THE BASICS: Base Fit is RIGHT opposite Shoreditch High Street Station. It’s a new, outdoor fitness facility with a mouth-watering array of goodies to make you sweat- ropes, a climing/swinging frame, kettlebells, MASSIVE tyres…. and a big patch of astroturf where you can play with all of this stuff during classes such as Insanity, tabata, strength & conditioning, and bootcamp. £10 a class if you buy a 6-class pack, and monthly memberships from £44.99.
THE BITCHES: Carly
THE CLASS: I saw the big “Base Fit” banner go up a couple of weeks ago opposite Shoreditch High Street station, and my little exercise-antennae started twicthing. New fitness venues be warned- I will find you and I will drip sweat on you.
I was on my way home on your average Tuesday night, completely tired. My feet had other ideas. They guided me in to this new hallowed ground of sweatiness before I could say “glass of wine and Eastenders”. I peeked around the shipping container, curious. I said a meek little hello to two guys standing there, telling them I just wanted to have a look at the facilities.
Next thing I know, I am jogging back to my house (which is very close, thankfully) throwing on my leggings and bounding back to Base Fit for an impromptu 30 minute Insanity Session with trainer Ryan. Turns out the guy who was meant to be doing a class that night had actually turned up but chickened out (because it was a bit cold- c’mon guys?!) My competitive streak had kicked into play when I heard this- and I’d agreed to try the session immediately, if only to show the Base Fit crew that women are generally 100% more hardcore and amazing than the boys who do t want to workout when it’s a wickle bit cold. So- just like that, I arrived back and Ryan had the music blaring and a load of scary exercises written on the whiteboard. Thank god this was a 30 minute class!
Insanity (to explain it simply) is a series of fast, explosive movements (called plyometrics) that you do at an incredibly high intensity, with each movement lasting 30 seconds. 4 movements make up a sequence, and then you repeat a sequence 3 times- with a tiny (and I mean tiny) “active” rest inbetween each sequence. So you might find yourself doing 30 seconds of star jumps, followed by 30 seconds of burpees, tuck jumps and mountain climbers… then a tiny rest and do them all again. Twice.
You still with me? Look, to put it even more simply- IT’S HARD. It is accurate to say I died in this class. But I was determined to dig deep and make the most of it, if only to enjoy the feeling of superiority over the guy who had chickened out before me! Ryan, my instructor, was such a cutie despite my groans, protests and grimaces. This is a brand new workout place and not hugely busy yet (although I am certain it will be over the coming months), so, it was just me and Ryan working out. He did practically the whole class with me to keep me going, while I jumped around like an uncoordinated, flapping goose.
I was flumping and sweating and cursing poor Ryan by the time 30 minutes was up. The men on the astroturf football pitch next to Base Fit were looking through the railings with in a mixture of interest, amusement and confusion at the mental woman (moi) yelling “IF YOU MAKE ME JUMP AGAIN I’M GONNA PEE MYSELF!!”
We finished with a sweaty-palmed high ten and a warm down. My legs were wobbly. Sweat dripped onto the astroturf below me. I was high on life. I demanded a photo swinging off the monkey bars and, rather embarrassingly, it took me 3 attempts to haul myself and grab on, I was so exhausted!
Got a quick chance to look in the shipping container of goodies before I staggered home like John Wayne, and if the multiple jumps during the class hadn’t made me lose control of my bladder, the array of fierce looking equipment sure nearly did. I cannot wait to try out other classes at this place and considering I can see it from my bedroom window, I have literally no excuse.
THE VERDICT: It’s a super convenient space with some brilliant offerings set in the big outdoors! It was just me at this class, true, but by the summer I’m predicting there are going to be people spilling out onto the street, star jumping and tyre lifting. An incredible space that suits the happening little corner of Shoreditch perfectly.
THE EXTRAS: Sweaty Betty are holding a free 7am bootcamp on the first Monday of every month at Base Fit! Even more women being even more awesome and showing boys what it takes to embrace outdoor exercise :) See you there?
Oh- and the boy who’d chickened out? Yeah so we ended up doing a class together the following week and he was a dude! But I still have him stick, don’t worry. Heh! 
