The best gyms in the City of London, ranked by a City strength coach
The best gym in the City of London depends on where you are in your training. I rank the clubs worth joining if you already know how to train, and explain who should find a coach first.
In this article
- Which is the best gym in the City of London?
- The best gyms in the City of London, ranked
- City of London gyms compared: price and facilities
- Who should not join a big commercial gym?
- What training in the City is like at 7am and 6pm
- A 45-minute gym workout for a day between meetings
- What to look for when you choose a gym in the City
Which is the best gym in the City of London?
The best gym in the City of London is the one that fits where you are in your training. If you already know how to train safely, I think Third Space and Equinox Bishopsgate are the most complete clubs in the City.
If you’re new to training, or coming back from an injury, find a coach before you pick a building.
I coach out of UNTIL Liverpool Street, so I’ll say that upfront. You can’t join UNTIL as a gym member. It’s a space where independent coaches, physios and therapists work, so it isn’t in the ranking.
The prices and hours below come from each gym’s own website in September 2026. They change, so check them before you sign.
The best gyms in the City of London, ranked
1. Third Space: the most complete strength floors
Third Space has three City clubs. Moorgate, on South Place, and Paternoster Square, on Warwick Lane, both have Eleiko strength areas and sled tracks. The City club on Mark Lane has a pool, sauna and steam room, and Paternoster Square adds a hydro pool, a Finnish sauna and two ice baths.
All three are open from 5:30am to 10pm on weekdays. A Club membership at Moorgate or City was £257 a month, plus a joining fee. For someone who lifts and wants a choice of clubs, this is the one to beat.
2. Equinox Bishopsgate: one big club with a full spa
Equinox Bishopsgate, at 8 Clerk’s Place, spreads 32,000 square feet over five floors, with hot yoga, Pilates, cycling, steam and a full spa. Doors open at 5:30am and close at 10pm, or 9pm on Fridays. Equinox doesn’t publish what it charges, so you’ll need a tour to find out.
I used to be the PT Manager at Equinox Bishopsgate, so I’ve seen this club from the inside. It suits people who want everything under one roof.
3. Fitness First: the easiest for commuters
Fitness First suits commuters best. One of its four City clubs sits on platforms 17 and 18 at Liverpool Street station, and the Bishopsgate club has a 16-metre pool. Most are open 6am to 9pm on weekdays, from £90 a month.
4. Nuffield Health Moorgate: a pool, squash and a GP in one building
Nuffield Health Moorgate, at 1 Ropemaker Street, is the pick if you want a pool and squash courts. It also has a sauna, a steam room and a private GP service. Membership was £137 a month on a 12-month plan, with weekday hours of 6am to 10pm. Nuffield’s City and Barbican clubs have pools too.
5. Virgin Active Aldersgate and Bank: pools on the edge of the City
Virgin Active has two pools on the edge of the City. Aldersgate, at 200 Aldersgate Street, adds a spa and reformer Pilates and is open from 6am to 10pm. Bank, on Old Broad Street, has a 16-metre pool but shuts at weekends. Neither club shows a price online.
6. Gymbox Bank: serious kit for less
If you want heavy lifting for less, Gymbox Bank is worth a look. It’s in an underground vault at 71 Lombard Street, with Olympic lifting, a sled track, a sauna and a recovery zone. The standard price was £95 a month on a 12-month plan, and it stays open until 11pm on weekdays.
7. The Gym Group and PureGym Monument: the cheapest 24/7 gyms
The cheapest 24/7 option on this list is The Gym Group Monument on Lower Thames Street, from £32.99 a month plus a £20 joining fee. PureGym Monument on King William Street is also open around the clock, at £40.99. Some other PureGym City clubs close at weekends, so check the club page first.
These gyms suit people who know exactly what they’re doing and only need the kit.
Class studios and private coaching gyms
Barry’s St Paul’s, 1Rebel Broadgate and BXR City are class studios. They sell classes and a community, and BXR City also has a climbing wall on the 25th floor of 22 Bishopsgate.
Ultimate Performance St Paul’s and Revolution City only do 1-2-1 training. Neither has a public membership or published prices.
I’ve kept both groups off the ranking. People choose them for the class or the coach, and this list is about the building.
City of London gyms compared: price and facilities
| Gym | Price (September 2026) | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Third Space Moorgate | From £257 a month, plus joining fee | Eleiko strength area, sled track |
| Third Space City | From £257 a month, plus joining fee | Pool, sauna, steam |
| Equinox Bishopsgate | Not published | Five floors, full spa, hot yoga |
| Fitness First Liverpool Street | From £90 a month | Inside the station |
| Nuffield Health Moorgate | £137 a month on 12 months | Pool, squash, private GP |
| Virgin Active Aldersgate | Not published | Pool, spa, reformer Pilates |
| Gymbox Bank | £95 a month on 12 months | Olympic lifting, open until 11pm |
| The Gym Group Monument | From £32.99 a month, plus £20 joining fee | Open 24 hours, cheapest here |
Who should not join a big commercial gym?
A big commercial gym is the right answer once you know how to train safely and want space, kit and reliable hours.
It’s the wrong answer if you’re in the first few months of a programme or coming back from injury. It’s also wrong if you’ve been told to “listen to your body” but nobody ever taught you what that means.
