1Rebel: A Review Of One of London’s Top Fitness Studios

Are you someone who enjoys fitness and exercise in London? Well then, I imagine you’ve heard of 1Rebel. Even if you haven’t, keep reading, as you’re about to!

1Rebel, the self described ‘King of Gyms’ is a collection of 10 studios across London. Not a gym floor in sight, instead 1Rebel offers classes. Here are their 4 options:

• Reshape (treadmill & weight circuits)
• Ride (spin class)
• Reformer (pilates)
• Rumble (bag boxing & weight circuits)

They’ve also just introduced a new concept (i’m yet to try), ‘Reset’ – a recovery session comprised of sauna and cold plunging available at their High Street Kensington studio.

I’ve been going to 1Rebel since 2018 and have sampled all classes and studios in that time. Here’s my honest opinion on one of London’s top fitness concepts.

In this post i’ll be reviewing the classes, facilities and amenities, pricing as well as the general atmosphere of the staff and 1Rebel ethos.

The Classes

First things first, what do they offer in terms of workout.

Reshape

A sweaty HIIT workout that incorporates cardio on the treadmill and resistance training in the form of weights / floor exercises. You’re assigned a starting position, either on the tread or at your bench (where the weights are) and you switch between the 2 stations during the 45 minute session. The treadmill sections will be a mix of hill runs, endurance runs, sprints and maybe some parachute or sled pushes. The bench sessions can be anything from deadlifts to burpees and everything in between.

The Reshape rooms are motivating – dark and loud – you feel a part of the room, yet you have the freedom to be in the zone. There’s nothing quite like a loud beat drop as you try to hit a PB on a sprint!

Whilst intense, you can tailor the workout to suit your fitness level. The instructors are helpful, and whilst they shout inspirational things, i’ve never been shouted at directly… even when taking a rest.

It is the same concept as Barrys, though less obnoxious and friendlier. There are no needlessly shirtless men at 1Rebel, which is a treat.

If you’re looking to focus and build strength in one area then Reshape is probably not for you, but if you’re looking to increase overall cardio fitness, get a good sweat on, and feel amazing, then Reshape is the class for you!

Verdict:

I’ve tried a lot of HIIT workouts across London, and 1Rebel’s Reshape is my favourite of them all! Just a 10/10 class for a burst of intense cardio. Nothing else compares to the endorphin hit post Reshape.

Ride

A 45 minute spin class available at 5 of 1Rebel’s locations. What sets 1Rebel apart from other spin classes is the sound and lighting systems. The Victoria studio is impressive with two floors, a giant disco ball and LED screen that occasionally flashes lightning. Their original Rhythm ride (available at South Bank, Victoria and St Mary’s Axe) is a fast paced and intense class riding to the beat of the music – think choreo, hill climbs, endurance pushes and sprints, topped off with a dedicated weight arms track. They also have Metrics Rides at their St John’s Wood and High Street Ken studios – if tracking data helps to motivate you. You cant reinvent the wheel too much when it comes to spin classes, but 1Rebel’s Ride class ticks all the boxes. Also, cleats are provided!

Verdict:

1Rebel Ride is a reliable workout. It is slick – the lights, the music and the water vapour ‘smoke’ machine make you feel like you’re in a club (in a good way). My only issue is inconsistency with trainers – you have great ride instructors, and then you have ones which are way worse by comparison. I suppose that’s to be expected when there are so many studios and instructors, and you learn who is good and who is not, but it can be a bit of a sting to pay over £20 for a class and have them be so different in terms of challenge and structure. Marieca and Sonia are the absolute best Ride instructors – go to their classes if you enjoy choreo. Vicky and Tiago are also very good!

Reformer

The 1Rebel take on reformer pilates. Dynamic movement and isolated holds, with a cardio twist. This class takes place in relative darkness and accompanied by loud music. 5 minute warm up, followed by a 30 minute ‘main flow’ and then topped off with 5 minute cardio finisher (and a quick stretch if you have the time). This is not a traditional reformer pilates class. The traditional moves are there, but adapted to be much quicker and to incorporate more cardio and other resistance training, all on their high spec reformer beds.

Verdict:

1Rebel Reformer was one of the main reasons I stopped my membership the first time. I am a traditional reformer pilates girl, and when the class first launched, it was alarming how many of the classes felt just plain dangerous. Trainers with no pilates knowledge were running the classes and it was just not the one! This was a few years ago though, and I would like to note that the classes i’ve been to in the last 18 months are so much better, and I have had trainers at 1Rebel that have also taught at other studios such as Frame. Despite the improvement, I’d rather get my reformer fix somewhere else. It is still a good workout and enjoyable class, and trainers such as Ian and Dana are excellent, but there is still too much inconsistency in level of trainer, which I don’t think justifies the cost.

