I opened the gym in October 2011, I was training in Ted’s Gym in Workington at the time and passing 4 local gyms to drive 25 minutes to Teds. If I was doing that then surely there was a need for something different? Because of where we are situated, we will never get a DW’s, Bannantynes or such likes.

I thought to myself maybe I could try and open a new facility myself?

That day I searched the web and within 12 hours I’d found somewhere to buy the machines, an accountant, looked at Insurance and potential start-up costs.

I went home and told my wife I was going to open a gym.

Needless to say, she wasn’t impressed 🙈 I had a good job as a project manager for a control systems company, we were comfortable and zero stress.

I ONLY had one problem I was flat broke and had two CCJs to my name 😂.The banks promised me the world then never delivered so I had to sell my family home and move into rented accommodation. Yeah that went down like a lead balloon with the misses.

I also got a mate to get me a 10 k loan from his bank and I paid him back over the next 12 months.

I left my job to start preselling gym memberships in a portacabin outside the building I was going to move into to which was where planet play is now. Little did I know what a ball ache it would be getting planning permission from the council 🤯12 month later I managed to get the planning permission, if I actually had hair I’d of certainly be bald dealing with the stress and pulling my hair out.

Just as I got the planning permission the building fell through.

I found a better building, brand spanker that had been built but never occupied and negotiated an amazing rental agreement with them.

Guess what? Despite no one wanting that building for the last two years a company came forward and offered cash and I was back searching for another building 🙈I finally found a new home for the gym at Dobies Business park.

We were at the Dobies building for just over 8 years and built most of the team up over them years. Beth has been with me the longest for about X year and Chris joined me shortly after and been with me for X years.

Claire started with me 5 years ago as my P.A. people were constantly telling me I needed a P.A but you always assume P.A’s are you for C.E.O’s of big companies but you know what? Taking Claire on as a P.A. was one of the best things I’ve done in business. She quickly grew into a role as the business manager and without Claire’s input into the business we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today.

The global pandemic struck in 2020 and we had two options either save all we can and hope to survive or to leverage everything we could and grow the business. We moved into the new building which was twice as big as the old building and managed to get it fully up and running in 3 weeks just in time for the first lockdown finishing.

We also decided to open a café and a meal prep company with the extra space in the new gym. With our existing loyal members, the meal prep and café took off quick.

When we opened in 2011 we didn’t know how our customer would be? To be honest I’d of been glad of any type of person but as we started on the journey we quickly realised that out typical customer was aged 30 plus, 80% of the had never trained before or been to another gym. Probably one of the biggest mistakes I made early in business was calling the gym ‘Xtreme Fitness” as it took years to build our reputation as the place for beginners, anxious and nervous people to know they are welcome. I’d of probably been better calling the gym “All Shapes All Sizes” then people would of knew right away that we were all inclusive instead of having an imagine of have clad, naked, extremely fit people running around the gym 😂.

Since we have moved into the new building we have went from strength to strength and have grown the team by another 6 people.
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It’s quite a family affair now as I have my 22-year-old daughter Olivia and my brother Jonathan both working at the gym.