Alpha Athletic Gym

11/09/2026

🍽️ ANOTHER ADDITION TO OUR ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINING

We’re constantly looking at ways to make our online coaching service better, and over the last week I’ve been working on something that I think will be genuinely useful for a lot of people:

100% personalised nutrition plans.

Firstly, a quick reminder — our online personal training isn’t just for people who train at Alpha Athletic Gym. You can train anywhere and still use the service.

If you do train at Alpha, the added bonus is that your gym membership is included within the price of your online coaching. The price is the same whether you use the gym or not. Obviously, we’d love to see you here, and it makes coaching slightly easier when I know exactly what equipment you have available, but you absolutely don’t have to train here.

Now, onto the food…

I’m actually a firm believer that rigid meal plans generally aren’t a great long-term solution. I don’t want somebody following a piece of paper for the rest of their life.

But I completely understand that sometimes it’s incredibly useful to have an instruction manual put in front of you:

“Here’s where we start.”

Then, as you learn more about your nutrition, portions, calories, protein and what works for your lifestyle, we gradually build more flexibility into it. The ultimate goal is that you understand your own nutrition well enough that you eventually don’t need me to tell you what to eat.

And these certainly won’t be generic chicken, rice and broccoli six times a day plans. 😂

They’ll be built around YOU — your goals, age, lifestyle, activity levels, training, sporting commitments, food preferences, foods you hate, allergies, normal routine, cooking ability, time available and everything else that actually determines whether a nutrition plan is realistic.

Over the last week I’ve therefore been building a pretty comprehensive nutrition questionnaire, which I’ll be adding to our coaching platform. I’ll continue working on it next week before rolling everything out.

I’m qualified in nutrition, although it’s worth pointing out that “nutritionist” isn’t a protected title in the UK in the same way that dietitian is. This service is about general nutrition, performance, body composition, habits and helping people eat towards their goals. It isn’t intended to replace medical nutrition therapy or the work of a registered dietitian where that’s appropriate.

And nutrition plans won’t suit everybody — that’s absolutely fine. Coaching isn’t about forcing everyone through exactly the same system. It’s about finding an approach that works for the individual.

If you’re already one of our online coaching clients and you’d like me to build a personalised nutrition plan for you, just drop me a message here, on my mobile or through the app and I’ll add you to the list to receive the questionnaire when it’s ready.

No additional charge. No generic templates. Just another tool being added to the service you’re already paying for.

Hopefully it gives some of you that little bit of structure you need to get started — while teaching you enough along the way that, eventually, you can take complete control of it yourself. 💪🍽️

That’s ultimately what good coaching should be trying to achieve.

Unlimited gym access 8 week personalised training programs. App to track progress both physical and athletic Videos of every exercise so you always know what you’re doing. Nutritional goals and support. Access to a personal trainer for extra support via message or in the gym.

10/09/2026

A few people have had issues with the door declining access yesterday and today. It appears there has been an update to the app, so please check that it is fully updated on your device—this should resolve the problem.

Most phones have updated it automatically, but you know what technology can be like!

If you’re still having any problems, please message or call me. Everyone should have my number, and it’s also displayed on the door.

26/08/2026

🐶 INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY! 🐶

It seems only right that we give a little shout-out today to arguably Alpha Athletic Gym’s most popular member of staff… Thierry. 😂

Thierry has been a massive part of the gym for just over three years now, pretty much since the beginning, and he absolutely loves being around the place and seeing everyone coming through the doors to train.

And actually, having a dog around a gym has some genuine benefits. For some people, walking into a gym can be intimidating, especially when they’re new. Having this little idiot wandering around can immediately make the place feel a bit more relaxed and welcoming. He gets people talking, gives people something to smile at between sets and generally contributes to the friendly atmosphere we’re trying to create here.

His actual job description seems to consist mainly of:

🐾 Greeting people when he can be bothered
🐾 Sticking his head into unattended gym bags
🐾 Stealing the sweatiest lifting straps he can possibly find
🐾 Wandering directly through someone’s training area at precisely the wrong moment
🐾 Attacking his absolute favourite few members with completely unnecessary levels of excitement
🐾 And, as demonstrated in today’s photo, sleeping on the job

Unfortunately, International Dog Day is going to finish slightly differently for him this year.

Thierry has a pretty important trip to the vets tonight after having some ongoing problems with his eyes. It looks like we may finally have found what has been causing them, but now we’re hoping we’ve caught everything in time.

He’s currently succumbing to some fairly heavy medication ahead of his appointment, so he’s going to be spending much of his evening absolutely stoned. 😂

Whatever happens tonight, he’ll be back around the gym as soon as he’s able, stealing straps, inspecting bags, getting in everyone’s way and generally doing all the things Thierry does best.

For someone who contributes absolutely nothing financially to the running of the business, eats an extraordinary amount of food and sleeps through most of his shifts…

he’s a pretty important part of Alpha. ❤️

Happy International Dog Day to Thierry and all the other gym dogs out there. 🐶💪

25/08/2026

It’s coming to the end of the month, which is usually when we see plenty of people moving around between gyms.

