Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter, we’re here to help you build strength, confidence, and a healthier lifestyle - both in person and online.
Helping you get stronger with tried + tested strength training methods 💪
📍 Specialising in small group PT, Powerlifting + Strongman – Wavertree, Liverpool
📱 Online options include coaching + a strength training membership
🏳️🌈🤎🖤🤍🤝 Essential Strength is an independent, couple-owned gym in Liverpool providing locals with a strength training experience tailored to individual goals - combining expert coaching, personalised programming, and a welcoming community atmosphere. Alongside 1:1 Personal Training, we specialise in Small Group Coaching. These aren’t generic fitness classes! Each person follows their own personalised program while training alongside others. It’s the perfect mix of individual attention, motivation, and community support. We also offer online coaching and an online strength training membership, making it easy to follow structured programs and get expert guidance wherever you train. Essential Strength is a welcoming, inclusive space - LGBTQ+ and multicultural friendly (shame we have to say that). We value respect above ego and work hard to keep the gym a safe, supportive place for everyone. Get in touch to find the best fit for you. 💪
05/03/2026
Overextending in a squat is a really common issue.
A lot of lifters get told to think “chest up”, so they try to create as much extension as possible through their upper back.
The problem is when that extension isn’t balanced with proper bracing.
Instead of creating a strong, neutral torso, you end up overextending.
That usually leads to:
• struggling to hit depth
• feeling the squat more in your lower back
• losing stability in the bottom position
What you actually want is thoracic extension and bracing working together so they balance each other out.
Adam explains it here.
If this helped, comment SQUAT and we’ll send you the cues we use to build this properly. 💪
04/03/2026
Didn't know our husky had such strong feelings about wookies
27/02/2026
It's Eating Disorder Awareness Week so we wanted to cover orthorexia as it's a big issue in the fitness space.
This information is taken from beateatingdisorders.org.uk regarding different aspects to look out for ⬇️
"Orthorexia refers to an unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” food. Food considered “pure” or “impure” can vary from person to person. This doesn’t mean that anyone who subscribes to a healthy eating plan or diet is suffering from orthorexia. As with other eating disorders, the eating behaviour involved – “healthy” or “clean” eating in this case – is used to cope with negative thoughts and feelings, or to feel in control. Someone using food in this way might feel extremely anxious or guilty if they eat food they feel is unhealthy."
👉 It's why assigning labels like good vs. bad to food is something we discourage, and instead we advise a sensible and balanced approach to eating focusing on nutrients dense foods but not omitting things entirely.
And why we're avidly against nutritional misinformation shared online. 🚫
If you recognise signs of an eating disorder (orthorexia or otherwise, such as binge eating) in your daily life, talk to your GP to explore your treatment options.
You may also be someone who experiences disordered eating habits on occasion, and wouldn't say that they have an eating disorder as such. While this is less of an issue, it's still something that should be addressed through a combination of therapy, nutritional education (not from influencers in supermarkets) and sustainable eating habits.
25/02/2026
Our fundraising event for 💜💙
On the 8th March we'll be repping 100kg 182 times (and a final pick up of 4.2kg) to total 18,204.2kg.
This figure is created from multiplying the weight of the human brain (1.4kg) by the number of people diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK in a year.
🔹From the JustGiving page:
"Brain Tumour Support charity offers specialist counselling to people who are defected by brain tumours, whether this be being diagnosed themselves or a friend or family member.
In June 2024, we lost my mum to a brain tumour that she had been living with for 8 years. Then in November 2024, my sister Hannah was diagnosed with her own brain tumour, following a seizure.
Since then, Hannah has received support and been involved in raising awareness for the Brain Tumour Support charity, which she credits with helping keep her sane, so it is a charity very close to our hearts."
I know firsthand how beneficial these charities can be in supporting you through the most difficult times of your life so please donate if you can.
👉 If anyone can't make it on the Sunday to lift, please let us know and we can arrange for you to do some reps on the Saturday if you're available.
🔗 The link to donate to the fundraiser is in our bio
24/02/2026
Open day at 🎉
📅 Come stop by and see us on the 8th March 10am - 3pm
At the gym we'll be running a grip challenge and deadlift fundraiser.
Other businesses involved include:
As well as guest pop ups from and
21/02/2026
Before aimlessly following a program have a look for these things and ask yourself...
Does it evolve as you adapt?
Is load, volume or intensity progressing?
Are the variations actually suitable for you?
Is the training frequency achievable?
Or is it just a collection of workouts with no progression plan?
There should be a reason for everything in your training.
If there’s no progression plan, it’s not a solid program.
This is the difference structured training makes.
20/02/2026
If you’re trying to fix your squat…
And it suddenly feels worse instead of better…
That’s not such a bad sign.
A lot of lifters give up with changing their technique as soon as things feel uncomfortable, because they expect “better” to feel easier.
In this short video, we explain why the correct technique often feels wrong at first and what’s actually happening in your brain when you change a movement pattern.
If you're serious about improving your lifts instead of just lifting heavier, watch this.
Comment PATTERN and we’ll send you the process we use to develop new (and better) motor patterns.
20/02/2026
Not sure about what weight to lift because your form won't hold up?
A lot of people have this problem, and it can be solved with a simple adjustment to your training.
Here’s what that problem looks like:
- Staying too light to drive progress
- Going too heavy and losing technique
- Or repeating the same weight over and over
Not getting anywhere basically.
Good form doesn’t disappear randomly.
It usually breaks down because the load isn’t adjusted properly.
