If you want to be in the shape of your life, there’s one man some of London’s busiest and highestprofile people turn to – Matt Roberts. His fitness empire includes private personal training gyms in Mayfair, Chelsea and the City. He also runs exclusive retreats and has a new boutique gym at the Langley, a sister hotel to the Wellesley Knightsbridge, opening in the summer, in the grounds of the former country estate of the third duke of Marlborough in Buckinghamshire. What sets his approach apart from less feted personal trainers?
“For more than 20 years we’ve been delivering high-end, one-to-one training services in luxury venues in really great locations, with a team who work just for the company,” says Matt.
This team of more than 80 trainers includes international athletes and world-class competition winners who constantly fine-tune clients’ workouts based on the latest data and research. These are no ordinary trainers, but then Londoners are rarely ‘ordinary’ clients. Matt believes they push themselves harder than those outside of the capital, “We’re driven. We have to be. It’s a competitive city and you need to be really on your game to survive.”
Matt’s approach has its natural home in London, where clients demand more from themselves and their training, “It’s all about results. People come to us because they want to achieve a great deal and in 99% of cases, that’s what we do. We focus all our time on having a great experience, working hard, but making it entertaining and fun. We want to guarantee people change their shape, their fitness, their energy levels and be the best versions of themselves they can possibly be,” he says.
FIT FOR PURPOSE
Matt has seen clients’ expectations change over the years. It’s no longer about just wanting ‘to lose a bit of weight’. For many Londoners, it’s more about feeling a rounded sense of wellness and energy. “People want to be lean, but they also want support with things like stress management and controlling levels of cortisol (the hormone the body releases when under stress),” says Matt.
Does he see differences between what clients in Mayfair and Chelsea come to his trainers for, compared with City clients? “There are a lot of people in the City who want to get physically strong for that competitive environment. There’s also some discreet discussion about lifestyle control; they want to get on top of eating and drinking habits, as well as their stress levels, they want to sleep better, they need to make sure they can cope with the demands their day brings, and not be ground down by fear of burning out. We can bring them back from the edge.”
And what are clients asking for in Mayfair? “There’s a bit more of an emphasis on being energised and people asking, ‘How far can I push my body to really feel very well and go to a higher level.’”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Matt’s exposure to fitness and training came early, with his late father, footballer John Roberts, playing for Arsenal, among other clubs, and captaining Wales. As father to two teenagers, Matt’s a strong advocate for parents leading by example when it comes to being active.
“My dad was a professional footballer, so I knew from day one that being physically active was a normal thing to do, likewise for my kids. There’s no doubt, if you’re a parent who’s not active, we know from research that the chances are your children won’t be active and have more chance of being obese as well. It’s important you show by example that being physically active is an important part of everyday life.”
PEAK FITNESS
The start of a year, of course, is a good time to reflect on our well-being and what we do in our everyday lives. One option to change your lifestyle is considering a retreat with Matt at luxury destination spa Ananda. Located in the Himalayan foothills within the Maharaja’s Palace Estate, clients benefit from bespoke Ayurvedic treatment programmes, with a strong emphasis on mountain treks at 2,000ft. Clients treat their lungs to pure air and their bodies to transformative results that last.
“Trips are a fascinating time to really push your lifestyle. Everyone came back from the last retreat in November feeling 10 years younger. We see some really spectacular changes in people’s bodies and fitness. People also integrate stopping smoking and drinking, and bring home changes that last.”
WE WANT TO GUARANTEE PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR SHAPE, THEIR FITNESS, THEIR ENERGY LEVELS AND BE THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES THEY CAN POSSIBLY BE
LONDON'S BURNING
But if you can’t spare the time for a luxury retreat, what’s the best advice Matt can give time-pressed Londoners who want to stick to their New Year’s resolutions and burn off those calories? “It’s really hard if you’re busy to try and do four or five hours of working out every week, but you can get away with doing really good express workouts.”
Matt says it’s all about using the right intensities, “You might just do a 20-30 minute cardio workout doing really great structured intervals where you do a minute of high intensity, a minute of low. The high could be running or going up a big hill, or a fast swim for a minute, with a rest or walk for a minute. Do that 8-10 times and that’s a massive metabolism boost.”
Matt suggests mixing these workouts two to three times a week with some resistance training using a technique called peripheral heart action (PHA). This involves alternating an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise, resting between sets for a total of 15-20 minutes, “The effect of this high and low up the body is a real blood shunt – almost like a cardiovascular workout from resistance training.”
But Matt doesn’t sugar-coat what it takes to change your body, and your lifestyle, “You’ve got one body, one shot at it. If you’re happy as you are, fine, don’t do anything about it. But if you need to change, you’re going to need to commit. You need to change things you do in your every day life and exercise regularly, whether you’re with us or on your own, working out at a vigorous intensity four or five times a week, controlling your diet phenomenally well, not 100 per cent of the time, but most of the time. It won’t be easy, but it is achievable.”
MATT ROBERTS' LONDON AT A GLANCE
What are your first London memories?
When Dad was playing for Birmingham, we used to come down to London and one of my earliest memories was going to Harrods for the whole Christmas thing there. That has always stuck in my mind a lot.
How long has London been home?
I moved down when I was 21. I think in the back of my mind it was always an aspiration to move to London, there was such an automatic draw. It’s almost impossible to leave the place.
Where is home in London?
Greenwich. It’s green and leafy and only 15 minutes from W1 on the tube. It’s the best of both worlds for children – away from city hustle and bustle, but near to central London. New restaurants, like The Ivy Cafe, are opening all the time.
Where do you go to unwind?
I love the top floor of The Mondrian – the bar is fantastic fun. I also love the Rosewood Hotel, which has a great bar.
What are your favourite running routes in the capital?
My favourite is probably running from the club in Mayfair through Green Park, down to the river, along the Southbank, down to Tower Bridge, then back onto the north side. It takes in London and is away from traffic.
What London charity do you support?
I support St Christopher’s, a hospice organisation that provides end-of-life care and support to over 6,000 people across South East London every year (stchristophers.org.uk).
16 Berkeley Street, W1J 8DZ
mattroberts.co.uk
