We love seeing something new hit the Illawarra, and this time it’s altitude training! Monday, 30th October saw Air Locker Wollongong throw open the doors for those who are keen to experience a new twist on their training. The Air Locker franchise, which first opened in 2019, has gained popularity over recent years and offers a simulated altitude training environment, where oxygen levels are reduced to around 14%. I dragged my butt out of bed for the very first class on offer at 5am to get those new gym feels…

Ruby Clarke and Bailey Helbig are the two young entrepreneurs behind the wheel at Air Locker Wollongong.

The pair have both had a love of fitness from a young age, with Ruby playing hockey at a high level that included strength and conditioning training, and Bailey being introduced to the gym with his dad, following a life-threatening injury in his teenage years.

After graduating high school, Ruby took a leap of faith and made the move from her hometown in Bathurst to Newcastle to get her foot in the door in the fitness industry, studying her cert III & IV in fitness and starting a job at the local gym. Bailey went straight into the military from high school, which led to him becoming a qualified Australian Defence Force fitness leader.

It was Bailey who introduced Ruby to Air Locker Training in Newcastle, where she ended up working as a coach and sparked the thoughts of owning her own studio one day.

With Ruby literally turning 21 on the same day as Air Locker Wollongong opening its doors and her partner, Bailey only 3 years ahead of her, they give off some serious ‘can-do’ vibes. Not only have they had the guts to embark on owning their own business, but they have moved to a new city to do so, believing Wollongong was the place to start their next chapter.

“Ruby grew up in Bathurst and I had been posted to RAAF Williamtown in  Newcastle, where my family lives… Wollongong is central to Canberra (where I also have family and military friends), Bathurst, Sydney, and Newcastle. It had the coastal lifestyle we had grown to love in Newy, it’s picturesque, it’s laid back, not crowded, and most importantly has good fishing!” said Bailey. “From the gym standpoint, there were no other Air Locker franchises in the Illawarra, and has a big population with a strong culture for living active lifestyles.”

Air Locker Training goes by the motto ‘Altitude is for everyone’. “Our all-inclusive environment invites anyone to attend, regardless of their experience with group training or fitness level,” says Bailey.

Creating a supportive community is at the forefront of Air Locker’s offering, ensuring that each member has the best experience whilst improving their health and wellbeing. The group training classes create an opportunity for members to connect, exercise together, and motivate one another. In addition to their group classes, Air Locker Training builds a strong community among the members by providing:

• Social spaces within the studio to encourage interaction before and after each workout.
• Regular social events, themed parties, and workshops to encourage members to get to know each other outside of the regular workouts.
• A strong online community and member forums through the custom app, allowing members to share their personal stories outside of the studios, share tips and communicate with one another.
• Three yearly challenges led and supported by expert coaches that educate members in nutrition, achieve individual goals, and encourage camaraderie.
• An emphasis on mental wellbeing by incorporating breathwork, meditation, and mindset, in every class to allow members to leave feeling focused and positive.
• Member milestone acknowledgement and support to hit their goals.
• Expertly trained coaches and management team who are friendly, approachable, and genuinely interested in the wellbeing of members.
• A welcoming atmosphere and a vibe as high as the altitude!

The member perks that Ruby and Bailey have been arranging by building relationships with local businesses will all be revealed at the Air Locker Wollongong official grand opening this Saturday 4th November. Some examples include The Illawarra Hotel, HIT Nutrition, Guzman Y Gomez, and Illawarra’s newest sauna facility, SaunAUS.

It’s not often that you get to be part of the very first class on the first day a gym opens. With 30th October to 3rd November officially being “VIP week”, there was definitely a buzz in the air. The opening of a new Air Locker studio is a proud moment for not only the franchisees but also for ALT founder, Roman Brady. Roman is spending VIP week (and the subsequent “grand opening” on Saturday 4th November), with Ruby, Bailey, and their team to assist with any teething issues that can arise with a brand new studio, but also to show his support for all the effort, commitment and passion that has got them to this point. It’s actually been around 12 months in the making for Air Locker Wollongong so far!

The allure of altitude training has obviously piqued some interest here in the ‘Gong. The 5 am class was fully booked with 24 attendees and many of the timetabled classes for the week ahead are looking the same way, with waitlists being created. The vibe was super friendly, with smiles, hugs, handshakes, and fist bumps all around. Newcomers (in this case, all of us!) are briefed on what to expect when they enter the ALT altitude room and we were reassured by Roman that the adaptation to that “fight or flight” response that can be created from reduced oxygen levels will increase over a few sessions. Emphasis is placed on being able to control your breath as much as possible through the workout and we are led into the gym area where we will spend the next 50 minutes.

The ALT gym gives off a nightclub aesthetic, with black equipment and flooring, lit only by the electric blue edge lighting that reflects off one large mirrored wall to create a dimly lit atmosphere. A wall monitor shows the current oxygen levels, our simulated altitude, and the temperature in the room.