So if you’ve been thinking about making a change, you’re fed up with fighting for equipment at busy times, or you just want somewhere you can get in, get your training done and focus on yourself — come and give Alpha Athletic Gym a try.

With the kids heading back to school and routines getting back to normal, now is a great time to start putting a bit of time back into yourself.

And believe it or not, we’ve only got around 4 months until Christmas and New Year. 🎄

That’s plenty of time to make a real difference to how you feel, how you train and how you look heading into the festive season and the New Year.

💚 24/7 access
💚 Friendly, quiet gym
💚 Respectful training environment
💚 Single membership — £35/month
💚 Joint membership — £60/month
💚 Gym + Online Coaching — £54/month

We also believe gym memberships should be simple and transparent.

No joining fee. No cancellation period. No hidden fees.

Your membership is simply a rolling monthly Direct Debit, collected on the 1st of each month. That’s it.

You can sign up online today and start training straight away.

Or, if you’d rather try us first, drop us a message on WhatsApp or Messenger, or comment below, and we’ll arrange a FREE day pass.

Come down, have a session and see what you think. 💪

16/08/2026

🧠 SUNDAY GYM FACT — HOW MUCH WEIGHT DID YOU ACTUALLY LIFT?

Ever finished leg day feeling absolutely battered?

There’s a reason. 😂

We tend to think about the individual weight we’re lifting — “I squatted 60kg today” — but we don’t often think about the total amount of weight moved throughout the entire workout.

Take a pretty normal leg session like the example above.

By the time you’ve done your squats, RDLs, leg press, extensions, curls and calf raises…

you’ve shifted roughly 12,000kg of weight.

That’s 12 TONNES.

To put that into completely unnecessary perspective…

🐄 An adult cow might weigh somewhere around 600–700kg.

So over the course of that workout you’ve effectively moved the equivalent weight of roughly…

17–20 COWS. 🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄

Obviously you haven’t actually picked 20 cows up off the floor. 😂 Training volume isn’t the same thing as lifting one enormous object, and machines don’t translate perfectly into free-weight loads either.

But it does give you a pretty entertaining idea of just how much total work your body can get through during a gym session.

And stronger or more experienced lifters can very easily rack up well beyond 15–20 tonnes during a high-volume leg workout.

So next time someone asks what you did Sunday morning…

“Not much. Moved about 20 cows around.”

Sounds better than leg day. 😂🐄💪

Happy Sunday!

15/08/2026

🚿 Shower facilities at Alpha!

Just a little reminder that we do have shower facilities on site.

They get used by a few members already, particularly those training early before heading off to work, but they’re there for everyone.

So whether you’re training before work, on your lunch break, or heading somewhere straight after the gym, you’re more than welcome to make use of them. 👍

Although judging by what I’ve found in there today…

it appears somebody has left part of their uniform behind. 👀

So somewhere in Huntingdon there’s currently a Stormtrooper wandering around without his helmet on.

Hide your shame, people. 😂

May the gains be with you. 💪⚔️

13/08/2026

A gentle reminder from today’s episode of “things that take 10 seconds”… 😂🏋️

Came in today to find the squat rack still loaded up with three 20kg plates on each side.

Now, I’m sure whoever was squatting this was doing every rep with absolutely immaculate depth, beautiful control and textbook form… 👀😂

But here’s the important bit:

If you can put the weights on, you can put them back.

Especially when, as you can see in the video, the storage pegs are literally less than a foot away. It took me about 10 seconds.

Please remember that the person using the equipment after you might not be anywhere near as strong as you are. A 20kg plate can be a significant weight for some people to lift and manoeuvre, particularly when they’re having to remove several of them before they can even start their own workout.

So nice and simple:

Plate-loaded machines/racks → unload them when you’re finished.
Machine has storage pegs → plates go back on those.
No storage pegs → plates go back on the weight tree.
Basically → put them back where you found them. 😂

It’s one of those tiny things that makes absolutely no difference to your day but can make a massive difference to the person training after you.

And there is a silver lining…

At least they weren’t left on the floor. 😂👏

So we’re halfway there!

Thanks everyone. Keep looking after the gym and, more importantly, each other. 💚

P.S. It took me about 10 seconds to put them away, and I’m fairly confident some of you are stronger than me. 😂

13/08/2026

🚨 A LITTLE ADDITION TO THE FRONT DOOR…

You’ll now see this nice juicy sign right next to the gym entrance. You genuinely can’t miss it on the way in. 😂

First things first — this hasn’t gone up because we suddenly have a massive problem. We don’t.

The gym generally runs incredibly smoothly, and the overwhelming majority of you already do all of this without even thinking about it.

Everyone receives our full Gym Handbook when they join, but I’m also realistic enough to know that probably only a handful of you have actually read the entire thing. 😂

That handbook covers pretty much everything you could possibly need to know — accessing the gym, lights, the fridge, children in the gym, general information, pricing, cancellations, policies and everything in between.

