Inside The UK's Oldest Gym

[@AlanThrall]

Awesome gym, thanks for the video.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you so much Alan!! Really appreciate you saying so 😁

[@NathanCheslin]

Love you Alan

[@knightveg]

Small gyms like this used to be all over the place in UK, now could be lost what a shame, They're not only great for building bodies but it's great for mental health because it's nothing like a commercial gym, places like this should be treasured

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Agree big time!

[@simongrushka983]

from the other hand: they are rarely opened in weird times (unlike the more commercial ones), their equipment is old. don't get me wrong, i'm all for basic training, but they don't even seem to have kettlebells. And I don't even want to know how the shower there looks like.

[@lawrenceroadloonie3847]

​@@simongrushka983 grow a pair ahaha

[@Blackbereh]

Had my first comp here!! Praying it manages to stay open 🙏

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you mate

[@martd1352]

Don't just pray get active

[@22448824]

Same here. Ernie Peppiat ran it then. It was more an Olympic lifting club then without all those “fancy machines” and certainly without women!!

[@c.f.875]

The UK is doomed buddy

[@Slappy_days]

Great history, clearly run by, and filled with locals and newcomers passionate about their space. The council is so keen on building something new for its people, but is ready to tear town what is already a hub for the community. Make it make sense. What a shame to throw away a place filled with history

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Agree 100%!!

[@cheeseface99]

Google the mayor of tower Hamlets, despicable man, corrupt to the core, and hates cockneys

[@oldschoolpowerlifting1234]

I started powerlifting at another mighty, historic institution - Kentish Town Weight Lifting Club in Holmes Road and Camden council relocated us, after 50 plus years to a tiny room at Parliament Hill Lido and then ultimately closed us down. I’m 54 and have been lifting for almost 40 years. The atmosphere, training and people that attend gym’s like Kentish Town and Bethnal Green are a different breed. My trainer, Phil McEvoy was a legend and it was heart breaking to witness the end of KTWC. Lifting is a fantastic sport, great for body and mind. Don’t let this invaluable resource go the way of KTWC!!!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Sad to hear it shut down 😢

[@BasementBrandon]

Nice look inside, thanks for sharing!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you Brandon!!! Hope you’re keeping well 😄

[@kingpinsbarbershop4669]

Proper bloke Martin is, love listening to him talk the history of the club. Great edit, hopefully they can stay open. Progress is progress but not at the expense of long standing history.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

He’s a top geezer

[@rickymorris3175]

This was my first gym. Started there when I was 14, needed a letter from my mum and my PE teacher to say I was ok to work out. They treated me so well and taught me so much. Really hope they can stay open.

[@DS-kg4do]

You really need to get your petition out there! I’ve just been to your website and signed it. I was a physical training instructor in the British Army and I have just shared your petition with my old friends and friends I’ve met later in life too. I live in Wigan and your gym reminds me of a couple of gyms I trained at when I started training at 16 years old. I’m 49 now. Good luck and stay strong ! 🤞 💪

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you!

[@WilliamButcher4455]

SAVE THIS GYM!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Hello William

[@brucepower3429]

Those small old gyms are the places where you actually learn everything when it comes to training and nutrition i remember how the one i learned everything in closed for good in 2019. - It was a powerlifting/bodybuilding gym a small group of people came there but it was enough everybody helped each other i tried to shake it off but going to commercial gyms is not the same unfortunate these type of gyms will probably disappear more and more such a shame. - Hope they keep it open.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you!

[@lamsheeper]

competed here in december, great experience and people wishing for the best

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Hope it went well and you can go to many more

[@OGringoPowerlifter]

This is the gym that made me!! Save BGWLC!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Hi Dapo!!!

[@olowogboye]

This place holds so much history 🙌🏿

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Soooo much

[@PhysiqueFuel]

If I ever go to the UK I'd love to go there and train, looks awesome. Also, loved the hip hop background music. Shout out from Houston TX🤘🤘

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Should defo make it down! Thanks for the love, come visit!

