The People's Gym · Cork
Personal training for students in Cork
Big commercial gyms are cheap and packed, and nobody in them is going to teach you to lift. If you want to actually learn how to train, get strong and not waste a year copying videos, our personal trainers build 30-minute sessions around it at our Ballincollig gym, a short hop from MTU and CUH, and at Douglas.
Students
Learn to train properly once, use it for life
Most people spend their college years guessing in a gym. A term of coached sessions teaches technique and programming you will use for the next fifty years.
Learn the lifts
Squat, hinge, press, pull, carry. Coached from the first session so the technique is right before the weight goes on.
A programme, not a playlist
Your coach writes and progresses the programme. You stop wondering what to do and start getting stronger every week.
No contract
No twelve-month tie-in. Packs never expire, so the summer at home or a placement costs you nothing.
Near MTU, CUH and UCC
Ballincollig is a few minutes from the MTU Bishopstown campus and CUH, and Douglas is handy from the city and the south side.
Sport and Hyrox
Playing for the college or training for Hyrox? Strength and conditioning is what we do, and we have Hyrox classes at both gyms.
Exams and head space
Two short sessions a week is the best study aid there is. Better sleep, better mood, and half an hour where nobody mentions the thesis.
Real Google reviews
From members who started where you are
In their own words, straight from Google.
"Lovely welcoming environment! Would definitely recommend the PT sessions, I started a few months ago, having never done any weight training before and I am so glad I did. …"
"I joined ATP in May 2025 due to their Hyrox affiliation and wanting to train as effectively as possible. I also started PT about a month ago, and love the encouraging environment created in Ballincollig. I have been constantly challenged over the past few months, and the energy of each of the trainers is unmatched."
"Brilliant gym, great atmosphere, real results. … The classes and personal training sessions are always varied, making it enjoyable while making real progress and achieving new personal bests. Not to mention the fact that credits don't expire. A benefit I have not seen in any other gym."
"Excellent team of knowledgeable and motivating coaches. They can accommodate any level, from complete beginners to advanced athletes. Great stuff"
How it works
Training as a student at ATP
College is when most people start going to the gym, and most of them spend those years doing it badly: copying whatever is on their phone, lifting too heavy with poor technique, or drifting between machines with no plan. A few months of coaching fixes that permanently. You learn the lifts, you learn how a programme works, and you carry that into every gym you ever join afterwards.
What a session looks like
You train 1:2, one coach and two clients, each on your own programme, for 30 minutes. The first few sessions are technique: the coach teaches the squat, hinge, press, pull and carry properly and finds your starting loads. Then the programme progresses week by week. If you play sport for the college or a club, tell us and the programme is built around the season. Two sessions a week is the sweet spot, three if you are chasing something.
Money and time
There is no contract and nothing renews without you. Our no-expiry packs mean you buy a block of sessions and use them when college allows, and the summer at home does not cost you anything. Sessions run from early morning to evening, six days a week, so they fit around lectures, labs and part-time work. Any membership works at both gyms.
Getting started
Your first session is free. Claim it below and mention what you are training for in the form or when we ring. It is a real coached 30-minute session at Douglas or Ballincollig, no card and no commitment. If you are new to the gym altogether, our beginners page is a good read first, and if it is a sport that brought you, our strength and conditioning page covers that side.
Memberships & pricing
Simple, flexible pricing
Personal training from €20.56 a session on a rolling membership, €35 pay as you go, and no-expiry packs from €289. See full pricing →
FAQ
Student questions
If yours is not here, give us a ring. We would rather talk it through.
Is there a student discount?
There is no separate student rate, but there is no contract, packs never expire and your first session is free, which for most students works out better than a twelve-month gym membership they use for six.
I have never lifted before. Is that OK?
It is the most common starting point. Your coach teaches the lifts from scratch, and you will be lifting with good technique inside a few sessions.
What happens over the summer or on placement?
Nothing. Your pack sits there until you are back. There is no monthly fee ticking away while you are away.
Which gym is closest to MTU or UCC?
Ballincollig is a few minutes from the MTU Bishopstown campus and from CUH, and is the handier one from UCC by bus or bike. Douglas suits the city centre and the south side. Any membership works at both.
Can I train with a friend?
Yes. Two friends can book the same session and train side by side, each on your own programme. Our training with a friend page explains it.
I play for a club or the college. Can you do strength and conditioning?
Yes. That is a big part of what we do. Tell us the sport and the season and the programme is built around it.
How much does it cost?
Rolling memberships start at €179 every 4 weeks for two sessions a week, and our no-expiry packs never lapse. Your first session is free, no card and no commitment.
Get started
Claim your free session
Tell us a little about yourself and a member of the ATP team will be in touch to book in your free session.
ATP Fitness App
Manage your sessions on the go
Book your PT & classes straight from your phone, manage your membership and top up credits any time.
Find us
Two locations across Cork
Douglas
2nd Floor, Unit A1, Donnybrook Commercial Centre, Donnybrook, Cork City
Tel: 087 649 4134
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Ballincollig
Unit 1A, Link Road Business Park, Carrigrohane, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Tel: 085 725 2370
Mon-Thurs: 6:30am - 8:30pm
Friday: 6:30am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed