Formateurs

One of the two founding coaches, and the reason the word "discipline" gets thrown around so much here. Marouane runs a room like a drill sergeant with impeccable taste in music — Nas, Tupac, Wu-Tang, and a warm-up that will make you question your life choices. He doesn't negotiate, he doesn't do "I'm tired," and he genuinely believes you have more in you than you think. Usually he's right. His two favourite words, delivered right when you're about to quit: "easy shit." Say it back to him. You'll mean it by the end.

The other half of the founding duo. Salah is a serious athlete — strength, running, the full package — and somehow also the friendliest person you'll meet all week. He dances between sets. He plays Afrobeats loud enough to make the last 200m feel possible. And yes, he will absolutely eat a pain au chocolat in the corner while the entire class is face down on the floor. If you complain, he shrugs, smiles, and hits you with his signature: "it is what it is." You'll be annoyed. You'll also come back Thursday.

Ask Mehdi what he did last weekend and the answer is boxing. Ask him about his plans for next year: boxing. Breakfast, lunch, dinner — boxing. That obsession is exactly why he's the best person to put gloves on you for the first time. He breaks everything down, corrects you a hundred times without ever making you feel small, and grins the entire way through. People who swore they'd "just try one class" are now four months in and shadowboxing in their kitchen. That's the Mehdi effect. His own goal is simple and not remotely modest: world champion. We believe him.

Yass built this place. Centrale Paris engineering, then a career in the City of London, then a decision to come home and create the gym he wished existed. He's the heart of Jeem, usually somewhere in the background making sure everything runs — but the man has a serious appetite for suffering. Multiple marathons. Multiple Ironmans. The nickname wasn't given for fun. In the studio he's a different kind of coach: calm, warm, and completely determined to make you sweat while convincing you that you're capable of far more than you signed up for. If you need a push — not a shout, a push — take his class.

The latest signing to the Jeem coaching team and already a favourite. Ali handles strength — think CrossFit energy, big compound lifts, conditioning that leaves you on the floor in the best way. Physically he's intimidating for about four seconds, until he opens his mouth and turns out to be one of the gentlest people in the gym. He's also permanently tanned and permanently well-dressed, which nobody has been able to explain. Come for the gains, stay for the outfit inspiration.