I’VE put on one of my most expensive outfits to meet Monty for the first time.
I’m head to toe in brands, and my shoes alone cost more than £100.
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When I arrive at our agreed spot, our eyes nervously meet across the bar.
He’s a little shorter than I expected, but he immediately makes me laugh, and I think we’re going to get on just fine.
It sounds like I’m on a Hinge date, and that’s how it feels when we shyly make conversation for the first few minutes, but I’m actually testing out a new matchmaking app for fitness.
My branded outfit is in fact Adidas lycra, my spenny shoes are really my fanciest Nike trainers, and the bar we meet over is the one Monty is going to have me do chin-ups on for the next eight sessions in the gym.
Instead of helping you find love, SweatSearch pairs you with personal trainers in your area.
You can choose whether you have a preferred gender, and what kind of session you’re after – from cardio to strength, and yoga to boxing.
You then set your maximum price, when you want to meet and where, and the app does the rest.
I was looking for strength sessions to help me reach my goal of doing a chin-up in the London Bridge area.
SweatSearch connected me with Monty Simmons, a trainer with more than 12 years of experience, and I accepted.
Thankfully, we got on great – I’d say we were a perfect match – and we had eight sessions together over a two-month period.
But if we hadn’t, I could have easily put in another request to find someone who suited me a little better.
Here’s how Monty (@movewithmonty) got me from barely being able to hang from a bar to doing an unassisted chin-up.
THE BASICS
The first session was more of an introduction so Monty could assess how strong I was (hint: not very).
After a recurrent knee injury, my gym sessions had definitely taken a backseat and to be honest, I’ve always found the free weights area of a gym slightly terrifying.
However, it gave my PT a baseline and helped us put together a plan for the coming weeks.
THE EXERCISES
Because I was focused on being able to do a chin-up (for no good reason honestly, I just think it looks super cool), the exercises were to help me achieve that.
This meant a lot of overhead presses, push ups, chest presses, and bicep curls.
We also did a fair bit of abdominal work, as well as moves to strengthen the muscles around my dodgy knee – think single leg glute bridges and donkey kicks.
But dotted throughout all of this were chin-ups, chin-ups and more chin-ups.
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I started standing on a big box, then a step with plates on top, then just the step, and finally a plate or two.
At 5ft 6in, the bar was too high for me to reach from the ground, but my arms were straight towards the end, I promise!
I also practised using a band (looped around the frame horizontally) in my own time so I could get more reps in.
It was hard work! But Monty kept me motivated and gave me a structured plan that I could follow on the days I wasn’t with him (about two extra sessions a week on my own).
THE LOGISTICS
We organised each of our sessions through the chat function on the SweatSearch app, which is free on iOS and Android.
These all took place at the same gym as it was most convenient for me, but I had the option to try out several others if I wanted.
Because I wasn’t locked into a strict gym schedule or contract, we could change the day and time to suit us both each week.
I could also cancel 24 hours in advance if something came up without being penalised.
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THE RESULTS
After weeks of hard graft, I did it! I can now do a full, unassisted chin-up.
In fact, I managed five in my final session (with gaps, I’m not Lara Croft – yet).
There’s not much data on chin-ups specifically, but a survey by RunRepeat found that only 31 per cent of women could perform a full pull-up, whereas 80 per cent of men can do it.
That’s my next goal.
As well as the chin-ups, my muscle mass increased by 1.2kg and my fat mass dropped by 1.2kg, according to Boditrax assessments.
I also lowered my visceral fat levels and metabolic age. Another win!
The philosophy behind SweatSearch
WHETHER you want a ride to the airport or pizza at 3am, there’s a matchmaking app for just about everything these days.
But even with fitness apps like ClassPass and Hussle, Marcel and Alexander Huisman thought there was room for one more.
“At its core, SweatSearch was born out of a frustration with how disconnected the personal training industry is,” co-founder Marcel says.
“Alex and I both saw a gap – finding the right PT should be as seamless as booking a taxi or a hotel, yet the process remained outdated, expensive, and often inaccessible.”
The idea is built around three principles:
- By bringing PTs onto one platform, competition naturally drives prices down, making personal training affordable for far more people.
- Clients can instantly see which PTs are available, at what times, and in which locations, removing the hassle of endless back-and-forth messages.
- No hidden fees, no surprises – just clear, upfront pricing that allows clients to find a trainer that suits both their budget and their goals.
SweatSearch pairs you with personal trainers in your area.
You choose what kind of session you’re after, where you want it, and how much you want to spend.
“For trainers, many rely on word-of-mouth or limited gym networks to find clients, while clients often struggle to find a PT that truly fits their needs – whether that’s based on price, location, or training style,” Marcel says.
“SweatSearch bridges that gap, giving PTs a direct way to grow their business while giving clients full control over their training experience.
“It shares similarities with platforms like Uber, Tinder, and other matching apps in that it’s built on the same core principle – connecting two parties seamlessly and efficiently, removing friction from the process.
“It’s like Uber because we bring together independent personal trainers into a single marketplace, increasing availability and driving competitive pricing.
“Just as Uber made booking a ride effortless, SweatSearch makes finding a PT instant and hassle-free.
“We believe in the power of choice, so clients can browse PT profiles, check their experience, pricing, and reviews, and then book the trainer who best fits their needs, just like you do on Tinder.
“It’s about making an informed decision rather than being assigned someone at random.
“But that’s where the similarities end. SweatSearch isn’t just a transactional app – it’s built to create long-term fitness relationships.
“While Uber and Tinder often focus on quick, one-time matches, SweatSearch is about helping people find the right PT to support their fitness journey over time.”
There are currently around 350 trainers and 1,000 users on the app, mostly based in London.
But more and more are joining in Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Marcel and Alexander hope to expand nationwide later this year, and across Europe by 2030.
