Swansea ranks among UK’s strongest cities in new fitness survey

A new UK-wide fitness survey has revealed Swansea as one of the nation’s strongest cities, placing eighth overall in a ranking based on average gym lifts.

The study, conducted by home-gym supplier Mirafit, surveyed 2,000 adults who regularly lift weights. Participants were asked to report their average performance across four key strength exercises: deadlift, bench press, military press and squat. Swansea recorded a combined average of 192.1kg, placing it just behind Coventry and ahead of Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Swansea’s bench press performance ranks second nationally

Swansea’s strongest showing came in the bench press, where the city ranked second in the UK with an average lift of 67.04kg — narrowly behind Gloucester, which topped the chart with 69.5kg. Swansea also posted competitive averages in squats (64.29kg) and deadlifts (66.17kg), contributing to its overall eighth-place finish.

Mark Harris, fitness expert at Mirafit, said: “Gloucester proved impressive, recording substantial averages in all four routines and positioning themselves as the strongest city in the UK. But it’s great to see cities like Swansea performing strongly too — especially in the bench press, where they’re right near the top.”

The survey highlights regional differences in strength training culture and gym habits. Gloucester led the pack with a total average of 232.2kg, followed by Plymouth (214.4kg) and Belfast (212.3kg).

Methodology and insights

Mirafit’s Strongest Cities survey asked respondents to report their heaviest lifts in four exercises: deadlift, squat, bench press and military press. The data was then averaged by city to produce a national ranking. The survey also explored gym frequency and recovery habits, with cities like Coventry scoring high for wellness infrastructure such as spas and saunas.

The full Strongest Cities report, including rankings and methodology, is available via Mirafit’s website.