[@Dougie75348]

This is beautifully refreshing. Thanks for the video!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Appreciate the love!!

[@Neil1867-d6f]

Love gyms like this, reminds me of my old gym in Sheffield during the 1980’s - one of the owners was a mechanic/welder and he built a lot of the equipment

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Right?!

[@mickharrison7638]

I trained at the YMCA in Sheffield similar kind of gym. Produced an abundance of great competing bodybuilders. And some great power lifters too. No frills just a serious work/training ethic.

[@Neil1867-d6f]

@@mickharrison7638 when was that mate. Funny story, I joined the Sheffield YMCA and had to lie on the application to say I was 16, I was 15 at the time but obsessed with bodybuilding 😊

[@mickharrison7638]

@ Mid 70,s onwards, all the guys from that era are in their sixties and early seventies now 😳 myself included.

[@takenoLs]

What a great gym, great team. Wish I could train here!

[@farukm7627]

Looks like an amazing atmosphere. I'd love to train there.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Get yourself down!

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Great video!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you Seb & co. 😄

[@Menace1978]

Love it. Reminds me of our old gym Hercules Gym. This is how a gym should be, no silly fancy lighting, just raw iron. I’d love to train here.

[@charlier4714]

By chance, was that Hercules Gym that was in Colchester Essex?

[@Khazandar]

Nah, modern gyms can be really cool too. The equipment and the people matters the most.

[@Menace1978]

@@charlier4714 that’s the one.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Nice!

[@keithhuckfield7783]

Petition signed, I wish I had a gym like this near me. You don’t need more flats, you need places like this.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you!!

[@JamesFord-y2v]

Council is incompetently run if they can’t recognise this as something to preserve.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Absolutely

[@mattoniy2840]

I mean I think we can establish most of the councils are incompetently run.. if you’ve ever worked in one you’ll see

[@brsvideos8143]

Starmer's Britain for you.

[@patrickclosefitness]

Great video. I live in West London but have heard alot of good things about BGWLC. Hopefully this video helps the club stay open

[@andie_pl]

lot of history and champions in that gym

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

So much!!

[@lonesomeStu]

I know what it's like to lose your club. Ours started in 1956 and was ended in about 2018. I'd been going since 1983. Hope you find a way to keep yours.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

😢😢

[@scottspencer9391]

Omg boy great to see the gym is still up and running had 4 years of great lifting fun Martin and Pat as my coaches moved to the USA now 2000 to 2004 my best training years best wishes to the club from Spencer 🏋🏻‍♂️

[@teelesynclair5902]

I hope it stays open. I love all the old equipment ❤

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

So beauriful!

[@DeepakRJoshi]

Positive vibes 👌🏼

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Innit just

[@billybeck3]

This is the type of place that creates friendships that last forever. Doing difficult things brings people together. God Bless you all!

[@WORKOUTSOLUTIONS]

Beautiful gym, thanks for sharing 💪🙏✝🏋‍♀

[@danmasterj272]

I used to train in a gym called weights room in Eastleigh in the late 90s which changed its name to Samsons Gym in the earl 2000s, it was almost identical to this gym and I learnt everything I know from weight lifting from the old heads in that gym, since that gym closed, I have not been able to find anything remotely like it. I wish this place was on my door step, it's exactly what I'd want from a gym. I have signed the petition, best of luck with keeping it open.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

No way, crazy stuff. Thanks for signing!

[@sbsb-yg7qx]

I really hope your gym can be saved! It would be a shame to see it closed. Prayers from the USA 🙏🏽

[@joeglazewskicmtlmt6476]

I'm nearly 70. Been training since I was 12 years old. The problem you have here is typical across other parts of the world. 1 - Not understanding history. 2 - Not caring about anything other than making a quick buck (pound.) 3 - Not being able to relate to sectors of our society that actually contribute human worth to our every day lives. Believe me, I know how it feels for you proud men and women... and owner to be stuck in the situation you're in. Hell, I'm an American stuck in a country run by an idiot who sees only money as your value of worth! Hang in there. Give it a tough fight! Make sure the word gets spread... hopefully you'll emerge victorious!!

