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Inside The Studio: A Tour Of My Private Gym

Inside The Studio — PG Fitness Gym Tour
Pete Gawtry Fitness · Studio Tour

Inside The Studio: A Tour Of My Private Gym

Pull back the curtain on the place where the magic happens. No queues, no posing, no waiting for a bench — just a private studio packed with serious kit and built for one thing: getting you results.

Welcome in. Wipe your feet, grab a water, and let me show you around the gym I’ve spent years building — piece by piece, plate by plate.

People always picture a personal-training studio as a couple of dumbbells and a yoga mat in the corner of a leisure centre. Mine is a little different. This is a fully kitted, dedicated strength studio — the kind of space where a complete beginner and a competitive bodybuilder can both get exactly what they need. Every machine, rack and dumbbell in here was chosen for a reason: because it works. So let’s take the tour.

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Free WeightsFull dumbbell deck & barbells

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Cable StationFunctional trainer & bands

Resistance MachinesPin-loaded & plate-loaded

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Leg PowerLeg press, hack & belt squat

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Squat RackHalf rack, bench & bars

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Wall Of FameThe trophy shelf & library

UK award-winning coaching behind every single session
1-2-1Private studio — never shared, no queues for kit
0Crowds, intimidation or standing around waiting

The Dumbbell Deck

First stop, the heart of the studio. A full three-tier rack of hex dumbbells running from the light pairs you’ll start with right up to the serious end of the rack — so whether we’re shaping shoulders, building a chest or chasing a personal best, the right weight is always within arm’s reach. No more hunting round a busy gym for the one 12.5kg that’s gone walkabout.

Three-tier hex dumbbell rack, flat bench and exercise bike inside Pete Gawtry's private fitness studio
The dumbbell deck — a full run of hex dumbbells, a flat bench and a cardio bike, all in arm’s reach.
  • Hex dumbbells, light to heavy: A complete set so we can progress you in sensible steps, week after week.
  • Flat & adjustable benches: Press, row, step-up, support work — the most-used tool in the room.
  • Kettlebell & cardio bike: For swings, carries and finishing off a session with the heart rate up.

The Cable Crossover & Functional Zone

This corner is where things get clever. A full cable crossover / functional trainer gives us smooth, constant tension from any angle — brilliant for sculpting, joint-friendly for rehab, and endlessly versatile. Cables are kind to achy shoulders and knees, which makes this station a favourite for everyone from post-injury clients to seasoned lifters chasing that extra bit of detail.

Powerline cable crossover functional trainer with resistance bands and curl bars at PG Fitness
The cable station — constant tension from any angle, plus a full rainbow of resistance bands.
  • Dual-stack cable crossover: Flyes, face-pulls, push-downs, rows, woodchops — hundreds of exercises from one machine.
  • The full band wall: Every resistance from feather-light to fierce, for warm-ups, mobility and assisted movements.
  • EZ & straight bars: Ready to clip on for curls, press-downs and the pump that finishes a session.

Resistance Machines

Free weights are king, but smart machines earn their place — they let us isolate a muscle safely, push close to failure without a spotter, and keep training people who are tired, rehabbing or brand new to lifting. In here you’ll find proper pin-loaded plate work for chest and shoulders, a multi-gym for the supporting cast, and a screen on the wall so we can check form and follow along together.

Selectorised chest and shoulder press resistance machines and multi-gym at Pete Gawtry's studio
Pin-loaded press machines, a multi-gym and a screen on the wall — safe, controlled, effective.
  • Seated press station: Hammer the chest and shoulders hard and safely, right to the last rep.
  • Multi-gym & cardio: Lat pulls, rows and a treadmill to round out the session.
  • Wall-mounted screen: So you can see exactly what good technique looks like as you do it.

Leg Day HQ

Ah, leg day — the session everyone loves to hate and hates to skip. This is where we build the engine. A plate-loaded leg press and hack-squat lets us load the legs up properly and safely, banked by a wall of Olympic plates ready to slide on. Big lower-body lifts like these don’t just build strong, shapely legs — they drive your metabolism and fire out the hormones that change your whole physique.

