Trib3: More than just a workout

Ever since I've been more occupied with school work, I've gotten hooked onto the idea of high intensity interval training (HIIT). For those of you that need a little breakdown on what HIIT is, it comprises of doing high intensity exercises that shoot your heart rate up for a short period of time 5-7 mins) for a number of rounds for 30-45 minutes. 

Being in a smaller city like Sheffield, you rarely find boutique gyms as you would in London which specialise in good HIIT sessions. One of the reasons I've been on the lookout for such a place is because I've attended Barry's Bootcamp in London and I loved it. Think doing the shaun T insanity workout but suffering with 30 other people in the room - it's that intense and that much more motivating. I'm not too sure if that means I'm a masochist (i hope not!) but recreating that feeling with home workouts sometimes just doesn't cut it. In addition my wallet always felt much lighter after attending each session @ barry's -cue sad music for wallet-

So I stumbled across TRIB3 on my way home one day and did a little google search on it. Located just above Sainsbury's along Eccessall Road, this boutique gym recently opened in January 2016. From the website itself, TRIB3 prides itself in being a bootcamp gymnasium where 'we savour the pain'. Perfect! Booked in for my free trial class over the weekend and off I went.

I'm a sucker for interior design, and I loved how modern and chic the interior looked. They have a main counter where you register, purchase your post-workout smoothie if you wish (£4 onwards) and they also provide towels (£1 for rental) for you to rent. Walking past the 'hall of fame' (or shame if you died in there like I did), polaroids of people who have participated are plastered on the wall and leads into the open bar concept, where you pick up your post-workout smoothie. They also have a seating area for you to chill before/after class.

The toilet has 2 wash areas so you're free to bath after your workout, but the most pleasant surprise was when I was told that they provided toiletries for your use! This means no need to bring shampoo, conditioner or even body wash. They also provide lockers for your use and hairdryers and straighteners too. Btw, can we have a moment for these gorgeous white tiles against these brick walls?

The basic idea involves 3 types of exercises for 5 minutes each, twice, followed by a 3 minute blast before you end your workout. The first 3 letters of the gym- TRI, stand for something more than just the name itself. T stands for treadmill. Yes, the dreaded thing that many of us battle with at the gym. R stands for resistance, which comprises mostly of dumbbells, strength exercises for the core and back and a high threshold for pain. The last, I, stands for intensity. If you think treadmills are hell (they are in this scenario), intensity is just as bad. Think doing burpees, jump squats, mountain climbers and high knees within 5 minutes.

To be honest, each section felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life, and each type of exercise was just as tiring as the next. George was the one leading the trial class, and if there's one thing that keeps a class running it's a good, motivated instructor - and he was great. 45 minutes felt like 60 minutes, mountain climbers felt like I was climbing mount everest itself, sprinting felt like I was flying, but the rush of endorphins you get that is madness. I'm pretty sure everyone was happy it was over, and happier that they did it.

They even provide sweatbags for you to dump your clothes in!:)

I would say HIIT is best for people who want a quick but good workout that involves cardio and strength (depending on which kind of HIIT you do but most will involve getting your heart rate up to about 80% of your max heart rate). Some health junkies even claim that the after-burn (in terms of calories, if you'd like to know) is much higher than if you were to run on the treadmill for, say, an hour. This means that even if you don't burn as much in 45 mins as you do in 60 mins, the after effects would be that your body continues to burn more calories than usual. How much truth there is to it, it's up to your body to show you the results!

From their website, TRIB3 is set to open in Krynkl (Shalesmoor) in Sheffield and to neighbouring city Manchester. Just to add I wasn't paid nor sponsored for this review, I'm writing simply because I love what TRIB3 has offered to us in Sheffield and I'd like to spread the word about it :) Their introductory offer is £6/class and £70 for 10 classes + 2 free classes at the moment. I'd like to think that is reasonable, especially for the upkeep of such a place.

If you'd like to try it out, they're still offering trial classes every weekend and all you've gotta do is head on to their site or download their app, sign up and register yourself for a class! I promise it will be worth it. Join the tribe.

TRIB3

557 Ecclesall Road Sheffield, S11 8PR
Classes run from 6.30am on weekdays and 9.15am on weekends
Find them on Facebook, twitter, on their website and instagram