[@simonrobson2293]

I used to go to tower gym in eivhties in edmonton londin and then later on kings kingsland rd london after that ken sells walthamstow,all old schiol gyms,lwn sells used to have chalk bowls around the gym and cut off pieces of inner tube for customersThese all old school gyms this is where i learnt all my compound lifts.I havent been to a commercial gym only twice in my life,now most have gone now i go to outside gyms ,chin ups dipz take a 15kg steel club with me or a 20kg bulgarian bag,swing them about as well,im 63 my day job is fairly physical,groundwork or soft strip construction,but those basics learnt in these old gyms i reckon have heloed me keep strong and healthy and continuing to work

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you for sharing!

[@localreviewking134]

Good luck, these are the gyms that you make real friends. I wish you the best!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

They are! Appreciate it

[@andrewishmael3276]

it looks like a good gym where people help you out, and no one is filming and getting on your nerves. I hope it stays open

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

It really is! Here’s hoping

[@matthewlancaster7387]

Unbelievable Community does not deserve to lose such a wonderful place ,wasn’t expecting that at the end of the video good luck guys hope it goes well 👍

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

100%. Thanks for the kind words!

[@Frankie_davey]

Great video 💪🏼

[@kentadolfsson3278]

Love it! I need to go there

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Hell yeah

[@Edith-t4j]

That photo of Ron Whitham and the other lads had good physiques in my opinion....interesting video thankyou,

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jogonlad3766]

U can't beat these types of gyms...character building I started in gyms like these and know go to to these modern gyms culture so different today in these chain gyms no vibe in em

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

The place to be

[@whattheheckwelch]

such an amazing gym! I wish I was lucky enough to live close to it!

[@cvovrsce]

Great video & Great gym. Some famous powerlifting names Keep the gym open Its history & future.

[@Sammy.LJ5861]

The bass boys keeping it going love it ! Use to always welcome us boys from Crystal Palace and visa versa . Weightlifting is a family ! They can’t get rid of this gym !

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Well said!

[@jubrilliant4835]

Had my first powerlifitng comp there! I hope it still stays

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Many peoples first comp!

[@paulyricca3881]

SAVE THAT GYM WE NEED MORE GYMS LIKE THAT FOR OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING AND POWERLIFTING THE BEST SPORTS IN THE WORLD BAR NONE.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

100%

[@andreasaoka]

hopefully I'll meet this place someday!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Make it down!

[@AndrewJB]

Petition signed! hope you guys win. I used to attend a similar gym in Milton Keynes which has relocated recently.

[@colinjames1920]

Awesome gym , I used to work in a gym like that some years back. great times

[@noooname2568]

First gym I joined 15 or so years ago was a gym not to different to this. The atmosphere was incredible, guys would always spot you and you didn’t even have to ask they just knew when to give you that little nudge. No cameras, tripods, film studios set up next to machines. Just proper grafters, who got in, smashed their workout and left. No other gym with all new equipment even compares to them days.

[@kingojugo]

Phenomenal gym definitely gonna visit

[@sohailzaka4650]

Love this bloke! Good luck to the gym.

[@mgeeees460]

All the best Mart, marc and Sue x

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

:)

[@mitchroyer]

Just signed the petition. Hope everything works out in the gyms favor.

[@LegendsofStrength-z3r]

I've been to this gym many times for competition (weightlifting) and training. Martin Bass is a true gentleman, and his whole crew are great guys. I learned the Olympic lifts in this gym from Giles Greenwood about 20 years ago. I was there last at the Southern Masters WL in Nov 2023. It will be a disgrace if this gym is shut down. It would be a tremendous loss.

