Fostering a community atmosphere and putting fitness first are the secret to success for one of the UK's biggest independent gym chains, which started its journey in Kenilworth.

Now with eight sites across Warwickshire and further afield, Fitness Worx has big plans to expand even further, with a ten-year plan to reach 25 sites.

But for founder Jack Gibson, the emphasis on putting fitness first and making sure all gym goers feel welcome will continue to be at the heart of every site in the Fitness Worx family.

"We have modelled the company off the initial success of our first Kenilworth gym," Jack told Nub News.

"The community side to our gyms is huge.

"A lot of gyms can be very daunting when you first come through the door, but our staff make it very welcoming.

"You walk around a gym, it's full of weights, full of lads lifting. So for women in particular it can be a bit daunting for them.

"But the fact is we have very welcoming staff, who are all high level personal trainers."

Fitness Worx's most recent opening came at Cannon Park last year (image via Fitness Worx)

Early Beginnings

Fitness Worx traces its roots back to Kenilworth Rugby Club where personal trainer Jack began running twice-weekly bootcamp sessions in 2012.

He then set up a cabin at the Glasshouse Lane ground to run his sessions as he built his client base further.

Then in 2014 Jack took the leap to open the Common Lane gym with construction help from his father and co-founder Rich Gibson and financial backing through the CWRT local enterprise scheme.

From there, it has been success after success.

"Kenilworth was our first ever gym, we filled that up to probably max capacity within the first nine months," he explained. 

"Then we took on the Warwick site, and it has grown organically from there as we launched new locations.

"Opening the first gym wasn't necessarily a huge jump because I already had 40 clients, so I already had a very big fitness following in Warwickshire. 

"That said, I was only 23, a bit young and naïve - and it was a huge amount of money!"

Now the company also has sites in Southam, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bristol and has recently opened a second Coventry site at Cannon Park - where their headquarters are now based.

The early success of the Kenilworth site has been replicated at all new Fitness Worx sites (image via Fitness Worx)

'All About Progression'

As well as providing state-of-the-art facilities, Fitness Worx also runs a series of classes across its sites, with a range of sessions tailored to seasoned gym-goers as well as first-timers.

Classes are run seven days a week, with slots to ensure fitness can be flexible around members' lives.

"Our classes are all about getting better and improving," operations manager Matt Gibson explained.

"You can go to a lot of gyms and they'll just put on a spin class, but you don't learn anything or progress. 

"All our classes are based around progression.

"So you could come to a class as a complete newbie, and in six weeks time you'll know how to squat, deadlift and bench. 

"So the idea of our classes is to help you progress at the gym, make you feel more comfortable and to make you feel part of the gym too."

Fitness First

As well as running a host of classes throughout the week, Fitness Worx also has a big focus on transformations and one-to-one personal training sessions, with over 1,000 being run every month.

The company also employs individuals who have a strong fitness background, meaning members are given the best support and the best advice.

"Fitness Worx is the leading functional fitness gym in the Midlands and we are the transformation specialists to go to," sales director Chris Bryniarski said.

"Everyone who works for Fitness Worx has some type of fitness background.

"That breeds the success of fitness inside the gym as well, because there's always that passion for doing what you love rather than just doing it for the sake of a job." 

'Everyone who works for Fitness Worx has some type of fitness background' (image via Fitness Worx)

The team also said it is important they hire the "right sort" of trainers who have a real empathy and understanding of their clients' goals and their limits.

Trainers are also vital to making sure all members feel at home in a Fitness Worx gym.

"That is really important," Jack added.

"We're also here to help fitness be built into someone's lifestyle rather than a chore they have to do.

"We want it to be a part of their lifestyle more than anything else.

"We're a lifestyle gym, open 24 hours, so it works around them."

Community Events

As part of the community-minded approach at Fitness Worx, the business runs regular community events throughout the year.

And it has done so since first launching over a decade ago.

Events include walks, hikes and even weekends away, as well as inclusive competitions and workshops.

Over the years Fitness Worx has also run barbecues, Christmas parties and huge social events with hundreds of people in attendance.

"It brings together not just gym people, but their friends and family," Jack explained.

"These events are great exposure for us of course, but it is about building the sense of community at Fitness Worx, and making us more than just a place for people to exercise."

Fitness Worx has been running events for over a decade (image supplied)

A Bright Future

The next community event for Fitness Worx will not only give locals the chance to see the Kenilworth site for themselves, but will also show off the £250,000 renovations currently underway at the Common Lane site.

As well as installing new, state of the art equipment, the changing rooms and showers are being modernised, a new cardio room built and the gym floor is being expanded to provide more training space.

The investment will also give a facelift to the outside of Fitness Worx Kenilworth, with a "fresh, contemporary look" to be completed.

The completion of the renovations will be marked with an 'open weekend' on April 5 and 6 - which the community is invited to attend.

And for Jack, he and the rest of the team remain very excited for growing Fitness Worx even further.

A major refurbishment is coming to Fitness Worx Kenilworth (image supplied)

"It's been a stressful journey but it's been fun," he said. 

"We get to work with great people and get to do what we want to do on a daily basis. 

"It's been quite a journey, for sure.

"From Kenilworth Rugby Club to our latest gym at Cannon Park, it's been huge, massive.

"Of course we are proud of what we have achieved, but there is so much more we want to do."

To find out more about Fitness Worx or to take out a membership head to the website here. 

And keep up to date with all things Fitness Worx by following the Instagram page here.