We set out to make a difference
At our core, we've always focussed on helping normal people work towards extraordinary results. Whether you're looking to lose weight, learn how to exercise for your goals, or just enjoy a healthier lifestyle, we've got your back.
Years Since We Opened
Lives Positively Impacted
Laughs
Raised for Charities
2013: Humble Beginnings
It all began in a scout hall in the Southside of Glasgow back in 2013.
Ross rented the hall three mornings per week and put his bootcampers to task with nothing but their body weight, a few resistance bands, and a borrowed set of kettlebells.
A core group of fitness-fearing exercise newcomers showed up week in, week out and achieved amazing success with Ross’ methods; all based on our simple, yet extraordinarily effective motto:
Show up, sweat and smile.
2015: A leap of faith
After creating an ever-growing cult of unlikely fitness enthusiasts in the Southside, Ross began building a small team of personal training Avengers to help with all the educating, motivating, and training.
And in April 2015, that team took a massive leap of faith and put pen to paper on our very own space, just 15 minutes along the road in the yet-to-be-developed (read: Barclayfied) town of Tradeston.
Improve Glasgow was born and the game plan was simple:
Create an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment where those who wouldn’t necessarily describe themselves as ‘gym people’ could be guided toward their goals without fear of judgment, ridicule, or even just not knowing what to do.
2017: Small Group Personal Training
Up until now, we oscillated between 1-to-1 personal training and our bootcamp offering.
We loved the individualisation and attention to detail 1-to-1 allowed us to deliver and we loved the atmosphere and camaraderie that our bootcamps featured.
We had a lightbulb moment along the way when we thought:
“Why don’t we combine the best parts of both offerings and create a new one in small group personal training?”
The switch to our now signature Small Group Personal Training offering allowed us to:
- Bring the cost of our memberships down (compared to 1-to-1 PT);
- Sky-rocket our attention to detail and individualisation (compared to bootcamp);
- Offer significantly more flexibility with sessions available to book on the hour, every hour we’re open
The outcome of these improvements led to increased engagement, enjoyment, and - ultimately - better results for our members.
After just three lighting-fast years, our small cult became a moderately sized army, Improve Glasgow 1.0 was bursting at the seams, and the hunt was on for a bigger ship.
After a helluva lot of red tape, delays, and work, we finally opened ‘Improve Glasgow 2.0’ in March 2019.
(The new site was so close to 1.0 that a lot of the equipment was carried around the corner by a handful of our team and members.)
With our culture and ethos now firmly set, our goal with ‘2.0’ was to give our team and our members a space they could be proud to call their own; put simpler, we wanted a space to match the service.
2020: The Zoom Era
Just as we were getting into the swing of things in 2.0 and (whisper it quietly) starting to look at expansion opportunities, a little known virus swept our shores and caused just a wee bit of disruption.
In amongst the countless Zoom workouts, quizzes, and cocktail masterclasses, we began exploring the personal training education sector.
After all, we rigorously onboard and develop our in-house trainers, why not use the time as an opportunity to build a sister business in the education space, we thought…
2021: The Improve Academy
Our Academy has seen us educate and qualify over 60 personal trainers over the past 4 years, across 6 cohorts; a few of whom have joined our coaching team.
It has also served as a great opportunity for our more experienced trainers to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of Glasgow-based personal trainers.
Finally, it’s allowed us to further our reach outwith our four walls in our mission to ‘Improve Glasgow’.
2025: Current Day
As we enter our 10th year as a gym (and technically our 12th year), our ethos and values remain unchanged.
We believe in keeping things simple; leaving the jargon in the textbooks.
We prophesise about the importance of showing up, consistency, and effort.
We don’t tolerate egos, posers or bad attitudes.
At our core, we are a community of normal, everyday people working towards a common goal of becoming the best version of ourselves.
Jacks down 25kg and has transformed his health. And he looks great too… but that might be the fresh cut he requested before getting this picture 😂
Jack
Ina's fitness journey was derailed during COVID, but after joining this year she's back on track, lost 20kg and much stronger!
Ina
In two years, Lee has transitioned from being nervous about a heart-attack and feeling intimidated by gyms to losing over 35kg.
Lee