Complete beginners
We teach every lift from scratch, start light and build confidence before load. No jargon, no judgement, no being left to guess.
Start with Foundations
Personal training in Canton, Cardiff
Stronger
Stronger
every
week.
1-to-1 coaching, small group strength sessions capped at six, and online programmes that actually check in. A private studio with no mirrors full of strangers, just a coach who knows your name and your numbers.
- 4.9/5from 212 client reviews
- 6maxper group session
- 11yrscoaching in Cardiff
Tonight 18:00 · Strength Foundations
2 of 6 spaces left
Client deadlift, 12 weeks
60kg100kg
Who it's for
Real people.
Real people.
Serious progress.
Most of our members had never set foot in a weights room before they walked through our door. You don't need to be fit to start. That's the whole point of starting.
Busy parents and shift workers
Sessions from 06:30, lunchtime slots and three 45-minute workouts a week that fit round the school run or a hospital rota.
Early and lunch slotsComing back from injury
Returning after a bad back, a knee op or having a baby? We work alongside your physio's advice and progress at the pace your body agrees to.
1-to-1 recommendedLifters chasing numbers
Stuck on the same squat for a year? Periodised blocks, video technique review and quarterly testing days to get the bar moving again.
Join Barbell Club
Programmes and pricing
Pick your path.
Straightforward prices, no joining fee and no 12-month contracts. Every plan starts with a free consultation and movement assessment.
Monthly plans roll month to month. Cancel with 30 days' notice.
1-to-1
Personal Training
Fully tailored coaching for specific goals, injuries or anyone who wants undivided attention.
£340
per month
8 sessions a month, works out at £42.50 each. Unused sessions roll over once.
- Full strength and movement assessment
- Programme written around your week
- Simple nutrition habits coaching
- Free rescheduling with 24 hours' notice
Max 6 people
Small Group Strength
Coached barbell and kettlebell sessions with six people at most. The energy of a class, the attention of PT.
£109
per month
Unlimited group sessions. Around £9 a session if you come three times a week.
- Maximum 6 people, every rep coached
- Beginner, all-level and intermediate sessions
- Book and cancel from your phone
- Quarterly strength testing days
Train anywhere
Online Coaching
Your programme in an app, with real feedback from Owen. Train at home, in any gym or on the road.
£79
per month
Ongoing coaching with a weekly check-in and programme updates every four weeks.
- Video demos for every exercise
- Weekly form-check video feedback
- Messages answered within one working day
- Monthly 20-minute video call
412Clients coachedsince opening in 2015
18,600Sessions deliveredand counting, every one logged
87%Still trainingafter their first six months
+38kgAverage deadlift gainin a member's first year
Client results
Proof is in the numbers.
We track every session, so progress isn't a feeling. Here are three members who were happy for us to share their stories.
20 weeks
40→95kgDeadlift, first session to now
2xa week in Strong at 50+
I'd never touched a barbell in my life. Now I warm up with weights I used to think were heavy, and I walked up Pen y Fan in August without stopping once.
Siân, 54Pontcanna · Small Group Strength
16 weeks
-11kgBody weight over 16 weeks
0missed weeks since January
Nights on the ward meant every gym plan I tried fell apart by week three. Owen built my training around the rota instead of the other way round, and it finally stuck.
Tom, 34Canton · 1-to-1 Personal Training
First pull-up
50→90kgBack squat in 9 months
5strict pull-ups, from zero
I moved to Bristol halfway through and carried on online. Honestly the weekly video feedback is more useful than most in-person coaching I've paid for.
Aaliyah, 29Roath, now Bristol · Online Coaching
Names and figures shared with permission. Everyone's progress is different and depends on consistency, sleep and lots besides training.
11 yearsCoaching in Cardiff
Meet your coach
Owen Rees.
Owen Rees.
Head coach.
I spent six years as strength and conditioning coach for a semi-professional rugby side before opening Forge in 2015. What I learned there applies just as much to a 60-year-old grandmother as a 110kg prop: get the basics right, lift a little more than last time, and turn up.
The studio is deliberately small. I wanted somewhere people could train without feeling watched, where every session is coached and nobody is a membership number. Megan joined me in 2021 and now runs our women's strength and beginner programmes.
- BSc Sport and Exercise ScienceFirst-class honours
- Level 4 Strength and ConditioningAccredited coaching qualification
- Pre and postnatal exerciseSpecialist certificate
- First aid and DBS checkedRenewed every year
Owen ReesFounder and head coach
Questions
Before you start.
The things people usually ask on their first call. If yours isn't here, just ring the studio.
Rather talk it through?
Owen or Megan pick up between sessions, Monday to Saturday.
029 2018 0472Yes. Around two thirds of our members had never lifted before joining. You'll start with a 1-to-1 assessment and our Strength Foundations sessions, where we teach the squat, hinge, push and pull patterns with light weights until they feel natural.
It's a relaxed 30-minute chat at the studio or over video. We talk about your goals, training history, any injuries and how much time you realistically have. We'll recommend a plan, and there's no pressure to sign up on the day.
Very often, yes. We regularly coach people with back pain, joint replacements, diabetes and post-pregnancy recovery. We'll ask for your GP or physio's go-ahead where it's needed and adapt every exercise to suit.
Plans are paid by Direct Debit on the 1st of each month and roll month to month. There's no joining fee and no minimum term. Cancel or pause (for holidays or illness) with 30 days' notice by email or at the desk.
Comfortable clothes, flat trainers and a water bottle. We provide towels, chalk and all the kit. There's a shower and changing room if you're heading to work afterwards.
There are six free spaces in the yard in front of the unit, plus unrestricted street parking on Clive Road after 18:00. We're a six-minute walk from Ninian Park station and buses stop on Cowbridge Road East.
Free consultation
Your first step is free.
Tell us a little about you and we'll call to arrange a time. Most people are training within a week of getting in touch.
- A 30-minute chat
At the studio or on video. Goals, history, injuries and what your week really looks like.
- Movement assessment
Simple tests of mobility and strength so your starting weights are right from day one.
- Your plan, then lift
We recommend the right option and book your first session. No hard sell, ever.
Diolch!
Your request is in. Owen or Megan will call you in the morning within one working day to book your free consultation.
Can't wait? Ring the studio on 029 2018 0472.
Find the studio
Clive Road, Canton
Cardiff CF5
Canton, Cardiff.
Unit 4, Tudor WorksClive Road, Canton
Cardiff CF5
- Free parking for six cars in the yard
- 6 minutes' walk from Ninian Park station
- Shower and changing room, towels provided
| Mon to Fri | 06:00 to 21:00 |
|---|---|
| Saturday | 07:30 to 13:00 |
| Sunday (booking only) | 08:00 to 12:00 |