Rumble

A boxing circuits class. 45 minutes split between pounding it out on your own bag and then hitting the bench (same as Reshape), doing anything from squats to weighted step ups. 4 blocks of time, switching between the bag and the bench every 7 minutes with a 2 minute finisher on each at the end. Same vibe as the rest of the 1Rebel classes in that it is loud, dark and fun! Great bags and great benches!

Verdict:

Rumble is my favourite 1Rebel class, as it has the bench option, but you’re not so dead after sprinting that you can actually push yourself with the weight and also slow it down and think about form. Punching a bag is also a very cathartic way of getting over a hard day at work. It is sad that now only one studio has it (Oxford Circus), as they remove the Broadgate one in favour of another Reformer studio. Gloves are provided, but you ‘need’ to provide your own wraps – they are available at reception, but to be honest, I never bother, and my hands are just fine!

Location List & Amenities

• Holborn (Reshape & Reformer)
• Angel (Reshape & Reformer)
• St Mary’s Axe (Reshape & Ride)
• Southbank (Reshape & Ride)
• St John’s Wood (Reshape, Ride, Reformer)
• Oxford Circus (Reshape, Reformer, Rumble)
• Bayswater (Reshape & Reformer)
• Broadgate (Reshape & Reformer)
• Victoria (Ride & Refomer)
• High Street Kensington (Reshape, Ride, Reformer – and Reset)

Amenities: With 10 locations across London, you’re never too far away from a workout. All of the studios are decorated to a high spec, and the amenities are fab – as many towels as you want for the post sweat shower, as well as small menthol doused cold towels to grab from a fridge after your workout. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion and a multitude of hair styling products are provided, along with hair dryers, straighteners, bobby pins and each changing room also has an iron.

Queueing? Yes, if you do a 7am-ish class, the changing rooms will be busy and you may have to queue for a shower, but never for too long! At Soul Cycle I once waited 45 minutes for a shower! But at Rebel the longest i’ve waited is probably around 7 minutes.

Water: 1Rebel provides water bottles for their classes – which is standout, as you don’t have to pay extra for forgetting to bring your water and also means you don’t have to lug a bottle around with you all day!

Shakes: 1Rebel Refuel Bar – each location has a smoothie bar for you to grab a post-workout protein shake or refreshing drink. They are expensive though, and whilst the Biscoffy is delicious, it is a rare treat, as spending over £7 on something you guzzle in less than 5 minutes is not the way in a cost of living crisis.

Perks: Prosecco Fridays – if you do a post-work class on a Friday you get a glass of prosecco – Yay!

Quick Fire Location Tips:

• Victoria is the best for Ride and Southbank is the worst. Southbank’s bikes are lower than all the other studios and it is annoying to pay the same price when the experience is so different
• Angel changing rooms are the smallest and hottest – I avoid pre-work there, just as I never cool down enough fo my make up not to melt!
• Holborn is the best for Reshape if you like to hide amongst the crowd / are shy or nervous – that place is huge
• Broadgate shower pressure is the best – and it is a great studio on the weekend!
• Bayswater Reformer is too cramped, definitely try out reformer at Broadgate!
• Southbank Reshape room is tiny, if small and intimate is your vibe – go for that!

Membership & Session Pricing

A taster session is £16 and from then on a single session costs £26. They have deals on a lot of the time, and you can buy bulk packages that reduce the cost by session (marginally).

Memberships are expensive, with the unlimited (12 month fixed term) coming in at £229 per month (As of November, 2024), or if you just want to do 8 sessions a month that would cost you £125 per month.

Verdict

It is expensive. Yes, the amenities are great and the locations convenient, but when you think about how the unlimited membership has increased by £50 in the last year, then how much more will it be next year. It is still a good option if you want to commit to nothing but a cycle of 4 different classes for a year, but as someone who likes more variety and supplementing with an actual gym floor membership, I was priced out of 1Rebel. You, though, may be rolling in it and this is perfect for you!

The Final Verdict:

Pros:

• Slick system – the high tech kit, music and lights!
• Amenities are great.
• The caliber of workout is excellent and the classes are fun.
• Everyone, from trainers to FOH are exceptionally and consistently friendly, more so than any other studio i’ve visited.
• When you get a star trainer – the workouts are so good and set you up for a great day!
• Friendly, safe and inclusive environment to try something new – the FOH and trainers are so helpful and help cater the workouts to any fitness level!

Cons:

• Inconsistency of the classes in terms of trainer.
• It can get a little repetitive.
• It is expensive.

1Rebel will always have a special place in my heart – it was where I fell back in love with fitness. It has excellent classes and the convenience in terms of system and location are second to none! But as much as I love it, I can no longer justify the cost and have diversified my workouts since, all whilst saving money. From time to time though I will splurge and treat myself to a Marieca or Sonya Ride class, because I just can’t stay away

BUT, if you are looking to try a great class, where you will be supported throughout, and then treated to a nice post-workout shower and smoothie, then look no further 1Rebel is perfect for you!