Base Fit is tucked away a few seconds from Shoreditch High Underground. It looks unassuming; a fairly small astroturfed section surrounded on two sides with brick wall, a shipping container and a metal partition on the other. My first thought when I entered, was ‘I’m trapped’. But it was too late. Bootcamp was about to start and there was no escaping now…

Monkeying around at BaseFit.
I heard about Base Fit through a photo that Project Hot Bitch posted on Instagram. It looked like a fun place so I earmarked it in my virtual notebook (ie, my brain) and when I realised I had a breakfast meeting coming up at 8.30am, I booked myself in for my free trial. Bootcamp at 7am. Bring it on!
There were 6 of us in total; 2 guys and 4 girls. Dejan was taking the session. I spoke to one of the other guys there who admitted that his legs were pretty much dead as he’d been to a kettle bell session on Wednesday. He’d actually done two sessions in one day. Silly!
Bootcamp was broken up roughly into 4 sections – the warm-up which included box jumps (I have short legs that aren’t made for jumping), a kettle bell legs workout, a ‘normal’ circuit and a paired circuit. And of course a cool down. I felt like we did a lot in an hour – something which was helped by the low set count for circuits and also for the fact each circuit set was changed up. The paired circuit we did once. I can’t remember the last time I lifted a kettle bell so my legs were aching from the beginning – it felt like I’d ridden a horse but buoyed by the encouragement of my group and Dejan, I made it through!
Most bootcamps I’ve been to are less about technique and more about getting people moving yet Dejan took the time to demonstrate each exercise, breaking the moves into bite-sized pieces. During the exercises too, he corrected technique as he went. Shoddy technique can lead to injury and an ineffective workout so it was wonderful to see people learning as they went. His tips helped me refine my kettle bell swing.

A final plank session after an hour of bootcamp and tabata. It nearly killed me.
By the end, I felt like I’d had a great workout, and one that was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it and that was as much to do with the group as Dejan. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I decided at 8am, along with two other boot campers, that we’d stay for the tabata class. Don’t ever do a ‘I will if you will’ deal with someone who’s a sucker for punishment!
Tired as we were, and with some fresh faces in the mix, we got through our 4 rounds of 4 x 40 second workout, joking and smiling. It made me laugh when Dejan would show us progressions of exercises – no thanks, I don’t want a HARDER version of a press-up, nor a tricep dip. Both my legs will be staying firmly on the ground, thank you. The whole tabata session was actually 30 minutes, to include a warm up and cool down. Dejan also snuck in a cheeky core session which was an absolutely killer, even though it was 2 minutes long.
Final Thoughts
I was positively buzzing after the double class – due to what I’d achieved, the exercises and the people. It was challenging enough to really push you yet not make you regret going.
Who’s it for? Those who want a whole body workout, covering cardio, strength and endurance.
How much? Your first session is free, drop-ins are £12 and monthly membership for unlimited classes is £55. Multi-class bundles and annual membership are also available.
Where? A stone’s throw from Shoreditch High Overground.
Find out more: www.base-fit.uk
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