Foundations
£99one-off
4-week beginners' course. Then move onto any plan.
- 8 coached sessions, groups of six
- Learn the squat, hinge, push and pull properly
- Starting weights logged for you
- £30 off your first month after
Chapel Allerton, Leeds
Strength training for people who hate gyms.
Coached small-group sessions of eight people, max. No mirrors full of posers, no guessing what to do, no one judging. Just two coaches who know your name, a plan that adapts to your week, and steady, honest progress.
- 4.9 on Google (203 reviews)
- CIMSPA-registered coaches
- UKSCA-accredited strength coach
- Level 4 lower-back-pain specialist
- No joining fee · no 12-month contracts
Why Foundry
Not a big gym. On purpose.
Most of our members tried the big-box gym first. They paid for a year, went six times, and felt like everyone else knew what they were doing. Here's what's different.
The big gym
- 200 strangers and a queue for the squat rack
- An induction, then you're on your own
- Nobody notices if you stop coming
- 12-month contract and a joining fee
Foundry
- Eight people max, your own rack and bar
- A coach on the floor every single session
- Miss a week and we'll text to check in
- Monthly rolling, cancel with 30 days' notice
Class timetable
Book your week
Every class is coached and capped at eight (Foundations at six). Pick a day, filter by what you fancy and grab a place. Members book here, or ask for a free taster first.
Arrive 5 minutes early on your first visit
Cancel up to 2 hours before, no charge
All levels: every exercise has an easier and a harder option
Memberships
Simple prices. No small print.
No joining fee. Rolling monthly, or commit to three months and save. Freeze for up to eight weeks a year for holidays or illness, free.
8 Sessions
£89/month
Rolling monthly · 30 days' notice
- 8 classes a month, any type
- Unused sessions roll over a month
- Quarterly goal check-in with a coach
- Members' app for booking
Unlimited
£119/month
Rolling monthly · 30 days' notice
- Every class, every day
- Open-gym hours for your own programme
- Monthly 1:1 progress check (20 min)
- Bring a friend free, once a month
1:1 Coaching
£220/month
4 × 50-min sessions · £55 each
- Your coach, your times, private sessions
- Written programme for days in between
- Ideal around injuries or rehab
- Unlimited Mobility classes included
Couples and household members save 10% each. NHS, emergency services and teachers: 10% off any plan. Prefer pay-as-you-go? Drop-in classes are £14.
60-second quiz
Which plan suits me?
Three quick questions and we'll point you at the plan most members like you choose. No email needed.
Your first session
Nervous? Good. Here's exactly what happens.
The free taster is one-to-one, about an hour, and nobody else is watching. You won't be thrown into a class on day one.
A proper chat
Over a brew, we talk about your goals, your week, old injuries and anything that's put you off before. No weigh-in, no before photos, unless you want them.
Learn the big moves
We teach the squat, hinge, push and pull at a level that suits your body today, and find comfortable starting weights. Most people are surprised how much they enjoy it.
Leave with a plan
You'll get a suggested class schedule and the plan we think fits you, in writing. Have a think at home. We don't do hard sells or "today only" offers.
The Foundry promise
If your first month isn't for you, tell us within 30 days and we'll refund it in full. No forms, no awkward conversation.
Our story
We opened Foundry for the people who walk into a big gym and walk straight back out.
Tom and Ellie met coaching at a 24-hour chain gym in Leeds city centre. They kept seeing the same thing: people in their 40s and 50s who were desperate to get stronger, paying every month and quietly giving up because nobody showed them how.
In 2019 they took a ground-floor unit on Stainbeck Lane, filled it with good kit and capped every class at eight. Six years on, more than 300 people have learned to lift here, and our oldest member, Margaret, is 71.
— Tom Rowley & Ellie Marsh, co-founders
The coaches
Three coaches. Zero shouting.
Fully qualified, properly insured and genuinely nice. You'll train with all three of us over a typical month.
Co-founderTom Rowley
Head Coach · Level 3 PT · Level 4 Lower Back Pain
Former physio's assistant turned strength coach. Tom specialises in bad backs, stiff hips and people who were told to "avoid lifting". His Strong at 50+ class is always full.
StrengthBack pain50+
Co-founderEllie Marsh
Coaching Director · BSc Sport Science · UKSCA ASCC
Ellie runs Foundations and Mobility and is our go-to for menopause-informed training, pre- and postnatal clients and anyone rebuilding confidence after a long break.
FoundationsMobilityMenopause
CoachRob Kowalczyk
Coach · Level 3 PT · England Boxing coach
Ex-amateur boxer from Harehills who coaches Conditioning and Boxfit. Rob makes hard sessions feel like a laugh, and he will never make you spar.
