Gyms are ten a penny here in Greater Manchester, but there’s something to be said for a fitness brand that can operate on a global scale whilst still delivering that smaller, more bespoke feel that you only get from personal trainer-focused facilities – say hello to Ultimate Performance.
With a total of 24 locations all over the world, the Ultimate Performance gym group is much more than just another chain; the UP approach is becoming its own fitness phenomenon, with countless high-profile clients, write-ups in health and wellness outlets and consistent results across the board.
Better still, if you’re a Manc looking to get in the best shape of your life, their Manchester location is based right in the heart of the city and of the centre’s most exciting districts, so you’re well-placed to get your transformation underway whenever you ready.
Priding themselves on not only being the “home of the world’s leading personal trainers in Manchester” but also delivering value for money by the time you’ve achieved your fitness goals. So, what exactly is it that sets them apart?
Credit: Supplied
Well, for starters, given the scope of the company and its growing reputation, Ultimate Performance locations are typically much bigger than most and their programmes are more comprehensive than most other gyms where you pay a monthly membership fee.
At the other end of the spectrum, they also promise a much more expansive offering than regular PTs and boutique gyms, both in terms of the facilities and infrastructure as well as in how their clients are looked after.
Rather than just being paired with an available instructor, time is taken to ensure you find the right match when it comes to your trainer and the workouts you take on, with clients being given proper supervision/programming that is geared towards very specific outcomes without being babied.
You only have to hear it from the numerous testimonials taken from their Manchester clients alone to understand the kind of experience you’ll receive at an Ultimate Performance gym.
They’ve had a fair share of famous faces vouch for the quality of coaching too, from the likes of Hollywood A-lister Glen Powell over in the States to Gemma Atkinson here in Manchester.
To put things into perspective when you simply Google ‘best gym Manchester‘ you’ll not only find round-up articles like ours but also several results for Ultimate Performance specifically.
If you Google “best gym Manchester” which is how we found you guys! UP make most of the other lists, if you wanna read a few to get more of a sense this might help – we didn’t pay for these they happened naturally.
From personalised UP free weights, high-end equipment and other little touches that let you know they mean business, they give you everything you need to transform your body or lay the foundations for lifelong health.
The only question left is are you ready and how seriously are you willing to take it?
Ultimate Performance is the gym in Manchester to join if you want to stick to your plan and achieve whatever goals you set yourself, from fat loss to muscle building to general health, with some of the world’s best personal trainers coaching from here.
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Danny Jones -
27th September 2024 
