london

What makes a good Strongman gym? Top notch strength training equipment. We're talking atlas stones, farmer carries, bumper plates, heavy dumbbells et al. It's got to be rough and ready. Puffs of chalk echo around the arena. Men with shoulders like the peak district laugh jovially and encourage other gymgoers. A mix of top level competitors and regular people have a natter between sets. A good strongman gym has an exceptional atmosphere. People better than you to aim for. People worse than you to push you from below. In lieu of this I've compiled a list of London's best strongman gyms for your own enjoyment. You may also like: The best bodybuilding gyms in London The best powerlifting and weightlifting gyms in London The 6 Best Strongman Gyms in London I have given each gym a score out of 25 based on: Location: How accessible is it? Equipment quality: Do they have stones? Racks for farmers walks? Deadlift bars? SSB Bars? etc Equipment availability: Do you have to wait long to use the equipment? Classes on offer: Do they provide adequate training? Atmosphere: Is it enjoyable to train there? Based off this, you should be able to pick your favourite place to train year round. So get your straps and chalk ready and dive in. Physical Culture Location: 4/5. Putney. A little far West for a lot of people, but on the district (East Putney) and overground lines. Equipment Quality: 4.5/5. £40 per month is exceptional. It's not a class based gym, so if you're looking to train consistently and you're in west London, it's hard to beat PC. Equipment Availability: 4/5. Excellent powerlifting style equipment - competition style benches, racks and platforms. Proper powerlifting plates which is lovely. But not particularly strongman specific. Classes on Offer: 2/5. As far as I am aware they don't offer classes. PT and training opportunities, sure, but there's a lot of knowledge at the gym and you should use it. Atmosphere: 3.5/5. Can get very busy, but some seriously good lifters there and you should look at their intensity and replicate it. The Commando Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BuXMP_IAjQq/ Location: 2.5/5. Deptford. I've only been to Deptford once and a) it's not my favourite place in London and b) it's fucking miles away. But it does service virtually all of the southeast. Price: 3/5. It's always tricky to give a ranking for price, but £115 a month for 2 classes a week is expensive in my opinion. If you're someone who wants to train 4 times a week then you'll need to shell out some dough. Equipment Quality: 5/5. Stones, racks, platforms, elite, competition-style equipment and punchbags. You won't want for anything and that's what it should be. Classes on Offer: 5/5. Perfect. If you want to try strongman or powerlifting, it's available. So is calisthenics, MMA, kettlebells... The works. Atmosphere: 4/5. Sometimes the really good quality gyms don't have the grit and sweat you need. But this one does. Revel in it and soak up the sights and sounds. Genesis Gym Location: 2.5/5. Alperton. A little far northwest for my liking, but Wembley (right next to Alperton) is on the central line, so still easy. Price: 5/5. It's such exceptional value at £7 for one-off sessions and £38 a month, that for the level of equipment they have they could charge double. But don't tell them that. Equipment Quality: 4/5. Everything you need. Racks, stones, platforms, powerlifting standard bench presses and isolation equipment - they've got you covered. Classes on Offer: 3.5/5. Personal training, competition prep, sports performance... The list goes on. They don't necessarily do strongman classes, but I bet they'll help you out. Atmosphere: 4.5/5. Brilliant. To be at great gym, you need people who aren't as good as you to push you and people better than you to aim for. There will be better people than you! Greenwich Strongman Performance Club https://www.instagram.com/p/BgPZmKUhJ9S/ Location: 2/5. Greenwich. Greenwich is lovely, but it's fucking horrible to get to from virtually everywhere unless you want to spend £15 on the river bus. Price: 4/5. A complimentary class to begin with which is exactly how it should be. You can get that from their website here. Equipment Quality: 3/5. The equipment is very reasonable, but the room itself is quite small, so you may need to wait a while or get there out of peak time. Classes on Offer: 3.5/5. They cover one-on-one personal training and strength and conditioning for sport. Really knowledgeable, friendly people. Atmosphere: 4.5/5. Really, really welcoming and I love that. If you don't have the best facility in the world, the atmosphere must be perfect. And it just about is! The Iron Club Location: 4.5/5. Lambeth. Again, it's easy to get to from virtually everywhere in London. No excuses. Price: 3.5/5. The classes are expensive, but weightlifting is technically difficult, so you need classes to begin with. Equipment Quality: 4/5. Bumper eleiko plates, platforms and brilliant places to perform some Olympic weightlifting. Classes on Offer: 3/5. The weightlifting classes are really good, but there's very little strongman specific work that takes place. You're sort of on your own in that respect. Atmosphere: 4/5. Weightlifting and strongman is supposed to be supportive and a little dirty. It is and it's cracking. The Foundry https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw4z3x4HeYa/ Location: 5/5. Old Street and Vauxhall. Can't really ask for more can you? Northern line and overground? perfect. Price: 3.5/5. £149 for a monthly pass and £20 for a class is steep, but you can trial 3 half-class prices first and see if you're a fan. It's not for everyone, but strongman is great fun and this is a brilliant place to do it. Equipment Quality: 5/5. Everything you could possibly need. Tires, stones, racks, platforms... An endless array of fantastic kit. Classes on Offer: 5/5. A brilliant way to kick start your strongman career. Really well planned and executed. Atmosphere: 4.5/5. Friendly, motivating and uplifting. The perfect place to hone your skills.