Founded in 2012, HENCH is a pioneering coaching gym in Belfast City centre that’s dedicated to you becoming stronger for life. We've helped 5000+ people like you build a stronger, healthier lifestyle that transforms every aspect of their daily lives.
Learn about our members resultsWe work with you to define your individual fitness goals and our team of coaches are always on hand to guide you based on your individual needs. Every member has their own personal coach who provides one-to-one accountability and advice via face to face and remote consultation.
Learn about membershipsOur mission is to help you look, feel, and live stronger – with the confidence, resilience, and determination to take on anything life throws your way. We build bodies and minds that are primed to meet the demands of modern life - your physical and mental wellbeing is as important to us as your ability to squat, row or bench press. We work with people of all ages and backgrounds and focus on getting to know you as a person, understanding your goals and supporting you every step of the way.
We have an inclusive community of like-minded people from diverse backgrounds of all ages who come together to create a fun, welcoming environment to get results and build a long-term sustainable relationship with your health and fitness. Our members come together with a shared goal - to become stronger for life. We love and enjoy what we do and take down to earth approach to delivering our mission.
Our expert coaching team is led by Head Coach Conor Johnson, with coaches John Watson, Bronagh Donnelly and Joe McGreevy working alongside Founder Rory Girvan (Former Ireland No. 1 ranked Powerlifter, ambassador for mental health charities and Irish News Fitness Columnist). Our coaches are highly experienced and hold bachelors, masters degrees or PhDs in exercise science and undergo regular, rigorous training and development to stay up-to-date with the latest in strength training and coaching techniques.
"It kinda reminds me of Cheers. You know, like you know where everybody knows your name. I feel like I'm part of something in the community, and the coaches here are smiling at me and encouraging me and making me feel like I can accomplish whatever I wanted"
"Unparalleled coaching provided at Hench, I have trained in lots of different gyms and with different coaches and have never made as much progress, or enjoyed my training, as much as I have at Hench."
"I began to understand that if you dealt with people who knew what they were talking about, you got results very, very quickly and the wonderful thing about HENCH is that it allows you to constantly pursue new goals too"
"The things I like best about HENCH is that coaching is really good. And it's made me think about exercise differently in terms of structuring it through my weight, giving myself rest days, allowing myself time to recover, eating well."
"I've got a stronger back and it's more or less got rid of my chronic low back pain that's been an exception eye outcome"
"It's had a really positive impact on my work-life balance, I have more energy and I've never been stronger, and just really enjoy it here. It's just a great place to train."
"The sort of goals that I wanted to achieve felt like like a pipe dream eight months ago and I've managed just surpassed them"
"I really really enjoy here. I just love coming here because it's fantastic facility the information and the knowledge of the guys have the equipment is second to none."
"I learned more in a matter of weeks, than in 10 year of training on my own"
"I've gotten more out of Hench and I have in the previous 10 years of going to gyms"
"My favorite thing about HENCH is the balance that it gives me. Before joining, I was looking for a place that I would be able to train and feel independent, have my own sense of autonomy"
"I'm hitting PB'S in my 40's, that I couldn't even get close to in my 20's, as well as putting myself in the best position to be fit, healthy & strong for my family"
"I'm spending half the time in the gym as I did previously but making much better progress. I feel less fatigued during long and stressful work days, and better in general - happy that I can carve out space in my day to lift."
Katrina
19th March 2024
I joined Hench around 6 months ago now and couldn’t recommend them more. I joined having done no strength training previously so was a little nervous but the coaching and support I’ve received has been amazing and has really changed my mindset in a positive way in relation to exercise. It’s been amazing to see the progress I’ve made which wouldn’t have been possible without the coaches. The timing of the coaching slots available gives me the flexibility to go whenever suits around work and other commitments, with the booking system meaning all the equipment I need for my session is available when I go. I’d highly recommend for anyone looking to give strength training a go!
Joshua
24th April 2021
Started at Hench recently, on the 8 week strength programme for beginners. Cool, genuine bunch of people, that are incredibly supportive, know their stuff and are more than willing to help guide you in the right direction. The gym has a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, making it non-intimidating for people that are just starting, whilst offering a range of small group PT sessions that are suited to a varying range of capabilities/goals. As a beginner, I'm always learning something new, and each session is good fun - 100% :)
Neil
25th May 2023
I’ve been to quite a few gyms, but Hench is in a different class. The coaching is of an extremely high standard with a good attention to technique and form. There is great variation in the programming and I have been able to make excellent progress in a short space of time. I would recommend this gym to anyone, even to a complete beginner.
Sameen
19th March 2024
I joined HENCH 2 years ago as a complete beginner and have been training there consistently ever since. HENCH has shifted my mindset around strength training and has provided me with an opportunity to view my fitness journey from a more balanced perspective. I love the great atmosphere at HENCH and have always felt comfortable training there without the fear of being judged. Coaches are also very knowledgeable, they helped me build a strong foundation which has guided me to be more confident in strength training. I would highly recommend this place to everyone, especially beginners who are looking for a healthy environment to start their training journey.