Fitness trends: Paddington gym Flow Athletic ditching high intensity classes, increasing pilates, yoga

Paddington gym owner Ben Lucas, who has trained influencers Sammy Robinson and collaborated with Kayla Itsines, reveals the fitness trends on the rise - and what his gym is ditching.

People don’t want to get “smashed” when they go to the gym, according to luxury Paddington gym Flow Athletic’s founder and owner Ben Lucas.

The leading Australian trainer has worked with Sammy Robinson, sports presenter and TV host Erin Holland and naturally, his wife, news presenter and journalist Talitha Cummins.

In the past Elle Ferguson and PR Queen Roxy Jacenko have worked up a sweat thanks to his workouts.

The Paddington-based trainer also has a major international celeb on his books, who he works with when they are in the country - however there is an nondisclosure agreement against him revealing their name.

Lucas said after the chaos of the past two years people are returning to the gym - but with a very different focus.

Owner of Flow Athletic Ben Lucas says people don’t want even more stress in their life from the gym. Image: supplied.

“People are burnt out, stressed out, and a bit fatigued,” Lucas told the Wentworth Courier.

“Whereas the last five years have been ruled by high intensity training, right now people don‘t need to get smashed in the gym,” Lucas said.

Lucas has trained names including influencer Sammy Robinson. Image: supplied.

“They need a bit more nurturing, a bit more holistic wellness.”

Lucas said the anecdotal evidence he’d seen from his fitness community at Flow Athletic was borne out in global trends he saw on a recent international tour of the world’s biggest fitness events.

The trainer caught Miami’s IHRSA convention - a trade fair for global health clubs - and visited the Fit Summit in Singapore to seek out innovation in health and fitness.

Pilates, yoga and strength training are in - and high intensity workouts are out - according to international trends.

The focus has changed for Lucas.

Lucas said that is exactly what he has seen as more and more people return to Flow Athletic, a boutique fitness centre located in the eastern suburbs’ leafy high-end Paddington.

He said the gym was seeing this “on the ground level,” with classes like yin yoga, which is focused on relaxation, breath work, and pilates were growing in demand compared with high intensity and cardio training.

“We’re seeing the most growth in our more gentler [classes] than our high intensity training,” Lucas said.

He said a startling insight from the global fitness community was that 30 per cent of fitness businesses have closed for good in the last two years.

Fitness enthusiasts returning to the gym are seeking a very different workout experience than before the pandemic, with a focus on a holistic approach to fitness.

“The biggest trend right now is that clients are interested in focusing on mental health and wellness over HIIT and being overly strenuous on their body.

Flow Athletic has pivoted to meet changing needs by replacing one of its cardio workout spaces with a pilates studio.

With new studies suggesting daily HIIT (high intensity interval training) can actually do more damage than good, the tide appears to be turning on the aggressive fitness routines favoured by time-poor exercisers.

Lucas said he is also planning to add more Yin yoga and breathwork classes and transform many of the fitness challenges to focus on feeling good rather than weight loss.

Other trends to come out of the international fitness summits were a strong desire for human connection and community at the gym after two years of Zoom yoga and online fitness classes that saw the meteoric rise of at-home workout equipment like Peloton.

“Right now, people are exercising to feel good, as opposed to focusing on looking good. They‘re not as stressed about what the scales say, or what the size says or what the centimetres are,” Lucas said.

“They don‘t need any more pressure or stress, you know? They’ve got enough shit on their plate!”

People are saying: “I just wouldn‘t feel better,” Lucas said. “So what can I do to make myself feel good?”