Today’s workout is a lower body focused, interval session, with 12 different movements and tempos carried out for 40 seconds at a time. Being at max capacity, the class had someone on every station, with two people performing the same exercise at a time. There are two large wall-mounted screens to show timings and to keep you on track of what exercise you should be doing at each station. We’re given a quick demo of what each station will entail, a brief warmup and then it’s game on!

We had 4 coaches – Roman, Bailey, Ruby, and Izzy who were constantly moving around, offering encouragement, adjusting loads, and correcting form or tempo. The fast-paced design of moving swiftly from one station to the next meant there wasn’t time for chit-chat – more of a sympathetic smile and a nod to your fellow participants.

Personally, I didn’t notice the change in oxygen levels at all as far as my breathing was concerned. I’ve been playing around with intermittent hypoxic training and nose-breathing during exertion for a while and will generally run with my mouth closed, so it’s possible that I was able to adapt more easily, but maybe I just expected it to be more noticeable than it was. I did have to shake the old legs out a few times when the lactic acid burn started to creep in during sets of squat pulses, and I think my legs felt heavier than usual, but I didn’t feel “flogged” keeping up with the workout.

Fast forward 8 hours and my legs definitely know they got a pounding this morning. Sitting down on the toilet tomorrow is going to be interesting!

The workout is bookended with some mindset work – nothing woo-woo – just a pause to acknowledge that you’ve shown up, made a choice, and to bring your attention to the present moment.

 I’ve been following Air Locker Training for around 12 months and was curious to experience the simulated altitude environment for myself. When I saw the ALT was opening a studio in Wollongong, I was straight on the phone to Ruby to find out more. While I was drawn to the altitude aspect, the idea of group exercise had me hesitating for a couple of reasons…

1. Timetables. My favourite time to train is mid-morning. I do shift work, which can make my mornings unreliable, and I’ve got school-aged children, so generally the easiest, most consistent time for me to get to the gym is while the kids are at school. I realise that schedules vary massively from one person to the next, but most group training timetables cater to early mornings and evenings.

2. People. As an introvert, I use my time spent training as a time to recharge my batteries. I’m very social, but I’ve had mixed experiences with group exercise settings being the right fit for me.

3. Modifying exercises around injuries. I’ve had a couple of wrist surgeries, and while I consider myself quite fit and able to do most things, I’ve been advised to avoid repetitive loads in certain positions, as my wrists are susceptible to ongoing issues. When I train solo, this isn’t a problem, as there are many variations of exercises that I can do without aggravating my wrists, but I can get frustrated having to do a different exercise in a group workout than everyone else.

So, knowing that these would be my sticking points, what did I think of ALT?

Pros:

Vibe: The welcome was unreal. Considering that we were a group of strangers thrown together – probably half had a buddy, but there were plenty of us flying solo – it was a pretty friendly bunch of locals. The ALT trainers were extremely welcoming and supportive – there was no “push, push – go harder”, style yelling… only positive encouragement and reassurance to help bring the breath back down during breaks.

Music: I have to be honest – with the blue lights, the dimly lit room, and even the social media reels I’d seen in the lead-up to visiting ALT, I was expecting a whole lot of rap, hip-hop, and R&B. There was definitely a pumped up overlay that fitted perfectly with the visuals and the tempo we were working at, but underneath the remix was the familiarity of old friends like Eurythmics, and Beyonce.
Bangers, for a forty-something like myself!

Altitude: Obviously, I’m going to need a little longer to assess the impact of training in a reduced oxygen atmosphere for me personally. From a user perspective though, I wasn’t sure if it would be a real endurance “mind over matter” event for me to adapt to the changed environment. It didn’t feel stressful at all. Going off the research we discussed above though, the benefits of altitude training sound pretty awesome, so it’s definitely a “plus” for me.

Easy to book: The ALT app is extremely user-friendly and allows you to preview the week’s timetable and book classes with one tap. Cancelling a booking is just as easy, providing you do it within 4 hours of the class starting to avoid a cancellation fee.

Cons:

Fixed timetable: Different strokes for different folks. If you need flexibility in your day when it comes to getting your workout in, group exercise might not be the best for you. For some, however, the act of committing to a time and a place is exactly what they need to make them show up and get it done!

Popularity: This is such a selfish statement, but I’d much rather a half-full class! Of course, I’m stoked for Ruby and Bailey that they’ve got a packed-out timetable – and with a few curious cats jumping on their “7 days for $7” special offer, it’s understandable that people will cram 5 or 6 workouts into a week when they might normally do 3 or 4. This wasn’t an issue as far as equipment sharing goes, because – unlike a traditional gym at a busy time, where you might have to wait your turn – the class is designed to avoid that. It did feel a little crammed in when we did our stretching at the end though.

The Verdict?

I’m going to stick with ALT for a few months and give the altitude thing a red hot go. If you’re curious about trying it for yourself, get in touch with Air Locker Wollongong. The “gymtimidation” factor is lower than you think!