Small group strength training
Full-body sessions planned by our coaches from years of experience, aimed at strength, muscle tone and moving well.
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How it works
Small group personal training in Guildford
Up to six people, one coach, and a programme that changes every four weeks. Sessions run from 6am at our gym between Guildford and Godalming.
The short answer
What is small group personal training?
A personal training session shared with up to five other people. One coach writes the programme, runs the session and watches every rep.
Everyone follows the same plan with their own weights and their own version of each movement, so a beginner can train next to someone who has lifted for years. It costs less than 1-1 personal training and you get people to train with, which members bring up in review after review.
The Patch method
Three things every member gets
1-1 mentoring and accountability
Your goals set the plan. Your coach monitors your progress and keeps you on track with check-ins between sessions.
A community you'll look forward to
The same faces at your regular time, events through the year, and a coffee bar for afterwards.
A session
What happens in a session?
Every session follows the same shape and lasts just under an hour. A member, Charlotte, sums it up as "the stretch, warm-up, heavy set, [next] set, and then the finisher".
00:00
The stretch
Arrive, say hello, loosen off.
05:00
Warm-up
Built around today's lifts.
15:00
Heavy set
The block's main lift, coached rep by rep.
35:00
Second set
Supporting work at your level.
45:00
Finisher
A short, hard push together.
The programme
How does the programme work?
In four-week blocks. You repeat the main lifts for four weeks, so you can see your progress, then the programme changes.
Week 1
Learn the block
A new programme starts. Your coach takes you through each movement and helps you find the right weight.
Week 2
Settle in
The same main lifts, with more confidence. You start to see where you can add a little.
Week 3
Add to it
A bit more weight, another rep or cleaner form. Your numbers are logged in the app so you can see them climb.
Week 4
See what changed
Compare with week one. Then a fresh block starts with new movements, so it never goes stale.
A few times a year we run a testing block (PB14) with a benchmark a day, so you can compare your numbers. If testing isn't for you, follow the programme as normal.
Your first weeks
How do I start?
With a 1-1 evaluation. A coach sits down with you to understand your goals, any injuries, and how you eat, sleep and live now, then builds your programme from there.
- The 1-1 evaluation so your first group session starts at the right level
- Nutrition and lifestyle coaching with regular check-ins, no meal plans you won't follow
- An InBody scan in reception, if you'd like to measure body composition
- The app to book sessions and track your lifts and PBs
Comparing options
Small group PT, 1-1 PT or a gym membership?
| Question | Small group PT at Patch | 1-1 personal training | A regular gym membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does a coach watch my technique? | Every session | Every session | Only if you pay for a PT |
| Who writes my programme? | Your coach, refreshed every four weeks | Your trainer | You |
| How many people are there? | Up to six, often the same faces | You and the trainer | However busy it is |
| Cost per coached session | Less than 1-1 | The highest | No coaching included |
| Nutrition support | Included | Sometimes | Rarely |
“It's more affordable, flexible, and varied than what you'd get from an individual personal trainer, and it's more tailored, structured and social than a regular gym.”
Adrian G, member, on Google
On top of your PT
What classes can I do as well?
Every class on the timetable is included in the trial. Members call them the free classes and use them to top up their week.
60 min
Small Group PT
The core of Patch: coached strength in groups of up to six.
30 min
Build
A quick upper-body pump. Sometimes followed by drinks at The Cricketers.
30 min
Burn
A short conditioning session to get your heart going.
45 min
Hybrid
Running and gym work mixed together, for event prep or a change.
45 min
Super Saturday
The Saturday morning session, 8am and 11am.
60 min
Stretch & Move
Mobility and stretching to look after the rest of your training.
Members
Open Gym
Time on the floor to do your own thing.
By booking
1-1 PT
Personal sessions with a coach, for injuries or extra help.
Questions
About the training
Can I train with an injury or a health condition?
Usually, yes. Our coaches adapt sessions around knees, backs, shoulders, diabetes, arthritis and recovery from surgery or illness. We aren't physios, so if you need one we'll refer you to people we trust, including the osteopath and physio clinic in our building.
What if I'm at a different level to everyone else?
That's normal. Everyone in a session follows the same plan with their own weights and versions of each movement, so a beginner and someone who has trained for years can work side by side.
How often should I come?
Most members train two or three times a week. During the trial you have 12 sessions to use across the 30 days, which works out at about three a week, plus any classes you'd like on top.
Is it better than 1-1 personal training?
For most people it's the better fit. You still get a coach watching your technique and a programme written for you, it costs less than training 1-1, and you have people to train with. As our member Adrian G put it, it's "more affordable, flexible, and varied than what you'd get from an individual personal trainer, and it's more tailored, structured and social than a regular gym." We also run 1-1 sessions for anyone who needs them.
Do you help with nutrition?
Yes. Nutrition and lifestyle coaching is part of the trial and of membership. It starts with a conversation about how you eat, sleep and live now, and your coach checks in with you regularly. There's an InBody scanner in reception if you'd like to measure body composition.
Is Patch good for women, and for the menopause?
Yes. Many of our members are women in their 40s and 50s, and several came to us during the perimenopause or menopause because they knew they needed strength training. Avril, Liz and Sam talk about it in their films.
60:00 · Same time next week?
Your first session is a 1-1 with a coach.
Start with the 30 Day Trial: twelve small group sessions, nutrition coaching and every class on the timetable, with no contract.