Recreate Performance is a coach-led training gym on Moorhouse Avenue in Addington, Christchurch, built around a simple idea: train with purpose. It offers performance training for strength, fitness and longevity, welcoming everyone from complete beginners to competitive athletes. Members can train their way — in coach-led Team Training classes, one-on-one with Private Coaching, or solo with Gym Access — all inside a clean, modern facility with best-in-class equipment.
What sets Recreate apart is the blend of physical training and mental strategies. The team's approach pairs structured, progressive programming with attentive coaching, helping everyday athletes build the strength and confidence to push past their limits. Every session is guided start to finish by experienced coaches, so members can focus on the workout itself.
Just as important is the community. Members consistently describe Recreate as more than a gym — a place with positive energy and support from both staff and fellow members, reflected in more than 100 positive client reviews and a 4.9/5 rating. A 14-day free trial makes it easy to experience the classes, the coaching and the space before committing.
On Moorhouse Avenue in Addington, Recreate Performance has built its reputation on a simple promise: train with purpose. It is performance training for strength, fitness and longevity — a gym that welcomes complete beginners alongside competitive athletes, and backs up the welcome with more than 100 positive client reviews and a 4.9 out of 5 average rating.
Recreate began as the founders' own pursuit of better, and grew into a mission to help others realise their ambitions. Along the way the team has coached thousands of everyday athletes toward their potential. The approach blends physical training with mental strategies, so members build not just strength and capacity but the confidence to push past perceived limits. Coaching is deliberately structured and attentive rather than one-size-fits-all, and every milestone — however small — is treated as a victory.
Members can train their way. Team Training is the heartbeat of the gym: structured group sessions led by experienced coaches from start to finish, so you can focus on your workout knowing you are in good hands. Private Coaching pairs you with a coach for personalised programming and hands-on guidance. Gym Access lets you train solo in the premium facility whenever you would rather do your own thing.
Group classes run Monday to Saturday under four names. Strength is the flagship — sessions for every level, from first-timers to experienced lifters. Engine is the conditioning day, using progressive programming to build fitness. FYF fills Friday mornings, while Send is the Wednesday 6:00pm evening session.
Weekday classes run at 5:30am, 6:30am and 7:30am for early birds, then 9:30am and 12:00pm for mid-morning and lunchtime trainers, with evening sessions from 5:00pm after work. Saturday's single Engine class at 8:00am has become a weekend ritual for many members. Whatever the slot, the programming is purposeful and progressive, designed so every minute on the floor counts.
The coaching team is central to the Recreate experience. Reece McCaffrey believes a great coach stands beside their clients every step of the way — extending beyond exercise prescription into mental and emotional wellbeing, injury prevention, nutrition and sustainable habits — with the goal of giving members the best hour of their day.
Shannon Durrant grew up obsessed with rugby, playing representative sides and 1st XV at CBHS before injuries cut his playing career short. That setback taught him there is almost always a way to keep moving forward, and he is proud of the culture at Recreate — a place with an amazing vibe, heaps of energy and no room for egos.
Josh Morrell found strength and conditioning later in life through sport, then discovered how much it helped off the field too. He blends physical training with mindset coaching to build mental fortitude and self-belief, whether the goal is sport-specific, aesthetic or personal growth.
Lydia Monteath-Bell lost more than 30kg in her mid-twenties, joined Recreate as a client in 2018 and has been coaching there since 2021. She specialises in helping people feel confident in the gym, whether they are just starting out or well underway.
Beyond the group classes, the coaches support three broader pillars: building real, usable strength and fitness; recovery and injury prevention so members stay pain-free and resilient; and event-specific training for competitions or personal challenges.
The facility is clean and modern, thoughtfully laid out with premium equipment and open training areas covering strength, conditioning and movement work. Members notice. Roy Ford calls it the best gym in Christchurch, with everything you need and nothing you don't, plus modern, clean changing rooms and staff willing to help anyone. Sarah Matthews praises the 9:30am and 12pm classes and the range of equipment, Chris Chirnside highlights the excellent programming and top-tier coaches, and Connie Greig describes a community whose positive energy is felt from the moment you walk in.
Newcomers can take a 14-day free trial covering independent training, coaching or team sessions. Membership options are flexible: two classes per week, three classes per week, or unlimited coached sessions, all with structured strength and conditioning programming. Find Recreate Performance at 33 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch 8011, call +64 27 732 7328 or email [email protected] to get started.