Working out can be difficult when you’re determined to get in shape but you can’t find the motivation to exercise alone… 

V1BE has stepped up as Manchester’s new boutique fitness studio – with workouts to increase your metabolism and burn calories like ‘no other class in the city’. The concept aims to provide fitness lovers with a fun, challenging training environment that, above all else, will never bore you.

VIVA attended the V1P Launch to show you the ropes and get a sense of the V1BE.

V1BE founders, Gareth Evans and Andy Tee, have always been interested in the fitness industry and they set out to bring a new and unique fitness experience to Manchester.

Gareth Evans said: “We wanted to try and become this studio environment that is inclusive for everybody where you can track how you are doing. It’s been a year in the making.”

Situated on Dale Street, this hidden gem takes form in a basement in the edgy Northern Quarter.

On arrival, we were greeted by super friendly staff who directed us downstairs to reveal a fitness studio packed with state of the art equipment and quirky interior. The element of no windows was certain to make your workout even steamier and make you lose track of time!

The gym will include a unique element of live DJs within the studio space, with the launch featuring DJ Sarah Giggle on the decks. Canapés and refreshments were available throughout the night which was essential for class participants post-workout.

Thanks to everyone who came down to our #V1PLaunch and especially to those who took part in our demo class – you absolutely smashed it 👊 pic.twitter.com/AB6nTpSO7n

— V1BEfitness (@V1BEfitness) March 22, 2018

We were invited to take part in the demo class to get to grips with the kind of workouts you can expect as a V1BE member.

Before the class began, we were each paired with an unlikely partner – a MyZone belt. This fitness accessory monitors your heart rate and calories burnt during your workout and can be viewed on a large screen in the studio. This allows you to compete against yourself or the rest of the V1BE team. This new feature took quite some time to set up but the coaches refused to begin until everyone’s belt was active.

Fitness Coach Andy Griffiths is V1BE’s most experienced coach with over 12 years in the fitness industry. Andy is known to motivate you to work beyond your comfort zone – and he certainly put us through our paces during the demo workout.

The class was packed with high intensity; with elements of weight training, cardio, core and boxing exercises. Using the heart-rate monitors gave us an extremely effective workout as we discovered we’d burnt 500 calories in just 45 minutes.

Whenever you began to slack or wanted to give up, Andy came out of nowhere and encouraged you to dig deep, pick yourself up and finish strong.

Even for two religious gym-goers, this demo class certainly tested our fitness and agility.

Gareth said: “Everybody who i’ve spoken to really enjoyed the launch. We’re hoping it will go down well in Manchester – there’s a lot of gyms around here they don’t really offer these kind of classes.”

@pvjourno at the V1BE Fitness class

V1BE uses a credit system where one credit for £15 entitles you access to one class. Prices vary from pay as you go to monthly direct debits. If you choose the direct debit option for £39 per month, the price per class reduces so you have 5 credits available per month. The VIP Black membership for £80 pm entitles you to access an unlimited number of classes. 

Although this may not seem to fit in your average price range for a gym; V1BE is well worth the price if you’re looking for workouts to push you to your limits.

The official opening day is Monday 26th March 2018.

Photography by Grace O’Hare.