Strength & conditioning · Hackney, London
Get strong in a Victorian gymnasium.
Small classes, coaches who know your name, and 640 m² of barbells, sleds and rowers under the beams of the old Mare Street Gymnasium.
Lifters in a class, never more
Of rubber floor, racks and sled track
From 380 Google reviews
Est.
1896
Mare Street Gymnasium
The building
A boys’ gymnasium in 1896.
A strength gym since 2014.
When we found the old Mare Street Gymnasium it had pigeons in the roof and climbing ropes still hanging from the beams. We kept the ropes, the wall bars and the pine floor on the mezzanine, then laid 640 m² of rubber over the boards below.
Today it’s home to 410 members, seven coaches and the best morning light in east London.
Squat racks
8
Lifting platforms
6
Sled track
25 m
Sauna & cold plunges
1 + 2
Classes
Eight classes.
One standard of coaching.
Foundations
Foundations
Learn the big lifts properly, from the first rep.
60 min
View class →
Open
Strength
Barbell strength in a small group, programmed in 12-week blocks.
60 min
View class →
Open
Boxing Fit
Pad work and bag rounds, no sparring.
45 min
View class →
Open
Open Gym
The floor is yours: racks, platforms and the sled track.
Any time
View class →
Where to start
Three levels, so nobody is thrown in at the deep end.
Every new member starts with a coach. We’ll tell you which classes suit you after your induction.
Foundations
New to lifting, or coming back after a long break. Six weeks of the big lifts taught step by step, plus Mobility.
Open
Most of our members. Barbell strength in 12-week blocks, conditioning, and Boxing Fit.
Advanced
For lifters with a solid base. Olympic lifting on the platforms and longer engine work.
Timetable
Monday at Plimsoll
Classes run from 6:30am to 8:15pm on weekdays, with a slower weekend. Book through the app up to seven days ahead.
06:30
Strength
Tess
Open
07:45
Conditioning
Sam
Open
12:30
Mobility
Ines
Foundations
18:00
Foundations
Dan
Foundations
19:15
Boxing Fit
Kofi
Open
1 : 1 from
£65 / hour
Personal training
A coach, a plan, and someone who notices when you’re getting stronger.
Train one to one or in a small group of three or four. Every programme starts with an assessment and ends with a test day, so you can see exactly what changed.
The coaches
Seven coaches.
Every one still trains here.
The floor
Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.
No rows of machines, no TVs. Just good racks, calibrated plates, a 25-metre sled track and a sauna for afterwards.
Squat racks
8
Lifting platforms
6
Barbells
22
Bumper plates
4,000 kg
Dumbbells
2 – 50 kg
Kettlebells
4 – 48 kg
Sled track
25 m
Rowers
10
Memberships
Simple prices. No joining fee, no contract.
Off-peak
£45
per month
Open gym on weekdays between 10am and 4pm.
Open gym Mon – Fri, 10am – 4pm A programme written by a coach Sauna and cold plunge Cancel with 30 days' notice
Most popular
Unlimited
£95
per month
Every class, all opening hours, and a check-in with a coach each month.
All classes, every day Open gym all hours Monthly coach check-in Sauna and cold plunge Bring a friend free once a month
Unlimited + PT
£160
per month
Everything in Unlimited, plus two personal training sessions with your own coach every month.
Everything in Unlimited Two 1:1 PT sessions a month A programme written for you A strength test every quarter
First visit
Your first week is free: an induction with a coach, then any three classes. No card needed.
Deadlift 0 → 120 kg
I had never touched a barbell. Dan taught me to deadlift in my first week, and five years later I still come four times a week.
Priya S.
Member since 2021
Back to classes in 8 weeks
After my back surgery I was scared of the gym. Eight weeks later I was back in Strength class with a plan I trusted.
Tom H.
Return from Injury
Member stories
What changes when you train here.
First competition in 2025
Tess's coaching is the best I've had anywhere. She sees everything and explains it in one sentence.
Aisha K.
Barbell Club
10 years a member
It's the only gym I've stuck with. Small classes, coaches who know your name and no mirrors-and-selfies culture.
Martin L.
Member since 2016
Twelve weeks apart
Ruth A.
12-week Get Strong programme
★★★★★
“In my first week I couldn’t lift the bar from the floor. On test day I pulled 90 kg.”
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Journal
Notes from the floor.
Training
How to start lifting at 40, 50 or 60
Strength training is the best thing you can do for your later years. Here's how to begin safely.
Training
The 12-week block, explained
Why our Strength classes run in blocks, and what test week is for.
Nutrition
What to eat before a 6:30am class
Small, simple, and eaten twenty minutes before. Marta's three go-to options.
Before your first visit
Questions we hear every week.
Still not sure? Call the front desk on 020 7946 0182, or drop in for a coffee and a look round.
Life at Plimsoll
Early starts, chalk dust and the odd personal best.
1
06:30
07:30
Strength
Tess
4
1
07:45
08:30
Conditioning
Sam
7
1
12:30
13:15
Mobility
Ines
2
1
18:00
19:00
Foundations
Dan
9
1
19:15
20:00
Boxing Fit
Kofi
0
2
06:30
07:15
Conditioning
Sam
5
2
07:30
08:30
Strength
Tess
3
2
12:30
13:30
Strength
Dan
6
2
18:00
19:30
Barbell Club
Tess
1
2
19:15
20:15
Engine
Marta
8
3
06:30
07:30
Strength
Dan
10
3
07:45
08:30
Mobility
Ines
4
3
12:30
13:15
Boxing Fit
Kofi
7
3
18:00
19:00
Strength
Tess
2
3
19:15
20:00
Conditioning
Sam
9
4
06:30
07:15
Conditioning
Marta
0
4
07:30
08:30
Foundations
Dan
5
4
12:30
13:30
Strength
Tess
3
4
18:00
19:30
Barbell Club
Tess
6
4
19:15
20:00
Mobility
Ines
1
5
06:30
07:30
Strength
Dan
8
5
07:45
08:30
Conditioning
Sam
10
5
12:30
13:15
Mobility
Ines
4
5
17:30
18:15
Boxing Fit
Kofi
7
6
08:30
09:30
Strength
Tess
2
6
09:45
10:45
Engine
Marta
9
6
11:00
12:00
Foundations
Dan
0
6
12:15
13:00
Boxing Fit
Kofi
5
7
09:30
10:15
Conditioning
Sam
3
7
10:30
11:15
Mobility
Ines
6
7
11:30
12:30
Strength
Dan
1
Mon – Fri 6am – 9pm
Sat 8am – 4pm
Sun 9am – 2pm
Europe/London