Why London’s fitterati is replacing HIIT classes for a single piece of kit

One weight is all it takes
Singled out: Equniox’s Master of One workout boosts focus and mindfulness
Equniox

Sometimes, the last thing you want after a long day of multi-tasking in the office is yet more multi-tasking in the gym. Complex HIIT workouts and switching equipment will get you fit, granted, but they can also be distracting: hardly an antidote to the mayhem of the working day. To truly focus, you have to strip things back — which means returning to basics and mastering one thing well.

“Less is definitely more,” says Loi Jordon, fitness manager at Equinox. The cult London gym has just launched its new class, Master of One, and it’s a masterclass in minimalism: a 45-minute total body HIIT workout using one weight throughout.

It may sound simple, but this doesn’t mean it’s an easy ride, says Jordon. “Sometimes stripping it back and powering down to just one piece of apparatus allows you to power further.” Upping the intensity and deleting distraction enables you to zero in on results.

The workout begins with integrated core exercises from the ground before a series of intense one-minute intervals: think single-leg unilateral deadlifts, integrated power lifts and functional training — all focused on one side at a time.

This is the benefit of using one weight rather than two, says Jordon: asymmetrical training allows you to focus on and correct muscular imbalances, boosting your core strength and overall symmetrical balance.

Which makes it a “surprisingly mindful workout”, she continues. Committing to a single tool increases co-ordination, body awareness and intrinsic focus — crucial for high-flying members who want to excel both inside and outside the gym. This summer, Equinox is adding a second piece of apparatus to members’ tool kit — a new class called Banded that uses a single resistance band — and across the capital, trainers are harnessing the power of one.

Kettlebells, Third Space’s single-track kettlebell workout, is the gym’s fastest-growing athletic class, recently relocating to its Yard space in Canary Wharf in order to house more members, and Frame has three single-tool classes: Lift (using a barbell), Rebounding (using a mini trampoline) and Cardio Kettlebells (using a kettlebell weight).

Each one moves through all the muscle groups and features exercises in all planes of motion, but most importantly, “less faffing with equipment means more time working out”, says co-founder and instructor Pip Black. “With clever programming, a single piece of equipment gives more than enough opportunities for a great workout and preventing boredom.”

Move studio in Fulham has two one-kit workouts: Kettlebells, which involves using one weight, and Condition, which requires gymnastic rings. One Rep Max at Gymbox is all about perfecting a single rep with a very heavy weight. And 12x3’s new High Intensity Interval Skipping class in Paddington employs a single jump rope. It’s more than skipping: you’ll also use the rope for arm raises while you squat and as a marker on the ground while you do press-ups, so the rope is perfect tool for an at-home workout.

Having a single piece of apparatus means you can do it anywhere, whether it’s your hotel room or a park, says instructor Darren Barker — a more efficient workout too, then. Harness the power of one.

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