Training as shared practice

I spent some time photographing at Virgin Active Tanjong Pagar recently, working casually with a group of the personal trainers.

It was not a commissioned project or a structured shoot. I have been training at this gym since it opened, and the session came out of familiarity rather than planning. The space, the people, and the rhythm of the place are already known to me, which changes how photographs emerge.

What I value most about this gym is the sense of community. There is an ease to the way people train here, and a shared understanding that strength and fitness are not about performance for an audience. The emphasis on body positivity feels lived rather than stated, which matters.

The shoot itself was relaxed and unforced. There was no attempt to create moments, only to observe what was already happening. Effort, movement, conversation between sets, the quiet focus that comes with routine. Those are the things I am drawn to photograph.

I will share a small selection of images from the session here. They are less about the gym as a brand and more about the people who inhabit it, and the energy that comes from showing up consistently in the same place.