Your Dream Gym

Claire wasn't sporty at school, and tried classes, but just wasn't into fitness... until she attended a Zumba class in her 30s and then had an epiphany which led her to start Clubbercise in 2014. Her Dream Gym is Cool, but not Supercool. It's also warm and welcoming, with themed zones, great lighting, and an awesome sound system (with Claire on the decks, playing an eclectic mix of Dav...

Our bodies are an amazing gift, so Steve believes we should look after them, and that health is the most important thing! His dream gym overlooks Bondi Beach in Sydney, is more of a Hub of Health than just a gym, with medical, nutrition, education as well as the traditional functional spaces. High ceilings, plants, and great flooring are critical, with spaces to build like-minded tribes, and a co-...

A sporty background is the default in Giorgia's Australian upbringing, and she still loves the routine, competition, and social side of exercise and fitness. Her three dream gym non-negotiables are community (banter), music (R&B), and great coffee. There's a split of strength and cardio training, and a holistic area with sauna and ice baths for recovery. Thanks to XplorGym, the best-in...

MasterMixer Andy Pickles joins us this week on YourDreamGym, to tell us about his background in music and fitness... lifting from an early age, doing step aerobics and LesMills, spinning, CrossFit, and Hyrox. His dream gym is a big warehouse with no heating, but incredible sound and lighting systems. Amongst other features, it has a great spin studio, and an amazing functional space with all the l...

In a crossover between YourDreamGym and HealthSeeker Stories, today we hear from Jo Fleming, Physical Activity Ambassador for the UKIHCA (UK & International Health Coaches Association). Jo's dream gym is all about community and social connectedness, nature, and variety... not necessarily exercise. There are lots of lessons and stories in this episode about physical health and social wellne...

Charlton's dream gym is all about variety, starting outdoors with ALL of the sports fields, pitches, and courts you can think of, an olympic outdoor pool and golf course, and then even more great stuff inside the facility. Staff are multi-faceted... all of them have all the skills needed to run any area of the club, and then specialities too. And of course, there's are big impressive studi...

Mark's dream gym has a warm welcome from a great team, and an dream pre-workout experience where everything you need is covered, from the looks, lighting, smells, to the lockers and changing rooms - everything just works. The gym is split into areas or zones with different music and vibes like HIIT studios, TRX workouts, EGYM, etc. Tech and data are key USPs, Body Composition helps you to unde...

He works in tech, but Will Cheeld's dream gym has very little tech... no music, no phones, and limited cardio kit. Will likes to keep things simple with turf, track, kettlebells, rig and ropes. There's a sport zone, 5 aside, punchbags, a rig, and bouldering, and views out to the warm beach and sea from the front, and cold mountains and lake at the back. Thanks to Les Mills for their suppor...

Rosanna has already built her dream gym (Studio Society), so we reflect on the features and changes she would make in hindsight. There are no mirrors, but an immersive, multi sensory experience in all classes. Body Analysis+ helps members and staff to understand themselves better and tailor every workout. Add recovery and a kitchen for the full fit body, fit mind and you have the next Studio Socie...

This week on YourDreamGym, you get to hear from James Griffiths the founder of WILD Training. He talks about making fitness fun, how the variety of workouts and training modalities keep him and his members motivated and build communities. His Dream Gym is a big open space with incredible staff who love working there. The space and high ceilings mean that there's every opportunity to get member...

John Leaver from Alliance Leisure joins us this week to talk about his PE teacher aspirations, then commercial development in the fitness industry, while keeping education, coaching and training alive in his hobbies. His dream gym disguises exercise in all sorts of fun activities from go-karting, tag active ninja warrior, cinematic studios, flumes and wave machines in the pool, and, of course, a 3...

Maddie's dream gym is a gym Disneyland, with a wellness space, a traditional gym floor, and a community space, complete with Carl Cox on the decks! Thanks to Les Mills for their support with this series of the podcast. Take Fitness to the Next Level, and Feel the Happiest you can Legally Feel... with Les Mills.

Natalie from LeisureDB tells us about her basketball, cycling, and skiing exercise stories, before designing her dream gym... Big windows on either side of the building with snowy mountain / beach views, an indoor/outdoor pool/lake, a diverse range of staff for everyone, super studios and small group PT offering, and treatment rooms like The Body Holiday! Thanks to Les Mills for their support with...

