THE SWEATBOX GYM

What THE SWEATBOX GYM does

The Sweatbox Gym is an independent, multi-discipline fitness and martial arts studio operating from a single facility at Units 2-3, Princess Street in South Bristol (Bedminster), UK. It is legally organized as Sweatbox Gym Limited, privately held by directors Jess Whatley (founder and co-owner with 25+ years in martial arts), John Conway (head boxing coach, 18 years' coaching experience), and Pedro Bessa (one of the UK's most established Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts). The facility comprises three distinct training zones — a bodyweight/calisthenics area, a free-weights and Olympic lifting area, and the "Sweatbox Yard," a semi-outdoor CrossFit space described as the only year-round open-air training facility of its kind in the UK — alongside an in-house treatment room and a members' café.

The business delivers structured programming across martial arts (Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Striking/Sparring), fitness classes (Calisthenics, Olympic Lifting, Female Fight Club, CrossBox, Rise Bootcamp, Run Club, Strong S&C), a CrossFit program capped at 12 participants per class, and kids' classes (Jiu-Jitsu from age 5, Boxing from age 8, Calisthenics from age 6). The core technology stack is built on Mindbody's cloud platform, which handles class booking, membership management, and PCI-compliant payment processing; a branded mobile app (iOS and Android, built on Zappy/Fennec) layers self-service booking on top. A sister yoga studio, The Wild Box, operates within 30 seconds of the main site under shared ownership.

The revenue model is multi-stream and consumer-direct: tiered monthly rolling memberships ranging from £26 to £85 per month (plus an annual saver tier at £600-£850), pay-as-you-go drop-in classes at £5-£10, in-house sports massage at £35-£85 per session, multi-day international retreats (Wild & Well Portugal at £1,250-£1,550 per person), retail merchandise (in-house SWTBX apparel and Pedro Bessa BJJ X Tatami), and café/supplement sales. The gym serves individual consumers in the Bristol market across five personas — general fitness enthusiasts, martial arts practitioners from beginners to UFC-level athletes, children and families, CrossFit enthusiasts, and recovery-service users — with no disclosed B2B or corporate contracts.

Name

THE SWEATBOX GYM

Legal name

Sweatbox Gym Limited

Website

https://sweatboxgym.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Sweatbox Gym is an independent, multi-discipline fitness and martial arts studio in South Bristol offering CrossFit, boxing, BJJ, MMA, fitness, and kids' classes, plus massage, café, retail, and international retreats under Sweatbox Gym Limited.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fitness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Fitness / Cross-Training Groups (HSADABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Boxing & Kickboxing Fitness Classes (HSADABAF), General Personal Training (In-Person & Virtual) (HSADAAAA)

Keywords

• Fitness gym memberships
• Martial arts classes
• CrossFit training
• Personal training services
• Sports massage therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Gym Membership Subscriptions: Monthly rolling memberships with no long-term contract. Various tiers offering different levels of class access and gym facility usage. Memberships auto-renew monthly with minimum 30-day cancellation notice. Joining fees apply for some tiers.
2. Pay-as-you-go Class Sessions: Individual class purchases without membership commitment. Martial arts classes at £10, fitness classes at £8, kids classes at £5 per session.
3. Sports Massage Therapy Services: In-house sports and remedial massage therapist (Lana Ashton) provides treatment room services. Initial 1-hour session £55, 45-minute follow-up £45, 30-minute treatment £35, 90-minute treatment £85. Members receive £5 discount.
4. Fitness Retreats and Events: Multi-day retreats at international locations. Wild & Well retreat in Portugal priced at £1,250-£1,550 per person including accommodation, meals, classes, and activities.
5. Retail Merchandise: In-house brand SWTBX provides gym wear including tees, hoodies, shorts and compression wear. Also sells Pedro Bessa BJJ X Tatami training and leisure wear.
6. Café and Refreshments: On-site café selling water, coffee, protein shakes, protein bars, and pre/post workout supplements. Also provides viewing area for parents and partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Sweatbox Gym is an independent martial arts and fitness facility in Bristol offering over 50 weekly classes across martial arts (Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Striking/Sparring), fitness (Calisthenics, Olympic Lifting, Bootcamp, Run Club), CrossFit, and kids programs. Revenue is generated through tiered monthly and annual memberships, pay-as-you-go class purchases, sports massage therapy, on-site retail (SWTBX merchandise), and a café. The facility includes a unique semi-outdoor CrossFit training space, a treatment room for sports massage, and personal training services.

Product overview

The Sweatbox Gym is an independent martial arts and fitness gym in Bristol offering a multi-faceted platform of services. The core offering centers on their main gym facility and Sweatbox Yard outdoor training space, supplemented by structured class programs across Martial Arts (Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Striking), Fitness (Calisthenics, Olympic Lifting, Bootcamp, Strength), Kids Programs, and CrossFit. The ecosystem includes a branded mobile app for booking and access, on-site treatment room for sports massage, a cafe serving supplements, and SWTBX branded merchandise. The gym offers tiered membership plans from gym-only access to premium all-inclusive options, with bundle discounts available alongside The Wild Box Yoga studio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Wild Box: A sister yoga and movement studio located less than a minute from Sweat Box Gym, offering yoga classes and operating as a separate studio with its own membership.

