Why I Quit the £180-a-Month Gym and Started Training Like Trinny Woodall (for Free!)
I used to be a Third Space OG back in the day. Ten years ago and living in London, I somehow thought it was a good idea to spend my assistant producer wage on a gym designed for investment banker salaries. To be clear, I was absolutely there for the lifestyle. The fresh fluffy towels, the GHD hair tools, the endless supply of beauty products in the changing rooms, the moody lighting, the sexy dark wooden floors (and don’t get me started on the Tower Bridge swimming pool — it was giving James Bond villain lair, meets Grand Designs in the chicest way possible). I bought into it all. My bank balance… did not.
I went through the whole merry-go-round: 1Rebel (great lighting, felt like you were spinning in a club, really really loud music), SoulCycle (thanks, Sex and the City - I loved the 30 second recenter yourself with a candle moment), Gymbox, KXU (that was wild, great class but made the others look cheap..Chelsea mum money) . At one point I realised I’d been to the gym exactly once in a month (in my defence it had been a busy work month) but had still handed over £180 for the privilege. £180 for one spin class. Cancelled immediately.
When I eventually moved out of London, I scaled down to a £50 membership. Still, it niggled at me — why was I paying for something when YouTube had it all for free? I have always been able to motivate myself, so didn’t need group sport, or a trainer standing in front of me. That’s when I dipped my first toe into Youtube workouts and I found FitbyMik, and it became my happy place.
20 min barre arms
10 min abs (fitness blender 10 min ab workouts)
30 min kettlebells for legs
Three or four times a week, all without leaving my living room. Winning — especially in winter.
But then… in true Luxury for Less fashion, I levelled up.
Because let’s be honest: Trinny Woodall has never looked better. She’s 60, her abs and arms rival most 20-year-olds, and she’s glowing (the glow is a mix of her fabulous Trinny London skincare, makeup and diet) But, her true secret? Her workouts with trainer, Natalie Haywood — who is just as chic as you’d imagine (her hair is insane).
Natalie Hayward Instagram
And here’s the magic: Trinny and Natalie don’t gatekeep. They record every workout and put them on YouTube. You can literally train alongside Trinny, following her exact routine, whenever they do it. That’s not just fitness inspo, that’s insider access. Trinny has also detailed her exact diet (not just the usual celebrity interview “oh I have some sort of salad and protein for lunch and veg and protein for dinner” no properly detailed - she literally shows you the food and portions. Watch the video here.
So I thought, why not? Luxury-style training, zero membership fee. I can train exactly like an A-Lister (Trinny is an A - Lister in my books) for FREE!!
I ordered £19.99 resistance bands off Amazon, fully convinced I’d smash through one of their workouts (I’m usually a 10kg Kettelbell gal) and then maybe still need to tack on a FitbyMik afterwards. Hahahaha. Nope. My glutes were on fire. These sessions do not play.
And that’s when it clicked:
You don’t need a £180-a-month gym.
You don’t need an A-list trainer on speed dial.
You don’t even need weights.
All you need is YouTube. And maybe a pair of £19.99 bands.
I’ve swapped sweaty commutes to gyms I couldn’t afford for smart, chic at-home workouts. And honestly? Training with Trinny and Natalie feels more luxury than anything I ever got at Third Space.
Luxury for less, in every sense. Also they made an amazing recommendation for this Collagen. I purchased immediately.
The Results
The arms are getting there….the abs…not so much… maybe I need to do a few more workouts
Collagen Link included is an Amazon affiliate link but not sponsored or paid promotion
