A private gym is a training facility that is not open to the general public on a walk-in membership. Instead of paying for floor access and sharing the room with whoever else turned up, you book a time, the space is yours, and a coach runs the session. In Kamloops that is a genuinely different product from the chain gyms most people picture when they search for a gym, and it suits a very specific kind of person.
I am Jake Richardson. JR Training Systems is a private personal training studio at 2631 Ayr Pl in Brocklehurst, and it is the only private, dedicated personal training facility serving Kamloops. This post is not a pitch for it. It is the honest version of the conversation I have with almost everyone who calls: here are the kinds of gym in this city, here is who each one actually works for, and here is how to tell which one is you. If that turns out to be a chain gym, that is a good outcome. Picking wrong is what wastes a year.
The five kinds of gym in Kamloops
Almost every option in town falls into one of five formats. The differences that matter are not the equipment. They are supervision, scheduling, and who else is in the room.
| Format | What you get | Coaching | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big-box chain | Large floor, wide equipment range, long hours, low monthly fee | Optional, sold separately | Experienced lifters who already know their program |
| 24-hour access gym | Keyfob entry, train at any hour, minimal staffing | Usually none on site | Shift workers and self-directed trainees |
| Class-based or group studio | Set class times, a coach leading a group | Group level, not individual | People motivated by a room of others |
| Campus or community rec centre | Subsidised access, pool and courts, busy peak hours | Rarely included | Students and families wanting broad facilities |
| Private training studio | Booked sessions in a closed facility, one coach, one client | Every session, start to finish | Beginners, injury history, anyone who has stalled alone |
Most people searching for a gym in Kamloops compare the first two on price and hours, because those are the numbers on the door. That comparison works fine if you already have a program and the discipline to run it. It falls apart if what you are actually missing is the program and the accountability, because no membership price fixes that.
What “private” actually changes
Private is not a luxury descriptor. It changes four practical things about how you train.
- Nobody is waiting for your rack. Your session runs in the order it was written, not in the order equipment frees up. That matters most for strength work, where rest periods are part of the prescription.
- Nobody is watching. This is the single most common reason people tell me they stopped going to a big gym. If the room is the barrier, the room is the thing to remove first.
- The program is written for you. Not a template with your name on it. I coach ages 8 to the 90s, and an eighty-year-old rebuilding balance and a junior athlete adding power do not share a plan.
- The session adjusts to the week you actually had. If you slept badly, tweaked your back, or worked a double, the plan changes that day. A written program you follow alone cannot do that.
The trade is real and worth stating plainly: you book a time and you turn up for it, and it costs more per session than floor access. You are buying coaching, not square footage.
Who a private gym is genuinely right for
In my experience the people who get the most out of a private studio in Kamloops fall into five groups.
- Total beginners. If you have never trained, the first three months decide whether this becomes a habit or a story about the year you tried the gym. Supervision in that window is worth more than at any other point.
- Anyone with an injury history or ongoing pain. Back pain, shoulders, post-surgical, post-rehab. This needs someone watching the movement, not a video. We build it into the program through back pain management training and posture correction.
- Desk-based professionals. Eight hours seated produces a predictable set of problems: tight hips, rounded shoulders, a back that complains by Thursday. I also run PosturePlus corporate wellness for local organisations including RBC, Manning Elliott LLP, and the Kamloops Chamber, so this is the population I see most.
- People who have plateaued. If you have trained on your own for a year or more and the numbers stopped moving, the missing piece is usually programming, not effort.
- Older adults, and anyone who finds a busy gym floor intimidating. Senior fitness training is a large part of what I do, and the private setting is a big reason those clients stay consistent.
Who should not choose a private gym
This is the section most gym comparison articles skip, so here it is.
Do not pay for private training if you already have a program that is working, you enjoy training alone, and your lifts are still progressing. You are paying for a service you are not using. A chain membership or a 24-hour access gym is the better buy.
Do not choose it if what actually motivates you is a room full of people doing the same thing at the same time. Some people are genuinely driven by that, and a private studio removes the exact thing that gets them through the door. A class-based gym will keep you consistent where I will not.
Do not choose it if the drive is going to beat you. The studio is in Brocklehurst. If you are in Sahali, Aberdeen, or Juniper, that is a real commute in winter. Be honest about whether you will make it twice a week in January. If the answer is no, hybrid training or remote coaching is a better fit than a membership you will not use.
How to compare cost without fooling yourself
Comparing a monthly membership fee against a per-session training rate is comparing two different products, and the membership always looks better. A fairer question is cost per session you actually complete, against the outcome you actually wanted.
Work it out for yourself before you sign anything:
- Take the monthly fee of the gym you are considering.
- Be honest about how many times you went per month the last time you had a membership. Most people overestimate this by roughly double.
- Divide. That is your real cost per session.
- Then ask what those sessions produced last time.
A cheap membership you use four times a month is not cheap, and a cheap membership you use zero times is infinitely expensive. This is not an argument that private training is always the better value. It is an argument that the number on the door is not the number that matters.
Pricing depends on session frequency and package length. Call or text for current rates.
Questions to ask any Kamloops gym before you sign
Bring these to every place you tour, including this one.
- What is the contract length, and what does cancelling actually cost me?
- At the hours I would train, how busy is the floor?
- Is any coaching included, or is it sold separately? If separately, what does it cost?
- Who writes my program, and does it change as I progress?
- What happens if I get injured or need to pause?
- Can I see the space at the time of day I would actually be here?
A gym that answers all six without hedging is worth considering, whatever format it is.
What training at JR Training Systems looks like
You train one on one with me in a private studio at 2631 Ayr Pl in Brocklehurst. Every session is coached start to finish, and the program is written for your goal, your history, and your schedule rather than pulled from a template.
The paths people usually take:
- Private one-on-one training is the foundation of everything here.
- Strength training to build muscle and capacity.
- Weight loss training with habit-based nutrition coaching.
- Fascia Stretch Therapy for mobility and recovery.
- Fitness programs if you are not yet sure which of those fits.
On credentials: NSCA CPPS, Precision Nutrition Level 1, and FST Level 2, so the training and the nutrition guidance both come from certified education rather than general advice. The studio holds a 5.0 rating across 164 reviews.
My own background sits behind how I coach. Twenty years of lacrosse up to the Senior A level, and rebuilding my own strength after a knee injury. That recovery is a large part of why I take injury history and pain as seriously as I do.
Frequently asked questions
What is a private gym?
A training facility that is not open to walk-in members. You book a session, the space is yours for it, and a coach runs the session with you. In Kamloops, JR Training Systems is the only private, dedicated personal training facility.
Is a private gym in Kamloops worth the cost?
It depends entirely on what is stopping you. If you are missing a program, technique, accountability, or confidence in a busy room, coaching solves those and a membership does not. If you already train well on your own, it is not worth it and a chain gym is the better buy.
Where is JR Training Systems?
2631 Ayr Pl, Kamloops BC V2B 4V3, in Brocklehurst. Parking is free and right at the studio.
Do I need any experience to start?
No. A large share of clients start with little or no training experience, and the private setting is built for exactly that.
Do you train seniors and younger athletes?
Yes. I coach ages 8 to the 90s, including senior fitness and hockey performance training.
What if I cannot get to Brocklehurst every week?
Hybrid and remote coaching options exist for exactly that, so you can still train on a real program with regular check-ins.
What does it cost?
Pricing depends on session frequency and package length. Call or text for current rates.
Book a free consult
Not sure which format is right for you? Book a free consult and I will tell you straight, even if the answer is a different gym. Call or text Jake at +1 778-994-6063.
