HENCH

HENCH Based beside St.

HENCH is the first and only gym in Belfast to teach strength training in small groups with members following their own personal programme using reserved equipment for each session without queues, sharing or gym hassle. Georges Market in the centre of Belfast, HENCH is the first and only gym in Belfast to teach strength training in small groups with members following their own personal programme using reserved equipment for each session without queues, sharing or gym hassle.

As far as one-liners go, “use it or lose it” is actually fairly on point, but only when aimed at the correct target: aer...
08/09/2026

As far as one-liners go, “use it or lose it” is actually fairly on point, but only when aimed at the correct target: aerobic fitness. It might sound counterintuitive, but easy come, easy go is a helpful way to think about both cardio gains and detraining.

In short, strength adaptations are highly durable; check our last post for more info on this. But aerobic fitness is far more perishable. Even in trained endurance athletes, VO2 max (the gold standard measure of aerobic fitness) drops by around 5% in just a fortnight.

The reason comes down to blood volume. Aerobic training makes you carry more blood to deliver more oxygen to working muscles. This fluid volume is quick to build and even quicker to lose:

Your blood plasma volume actually starts to drop within 48 hours of stopping exercise.

So because you’re carrying less fluid, less oxygen-rich blood is pumped with every single heartbeat. That is exactly why, after just a fortnight away, you’ll find yourself out of breath much faster than before the break.

If you’re getting back into your routine this week, expect your strength and fitness to behave differently:

▫️Aerobic work needs patience. Because it’s “easy come, easy go,” give your legs and lungs some grace, at least initially.

▫️Lifting is still there. Your strength adaptations are durable. Trust in the foundation you’ve already built.

Remember, stronger lives are built one rep, step, and session at a time.

Even our most consistent, hardest-working and experienced members can struggle with this one — and not always because th...
27/08/2026

Even our most consistent, hardest-working and experienced members can struggle with this one — and not always because they stopped completely. For a lot of busy people the summer, with it’s holidays, family time and trips away, can just get in the way of a clear run at training.

If you still trained, just not as often, try reframing it as a maintenance block rather than a developmental one. By doing so you’ll stop measuring yourself against the numbers and wonder-sessions from your last clean run — and look ahead to building back to where you left off.

And here’s the good news if you did stop completely, whether that was a fortnight, a month or longer: you’ll most likely have held on to far more muscle and strength than you’re giving yourself credit for. All it takes to get back on the horse and tap into those latent gains is a slightly different approach for a few weeks.

Swipe for what actually happens when you stop — and how to pick it back up.

Welcoming back returning members from holidays, getting our new joiners up to speed, and pushing on with the crew who’ve...
21/08/2026

Welcoming back returning members from holidays, getting our new joiners up to speed, and pushing on with the crew who’ve been building momentum over the summer.

Been a busy few weeks of coaching, programming and onboarding at HENCH Towers—ready, with reps in reserve for a push in September.

13/08/2026

A decade ago, in his own words — like a lot of men entering their 50s, John bought a bike, put on the lycra, and thought he was God’s gift.

After a fair bit of team cycling, he tried a few traditional gyms, but found them much the same each time: you keep going for a bit, and then you stop.

But last year, with longevity in mind, he got in touch and started on our Challenge Programme — with the aim of getting stronger, healthier and fitter into his 60s. Goals that fire us up as a team.

Just over a year on, he’s in three times a week, most weeks, making progress on his lifts, with more energy and better sleep. And the gym’s now become something he looks forward to — with about the only things that interrupt it being touring on his motorbike and trips over to the big island to see family.

“It’s hard to quantify, but I do just feel better.”

The energy, optimism and vibes the Fleadh Cheoil has brought to Belfast this week have given the city centre a lift like...
06/08/2026

The energy, optimism and vibes the Fleadh Cheoil has brought to Belfast this week have given the city centre a lift like we’ve never experienced — in almost fifteen years here.

A privilege to witness, and a bonus to get some training in together amongst it all. Béal Feirste abú!

Grá mór ❤️

Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

24/07/2026

“Whenever they said I had to do strength training - well, there was only one place I could think of.”

That was two and a half years ago, at a health check where Darren’s doctors gave him the kind of advice plenty of us would procrastinate on.

But he didn’t hang about - and with his doctors’ guidance and our coaching team working with him every step of the way, he got stuck in, became consistent, and hasn’t looked back since.

And his advice goes for anyone, at any age, thinking about doing the same:

“This is the simplest thing. You turn up. You follow the programme. You put the effort in — and you will see results.”

10/07/2026

Like many, Simon first came across us on his daily commute. Through a bus window, the rows of power racks conjured images of a different place, and a different crowd, from what he later learned actually goes on inside.

Admittedly, the name probably didn’t help either. But thankfully, a lot of his friends were already training with us, and suggested he come along.

He did the hard part before ever walking in: having a good think about his reasons for building lifting into his lifestyle, doing his research on the benefits, as well as the considerations for an old injury. So, having never lifted a weight in his life, he booked a place on the intro programme and committed to giving it a go.

And three years on, with the coaching team in his corner every step of the way, he hasn’t looked back - discovering a third place he enjoys training in alongside his wife Katrina, as part of a community of like-minded members on the same path.

Check out his advice for anyone in the position he was three years ago - and the unexpected benefits he’s found along the way 🏗️

25/06/2026

Before she started with us, Katrina was already putting in the work at the gym on the treadmill, clocking up the miles, ticking the box.

Like a lot of people, she'd never even considered the weights section, and was naturally a bit wary about taking the leap.

That changed after seeing the progress her husband Simon was making at HENCH, having joined a few months earlier. So she figured she'd give it a go.

The leap paid off. And two and a half years on having made the right call, then following through to build consistency she can now, officially, do bench, do squat, and a whole lot more.

Watch how Katrina’s outlook on training changed, how it feels to walk around stronger, with more energy, and her advice to anyone still side-eyeing the weights section.

18/06/2026

With a background as an athlete, Jonathan was no stranger to strength training when he started with us last year.

Having originally gone to the gym solely to improve his game as a basketball player, he eventually fell in love with lifting.

But with the demands of running a company now, and everything that goes with it, he was naturally wary that adding strength coaching into the mix might be a bridge too far for his schedule.

By locking in his slots while staying flexible on exactly when he trained, that commitment has paid off massively.

Check out how Jonathan found that balance, the impact it’s had since, and his advice to anyone getting started for the first time.

Although it’s counterintuitive, progress actually skyrockets when you apply the right ‘dose’ of training, which is usual...
16/06/2026

Although it’s counterintuitive, progress actually skyrockets when you apply the right ‘dose’ of training, which is usually lower than you think, over a time period long enough for progress to compound.

To see what this looks like in the real world, over the next few slides you’ll see the tangible body composition changes achieved by people we coach every day at HENCH who’ve adopted a realistic, enjoyable, and flexible approach their lifting journey.

Address

10-14 Cromac Street
Belfast
BT28JL

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 8pm
Tuesday 6am - 8pm
Wednesday 6am - 8pm
Thursday 6am - 8pm
Friday 6am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm

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