Holborn Barbell Club With £25 Drop-Ins: London Strength

London Strength charges £25 for a drop-in that covers its Olympic weightlifting classes and open gym, which makes it one of the easiest ways for a visiting lifter to train in the City. This barbell club moved into its own space at 4-5 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DE, in July 2026, five minutes from Chancery Lane station and City Thameslink. Every member does an induction with staff before open gym access, so arrange that first.

The club was founded in 2020 by Kristian McPhee, a former national coach for the GB weightlifting team and a champion lifter himself. It started as a club renting space elsewhere, and in the summer of 2026 it took on a dedicated facility of its own. The first sessions on the booking calendar at Gough Square were on 2 July 2026, and the club now describes itself as a full facility rather than a group that borrows a corner of someone else's gym.

The coaching roster is unusually strong for a city gym. Dr Deborah Alawode finished fourth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games representing England, and Jessica Gordon-Brown, who runs the youth programme, won silver at the same Games. Several other coaches help with classes and programming, and the club runs youth sessions at separate venues in west London.

Gough Square is a small, quiet courtyard just north of Fleet Street, reached through narrow passages between office buildings. From Chancery Lane on the Central line it is about five minutes on foot, and City Thameslink is a similar distance. The square is car-free, so arrive by Tube, train, bus or bike.

The booking system lists the venue as Endorphin Fit at the same address, which suggests a shared building. Do not let that confuse you. The sign on the booking page reads London Strength 2.0, and the coaching, classes and memberships are all run by London Strength.

The gym opens from 07:00 to 22:00 Monday to Friday, and from 08:00 to 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Members on certain packages get round-the-clock access. Open gym fills the hours between classes, so a visitor can train at almost any time the doors are open once the induction is done.

Coached sessions follow a weekly pattern on the booking calendar. The club session, for lifters with a basic grasp of the snatch and clean and jerk, runs Monday to Thursday from 18:00 to 19:45. A beginner class follows on Monday and Thursday from 19:45 to 20:45. Wednesday has a lunchtime power class from 12:00 to 13:00, and Friday has a strength session called Barbell Jacked from 13:00 to 14:00. On Saturday there are two club sessions, from 10:30 to 12:30 and from 12:30 to 14:00. Sunday is open gym only.

The drop-in price on the website is £25, and it covers one class or one open gym session. The booking system currently shows open gym and the beginner class at £20, so check the price when you book. A 10-class pack costs £155 and a 5-class pack £80. Full Membership, with unlimited classes and open gym, is £180 a month. Three classes a week, about twelve a month, costs £150 without open gym, and Open Gym alone is £100 a month.

Personal training is available too. Kristian McPhee charges £525 for five sessions or £1,000 for ten, and Deborah Alawode charges £70 for a single session or £375 for five. New lifters can claim a free trial class by signing up to the club newsletter, which sends a code to use on the booking system.

The induction rule is strict. All members must complete an induction with staff before using open gym, and you arrange it by email or WhatsApp through the website. Open gym is for adults, with a minimum age of 18 on the booking system. The club sessions welcome all abilities, but lifters are expected to know the basics of the Olympic lifts already.

If you are new to weightlifting, start with the beginner class or the club's beginner courses. They break the snatch and the clean and jerk into positions and drills, so you are not learning a full lift under a heavy bar for the first time. Club sessions often fill up, with Saturday and Thursday evening slots booked out in October 2026, so reserve early.

Open gym members get competition platforms, calibrated plates and specialty bars. The club does not publish platform counts or brands, so expect a functional lifting room rather than a showroom. Classes use the same platforms, and the coaches run the room by cueing between lifts, correcting positions and adjusting the weights in real time.

Lunchtime is a good window for City workers, which is why the Wednesday power class and Friday Barbell Jacked session sit in the middle of the day. Evenings are busier, with club lifters arriving straight from offices around Holborn and Fleet Street.

The square has one of London's great literary landmarks on your doorstep. Dr Johnson's House, where Samuel Johnson compiled his dictionary, faces the courtyard, and a bronze statue of his cat Hodge sits outside. A short walk away on Fleet Street, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a pub rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666, is reached through a narrow alley, and its dim rooms make a fine place for a post-session meal.

Continue south to St Bride's, the Wren church whose tiered spire is said to have inspired the shape of the wedding cake, then walk down to the river at Blackfriars.

Email contact@londonstrength.com or message via WhatsApp on the website to book your induction. Bring weightlifting shoes, a belt and wraps if you use them. Budget £25 for a drop-in, or £80 for a 5-class pack if you are in town for a week or two. Book Saturday club sessions several days ahead because they fill up.