CrossFit Fitness Camp with Two Daily Sessions in Phuket, Thailand

The camp is based at a CrossFit facility in Chalong, a stretch of southern Phuket that has quietly become one of Southeast Asia's training hubs — partly because of the gyms, partly because accommodation, food and transport are cheap and the weather holds. The programme runs on two sessions a day. Mornings are typically the longer, heavier session: a coached warm-up, a strength or skill block (Olympic lifting work, gymnastics, or a squat/bench/deadlift progression, depending on what the coach has programmed), then a conditioning piece. Afternoon or evening sessions tend to be shorter and shorter-rest — metcons, team workouts, engine work on the rower or bike.

Coaching is hands-on and small-group, which is the main practical difference between this and turning up at your local box as a drop-in. Someone is watching your lifts, scaling the workout to what you can actually do, and adjusting the week if the group is more or less advanced than expected. Sessions are written for a mixed group: a guest who has never touched a barbell will be given a scaled version, and a regular competitor will get loaded heavier.

The site itself is compact and functional. Guests stay in private rooms on the property, so the walk to the gym is measured in seconds. There is a pool for the middle of the day, when Phuket's heat makes anything else unpleasant, and massage is available on site or nearby — worth booking midweek if you are training twice a day for several days running. Phuket's west-coast beaches such as Kata and Nai Harn are a short scooter ride away, and Chalong Pier, where boats leave for the islands, is close by if you want to build a rest day around a boat trip.

Food is included and tends to be the practical, protein-forward sort that supports two sessions a day: eggs, chicken, rice, vegetables, fruit, plenty of water. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free requirements can be catered for when flagged ahead of arrival. Guests eating off-site in the evenings will find no shortage of Thai food, plus the international restaurants that cater to Phuket's long-stay training crowd.

This suits people who already enjoy training and want a block of it — not people looking for a spa week with a spin class. It also works well for solo travellers, because the shared training sessions do most of the social work for you; within a day or two you know the whole group. If you want a combined holiday and training trip, the location is hard to argue with: you can train hard in the morning and be on a beach or a boat by mid-afternoon.

What's included

- Private room accommodation on site - Two coached training sessions per day - All meals - Access to the on-site gym and equipment - Coaching and workout programming - Pool access - Mobility and stretching sessions - Gym tour and equipment briefing on arrival

What's not included

- Flights - Airport transfers (can be arranged for an extra cost) - Travel insurance - Massages and spa treatments - Scooter rental - Off-site drinks and meals - Personal training one-on-one beyond the group sessions - Optional excursions and trips