In this video, I break down:
✔️ The intensity range most of your working sets should live in
✔️ How to use RPE (as an intensity scale) to manage load used
✔️ When to add weight, when to hold steady, and when you’re pushing too far
This is how you build strength gradually while working on good form and technique without second-guessing every plate you add.
If you want the exact RPE guide we use with our lifters, comment RPE and we’ll send it over.
14/02/2026
One workout isn’t a progressive strength training program.
When I first tried to start training properly, I wasn’t following a plan, I was collecting workouts to work through.
All I thought was I'm turning up and doing something aren't I? So my strength development will improve, right??
Then I learned that repetition matters, but repetition without structure still isn’t progression.
There’s a difference between doing exercises and following a program.
10/02/2026
The strongest people we coach aren't in the gym every day.
But I’ll be honest.. they do well because they’re getting a lot of quality work done in each session. They’re not rushing in and out.
👉 A lot of people think a workout only “counts” if they’re hot, sweaty, and rushing through it. That approach has even crept into how some people run their strength training sessions.
Using weights doesn’t automatically mean a session is designed to build strength - the structure determines the outcome.
The result is people who want to get stronger and lift heavier, without giving themselves the time and attention that it actually requires.
You’ll also see plenty of advice online to do more frequent, very short workouts. We don’t agree with that for strength training specifically.
It ignores a simple reality that going to and from the gym takes time too.
☑️ The maximum we typically recommend is four good quality sessions. And plenty of people get great results with two to three.
2-3 sessions you can stick to > 5-6 you constantly miss. Or can't recover from.
We also find that longer, focused sessions make skill development easier because you’re already in the flow. 🏋️
Your outcomes depend on how you train, and whether you’re following a program that matches both your goal and your schedule.
TL;DR: Some people want (or just need) a very quick resistance training session or circuit.
It’s just not how we approach building strength.
09/02/2026
Trying to save time in the gym can let you down because people rush the wrong things.
Strength training can be fatiguing, especially with higher-rep or endurance work. But when everything is done as fast as possible just to get sweaty and out of breath, the stimulus changes.
At the same time, forcing a 6-day body-part split into a few sessions is just another version of the same problem.
Strength training isn’t about doing more and more volume for the hell of it. You're better of with focusing on what matters and being efficient everywhere else.
Reducing volume has improved recovery for our clients without sacrificing results.
This is how we think about structuring training when time is limited.
04/02/2026
This is how we prepare people for coaching at our gym.
➡️ We start everyone on a 3 x session PT package called Fast Track to Free Weights. It gives you access to a special introductory rate on 1:1s while also giving you an insight as to how we help people lift better.
If you're more experienced it can be good to use each of the 3 PT sessions to focus on a different main lift, so we'd do back squats, bench press and deadlifts in each of the sessions.
Whereas if you're newer to training like this, then introducing the main lifts as well working through all your accessory exercises together can be more beneficial.
👉 After Fast track to free weights you can choose to do 1-3 coached sessions a week, either as 1:1s or in a small group format.
You can either jump straight in with this offer for £99, or do a 30 min PT taster session first for £19 to see if we're on the same page.
To get yours booked, you can send us a message or use the link in our bio. 📩🔗
Address
Unit 3G Wellington Yard, 3 Wellington Road, Wavertree Liverpool L154JH
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Essential Strength Training & Online Coaching posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Practice
Send a message to Essential Strength Training & Online Coaching:
Hi I'm Kim! I'm a personal trainer, powerlifter and pole dancer. I wanted to become a trainer to help others with their fitness and nutritional needs. I believe these things should be an asset to your life and not a hindrance.
I have a history of struggling with my appearance and exercising just to burn calories as well as massively restricting my food intake. I got to the point where I was hardly eating, my friends and family were very concerned about me and I was definitely skinny but still didn't feel like my appearance matched what I saw in the mirror.
I was often doing cardio based exercise that didn't interest me at all but I felt like I should be doing it to be skinny. Now I can safely say that cardio is not necessarily the best way to lose weight but also, I don't exercise just for weightloss anymore.
You might be thinking "What? Well why do it then?!" but honestly, once you find yourself working towards fitness based goals your mindset will change. Exercise to burn calories will become training to get those 10 push ups, that first chin up, your heaviest squat to date is much more rewarding than burning off last night's glass of wine.
I sometimes like to think of myself as more than just a personal trainer. I like to offer an experience to people that they can't get elsewhere. I don't just give people exercises to do to burn them out and get them exhausted, I do everything with intention.
Your training should have a plan, each exercise session should be structured and focused on the long term goal. That's how I write all of my training programmes for my clients because I believe it's the best way to make the most of your workout. Your time is precious, so you may as well make the most of it!
The main thing I want to do is provide education and knowledge to people to manage their own lifestyles, become healthier and fitter and not to worry about burnout and overtraining. Your diet can be made to be very simple, the health industry likes to overcomplicate things but honestly it doesn't have to be that way.
We have enough stressors in daily life with work, family, money, why should diet and exercise be an extra stress in our lives?
If you want to follow a find a training programme that will provide you with rewarding and progressive workouts then you've come to the right place. I also offer a simple way of managing your own diet in the form of an E-book. You can find all training programmes and my dieting e-book on my online shop!
If you want to take things a step further, both of these things are provided in a custom format with Online Coaching as well as weekly check-ins giving that accountability factor. With this service you also get personalised programming, detailed session feedback and regular goal setting updates to make sure you're on the right track to achieve your goals.
To get your free mini training programme sent straight to your inbox, click here.