Plate-loaded leg press and hack squat machine loaded with Olympic plates at PG Fitness studio
Leg day HQ — a plate-loaded press and hack squat, backed by a stack of Olympic plates.
  • Plate-loaded leg press / hack squat: Heavy, safe lower-body loading with no fear of getting pinned.
  • Olympic plate tower: Branded bumper and iron plates, all calibrated and ready to load.
  • Stability ball & extras: Core work, mobility and the finishing touches that protect your back.

The Belt-Squat & Standing Platform

Here’s a piece you won’t find in most studios. A plate-loaded standing platform / belt-squat lets us absolutely smash the legs and glutes without loading the spine — perfect for anyone with a cranky lower back who still wants to train hard. It’s one of my secret weapons for building strong legs in clients who can’t (or shouldn’t) put a heavy bar on their shoulders.

Plate-loaded belt squat standing platform machine and branded jackets at Pete Gawtry Fitness
The belt-squat platform — brutal on the legs, kind to the spine. A genuine secret weapon.
  • Spine-friendly leg loading: Train legs and glutes hard with the load hanging from the hips, not the back.
  • Extra dumbbell & weight storage: Everything tidy, racked and ready — no tripping over plates.
  • PG Fitness kit on the rail: Yes, we’ve got our own branded gear — warm and ready for cold mornings.

The Squat Rack & Barbells

No serious strength studio is complete without a proper rack, and this is where the big, classic lifts live. Squats, presses, rows and good old-fashioned barbell work — the movements that build real, useful strength and lay the foundation for everything else. There’s a full set of fixed barbells and EZ bars on the rack too, so we can move fast through a session without forever loading and unloading plates.

Half squat rack with adjustable bench, fixed barbells and EZ curl bars at PG Fitness studio
The squat rack — home of the big classic lifts, with a full set of fixed barbells alongside.
  • Half rack & adjustable bench: Safe, set-your-own-height squatting and pressing for any size of lifter.
  • Fixed barbell set: Pre-loaded bars from light to heavy — grab and go, no faffing with collars.
  • Lifting belts & supports: The right kit to keep you braced, safe and lifting with confidence.

The Wall Of Fame

And finally, the bit I’m quietly proud of. Up on the shelf sits a small army of bodybuilding trophies, cups and medals — a reminder of the competing years and, more importantly, proof that the methods I use in this room actually work. Tucked in alongside them is my ever-growing library: the books, the research, the rabbit-holes that keep me learning so you always get coaching that’s up to date, not stuck in 1995.

Shelf of bodybuilding trophies, cups, medals and fitness books at Pete Gawtry Fitness studio
The wall of fame — trophies, medals and a library that never stops growing.
Why it matters to you: those trophies aren’t about my ego — they’re evidence. They mean the person coaching you has been to the sharp end of this sport, knows exactly what it takes to change a body, and never stops studying how to do it better.

Why Train In A Private Studio?

You might be wondering what it’s actually like to train somewhere like this versus a big commercial gym. In a word: focused. There’s no waiting for equipment, no one watching, no music you didn’t choose and no temptation to coast. It’s just you, me, a room full of the right tools, and a plan built entirely around your goals.

What the studio gives you

  • Total privacy: No crowds, no mirrors full of strangers, no gym-timidation. Just you and the work.
  • Every tool to hand: Free weights, cables, machines and bars all in one room — we never break flow.
  • Undivided attention: One coach, one client, every set watched, corrected and pushed.
  • A plan, not a guess: Programmes built for your body, your history and where you want to get to.
  • Results that stick: Strength, shape and confidence built on proper coaching — not fads.

So that’s the tour. Every dumbbell, cable and rack you’ve just seen is sat here waiting — and there’s a spot with your name on it. If you’ve been thinking about finally getting started, come and see it in person. The kettle’s on.

Pete Gawtry Fitness logo

Note: The studio is private and appointment-only. New to training or returning after a break? Always start with a chat about your health and goals — that’s exactly what your free consultation is for.

Fancy training in here?

Bespoke 1-2-1 personal training in a fully kitted private studio, from a 3× UK award-winning trainer. Your first consultation is completely free.

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