Personal Trainer Near Kentish Town: Private Training Up the Northern Line
If you are in Kentish Town and want 1-1 coaching in a private room rather than on a busy gym floor, our studio in Highgate is three stops up the Northern line: Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Archway, Highgate. From Highgate station it is about five minutes on foot to Archway Road. You train with Artem Olekhnovych in a basement studio booked to you alone, with a squat rack, dumbbells, a cable station and an InBody scanner. Kentish Town has plenty of gyms and classes, and for many people they work well. This guide is about who is better served by travelling a little further, and how to make it practical.
Who makes the trip, and why
Kentish Town has an unusually good choice of places to exercise: large gyms, boutique studios, classes and running routes towards the Heath. Plenty of people need nothing more. The people who come to a private 1-1 studio tend to fit one of a few patterns:
- They have joined gyms before and drifted off. Access was never the problem; structure and accountability were.
- They are returning after an injury or a long break and want someone watching every rep for a while.
- They dislike training in front of people, or simply want to concentrate without music, mirrors and queues.
- They are over 30, busy, and want results from two or three hours a week rather than a hobby that takes over evenings.
If none of that sounds like you, a good local gym and a sensible programme may be all you need. Our comparison of a personal trainer versus a gym membership sets out where the money goes further in each case.
How the options compare
| Group classes | Gym on your own | Private 1-1 studio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programme | Same for everyone | Whatever you plan | Built around you, adjusted weekly |
| Technique feedback | Occasional | None | Every set |
| Progression | Hard to track | Up to you | Planned and recorded |
| Privacy | Low | Varies | Room booked to you alone |
| Accountability | Moderate | Low | High: someone is expecting you |
| Cost | Lower | Lowest | Highest per hour |
None of these is wrong. Many of our clients combine them: 1-1 sessions for strength twice a week, plus a run, a swim or a class of their own choosing. For costs, prices are published on our personal training page, and our guide to personal trainer costs in London puts them in context.
The practical side of three stops
Kentish Town station sits on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, the same branch as Highgate, so it is a straight run with no change. Use the TfL journey planner for timings from your door. Some patterns that work well for NW5:
- Morning, before heading south. Up three stops, train, then straight back down through Kentish Town into town. You are moving against the main commuter flow on the way up.
- Evening, on the way home. If you work in central London, stay on the train past Kentish Town and finish the day with a session rather than a sofa.
- Working from home. A mid-length break on a home-working day is enough to get up the line, train and be back at your desk.
Hours are announced at opening, with early mornings and evenings set aside for training. If you live nearer Tufnell Park, our notes on training near Tufnell Park cover the slightly shorter trip.
What you get when you arrive
The studio is a basement room of about 1,000 sq ft beneath Highgate Cuts barbers. During your session nobody else trains there. The kit covers everything a well-designed strength programme needs: squat rack, barbell and plates, dumbbells, a two-stack cable station, lat pulldown, seated row and an air bike for conditioning. An InBody scanner measures body composition, so progress is tracked in muscle and fat, not just weight.
Artem has coached for more than ten years and trained since he was 15. Most clients are professionals over 30 who want to be stronger, leaner and less stiff, and who need sessions that respect a demanding job and family life.
What a typical session covers
Sessions follow a clear shape so that none of your hour is wasted deciding what to do next:
- Check-in: sleep, stress, soreness and anything that has changed since last time. A bad week at work changes the plan, not the commitment.
- Warm-up: a few minutes on the air bike and movement prep aimed at the day’s main lifts, not a generic routine.
- Main strength work: one or two key lifts, such as a squat or a row, with weights recorded so next week builds on this one.
- Supporting work: cable and dumbbell exercises that fill gaps, strengthen weak links or protect old injuries.
- Finish: short conditioning if it suits your goals, then a brief note of what to do before the next session.
Over a few months, that structure is what turns two hours a week into visible, measurable change.
Starting well
The first session is mostly listening: your history, current activity, injuries, work pattern and what you want to change. Then a baseline scan and a look at how you move. Early sessions teach the main lifts with manageable weights; load rises once technique is reliable. Check with your GP first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, are pregnant, have an injury that has not been assessed, or have been inactive for a long time.
When you email, it helps to include:
- Preferred days and whether mornings or evenings suit
- Any injuries, operations or health conditions
- What you currently do for exercise, if anything
- What you would like to be different in three months
You can find more about how we coach on the Highgate personal trainer page.
Questions we get asked
How do I get from Kentish Town to the studio?
Take the Northern line three stops north to Highgate, then walk about five minutes to Archway Road.
Can I combine 1-1 training with my existing gym or classes?
Yes. Many clients do. We plan your sessions with the rest of your week in mind so you recover properly.
How many sessions a week do I need?
Two a week suits most people starting out. Some add a third once the habit is established.
Do I need to be fit before I start?
No. Sessions are built from where you are now, and the first few weeks are deliberately manageable.
Book with The Highgate House
Ready to start training properly? Email us at [email protected] with the service and the day that suits you, and we will come back to you with times.
Visit The Highgate House · Private personal training
The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
