FAQS

ALL THE ANSWERS TO YOUR FITNESS QUESTIONS…

HOW DOES YOUR GYM WORK?

At Northern Warrior, there are no joining fees. Memberships run on a month-by-month basis with a 30-day notice period – we want you to come and train, enjoy your membership and get results. We don’t tie you into contracts. We believe what we offer is so much more than any conventional gym that our actions and training methods will keep you coming back.

Sessions are run in groups, capped at 10 or 15 people depending on the type of class. There is a set warm-up followed by a set workout. All movements are explained, with time spent learning the correct techniques. The group performs the workout together, creating a tremendous feeling of camaraderie and community. Workouts are also universally scalable, meaning people of any age and ability will all be working out alongside each other. As a member, you get a great sense of achievement from completing a workout and you’ll make friends along the way.

WHAT IS A WOD?

If you’ve heard people talk about us, you’ll have undoubtedly come across the term ‘WOD'. The acronym WOD stands for Workout Of the Day, and it serves as a concise descriptor for the specific movements and exercises that participants will engage in during our Strength and Conditioning (S&C) classes. The beauty of the WOD lies in its unpredictability, as it can vary tremendously in length and intensity. While most WODs tend to span a duration of 10 to 20 minutes, some may be as brief as 5 minutes, providing a burst of intense activity, while others may extend beyond the half-hour mark, delivering a more comprehensive challenge. The thrill of the WOD lies in its surprise element, ensuring that each session holds its unique set of exercises that will push participants to their limits. At Northern Warrior, our commitment to diverse and stimulating workouts is embodied in the ever-changing nature of the WOD, guaranteeing an exciting and invigorating experience with each visit to our S&C classes.

WHAT CARDIO DO YOU DO AT NORTHERN WARRIOR?

Most mainstream gyms and health clubs will program clients with a standard workout comprising isolation movements and extended aerobic sessions, promoting the benefits of cardio. At Northern Warrior, we do things differently. These movements and intensity levels have been scientifically proven to be noticeably more effective than standard cardio routines at achieving desired fitness results. Many conventional gyms still embrace the old, much less effective methods of training and many gymgoers remain unmotivated and rarely use their memberships.

IS IT HARD? I DON’T THINK I’M FIT ENOUGH...

The beauty of our fitness classes is that they can be scaled to meet the abilities of anyone, allowing them to still work at an intensity relative to them. The workouts are tough, but can be adjusted to suit all fitness and ability levels, from elite athletes to retirees. We scale workouts, we don’t change them. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you are capable. At Northern Warrior, training is unparalleled in its effectiveness but is always to be approached progressively. The key ingredient to success here is real commitment. We won’t push you to do anything you don’t want to do but we will show you how you can achieve what you didn’t think was possible.

WILL IT HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

The movements and intensity offered by fitness demand more physical than traditional gym routines and, therefore, you will burn significantly more energy in a shorter period of time. If you are also following a healthy diet, over time you will naturally become leaner. If you train like an athlete and eat like an athlete, it is no great surprise that our members start to look like athletes. Weight loss is not a specific aim of the programme but is certainly a welcome side-effect and something we can help with.

WILL IT MAKE ME BULKY?

It takes years of specific dedicated training as a bodybuilder to pile on that much muscle. Our program will not make you big and bulky – it will make you strong. This is often a question we get asked by women – the female body is not designed to react that way to heavy weights. Don’t be put off by pictures of female bodybuilders – these ladies tend to look more masculine because they train and supplement in a way designed to increase muscle size. We don’t do either of these.

HOW LONG ARE OUR CLASSES?

Our classes are an hour long and made up of three main sections. First, there is a programmed warm-up, followed by a more detailed review of the movements and a chance to work on individual skills or techniques (known as ‘tekkers’). We then finish off with a group workout (or WOD). The final workouts vary in length but are usually within the 10-30 minute time frame.

WHY TRAIN AT NORTHERN WARRIOR RATHER THAN JOIN A REGULAR GYM?

Results. That’s why we don’t make you sign a contract – and they do. We charge each month in advance.

You can’t compare the results of 3 months at a gym with 3 months with us because the techniques and training methods are so vastly different. Regularly doing our group classes makes you fitter, faster, more powerful and leaner. More importantly – those who join us will probably still be training. We provide skilled coaching, ongoing support, and the appropriate tools and advice to keep you motivated and working towards your goals.

