10 QUESTIONS WITH JAMES DABBS, FOUNDER OF DABBS FITNESS, MAYFAIR
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting James Dabbs at Dabbs Fitness, a new boutique performance gym on Mayfair’s Woodstock Street. Dabbs Fitness are firmly focused on performance, and their brand philosophy is attracting lots of new members seeking both aesthetic results and regular fitness training. Here, James tells us about the bespoke group sessions and one-to-one sessions available at Dabbs Fitness, his background and his future visions for the brand…
1.) Good morning James, welcome to The Mayfair Musings! Tell us a little about Dabbs Fitness…
Dabbs Fitness is a boutique performance gym, based in Mayfair just off New Bond Street. We provide elite personal training, and small group training sessions. Our philosophy is that everyone should 'train like an athlete', and train for performance - whatever their fitness needs and levels. This may include simple mobility and posture work for some clients, or explosive power and speed training for professional athletes who we train. If you focus on performance, the training is much more effective, and the aesthetic results will be achieved much faster, and easier, and will also remain with you for a much longer time period than a short term period of fat loss for example. We are evidence based, and our coaches are highly qualified. We don’t believe in a 'one size fits all' approach, as everyone is different, and even in our group sessions we try to make small bespoke adjustments for our clients to ensure maximal results for everyone.
2.) What is your background? Have you always worked in the world of fitness?
My background is in the world of sport. I played every sport growing up and was in the school team for almost everything. I particularly excelled in football and played professionally in Spain for a number of years. My love of sport led to my love of training, and started my initial research into the world of elite performance in all aspects of health and fitness - from eating, sleeping, recovering, and training as an athlete. This philosophy is shown in the holistic approach we take at Dabbs Fitness. I decided to start a fitness business which would share my knowledge and training philosophy and opened a small PT studio in Marylebone in 2016. During this time I studied for a masters degree part time in Strength and Conditioning to seperate myself in my field, and be able to feed further knowledge into the business. In September 2022 we opened our current gym, Dabbs Fitness Mayfair.
3.) Why was it important to you that your business would be located in Mayfair?
Dabbs Fitness started in a small private personal training studio in Marylebone, and most of our client base is from Marylebone, so we were looking for a bigger location that would suit our loyal client base. We are based in Mayfair, very close to Bond street station, and within a short walk of Marylebone, so the location is perfect for us and allows us to hit both the corporate demographics of those who work in W1, as well as those who are local residents of Marylebone and Mayfair. There are many boutique shops, bars, and restaurants in Mayfair, and we try to add to the area by providing a similar theme in the form of a luxury, bespoke gym.
4.) For those seeking a personal trainer, who is available and how does it work?
We have a team of fantastic coaches, with a diverse range of skills. Myself, and our head coach Niall both have a masters degree in strength and conditioning and this gives us the expertise to work with more niche populations such as elite athletes, rehab clients sent to us from our partner physios in Harley Street, or pre/post natal etc. We also have Coach Ben, who is a tremendous athlete and competes in the world of functional fitness and crossfit, and finally we have one female coach Lorna, who is also a fitness model. We will pair clients with the best coach for their needs. Some clients enjoy working with multiple coaches as this provides a more holistic experience and service, as different coaches have different eyes and skill sets. Other clients prefer to work with just the one coach and we always work with the client for the best outcome.
5.) What about your group training sessions?
Our personal training service is completely bespoke and we approach every client differently based upon their targets, levels and needs. Our small group classes however are more economical than personal training and typically hit a different demographic of younger professionals. These classes can be intense, as we strive to create a culture of performance and elite training in these group sessions. Unlike many other classes, we ensure everyone is coached well during the classes, and performs exercises effectively. These group sessions can be booked online on our website, or through our booking app 'Dabbs Fitness Gym' and typically are held on Weekdays before or after work, or weekend mornings.
6.) Tell us a little about your online fitness programs...
We have recently launched an online business, selling training programs for people to follow in the gym. Despite a large increase of 'train from home' type training, we know that resistance training, and outdoors sport/running etc will always be far superior to this and we try to educate this to the masses. Our online training programs are designed for those who have a gym membership, but don't know what to do when they get to the gym (pretty much all of us at some point in our lives!). The Dabbs Programs offer evidence based structure and progression to your gym routines, showing you how to train properly for your goals, suggesting good exercises such as squats, deadlifts etc, and also providing progressive overload through set and rep schemes. We also offer bespoke remote coaching for some of our clients, for example when they travel, and for those who want a tailored strength and conditioning plan to follow.
7.) What advice do you have for those who have never ventured into a gym before...
Firstly, sports and outdoor training such as running, hiking etc and a generally active and healthy lifestyle should always be your priority. The gym should supplement these activities. We have found that with a focus on the holistic value of health and wellbeing as a whole, then the gym can become less daunting for people as you can then set more objective goals such as squat weight lifted, or reducing your time for a 5km run etc and see progress here. If you are nervous about where to start, or unsure of your technique, we are always here to help and offer a very reasonable 'introduction to strength and conditioning package' in our gym which provides you with 5 personal training sessions and also access to our group classes once you have the basics nailed. We have a large range of clients in our gym, from professional athletes, to our oldest client who is 78! We have a welcoming space, and a great team who will encourage you and meet you where you are on your fitness journey.
8.) What are some of the benefits of prioritising fitness in our daily lives?
I often tell people - there is nothing that training and exercise doesn't help with on a medical level. Many studies have shown time and again that the fitter you are, the better you will be mentally and physically, and the longer you are going to live. From a reduced risk in pretty much every disease including heart diseases, most forms of cancer, through to mental health, and even helping hormonal issues such as menopause, being fit and healthy is crucial for everyone's quality of life. Training is the best part of my day, and I love sharing this with people, and the clear benefits it provides you with and the great feeling which comes with it.
9.) What are some of your favourite spots in Mayfair?
What a great question! If we want to get a bit fancy, I was taken out by my accountant last week to 5 Hertford Street, and that place was extremely impressive! To be a bit more normal, there is a lovely coffee spot is located just behind my gym on South Molton Street called Roasting Plant Coffee - they have a variety of coffee beans you can choose from, and they help me get through the days after a 6am start! I also love steak, and have to recommend the Guinea Grill on Bruton Place as the best steak and red wine place in London in my opinion!
10.) When you are not busy working, where might you be found and why?
This is a pretty sad answer, but I genuinely love training, and when I get the time I usually enjoy training myself! So you may find me at the gym, or in the park running or kicking a football around. I also am very passionate about my business, and genuinely enjoy growing my empire so I will often be working on something. Aside from that, I enjoy having a Guinness at my local bar in Marylebone, the Cavendish which has a nice outdoor space for the summer or winter.
Ground Floor, 19-20 Woodstock Street, Bond House, Mayfair, London W1C 2AN
contact@dabbsfitness.com | +44 (0)7768696081 | @Dabbs_Fitness