This sign is different.

It’s simply six basic, non-negotiable standards that we expect from everybody who trains here.

1️⃣ RE-RACK YOUR WEIGHTS & TIDY UP

Probably the most basic rule in any gym.

If you use it, put it back where you got it from. Weights away, equipment back where it belongs and rubbish in the bin.

Repeatedly leaving equipment and weights lying around simply won’t be tolerated. It ruins the environment for everybody else and, if someone continually chooses not to respect this, ultimately they won’t be training here.

Simple.

2️⃣ SHOES & SHIRTS STAY ON

Different gyms have different policies. Ours is simple: we’re a shirts-on and shoes-on gym.

Wear a vest, stringer, T-shirt, hoodie — whatever you’re comfortable training in. But something stays on your upper body and something stays on your feet.

It’s about hygiene, respecting the people around you and maintaining the atmosphere we want in the gym.

3️⃣ RESPECT EVERYONE AROUND YOU

This covers a lot.

Train hard. Push yourself. The occasional grunt when something gets properly difficult isn’t going to upset anybody.

But unnecessary screaming, shouting and attention-seeking on every rep isn’t needed.

I’ve lifted heavy for many, many years and generally it’s only when genuinely hitting failure that I’ve ever lost control of the noises coming out of me. 😂 Try breathing through your reps — it helps massively!

The same principle applies to conversations. Just be aware of your subject, tone and volume and the people around you.

Basically: make everyone feel comfortable.

That has always been the atmosphere here and we’re keeping it that way.

4️⃣ DON’T MONOPOLISE EQUIPMENT

We very rarely have people waiting for equipment here, which is one of the great things about the gym.

But occasionally two people will want the same thing.

Take your time between sets if that’s how you’re training — absolutely fine. Just make it obvious that someone is welcome to work in rather than sitting on a machine for five minutes while somebody waits.

Again, it’s just basic friendliness and consideration.

5️⃣ WIPE DOWN AFTER YOURSELF

There are disinfectant spray bottles and cloths throughout the gym, and the cloths are replaced regularly.

If you’ve left something sweaty, give it a wipe.

You’re also more than welcome to wipe equipment before you use it if you’d prefer.

You never know who around you may be particularly vulnerable to illness or have an autoimmune condition. It’s a tiny thing we can all do to protect each other while keeping the gym fresh and clean.

6️⃣ SCAN IN — ONE AT A TIME, EVERY TIME

Every single person entering the gym needs to scan themselves in individually through this door.

One person scans → enters → door closes → next person scans.

This isn’t just about making sure everybody has paid.

It means we have an accurate record of who is in the building, helps prevent tailgating and forms an important part of our security and safeguarding procedures.

The entrance camera is monitored to enforce this, so please make sure you’re doing it every time.

⭐ BONUS RULE — THE FRIDGE

Possibly the easiest one of them all.

Take something from the fridge → pay for it straight away.

Job done. 😂

Ultimately, this sign isn’t here because things are bad.

It’s there because we think establishing the minimum standard expected of everyone before they even walk through the door is a good thing.

These are standards we’ve always had.

They’re standards the vast majority of you already follow.

And they’re standards we’re going to continue maintaining.

So give our nice juicy new sign a read on your way in. You only really need to read it once.

Then make these six things your normal gym etiquette and you’ll probably never have a problem training in any gym, anywhere in the world, for the rest of your life.

And, more importantly, you’ll likely never hear from me outside of a general friendly conversation. 😂

Simple. 👌

12/08/2026

EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT — THE SWISS BAR 💪

It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen this absolute lump of metal being used, so here’s your reminder that the Swiss Bar exists! 😂

And it’s a brilliant bit of kit.

Unlike a traditional straight barbell, the Swiss Bar gives you a range of neutral and angled grip positions, allowing you to change the way you load the shoulders, chest, triceps, back and arms.

You can use it for loads of different movements, including:

💪 Bench press — the neutral grips can feel much more comfortable on the shoulders and wrists than a straight bar.

💪 Overhead/shoulder press — another great way of pressing without being locked into the traditional barbell hand position.

💪 Bent-over rows — multiple grip options allow you to slightly change the emphasis through the back and arms.

💪 Close-grip pressing — brilliant for hammering the triceps.

💪 Floor presses, incline presses and variations — loads of ways of adding something different without completely reinventing your training.

And there’s another challenge with this particular beast…

The bar itself weighs 32kg before you’ve put a single plate on it. 😂

It’s a huge chunk of metal, and the different handles, width and overall construction give it a very different feel from your normal Olympic barbell. You’ll have to stabilise and control it differently, while the various grips give you plenty of ways to introduce some variety into familiar movements.

You don’t always need an entirely new exercise to create a new training stimulus. Sometimes changing the implement, grip or position is more than enough.

So if you’ve been walking past this thing for months wondering what on earth it’s for… get it off the wall and give it a go.

Just remember — 32kg before you start loading it! 😬💪