“JOINED THE GYM IN JANUARY – DROPPED OUT IN MARCH – STILL PAYING IN DECEMBER !”

Sound familiar? In the traditional fitness industry, there is a dropout rate of almost 80% in the first 12 weeks, which is why they make you sign a 12 month contract (or pay a premium if you don’t). Traditional gyms rely on only 10% of members actually attending – that’s how they make their money.

With Northern Warrior the opposite is true. Northern Warrior has a retention rate of over 80%. The reason for this huge difference? A great experience, a failproof methodology, a supportive community and awesome results that speak for themselves.

We provide personalised coaching during every workout, for every exercise. We not only teach you proper movement, form and technique, but we also help you to find a level of intensity within yourself that you may not even realise existed. The sense of camaraderie and community that we develop in our group classes is something you won’t find at a traditional gym, or through training alone. This is the best training you can get; the return on investment is huge and the experience is often life-changing.

HOW ABOUT ‘BOOTCAMP’ FITNESS PROGRAMMES – THEY’RE CHEAPER...

Of course, they are. Training is in a public place, the park’s charge for this is minimal no matter how many people turn up. There is minimal equipment. There is only one session per day in any one venue, sometimes not at all. There are numerous people working out – so you get far less individual attention and, therefore, are less likely to improve on your technique and see the results. You usually have to pay a joining fee or sign a minimum 3-month contract without really seeing the benefits of what you are paying for.

At Northern Warrior, there is a purpose-built facility, specialist equipment and highly trained coaching staff running small group personal training classes. And if you don’t like it after a month, you are free to leave. What have you got to lose? It’s cheaper and more effective than joining a bootcamp organisation for 3 months.

CAN I JUST FOLLOW THE WORKOUTS POSTED ON YOUR WEBSITE?

From time to time we freely offer workouts on our blog and our Instagram – you don’t have to train with us to access it. However, working out alongside us, in the gym, gives you access to professional coaching, motivation, intensity and a genuine community. The mix of high intensity and correct coaching will lead to faster results. Training with us, you’ll train harder, better, and get more support with technique, motivation and diet. You’ll probably train more too.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

Anything that’s comfortable and allows you to move freely. Boardies, Shorts, 3-quarter length pants, joggers, vest tops, t.shirts, hoodies. Layers are a good option, tight trousers (unless they have lycra in them) are not.

DO YOU HAVE A SHOWER AND CHANGING ROOMS?

Yes, we have 2 changing rooms, one male, one female. We also have a newly renovated shower facility.

WHAT MACHINES DO YOU USE AT NORTHERN WARRIOR?

Apart from rowers, we don’t use any. Machines often force your body to move in unnatural ways and can put unacceptable stress on your joints. We primarily utilise functional movements which move your joints through their natural range and improve your mobility. This helps you perform better across other sports or even just in daily life like when carrying the shopping.

We don’t use machines…..we build them.

WHY SHOULD I TRY TRAINING AT NORTHERN WARRIOR?

Have you ever seen someone who can’t get out of a chair, gets breathless walking upstairs or can’t walk down the street without help? It is our belief that many of the ailments we see in old age are directly caused by a loss of functional fitness and/or poor nutrition. By training our bodies using everyday movements with a wide variety of tools, we firmly believe our members can lead productive lives regardless of age.

For those who compete in sports, functional exercises and skills transfer directly to the sporting area and lead to an increase in strength, speed, agility and flexibility among other benefits.

More than all of that though, it is a vibrant, challenging and empowering way to improve fitness and endurance and meet like-minded people who are always there to cheer one another on.

IS IT EXPENSIVE?

Every Functional Fitness/Strength and conditioning gym can set its own prices. These prices often reflect the quality of the gym space, the experience of the coaches and the standard of class programming. Our prices match the level of training we offer, the impressive size of our gym (allowing more members to train together), our coach’s qualifications and experience, the number of classes available, and, last but not least, our reputation. We are more than confident that we are one of the best gyms out there.

WHAT ELSE DOES NORTHERN WARRIOR OFFER?

We offer personal training, team and sport-specific training, Kids/Teens Classes, personal programming and nutrition.

WHAT ABOUT……?

Got a question we haven’t answered? Feel free to contact us at info@northernwarrior.co.uk