A women-only gym near you

If you live around Washington, Sunderland, Gateshead, Newcastle or Chester-le-Street, strongher Studio is closer than you might think. Small, friendly, female only, and full of women who were nervous on their first day too.

Book a free look around See the prices
  • Women only, always
  • No joining fee
  • Complete beginners welcome

You typed “female gym near me”. We get it.

Searching for a female gym near me usually means one thing: you want to get stronger, you just don't want the usual gym. If that's you, you're in good company. Here's what's different, and how to come and see for yourself.

Why choose a ladies only gym?

A women only gym takes away the bit that stops so many of us before we start. No crowded weights floor, no feeling like you're in someone's way, no wondering who's watching you get it wrong.

At strongher, every member and every class is women only. It's a small studio, so you're not one face in hundreds. You get shown how everything works, you work at your own level, and you end up training next to women who quickly become friends.

Plenty of the women here had never set foot in a gym before. And if you've ever paid for a membership you never used, you'll fit right in too. You can read the story behind the studio on our about page.

One of our members, in her own words.

What a women's gym class looks like

Every class is coached, and every movement has an easier and a harder option. You pick what suits you that day, and nobody minds which one it is.

A woman in a pink T-shirt pressing a pair of dumbbells on a bench while another member trains behind her.
Dumbbell bench press, with weights that start where you start.
A member in pink gloves kneeling at the cable machine doing a rope crunch.
Cable work, muscular and controlled.
A member pedalling hard on an air bike during a busy strongher class.
A busy class, everyone at her own pace.

Lift Club teaches barbell and dumbbell work from scratch. Sculpt is whole-body resistance work with lighter weights. strongher Small Group PT gives you your own programme, coached in a small group. Prefer something gentler? Mat and reformer Pilates are low impact and a lovely first class, and there's free Pilates every Sunday. See every option on the classes page.

Real women, real numbers

One member's lifts, written on letter boards when she started and again later on. No filters, no paid models, just the numbers.

A strongher member holding before and after letter boards showing her bench press, barbell squat and hip thrust weights.
Before and after, on her own letter boards.
  • Bench press15kg → 35kg
  • Barbell squats20kg → 100kg
  • Hip thrusts20kg → 80kg

A 100kg squat didn't happen overnight. It happened one coached session at a time, in a room where nobody made her feel like she didn't belong. More on lifting as a beginner over on the blog.

From search to first session, three steps

  1. Send us a message

    Use the form at the bottom of this page. “I've never been to a gym” is a perfectly good message.

  2. Have a free look around

    See the studio, meet the coaches and ask anything you like before you commit to anything.

  3. Start when you're ready

    No joining fee and you can cancel any time. Compare options on the pricing page.

Is strongher the women's gym near me?

We're in Washington, Tyne & Wear, which sits right between four of the North East's biggest places. If you're in any of them, you're within easy reach.

Washington

Home. If you're local, this is your women's gym on the doorstep.

Newcastle

An easy trip for Newcastle women who want somewhere smaller and calmer.

Sunderland, Gateshead & Chester-le-Street

All next door to Washington, so the studio is never far away.

strongher members laughing together while holding water bottles and bow-print goodie bags.
Less gym floor, more group of friends.
A woman lying on a Pilates mat laughing as three puppies wander around her at a strongher puppy Pilates session.
Puppy Pilates, one of our seasonal events.
The strongher women's run club cheering with drinks outside Love Lily after a run.
Our women's run club with Love Lily.

Being part of a ladies gym near you should mean more than a treadmill. Our women's run club with Love Lily meets at Herrington Country Park near Penshaw Monument, and the events page covers puppy Pilates, Pilates & Pumpkins, the Christmas social and our strength competitions.

Women only gym questions

Is strongher a female-only gym?

Yes. strongher is women only for every member and every class. It's the whole studio, not a women's section inside a mixed gym.

Where is the nearest women-only gym to me?

If you're in or around Washington, Sunderland, Gateshead, Newcastle or Chester-le-Street, strongher is likely one of your closest. We're based in Washington, Tyne & Wear.

I'm a complete beginner. Will I fit in?

Beginners are the norm here. You'll be shown how everything works, and every class has options so you can take it at the level you're at that day.

What makes a girls gym different from a normal gym?

For most of our members it's the feeling. Smaller groups, coaching throughout and no one watching means you can focus on learning, not on who's around you.

Do I have to sign a contract?

No. There's no joining fee and you can cancel any time. All the options are on the pricing page.

Can I see the studio before I join?

Of course. Book a free look around using the form below or by emailing strongherstudiosgym@gmail.com.

Your nearest women's gym is a message away

Tell us a little about you and what you're looking for. There's no pressure to join anything, and we'll reply ourselves.

We'll only use your details to reply. No mailing list unless you ask.