Mona has been a client for about a year, and in this blog post she talks about why Ritual works for her, and shares her thoughts on effort, determination and transformation. Enjoy!

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There are moments when you can’t help but feel some mysterious cosmic alignment almost certainly gravitated you towards certain life-changing decisions. My joining Ritual is definitely one of them.

My workouts back then revolved around Pilates or cardio-based HIIT, with the occasional Muay Thai class thrown in. I was already reasonably fit, but I couldn’t do a kettle bell swing to save my life. I decided I wanted to start doing weight training, but didn’t really have the time to invest into hour-long sessions at a gym every day of the week. Not like I would have known what to do anyway — I was completely out of my element.

Then I discovered Ritual, and from the get go, it felt like I had found the perfect gym. Everything from their workout structure (which included weights!) to their impossibly cool branding to even just their decor — it spoke to me. It was also pretty cool that the gym is located just 5 minutes from my office.

I figured, why not. I mean, it’s only 30 minutes of my day. It won’t kill me to miss one after-work drinks session.

After that first time, I was hooked. Fast forward 10 months later and Ritual would become the place where I’d eagerly go to challenge my physical limits, the place I’d escape to if I were having a bad day, and would eventually prove to be more than just a place to sweat and burn fat.

Their workout format is one my body responds to, so while I obviously only have complimentary things to say on that front, I also get that it’s not for everyone. It’s kind of ironic how Ritual named themselves after having a constant, when what makes their model different from anyone else’s is everything but. I love how the workouts change daily, so I never know what to expect each time I step through their doors. I like the “all or nothing” vibe – it makes working out almost brainless, and I never have to worry about reps or having a bad form.

The physical benefits aside, I keep going back because of the culture. For one, it’s utterly unpretentious for a “fancy boutique gym”. Everyone who goes there is serious about working out, and as how Ritual puts it, we leave our egos at the door. There’s a sort of camaraderie in the air too, we know we’re all in it together so screw it. Go hard or go home.

Admittedly, it takes a certain level of sadomasochism and insanity to be part of the Ritual family. There’s no way around it – the workouts are tough. The coaches are constantly on alert to push you just when you think you can’t do another damn burpee, and I’ve never seen anyone finish a session not drenched in sweat. The fact that you can choose from four different intensity levels is absolutely genius. It caters to a whole variety of goals from weight loss to maintenance, and you choose how hard you want to push yourself, so there are no excuses.

At the end of the day, I know that Ritual is still just a gym (albeit a very different one). Whether you’re with a yoga studio, globo gym or Ritual, you do not transform overnight. It takes effort and dedication on your part to make the necessary lifestyle changes, but here, they tell you it’s ok to do it a little at a time. It took me 10 months of thrice-weekly sessions before I progressed from struggling with a 12kg kettlebell to 40kg, and I wear my calluses like a badge of honor.

It will not be easy, but nothing in life worth having is. At Ritual, they do their best to make the transition easier, for everyone who works there (from the coaches to the shake masters) is so supportive and positive that it almost feels a little less painful (sometimes). The team is truly exceptional and I have nothing but praise for all of them. Whether it’s my nonsensical questions about what carb cycling is or what I can do at home to work out my obliques, they go above and beyond any expectations I had of a “gym coach”.

Ritual might not be for everyone, but everyone deserves to find their ritual, and I hope you do. The next time you find yourself in Raffles Place with 30 minutes to kill, I say, just give it a shot. After all, what have you got to lose?

Be Brave,

Mona