[@jameskirkbride2032]

Been to a couple of meets here... Really great gym! Hope they can get sorted

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Nice!

[@DivorcetoDates]

Disgusting if the gym closes. Lost all faith in Tower Hamlets council for sure. Awful if so. Excellently well made documentary.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Would be so sad!

[@kieranmurraysnaturalstreng5913]

A good bit of history there.👍

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Too true

[@matthewmansfield3817]

Gym's like this should be safe guarded for the next generation where people can talk to each other and make friends not like the new gyms where nobody talks to each other.

[@kennethsteelhammer]

Hope it works out for the best 💯🤞🏻💪🏻 Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪🙋🏻‍♂️

[@mattjoseph4428]

I trained at Terry Ralph's garage gym in Essex back in the 80's. Rusty bars, welded DB's and racks. Some doormen trained there and Simon Lancaster (ex Mr Britain) made an appearance. Not only is there a sense of belonging even for me as a skinny teenager but these places give young people a place to go and be constructive rather than drifting into the world of drink and drugs. I would hope the council would realise by closing your gym down, they are depriving youngsters of an opportunity to make something of themselves.

[@LegendsofStrength-z3r]

Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club is a truly remarkable gym. I've been there many times to compete and train. Martin Bass is a lovely guy, very welcoming and friendly. I learnt the olympic lifts in this gym around 20 years ago from Giles Greenwood. I've been back many times. It would be a terrible loss if this gym were to shut. As ever, the councils are completely tone deaf.

[@andrewlait542]

Good video I've got some good vibes already loved the barbell tattoos I'm going to tattoo myself a barbell as I do homemade tattoos and my next idea I got from your video thanks for sharing 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿should build community gyms like yours every where but it seems they are closing

[@Lewis_1995]

Martin is such a legend

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

He is

[@generalwast3man980]

No place like home 💚

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Isn’t it just

[@andymckay446]

Such a shame if it closes, its not just a gym, its a community. A place where people can get away from their stresses in life and be part of that hub. Contact the local MP and get a petition going.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Absolutely agree! Hopefully we can save it

[@rorschach9137]

Great video

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you!!

[@MarkHiggins-hq1st]

Real history that should not be lost.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

100%

[@RobinMuirhead]

Stay open!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Please!!

[@RobinMuirhead]

@@WhiteLightsMedia signed the appeal

[@robertwhite2449]

I competed here years ago representing Crystal Palace Powerlifting club. That was at the time of the late greats Terry Smith and Tony Stevens RIP. Was a great meet ( but loooong 😅)

[@mariomolnar3184]

man, look at all those calibrated plates!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

So so many

[@euskryhtbnfvse4i7ehs4hnvf]

Where can I buy one of those sweaters?

[@101new]

Great Gym ... The Forest Gym Crawley is another old school Gym 🏋️‍♀️ 💪

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

We’ll have to check it out

[@robwhite461]

This sort of ridiculousness is happening here in Sydney Australia as well. The councils are predominantly filled with developers, razing history at all costs, it’s all about profit for those who need it least. Until we can unite and just say no, this sort of farce will just continue. These third places, places where all walks of life know no discrimination and all are equal are being eliminated at an alarming rate. The physical and mental health benefits these places provide should be encouraged and valued above all else. Unfortunately the beings that make these horrible decisions are devoid of empathy focused solely on money. All the power to you BGWLC, I hope people power save the day!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Very sorry to hear about it!!

[@animator4life99]

Send this video to Strongman Eddie Hall. I bet he could help you guys out.

[@charlier4714]

Very Good suggestion- hope they do

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Good idea!

[@Youngboygamer14]

These type of. Gyms are history that needs saving. U can't get same vibe like this in a place that a commercial gym...

[@tonymcnamara9368]

Aren't local councils great? One minute they want to do more for community, then, they what to destroy a community in the name of 'community '!

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

:(

[@jjefferyworboys8138]

Communities desperately need places like this and people like this guy.

