The Story of Camp Kaizen… So Far

From the Founder, George Chatterton

Me in action during the Glasgow Hyrox last week. A testing way to spend 1 hour and 7 minutes on a Saturday morning!

Early Days

The idea for Camp Kaizen was first hatched during a descent from Scafell Pike back in summer 2022.

It was in the middle of a Lake District “training camp weekend” for me, my brother Pat, and our dad, where I turned to Pat and asked this question:

“Does this style of training camp exist in the UK?”

What I meant by this was, if I wanted to sign up to a multi-day hybrid training camp in this country, where training options range from running, off-feet conditioning, cold water/contrast therapy, and hiking, all packaged up into a single programme experience, could I?

The answer was no.

I didn’t want a weight loss camp, I didn’t want an army-style bootcamp, I didn’t want a “retreat”, and I certainly didn’t want to pay thousands to do this sort of thing abroad.

This is where our idea was born.

And on that day, when we arrived back to our car at the foothills of the mountain, me and Pat agreed that the remote farm campsite which we parked in would make the perfect base for our training camp.

Seathwaite Farm Campsite will be where we build our hybrid training camp in April 2026, for the start of our summer season.

It’s funny how things turn out.

Me and Pete, the Owner of Seathwaite Farm Campsite, hanging out in January and making plans for the summer ahead.

From here, the idea remained on the back burner. I returned to my corporate job in London and continued to train in the Lake District and other rural British locations whenever I could. Litte did I know that over those years, I was building a blueprint for the Camp Kaizen hybrid training weekend.

Gaining Momentum

In the years that followed, the interest in these training weekends from mine and my brother’s fitness network grew, and we had friends who wanted to join us on these training camp weekends.

Our programmes were always challenging, fun, and used the landscape around us to enhance the experience. We’re talking half marathons along the lakes, heavy sessions in the local gyms, and if there was a natural body of water nearby, we would be in it… daily!

The guys after a half marathon during one of our unofficial training weekend back in 2024.

2025 - Taking The Plunge

When 2025 hit, I was ready to give this a go… for real.

So, I quit my corporate job, contacted a few farm and camp site owners in the Lake District, and hosted over 40 people up to the Lakes over the course of two weekends in September to try out the training camps.

It was a success.

Everyone loved the experience, and I knew that we could launch an incredible brand off the back of it.

This photo was taken on the final morning of one of our launch camps in 2025. We were treated to a beautiful sunrise over Wast Water. These are the moments you never forget whilst on camp.

Building A Brand

Okay so we now had a product that worked, and it existed in a market of one.

The only issue was that we didn’t have a name.

After weeks of thinking (names such as “fallow”, “apex”, and many others were considered), I had a brain wave. I remember reading the legendary Ross Edgeley’s book a few years ago and being struck by a Japanese philosophy of lifelong self-improvement.

But what was it called?

One evening, I asked Pat as he had read the book too – “KAIZEN”, he said.

And that was it.

Our training camps and brand would be named Kaizen. And as I wanted to ensure that people knew we were serious training camps, the word “camp” had to be clearly signposted at the start.

Camp Kaizen.

Looking Ahead to Summer

As I write this blog on 21st March 2026, we are on the precipice of our 2026 summer season. Our first full season.

10 weekends of training camps

Space for over 200 camp attendees

Camp gym

Sauna access

Full team of expert staff

Local catering partners for all meals

Partnerships with great brands such as Gym King, TENZING, Angus Way, Fellside Sauna, and FourFive Nutrition to name a few.

It’s going to be an amazing season for us at Camp Kaizen.

We know that there is a significant gap in the UK fitness market for an affordable and low barrier to entry hybrid training camp experience, where you purchase your ticket, bring your best, and everything else is taken care of, from programming to food and accommodation.

This is Camp Kaizen.

We are on to something special, and this is only the start.

I can’t wait to welcome you all onto a camp with us this summer.

George – Founder & General Manager

Camp Kaizen