We visited 1Rebel’s Southbank club to see how Technogym’s innovative kit is helping to create an out of this world boutique gym fitness experience.
1Rebel UK’s jaw-dropping London clubs are a world away from my usual training experiences. Full disclosure: I’m a competitive bodybuilder, and so I can usually be found doing my own thing in the corner of a weights area. But when 1Rebel invited me to check out their Reshape class, they didn’t need to ask twice!
Despite 20+ years of training experience under my belt, I was a bit nervous about doing 1Rebel’s Reshape class. The feelings were compounded when a regular “Rebel” told me that the class is (and I quote) “mostly running”. I do not run. I squat, I deadlift, and I put a lot of weight on the leg press. But running is not my favourite.
My nerves were soothed the moment I walked through the glass doors of 1Rebel’s Southbank club. I was welcomed with smiles, chat, and a shower towel. I had booked myself on to a Reshape class led by Esmée, something of a 1Rebel superstar and one of their Master Trainers. I knew I’d be in good hands. Before the class, she took me through a detailed induction on the Technogym SKILLRUN.
During the Reshape class, we alternated between run segments on one of the 12 SKILLRUN treadmills, and resistance segments on a bench with dumbbells. Changeovers were fast, with Esmée calling out a stream of instructions, encouragement, and form checks. I felt totally safe - the design of the SKILLRUN, the size of the belt, and the sheer ease of using the display meant all I had to think about was running.
It couldn’t have been easier to crank up the speed and incline in time with the music. SKILLRUN has a touchpad style screen so no matter how fast you’re going or how desperate you are to change the pace, you can locate the button you need in a second. And when it was time to bring the speed back down, we simply hit one button for a gentle return to a recovery pace.
It couldn’t have been easier to crank up the speed and incline in time with the music. SKILLRUN has a touchpad style screen so no matter how fast you’re going or how desperate you are to change the pace, you can locate the button you need in a second. And when it was time to bring the speed back down, we simply hit one button for a gentle return to a recovery pace.
Despite not being a traditional runner, I was amazed by how great I felt during the run sections of Reshape. A lot of it was down to Esmée’s skilled and energetic coaching, plus the awesome lighting, which managed to make each treadmill segment feel like a private and individual experience. But I must give credit to the SKILLRUN which is so much more than just running on a treadmill. It was so easy to use that I was able to focus entirely on the effort, intensity, and experience of each sprint and hill climb. Every time I swapped with my partner, I immediately wanted to get back on the SKILLRUN.
But my favourite bit of all came towards the end of the class. SKILLRUN has three modes: run, parachute, and sled. Esmée got us to do some parachute mode work. SKILLRUN’s parachute mode offers zero resistance at first, building resistance as you gain speed. In the class, we used one leg at a time to push the belt - it was such good fun that I didn’t notice how hard I’d been working until the lights came up!
I was hooked on Reshape from the first run section. SKILLRUN made me feel like a real athlete, and showed me how much I could achieve.
The verdict? Reshape has made me a new convert of running and HIIT sessions. The lights, music, choreography, and awesome SKILLRUN matched by the high energy coaching made for an unparalleled experience. Let me tell you, when you ask me to run on a SKILLRUN, I don’t want to stop!
The verdict? Reshape has made me a new convert of running and HIIT sessions. The lights, music, choreography, and awesome SKILLRUN matched by the high energy coaching made for an unparalleled experience. Let me tell you, when you ask me to run on a SKILLRUN, I don’t want to stop!