BoxfitConditioningFat loss
How progress works here
Start with the bar. Add a little.
Everyone's first lift at Foundry is the empty 20kg bar. Plates only go on when the last ones feel easy. Keep scrolling and watch it add up.
100kgBuilt a little at a time.
- 20The empty bar
- 60First big plates
- 80Tens go on
- 90Then the fives
- 95Small jumps
- 100There it is
Member stories
Ordinary people. Getting strong.
100kg deadliftat 52, after never touching a barbell
"My GP mentioned bone density and lifting weights, and I laughed. Fourteen months later I pulled 100kg off the floor with the whole 6pm class cheering. I'm stronger now than I was at 30, and my back hasn't twinged once."Janet H.Moortown · member since 2024
Back on the pitchafter a slipped disc
"Tom built everything around my back. Eight months on I'm playing five-a-side again on Thursday nights."Imran S.Roundhay · 41
First pull-upaged 47
"I'd written pull-ups off as something other people do. Ellie had me on bands for six months. Then one day, no band."Claire D.Meanwood · 47
Lifts the grandkidswithout a second thought
"I came because my knees were going. Now I squat twice a week and I'm the one carrying the toddlers up to bed."Dave P.Chapel Allerton · 63
6:15am, 3× a weekaround 12-hour shifts
"As a nurse on rotating shifts, I need classes at strange times and coaches who don't judge when I'm shattered."Sophie R.Headingley · 36
Free taster session
Your first hour is on us.
One-to-one with a coach, at a time that suits you. Tell us a little about yourself and we'll reply within one working day to confirm.
- No card details, no obligation
- Wear whatever's comfortable, trainers or flat shoes
- Free parking in our yard
- Bring a friend, it's free for them too
Rather talk? Call 0113 496 0274
Thanks!
FAQ
The questions everyone asks
And the honest answers. If yours isn't here, just ask: Tom or Ellie answer the phone themselves.
Still not sure?
Pop in any weekday between 10am and 4pm for a look round. Kettle's always on.
Call 0113 496 0274I've never lifted a weight. Is this really for me?
Yes. Around two-thirds of our members had never used a barbell before joining. Start with the free taster and, if you like, our 4-week Foundations course in groups of six. Every class has easier and harder options for every exercise, and your coach will tell you which to use.
Will I be the least fit person there?
Honestly, nobody's keeping score. Classes are a mix of ages (24 to 71) and abilities, everyone works to their own numbers, and there are no leaderboards. The atmosphere is closer to a friendly evening class than a sports team.
I have a bad back / dodgy knees / an old injury.
That's exactly why many people come to us. Tom holds a Level 4 qualification in lower back pain, and we'll adapt or swap any movement. If you're under a physio or consultant, bring their advice and we'll work with it. For recent surgery we'll ask for your GP's go-ahead first.
Do you do training for menopause or bone health?
Yes. Ellie is menopause-informed and runs a lot of our Strength and Mobility classes. Lifting progressively heavier is one of the best things you can do for bone density, and we'll build up at a pace that suits you.
Is there parking? How do I get there?
We have eight free spaces in the yard behind the unit (turn in by the blue gates), plus free on-street parking on Stainbeck Lane after 6pm. Buses along Harrogate Road stop three minutes' walk away, and there's a covered bike rack inside the gate.
Is there a contract or joining fee?
No joining fee, ever. Monthly plans roll and you can cancel with 30 days' notice. Three-month plans are cheaper per month and simply finish (or renew if you want). You can freeze for up to 8 weeks a year at no cost.
Are there showers and changing rooms?
Yes: two private shower rooms with towels, hairdryers and lockers, so you can come straight from or go straight to work.
Visit
Find us in Chapel A
Opening hours Open now
- Monday06:00 – 21:00
- Tuesday06:00 – 21:00
- Wednesday06:00 – 21:00
- Thursday06:00 – 21:00
- Friday06:00 – 20:00
- Saturday08:00 – 13:00
- Sunday09:00 – 12:00
Bank holidays: 08:00 – 12:00.
Get in touch
Foundry Strength Co.Unit 2, Stainbeck Works
41 Stainbeck Lane
Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 3PL
0113 496 0274
hello@foundrystrength-example.co.uk
Free parking for 8 cars in the yard. Five minutes' walk from Chapel Allerton's cafés on Harrogate Road.
Start this week
Six months from now you'll wish you'd started today.
Your first session is free, one-to-one, and completely at your pace.
- No card details
- No joining fee
- No shouting