Paul is the founder and CEO of Speedflex, and has a fascinating back-story documented in his award winning book The Boy On The Shed. In this episode we get into how exercise is literally life, dip into Paul's footballing history, his heart attack at 48, and forthcoming knee replacement. His dream gym has people just like him working out alongside athletes, so is super inclusive. Staff are crit...

Carl McCartney from Les Mills joins us to launch series 8 of the Your Dream Gym podcast, and tells us about 30 years of teaching BodyPump(TM) and RPM(TM). His Dream Gym is welcoming but dark, with awesome instructors, a state of the art GroupX studio (no surprise), but also has relaxation and recovery space, a plunge pool, and outdoor areas. Overall, it's inclusive and social, with something f...

Neil from RISK HQ joins us for the final episode of series, talking about his dream gym - a community health hub for everyone throughout their lifetime. There's a big focus on functional training, with experts to guide you in your mobility, an amazing small group PT set-up to encourage and motivate more people, and inclusive events and challenges to appeal to everyone! This episode is supporte...

Blake Fletcher, UK Country Manager at IFIT joins us this week to talk about his dream gym. It's focused on people and communities, has an amazing atmosphere that makes you want to come back every time you visit, and is built on many levels for different focus zones. This episode is supported by XplorGym There's never been a better time to take control and optimise your business for success...

Caroline Richings' Dream is not just a Gym, but a Wellbeing Destination, focusing on more than fitness, bridging the health club, spa, and holistic health worlds. A buddy system ensures everyone feels included and welcome, and there's a big focus on gym design to get the spaces right. Caroline is the Head of Partnerships & Growth at ukactive This episode is supported by XplorGym There&...

Jon's Dream Gym is on a cruise ship, with wonderful views of the sea and the mountains, a fairly traditional gym set-up, but amazing coaches that are attentive and help with your goals and training. There's a small group training area, and encouragement to stretch more, but no need for a group ex studio, more an area to chill out and bond with team members after a great workout. This episo...

Bryan K O'Rourke, CEO at CORE Health & Fitness joins us this week to tell us about his Dream Gym. It's a calm, quiet facility, with plate loaded strength kit, dumbells, kettlebells, bands, and cardio equipment. He know what he's doing, so would prefer staff to leave him alone, especially when he jumps into the cold plunge pool after his workout! This episode is supported by XplorGy...

Born to Move and Compete, Iron Man Ian Daniell joins us this week on the podcast to talk about fitness, health, and dog walks. His Dream Gym is a series of boxes within a box... for swimming, relaxation and recovery, groupX, outdoors, S&C, bootcamp, and golf. It also has a space for testing, education, and a charity angle too. Get your tickets to the Independent Gyms Winter Conference and join...

Marina's Dream Gym is LIGHT - listen to find out more about the acronym describing this fantastic Yoga, Pilates, and wellbeing space. The staff all LOVE their jobs, and are intuitive, so they understand your different needs on each visit. There are digital detox spaces, and sessions for self development, or reaching a state of total chill-out! Connect with Marina on LinkedIn or via MarinaSolut...

Dr Samir Kapoor, president of India Active, member of the World Active Council, and co-founder of MultiFit tells us about his dream gym, F1tCo, or Fit One Community. It's a simple set-up with battle ropes, tyre flips, but has a vibe and a soul based on great staff, the backbone of a dream gym! Sauna, steam, ice baths, cryotherapy, and a healthy cafe round things off. This episode is supported...

This week we hear from Hannah Lewin , International Marketing Director of Keiser UK & Keiser Corp . She takes us through her fitness journey from being netball captain and running the 1500m at school to training for HYROX and joining her favourite gym (so far), the CrossFit box Goat Shed . Hannah's dream gym is all about inclusivity, welcoming new members and new exercisers, helping people...

Matthew Januszek joins us to kick-off series 7 of YourDreamGym, and tells us about how he started body building at 15, founded Escape Fitness in 1997, and runs us through his weekly workout routine - a long run at the weekend! His dream gym(s) are located all over the world, as a tonic to travel (and an excuse too). Live DJs and live music keep the vibe alive, and ensure everyone's having a gr...