreciated. I also think that one of the things that keeps us all going back is the people. It's not cliquey at all, everyone is welcome, and while this sounds like a cliche, it really is like a wee happy gang of pals encouraging each other. Through the trials and tribulations of rainy nights when you'd rather be cosied up the house, balmy summer nights when you'd rather be chilling out in the pub, weights, kettlebells, boxing, and whatever else gets thrown at us, we grin and bear it, and we keep coming back. I love Outside Fitness. I wouldn't be without it.