Northants, Leics &amp; Rutland


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="680" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-2-1.jpg" alt="Empowerment Training Centre Northampton gym fitness wellbeing" class="wp-image-46443" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-2-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-2-1-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-2-1-768x522.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<p>We&#8217;ve all done it &#8211; signed up to the gym for some crippling monthly fee and then, despite the best of intentions, stopped showing up after a couple of months/weeks/days because its way too posey, everyone is fitter than you, you don&#8217;t really know how to use the equipment, no one cares if you go, it&#8217;s boring, you don&#8217;t fit in, you can&#8217;t be bothered, they don&#8217;t serve beer or ice-creams (circle all applicable). True story: I actually once fled the country to get out of paying my gym fees. People of Northampton can rejoice though, because we reckon we&#8217;ve have found the key to sticking with your long term health and fitness goals and it&#8217;s right here in Queen&#8217;s Park in an unlikely looking industrial building (with loads of free parking &#8211; major bonus). </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-5.jpg" alt="Tim Reid owner of Empowerment Training Centre Northampton gym fitness wellbeing" class="wp-image-46428" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-5.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-5-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-5-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-5-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Owner and founder Tim Reid (that&#8217;s him above) started <a href="https://theetc.fit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Empowerment Training Centre</a> in 2017 because he didn&#8217;t really like the lack of soul and community he saw in most conventional gyms. I think we can all agree to that. So he decided to create a fun and welcoming space where members feel totally at home, wherever they find themselves on their fitness journey. It&#8217;s all about having fun and learning to love fitness (and yourself) whilst reaching your goals through bespoke fitness plans and tailored nutrition. </p>



<p>Today there are five full time instructors at ETC, delivering tailored, results-driven fitness and nutrition programs as well as loads more activities like seminars and talks, goal-setting sessions, cocktail and curry evenings, DJ nights and group events including HYROX (ouch) and hikes up Snowdon and Kilimanjaro. See what I mean about community? </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_089.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-46425" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_089.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_089-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_089-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Want smiles, hollers and high fives just for walking through the door, comfy sofas to lounge in, a coffee machine, ice-creams in the freezer and friendly faces to chat to? Step this way. It might look a bit industrial on the outside (that&#8217;s because it is), but inside it feels rather snazzy and like somewhere you&#8217;d want to spend a lot of time. Which is good because you will be spending at least a couple of hours a week here, there&#8217;s a minimum commitment to showing up twice a week. Sound strict? Well, yes, you want to see results don&#8217;t you? But also it feels good to be here and I&#8217;m pretty convinced you will actually look forward to showing up. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_032.jpg" alt="Empowerment Training Centre fitness equipment" class="wp-image-46431" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_032.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_032-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC_Luke-Farmer_Gym-update-Oct-2023_032-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s a huge open plan space full of very slick equipment with big windows along two sides (don&#8217;t worry no can see in) and, notably, no mirrors. Because ETC is not about the way you look, Tim insists, it is about the way you <em>feel</em>. And then, of course, the outward changes becomes secondary to the inward ones, because feeling good about yourself is everything here, no matter where you&#8217;re starting from. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-workout">THE WORKOUT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="777" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-29-1.jpg" alt="Empowerment Training Centre owner Tim Reid" class="wp-image-46438" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-29-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-29-1-300x233.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-29-1-768x597.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Sipping on an oat milk latte (thanks Tim), I was introduced to the other people on my session, most of whom have been members for years, though I wasn&#8217;t the only newbie. There were ten of us altogether &#8211; it&#8217;s all about small groups so everyone gets plenty of focused, one to one training and support during their 50 minute workout. There are a few different types of session on the weekly schedule, each with a different focus, whether that&#8217;s building muscle, cardio or strength. I was here for the &#8220;Build&#8221; session, which is about overall strength, so think weighted circuit training, kicking off with some light cardio to warm up. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1.jpg" alt="Fitness Empowerment training centre northampton" class="wp-image-46441" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-144-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Why do you want to do this type of exercise? It&#8217;s about long term health, feeling energised throughout the day, building bone density and muscle strength and  boosting your overall feeling of wellbeing. A couple of minutes on a ski machine (kind of looks a bit like a rowing machine but it&#8217;s vertical), was followed by some stretching and walkouts in and out of a plank position. So far, so good. I could handle this, I thought. Cue Tim declaring it time to start the actual workout. That wasn&#8217;t the workout, apparently. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-143.jpg" alt="Empowerment Training Centre gym Northampton bespoke fitness and nutrition" class="wp-image-46434" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-143.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-143-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-143-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/northantsleicsrutland/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2024/05/ETC-02.12.2023-143-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>We paired up (trauma bonding?) and took it in turns to do some arm stretching with a giant rubber band (harder than it looks) and a weighted bridge that involved squeezing an imaginary grape between your glutes. I may have been laughing more than strictly necessary at this point, but onwards to bench presses, cable rows, rope pushdowns (my triceps are still feeling this one but very good for the bingo wings), weighted hamstring curls, Russian twists, G2OHs, and burpees and if you don&#8217;t know what any of those things mean that&#8217;s your sign to give Tim a call. Did I feel beasted by the end? No. I felt amazing and was immediately trying to figure how I could factor in a few weekly sessions post school drop off. As Tim is keen to remind me, exercise is a privilege, not a punishment. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-verdict">THE VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Literally anyone. Whatever your size, shape, fitness level or ability, because it&#8217;s completely bespoke to you and your personal goals. If you&#8217;re new to working out and a bit unsure of yourself, you will feel comfortable in your skin here. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> I&#8217;m not sure there&#8217;s anyone who wouldn&#8217;t enjoy coming here if they gave it a go, but if you like working out alone with your headphones in this might not be your jam. </p>



<p><strong>The damage:</strong> Gym membership is never cheap, is it? And ETC is no exception. It is priced according to what you need as an individual and it offers a totally different experience to to a regular chain type gym, so there is an investment here. <a href="https://theetc.fit/join/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Book a call here</a> to find out more. </p>



<p>ETC Coach Ruth will be running a Menopause Seminar, open to everyone, on 25 May, to offer loads of advice and information &#8211; <a href="https://theetc.fit/get-in-touch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get in touch</a> to book your place &#8211; and you can read about the ETC 90 Day Accelerate Program <a href="https://northantsleicsrutland.muddystilettos.co.uk/fitness/fit-focused-and-fabulous-in-90-days-you-can-do-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://theetc.fit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Empowerment Training Centre</a>, Freehold St, Northampton NN2 6EW</em></p>


Review: Empowerment Training Centre, Northampton

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