The exception is 1-2-1 coaching inside that gym. Once you have a coach, the venue stops mattering, because the coaching does the work.
The most common thing I hear from people who’ve come from the big City gyms is that they lost the personal touch. They became another member and another face in the class.
You get good equipment and a nice building, but the model is built on volume. Eventually that shows. I cover what a good coach should cost in what personal training in London costs.
What training in the City is like at 7am and 6pm
Training in the City means training around other people’s calendars. The 7am crowd want a good session before work takes over their day. They wear headphones, time their rest, share the busy kit and grab a protein shake on the way out.
The 6pm crowd train to decompress. It has usually taken real willpower to get through the door after a stressful day. Many have turned down client dinners and drinks to be there.
They’re the people-watchers and the doomscrollers between sets. They chat to the team while they order a high-protein box on the way out.
I explain how I plan a training week around a desk job in strength training around a desk job.
A 45-minute gym workout for a day between meetings
You can get a lot done in 45 minutes if the session has the right structure. Here’s the one I use.
Warm-up. Nobody working in the City can afford to skip this. Eight or more hours of sitting, with stress in your shoulders, is an injury waiting to happen.
- Foam roll across the middle of your upper back with your hands behind your head. Take five deep breaths to open up ribs that have been squashed at a desk all day.
- Do the world’s greatest stretch (your best Spiderman impression) to open tight hip flexors.
- Put a mini band round your ankles and side-step like a crab for 10 metres, using your glutes.
- Lie chest-down and do your best skydiver impression for 10 reps. This switches on your mid and upper back.
Strength. When time is short, I pair exercises. Pairing an upper and a lower body move means no single muscle group burns out, so you need less rest between sets.
| Block | Exercise pair | Sets and reps |
|---|---|---|
| Superset 1 | Goblet squat, then TRX row | 3 x 10 each |
| Superset 2 | Kettlebell deadlift, then push-ups (or a dumbbell or machine chest press) | 3 x 10 each |
| Finisher | 15-metre farmer carry, then a 40-second wall sit | Whatever time is left |
Why the finisher matters. Grip strength, which the farmer carry builds, is one of the clearest markers we have for how people age. I reference one study a lot: the PURE study in The Lancet in 2015, which followed nearly 140,000 adults in 17 countries.
In that study, people with 5 kg less grip strength had a 16% higher risk of death over about four years. Grip predicted death better than blood pressure did. The study shows a link, and it doesn’t prove that a stronger grip adds years.
The wall sit earns its place for a different reason. A 2023 review of 270 trials in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at exercise and blood pressure. It found that holding a position, known as isometric exercise, lowered resting blood pressure more than any other kind of training.
Wall squats came out as the best single exercise for the top blood pressure number, although only a few trials tested them. If you have a heart condition, the British Heart Foundation says to check with your doctor first. Keep breathing through the hold.
What to look for when you choose a gym in the City
Choose a gym on whether anyone in the building can help you reach your goal, and whether it fits where you are now. Big gyms sell themselves on the class timetable, the showers, the coffee and the protein shakes. Almost none sell themselves on the help you’ll get.
That’s backwards. Great facilities keep a membership for a year. A gym that meets you where you are, and helps you get where you set out to go, earns a member for life.
A big club is still the right choice if you already know how to train. If you don’t, start with a coach. I coach at UNTIL Liverpool Street, and every programme starts with the Longevity Assessment.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a gym membership in the City of London?
A gym membership in the City of London runs from about £33 a month at a budget gym to over £250 at a premium club. In September 2026, The Gym Group Monument started at £32.99, Gymbox Bank was £95 on a 12-month plan, Nuffield Health Moorgate £137 and Third Space £257 plus a joining fee.
How much is a Third Space membership in the City?
A Third Space Club membership at Moorgate or City (Mark Lane) was £257 a month in September 2026. Group was £299 and Group Plus £345, and Paternoster Square started at £265. There was also a joining fee of £100 to £200. Personal training costs extra, from £85 an hour.
Is Equinox or Third Space better in the City of London?
Equinox Bishopsgate suits people who want one large club, with a full spa and hot yoga across five floors. Third Space suits lifters who want Eleiko strength areas and a choice of three City clubs, two of them with pools. Equinox doesn't publish its prices, so visit both before you decide.
Which gyms in the City of London have a swimming pool?
Gyms with a pool in or next to the City of London include Third Space City on Mark Lane, Third Space Paternoster Square, Nuffield Health Moorgate, City and Barbican, Virgin Active Bank and Aldersgate, and Fitness First Bishopsgate. Virgin Active Bank closes at weekends, so check the hours before you join.
What can you do in a 45-minute gym session?
A 45-minute gym session is enough for a proper warm-up, two strength supersets and a short finisher. Pairing an upper and a lower body exercise means you rest less between sets. The Strength Coach pairs a goblet squat with a TRX row, and a kettlebell deadlift with push-ups.
Can you train with The Strength Coach without joining a gym?
Yes. The Strength Coach runs 1-2-1 coaching at UNTIL Liverpool Street, a space where independent coaches, physios and therapists work. You train there with Matt, with no gym membership to buy and no separate venue fee. Every programme starts with the Longevity Assessment.
