Functional Training - where exercises are specifically designed to help you perform everyday activities more easily and avoid injury - is becoming a very popular and arguably the most effective training method. However, it does involve a range of rather weird and wonderful equipment, which may appear somewhat daunting or baffling to the average gym goer.

TRX straps, foam rollers, kettle bells, heavy bags, battle ropes and vipers are nothing to do with DIY, hairdressing, making tea, shopping sprees, weaponry or wildlife, but are effective aids to achieving a great workout, once you have the confidence to use them properly.

That’s why Welcome Gym runs a range of workshops, designed to familiarise you with this equipment and take the worry out of trying new things. Workshops are typically 15-minute informal sessions, where one of our instructors demonstrates how a particular item of kit works and how to use it safely and effectively. You can try things yourself, ask questions and get professional advice, so they’re well worth doing.

You can book into these workshops just like you do for a fitness class, through the Members’ Area on our website, and can take part in as many of them as you like, completely free of charge.

So, Task 4 of the Join, Like, Learn Challenge is to book a workshop and get to grips with a piece of functional training equipment, so that you can incorporate it in future training sessions. And don’t forget to get your loyalty card stamped by the instructor when you’ve taken part in at least one workshop.