The training at Ritual combines both cardio and strength training into one efficient 20-minute session. We stick to the no-nonsense stuff that works: the most effective and safest progressions and regressions of the fundamental human movement patterns. Amongst other things, the sessions vary daily in terms of the work-to-rest ratios, the order in which exercises are performed, and the overall intensity required, which means your body is always kept guessing and your progress never stagnates.

Importantly, we don’t just randomly throw a bunch of exercises on the boards each morning – our proprietary algorithm ensures that over time you get as close to a perfectly balanced training stimulus as possible, regardless of how often you come to the gym. While the odd session might be quite squat-heavy (for example), there’s no ‘leg day’ at Ritual – every session targets the whole body and all its energy systems.

When you step into a Ritual Gym for the first time, the first thing you’ll notice is probably the absence of machines. We stick to free weights and bodyweight movements, for good reason. Not only is it more time-efficient (versus using a separate machine for each muscle group), it also means that you build strength in a way that respects the way your body is designed to move. In other words, we train the body as the machine, not with machines; we train movements, not muscles. Doing things this way will help you in whatever it is you want to do in life, whether that’s competing in a sport, carrying shopping bags around or playing with your kids.

When you come for a session, you get your own 40 sq. ft. ‘pod’ with your own kettlebells, dumbbells, medicine balls, suspension trainer and pull-up rings – it’s not circuit training, so there’s no sharing of sweaty equipment. We allow a maximum of 10 people to train at any one time, which means that everyone gets the personal attention they need in order to train safely and effectively, whilst maintaining the motivational benefits of a group setting.

However, just because you’re training in a group doesn’t mean there’s a competitive element to training at Ritual – we’ll never put you up against another client and force competition of any sort. While the idea is to push hard, at least most of the time, it’s not about you banging out more push-ups than the person in the pod next to you. At Ritual, we care far more about good form than the number of reps, as using proper form will not only keep you safe during training but also help your body build strength and resilience which you can carry over into ‘real life’.

Hate to commit? Try out our 1-week trial pass at www.ritualgym.com/trial.