Lara Dodds, founder and chief PT at Tekk Fitt on the new classes, the joy of running her own gym, why group classes are huge for social connection and the need to combine ‘fat jabs’ with strength training.
Watch a preview of the chat with Lara Dodds below:
Watch or listen to the full chat with Lara Dodds below:
Music, disco lights and exercise bikes
Lara Dodds is a fitness expert and Cheltenham entrepreneurial success story. She’s built the slick, and welcoming Tekk Fitt gym from scratch after converting garages in the heart of town.
Dodds runs a one-on-one bespoke PT service but to help more people get moving she has introduced Tekk Ride – and participants have the choice of subscription service or one-off payments.
“Tekk Ride is our vibe spin class. There are eight places and there are disco lights, loud tunes, it’s a good atmosphere,” Dodds told Sport and Life.
“It’s very much about the beat of the music and rhythm rather than going for speed and wattage.”
Group dynamics
Tekk Ride isn’t the only class put on at Tekk Fitt. There are also group workouts designed to build muscle, strength and aerobic fitness.
Dodds says for some the appeal is the lower price point compared to one-on-one coaching. But to others it’s about social connection.
“Not everybody can afford the personal training route and equally not everybody likes a commercial gym. So the classes are our middle ground.
“A lot of people are on two classes a week and they can complement a cardio with a strength class so they’re hitting both sides.
“It’s got a very nice social element to it, everybody’s getting to know each other properly, their life stories and backgrounds.”
Don’t let fat loss jabs take your muscle too
For Dodds’ clients, weight loss is often a big objective. And while she’s not against weight-loss injections like Mounjaro or the new tablet options, she believes movement and, in particular, resistance training is still vital.
“I will support people if they are on the jabs. But you definitely need to combine it with strength training because otherwise the weight loss is so rapid you lose your muscle mass.
“It’s getting the balance, but I will support anyone in what they want to do.”
For more on Tekk Fit and the classes offered:
