Social Strength Leith, Edinburgh

Getting strong doesn’t have to be lonely.

Most strength training looks like this: headphones in, head down, nobody talks to anybody, everyone pretends the other people aren’t there.

Social Strength is the opposite of that.

It’s a small group strength class where two or three people train together, learn together, and keep each other honest. There’s a coach on the floor the whole time. The weights are real. The progress is real. And somehow, despite all of that, it’s the most enjoyable hour of a lot of people’s weeks.

If you’ve ever wanted to get stronger but couldn’t face doing it alone, this is what we built for you.

Classes run weekly. Fitness Soul, 34 Tennant Street, Leith.

 
 
 

Why strength training. Why now.

There’s a version of getting older that most people accept without questioning.

You get a bit stiffer. A bit slower. Things start to ache that didn’t used to. You assume that’s just what happens and you adjust your life around it.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Strength training, done consistently, done properly, is one of the most powerful things you can do for your body at any age. It builds muscle. It strengthens bone. It improves balance and coordination. It makes the ordinary physical demands of daily life, carrying, climbing, lifting, moving, feel easy instead of effortful.

We have members in their 70s in Social Strength who are stronger now than they were ten years ago. Not because they’re exceptional. Because they showed up, week after week, and did the work.

That’s available to you too. Right now. Regardless of where you’re starting from.

What the class actually looks like

You arrive and you’re paired with one or two other people at a similar level. You’re not thrown in with anyone who’ll make you feel behind. The groupings are intentional.

Each session focuses on a small number of movements. Not a circuit of fifteen exercises. Two or three lifts, done well, with real weight behind them. Squats. Deadlifts. Presses. The foundational movements that build genuine, transferable strength.

Leszek or Joanna is on the floor the whole time. Watching your form. Adjusting your technique. Telling you when to add weight and when to slow down. You’re never guessing whether you’re doing it right.

The small team format means there’s always someone to work with, to spot you, to encourage you, to quietly compete with when you both have a good session. It turns something that can feel isolating into something that feels social. Hence the name.

Most people say they feel stronger within a few sessions. Not just in the gym. In life. That’s the point.

Who this class is for

 

Social Strength works for a specific kind of person. You might be:

Someone who’s never lifted weights before and wants to learn properly from the start, without feeling lost or embarrassed in a big class.

Someone who’s trained before but always alone, and wants the structure and accountability of training with others.

Someone in their 40s, 50s or 60s who’s been told, or has started to feel, that they need to build more strength, and wants to do it safely and intelligently.

Someone who tried a big commercial gym, found it cold and impersonal, and gave up.

If any of those sound like you, you’ll fit right in here.

Meet Leszek and Joanna

Leszek Stelmachowski founded Fitness Soul and has been coaching strength and conditioning for over a decade. He holds an MSc in Physical Education, is a British Weight Lifting coach, and has completed four Ironman triathlons. He’s worked with everyone from complete beginners to elite endurance athletes and he brings the same attention and seriousness to both. Training with Leszek, you always feel like the most important person in the room. Because in that moment, you are.

Joanna Weintritt has a philosophy she returns to constantly: change your mind before you change your body. She works primarily with women and has a particular gift for building confidence in people who arrive at the gym not sure they belong there. She’s a Level 3 personal trainer, pre and post natal coach, and has been coaching at Fitness Soul since the beginning. Her sessions are warm, demanding, and quietly transformative.

Together they run Social Strength with the same ethos that runs through everything at Fitness Soul: no egos, no pressure, just honest work and real results.

 

What people say

“I walked in not knowing what a deadlift was. Six months later I’m lifting twice my bodyweight. More importantly I feel incredible. My back pain has almost completely gone.”

“I’ve tried every gym in Edinburgh. This is the first place that felt like it was built for me. The small group format makes all the difference. You’re never invisible, never ignored.”

“Leszek remembers every goal I’ve ever mentioned in passing. Three months ago I said offhand that I wanted to be able to carry my grandchildren without my back going. Last week he pointed out that I’d just done exactly that. I cried a little bit. Don’t tell him.”

Read 150+ reviews →

Yes! We cater for all abilities. 

No, all equipment is provided. 

Over 18

It can be if you want, just use heavier kettlebells! 

Practical things

Where: Fitness Soul, 34 Tennant Street, Leith, EH6 5NA, just off Leith Walk

Who: Over 18s. All abilities. Complete beginners not just welcome but encouraged.

What to bring: Just yourself. All equipment is provided.

What to wear: Comfortable training clothes. Flat soled shoes are better than heavily cushioned trainers for most lifting movements.

Group size: Two or three people per group, intentionally matched by level.

Is there an advanced option? Yes. You lift heavier. Same class, higher load. The coaching scales to wherever you are.

Social Strength is included in the Fitness Soul 21 day trial and all memberships.

The thing that stops most people

It’s not the weights. It’s walking in.

That moment at the door, not knowing anyone, not knowing what to expect, not being sure you’ll be able to do it, that’s the hardest part. Everything after that gets easier.

We know this because we’ve watched hundreds of people do exactly that. Walk in uncertain. Leave stronger. Come back.

The 21 day trial exists to make that first step as easy as possible. Three weeks. Every class. £59. No contract. No commitment beyond showing up.

Leszek and Joanna will be there. The group will be small. You won’t be invisible, you won’t be ignored, and you won’t be left to figure it out alone.

That’s a promise.

Start your 21 day trial →

Not ready to commit yet?

Come and watch a session first. Send us a message and we’ll arrange it. No pressure, no obligation.

Or book a free 20 minute coaching call with Leszek or Joanna. Talk through your goals, ask your questions, and decide from there.

Get in touch →