Hey Team,
Back at the start of October we launched our ‘Summer Slam’ – and it has been really quite amazing to see everyone in the gym working so hard to achieve their points and earn “HERO” (aka Laird Hamilton) status. The challenge also gave us a chance to do some ‘stealth’ testing of something new we’ve been wanting to try – a new class type for the strength gym. We have been able to do this under the guise of the “Friday Night Lights” classes and I am pretty happy to say that whilst we are STILL working through the day-to-day rhythm of these sessions the plan is that they will be:
1). Here to Stay.
2). Expanded!
At Round 1 Fitness we’re absolutely committed to offering training options that cater to every type of fitness enthusiast. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new “Peak Performance” sessions in the strength gym! These sessions are the perfect complement to our well-loved “Functional Fitness” classes, and I wanted to take a moment to explain the key differences—and similarities—between the two, so you can choose the best fit for your goals and preferences.
- Functional Fitness: The Foundation of Progress
Our Functional Fitness sessions focus on structured strength and conditioning. For example, in our current training block (From October 7th to December 7th) we are running a modified Russian Squat cycle, split into three phases: establishing a baseline, building volume and intensity, and testing new maxes. Perfect for those who enjoy tracking their progress and steadily building strength. - Peak Performance: The Perfect Mix of Strength & Sweat
In contrast, Peak Performance sessions bring a different flavor to the strength gym. These high-energy, circuit-based workouts are all about intensity and variety, without the strict progression of Functional Fitness. It’s ideal for those who want a flexible, challenging workout that leaves them feeling accomplished.
Class Times & Availability
Now I know a lot of people have loved the “Friday Night Lights” sessions during the challenge and would love to see them run all day, every day…well – we’re not QUITE ready to go that far. Much like when we introduced the “Fully Loaded” body-building/strength only sessions back in 2020, adding an entire new program to the gym is a tricky process and it is going to take us some time to get it “RIGHT”….I mean, it’s one thing to run ONE class every Friday night – no harm, no foul! But running multiple sessions each week for the LONG TERM? That’s a whole other ball game and a lot of planning and preparation is still needed…and whilst I agree that Friday Night Lights was a great little ‘chance to experiment’, well – it was also only five classes (and to be fair, as of right now we have only run four of them! BUT – we are determined to push-ahead with this new concept and will be running 1x “Peak Performance” session each day (Mon-Fri) at 5pm. So the Strength gym timetable will look like this:
– Functional Fitness:
* Monday to Thursday: 5am, 6am, 9am, 1pm, 6pm
* Friday: 5am, 6am, 9am, 1pm
* Saturday: 6am, 9am
* Sunday: 8am
– Peak Performance:
* Monday to Thursday: 5pm
* Friday: 5:30pm
Finding Your Fit
When it comes to getting your ‘GYM’ on, neither style (Functional Fitness or Peak Performance) is “BETTER” than the other—it’s all about what works for you. If you love setting goals and tracking progress, Functional Fitness is your go-to. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, flexible workout, Peak Performance is the perfect fit. Try both, mix it up, and find what keeps you motivated and moving forward! I understand that we are in effect taking away a ‘FUNCTIONAL FITNESS’ timeslot by introducing ‘PEAK PERFORMANCE’ (just as the introduction of ‘BoxFIT’ took away some ‘BoxPLUS’ timeslots!!) and I know that can be frustrating. Please understand that in the short-medium term (at least) the plan is to do the ‘SAME’ strength component in BOTH CLASSES, if not the exact same ‘cycle’. For example, if we are doing ‘Bench Press – 5x 5 – lift every 2:30’ in ‘Funky Fit’, we will still be doing Bench Press in the ‘Peak Performance’ session for that day…but it might be ‘4x 8, lift every minute’. So you will be able to float between the different classes without worrying about over-working a particular muscle group even if the specifics of the lift from day-to-day are different.
Trial Period
Right now, the plan is to implement “Peak Performance” onto the timetable from MONDAY NOVEMBER 4th – with the plan being to trial this new class/timetable until the end of January 2025 when we will make some decisions as to keep it “as is”, add more classes or abandon ship! So I guess the message from me is to come and experience both styles to see what suits you best!
Over the next few weeks you might find that I repeat a few sessions in “Peak Performance” as I continue to try and work out which formats work, which ones need tweaking etc – I hope you understand if you roll up a couple of times and find yourself doing a replica (or something very similar) to what you did a couple of weeks previously = I’m certain that before long this class will get it’s own programming rhythm and the variety of sessions you see in Boxing, Functional Fitness and Fully Loaded is also replicated in PEAK PERFORMANCE.
See you in the gym,
Michael.