Products and services

• Membership Plans Tiered gym membership subscriptions including Gym Only, Pure Fitness, CrossFit Pure, Premium/Gold Peak and Off-Peak options, plus Annual Saver plans. Memberships run on monthly rolling subscriptions with 30-day cancellation notice, and one-off joining fees apply to certain tiers. Each tier offers different levels of access to the gym facility, fitness classes, martial arts classes, and CrossFit programming.
• Martial Arts Classes Comprehensive martial arts program covering Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (home of Pedro Bessa BJJ School), MMA, Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Striking/Sparring. Classes are designed for all levels from complete beginners to professional athletes competing at UFC and Commonwealth Games levels. The program emphasizes an inclusive, gender-neutral, age-agnostic training environment.
• Fitness Classes Group fitness and strength classes including Calisthenics, Olympic Lifting, Female Fight Club, CrossBox, Rise Bootcamp, Run Club, and Strong (Strength and Conditioning). Delivered using state-of-the-art, specifically designed equipment and training programmes, with MyZone heart rate monitoring integrated to convert activity into Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) that reward effort rather than fitness level.
• Kids Classes Youth programs offering Kids Jiu-Jitsu (ages 5-15), Kids Boxing (ages 8+), and Kids Calisthenics (ages 6-14), taught by experienced coaches. Classes are designed to be fun, safe, and inclusive while teaching discipline and building confidence through exercise.
• CrossFit Program CrossFit training program held in the Sweatbox Yard semi-outdoor space, featuring Strength & Sweat, Level Up Metcon, Gymnastics, and Team Super WOD classes. Class sizes are capped at a maximum of 12 participants to ensure proper coaching and form checks. Programming scales across beginner to seasoned athlete levels.
• Personal Training One-on-one coaching from a team of over 25 dedicated personal trainers offering specialized training in areas including martial arts, strength training, yoga, and functional fitness. New members receive a complimentary 1-to-1 personal training session before commitment to membership.
• Sports Massage Therapy (The Treatment Room) In-house sports and remedial massage therapy service operated by Lana Ashton, offering massage therapy, injury recovery, and performance optimization treatments. Pricing: initial 1-hour session £55, 45-minute follow-up £45, 30-minute treatment £35, 90-minute treatment £85. Members receive a £5 discount. Available to both members and non-members.
• Wild & Well Retreat Off-grid strength and flexibility retreat at Quinta do Rabaçal on the Mondego River in Portugal, featuring daily yoga, calisthenics, movement classes, workshops, and restorative sessions over 5 nights. Priced at £1,250-£1,550 per person including accommodation, meals, classes, and activities.
• Sweat Box Gym Mobile App Branded mobile application for iOS and Android enabling class booking, membership management, and account creation. Available for download via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• SWTBX Merchandise In-house branded training apparel under the SWTBX label including t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, and compression wear. Also sells Pedro Bessa BJJ X Tatami training and leisure wear.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes (max 12) ensure proper coaching and form checks
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MindbodycoreTechnology or IntegrationMindbody is the cloud business management and payment platform powering Sweat Box Gym's class booking, membership management, and payment processing. Mindbody is a PCI Compliant Level 1 Service Provider, ensuring highest security standards for card payments. The platform handles the booking app and member subscriptions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• F45 Training: Global franchise offering 45-minute functional group training in small classes. Directly comparable to Sweatbox's CrossFit and functional fitness group offering, with a similar target customer of fitness enthusiasts seeking coached, community-based group workouts.
• CrossFit (Affiliate Network): Global CrossFit affiliate network of independently owned boxes offering functional fitness in coached group settings. Sweatbox's CrossFit program and Sweatbox Yard directly parallel this affiliate model, competing for the same cross-training customer in the UK.
• Carlson Gracie Bristol: Bristol-based Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy offering a graded BJJ curriculum for all levels. Direct competitor to Pedro Bessa BJJ School within Sweatbox, competing for the same BJJ customer in the Bristol martial arts market.

Broad incumbents

• Better (GLL): UK-wide public leisure operator with multiple Bristol sites offering gyms, fitness classes, and personal training. Comparable as a nearby fitness-and-class competitor serving similar South Bristol demographics, though at lower price points and broader scope.
• David Lloyd Leisure: UK premium family fitness and racquets club chain with full-service gyms, classes, and kids programs. Overlaps with Sweatbox's all-inclusive family positioning and multi-discipline offering, though at a higher price tier and with broader amenities.
• PureGym: UK low-cost gym operator with multiple Bristol locations, providing 24/7 access and group classes. Functions as a price-anchor competitor for fitness members in the same Bristol geography, though without Sweatbox's boutique coaching and martial arts depth.
• Third Space: London premium fitness club offering luxury facilities, group classes, and specialist training. Comparable at the premium tier with a similar multi-discipline programming model, though with a more affluent positioning and broader amenity mix.

Emerging players

• Gymbox: UK boutique fitness brand offering group classes, strength training, and unique member experiences at a premium price point. Comparable as a boutique, experience-led fitness operator with a similar emphasis on community and programming, though primarily London-based.
• Another Space: London boutique fitness studio offering group classes, boxing, and strength training with a curated, premium positioning. Comparable as a boutique, multi-discipline operator with a similar experience-led model, though without Sweatbox's outdoor CrossFit element.
• Barry's Bootcamp: Global boutique fitness brand known for high-intensity group workouts in premium studios. Comparable in target customer and premium price positioning, with a similarly disciplined coached-group model, though without outdoor or martial arts programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sweatboxgymbristol
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweatboxgymbristol

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about THE SWEATBOX GYM