[@xukigandia4657]

Fuerza desde España!

[@MichaelDowd-j6k]

The old school gyms will always be better than commercial gyms

[@marincassebastian1086]

More or these sort of training facilities are needed instead of the commercial ones which often are frachaice runned by a corporation

[@abe3567]

proper gym

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Yep!

[@nickmccreery3869]

Keep this gym open

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Agree!

[@arsenalmanic]

proper gym, not the chain franchise crap today

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Yep!

[@soulboy6073]

dose 100 years ' not Count for anything!!! apart from producing World champions ' just think of what this club has done for the local community must be immense ' all the best👍

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Right?!

[@Teleswap_tutorial]

Steve zetolofski in the pic deadlifting all at the start

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Nice spot!

[@simon1985jm]

I had never heard of this gym until I watched the video, and honestly, I felt an instant connection. It really got to me, left me with a lump in my throat. We're losing so much history to gentrification these days. Everything's becoming soulless. When you look at old photos of London and Manchester, where I'm from, you see life, you see stories. A picture really does tell a thousand words. But today, the buildings reflect our current generation - they're lifeless, soulless, and honestly, a bit depressing. Gentrification, especially in cities like London and Manchester, has been wiping out historical narratives and cultural landmarks. The architecture they're pushing now, often called New London Vernacular (NLV), is all about playing it safe with designs that are more about ticking boxes than expressing anything unique. It's all about making money, not about preserving the soul of the place. Losing places like that gym isn't just about losing a building; it's about losing the community, the memories, the very character of our neighbourhoods. Gentrification turns these vibrant areas into something generic, where you could be anywhere, not in the city you grew up in. It's not just about looks either; it's about how people come together, share their culture, and feel part of something bigger. When we replace these old haunts with new, soulless constructions, we're not just losing the physical space but the heart of our communities. This isn't just about being nostalgic; it's a wake-up call. We need to rethink how we develop our cities to keep the history, culture, and community alive amidst all this change. Otherwise, we're just left with buildings that don't tell our stories or reflect who we are.

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you so much for sharing such a deep comment and story. Take care!!

[@Spiceyjewboy]

I don’t get it, how can they force it to close? do they not own the building or something ?

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Believe the council owns the building

[@j-uk2189]

Just like good ol palms gym in clacton on sea!!

[@ParesTailor]

Incredible gym, been here once. The issue is that 99.9% of people are way too intimidated by a gym like this, its to rough, too much grit and sweat most people can handle. Gyms now offer all sorts to lure people in. Sadly, there are not many serious gym goers compared to casual gym goers. London is full of bougie gym clubs now, Third Space, etc., or you can get your “McDonalds” of gyms, which are cheap and do the job. The atmosphere of these gyms is something out of a movie. I really hope it can be saved. I'd love to go here but out of the way.

[@vloggintheSteps]

Have a sit in protest on the day of the eviction. Can’t let this club go .💪

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Good idea!!

[@nikodemus6315]

It infuriates me how “big business” has trodden over local traditional businesses. Forcing them to shut. Same goes for butchers, grocers gyms etc etc. we should keep these places open at all costs. And for those who don’t go back to them

[@topsysdad1]

Absolute disgrace to even contemplate closing it down. Some narrow-minded beourocrate without thought decided to put a red line through the address. I pray you guys come through and preserve the location and history that's attached to it

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Very sad 😢

[@PowerTree-007]

"Yeah, Buddy!"

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Hell yeah

[@jawadbokhari1]

Love it

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Thank you!!

[@markigoe9150]

The gym is a community and part of a lifestyle unless you train people will not understand

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

True!

[@michaelraya-p4k]

American powerlifters support your gym. Fight, fight, fight!

[@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw]

I hope he and the gym wins

[@WhiteLightsMedia]

Same!!

[@vfxforge]

sad to see none of Britain's Strength Athletes likes "ED Hall" aren't stepping up to save a historic place like this.