I started to write this blog as part of a Marbella travel blog (which will be following this one). I then realised that I actually had so much to say about the facilities and staff at UP that it in fact deserved its own blog post – which is rare for me!
My Dad lives in Marbella and it is also where I was born and spent the first 10 years of my life. I try my best to visit him roughly 3 times a year and UP is without fail always on my agenda. I have been going to UP Marbella since they opened in early 2014, way before I was even a qualified Personal Trainer.
I get butterflies every time I walk up the stairs to this place and a feeling of excitement and anticipation. I absolutely love training here and although I don’t always train when I go on holiday – I can’t not when I am in Marbella because the facilities, the trainers and the environment at UP are second to none! For those of you who don’t know, UP is a chain of gyms throughout the world founded by Nick Mitchell (@heynickmitchell – they have a reputation for being the best in the business especially when it comes to body transformations.
UP Marbella however is unlike any of their other locations as it is far more accommodating to the traveller and offers greater accessibility to the general public. They offer group training classes each day which I absolutely love and is the reason why I go there. The classes tend to be filled with a variety of people ranging from Spanish locals, to holiday makers and expats – people of all shapes and sizes and fitness capabilities – the classes are very much geared for everyone and anyone!
The ‘meltdown’ classes consist of strong man exercises such as battle-ropes, sled pushes, prowlers, hill sprints, squats which tend to run for a period of 45 minutes. If you don’t know what these exercises are, don’t let that stop you – the staff will demonstrate each exercise and will tailor it to your needs and all the while they will happily answer any questions you may have.
The classes will leave you feeling amazing and full of endorphins! What’s not to like – train hard outdoors, using some of the best equipment in the world whilst being pushed by supportive trainers to then go and enjoy your day eating tapas and drinking sangria on the beach!
If you are after a 1-1 PT session, then Shaun (@shaunestragopt) is your man, he is like a big friendly giant who is full of knowledge and has years of experience with some of the best in the industry. I love booking in sessions with Shaun as it gives me a little bit of variety from the classes and I always leave his sessions knowing I have learnt something new and that I will no doubt be sore the next day. He is also an active release techniques therapist (movement based massage which helps release soft tissue that treats problems like with muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments etc.)
Highly recommended!
@upmarbella
