I was excited to hear this week that Calum Best had opened his first gym Bst Lfe opposite his mum, the doyenne of personal training, Angie Best’s established gym Metaphysical in Henley-on-Thames. I often feel that the best personal trainers and coolest gyms are confined to London so it was a refreshing change to hear that Calum would be opening his first gym in Henley.
Bst Lfe The Gym is a step on for Calum’s brand Bst Lfe which started with a range of gym wear. Calum and Angie have decided to join forces with a £50 a month joint membership to both Metaphysical and Bst Lfe enabling clients to choose how they train and in what environment.
So was this as exciting as it sounded? Was Angie’s Metaphysical the ying to Calum’s Bst Lfe yang as promised? And was Calum as gorgeous in the flesh as my cousin Julie B hopes he is? I would need a second opinion so I called my friend TV presenter and interior designer Julia Kendell and we booked in for a training session with Angie.
Angie’s reputation can’t fail to precede her; with 40 years experience in the industry, she was Cher’s personal trainer, is globally renowned as being able to ‘sculpt a sausage’ and is her own walking billboard; toned, radiant and happy.
Angie put a Michael Jackson album on and as ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ started I had in mind that we were in for a light hearted session – I was wrong. Angie worked us hard with her unique blend of enthusiasm and tough love. We worked on sets of 1 minute repetitions; toning and sculpting until our butts burnt. Just when I thought things were calming down she put us on the barre (she started her own ballet training at the age of 5). It turns out Julia also had previous ballet experience so the only one looking like an uncoordinated elephant was me. Angie’s signature style is to focus on small, simple moves which result in very targeted results. I didn’t realise that when doing leg raises, moving your leg just that extra couple of inches forward and higher could be so huge but Angie is all about precision. It became apparent straight away that we were in the presence of a personal training goddess. There is nothing that Angie doesn’t know about training. As she said herself she has come to see that the gimmicks and gadgets come and go but nothing really changes in terms of working out and she finds taking it back to basics and being a stickler for posture is what gets her clients the best results. Angie is passionate about what she does and she expects that passion back from her clients – she only trains those that are really prepared to work for it. After a high intensity work out, that left our bodies feeling immediately more toned, we headed over the road (literally) to join Calum at Bst Lfe.
Where as Metaphysical Gym sits serenely tucked away on the estate of Henley Business School overlooking green fields and the river Thames, Bst Lfe (in the large old sports hall at Henley Business School) with its striking black and white branding shouts high energy – go hard or go home. Bst Lfe the brand developed from Calum’s U turn into a fit and balanced lifestyle after a few well documented years of him ‘going off the rails’. Bst Lfe The Gym is very much his brain child and he plans to be present as often as possible (even considering a possible move to Buckinghamshire.) We were welcomed by a charming and (yes Julie B) rather buff Calum who was friendly and clearly involved in every aspect of Bst Lfe.
For the gym nerds amongst you Bst Lfe boasts plate loaded Nautilus equipment, free weight platforms, a dedicated boxing zone, spinning studio, stretching zone and offers personal training and fitness classes including boxing. More than anything Metaphysical and Bst Lfe just feel like fun places to train.
Which ever Best you visit you’re going to work harder than you’ve ever worked (I walked like John Wayne for no less than 3 days) it simply comes down to what training suits you and what environment you’re in the mood for – you can mix and match at your convenience. Your bikini body count down starts now!
