Gym smashes first year out of the park

A Sunshine Coast gym celebrating its first birthday has exceeded expectations being named as one of Australia’s best new gyms.

Conrad from 12RND Fitness at Coolum is celebrating one year of business.

A SUNSHINE COAST gym celebrating its first birthday has exceeded expectations by being named as one of Australia's best new gyms.

12RND Fitness Coolum on Birtwell St continued to kick goals throughout its first year of business after it opened with a bang in February last year.

Owner Conrad Smallconbe said it had been an "exciting and busy" year.

"Coolum 12RND is the first 12RND to open at such a high capacity out of all the 12RNDs in the world, so on the day that we opened, we opened at capacity and we were the first to do that in Australia," he said.

"For that to happen in little old Coolum rather than Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or overseas is quite huge.

"But something that we are prouder of is that we have actually maintained those numbers.

"It's all well and good to be the new bright and shiny toy on the block but to keep that going for a year has been really good."

The opening was a big success for a business in its infancy.

"Internationally we were awarded the best new gym and we are really proud of that,"

Mr Smallcombe said.

"It was a huge achievement and a lot of hard work for about a year before we opened went into having that opening and opening numbers."

Mr Smallcombe started his fitness career nearly 30 years ago and worked in numerous roles including as a Queensland Reds reserves strength and conditioning coach, a Minister of Sport and Recreation's adviser and a manager at 12RND Fitness Mooloolaba, before deciding to open his own gym.

"I've had my own businesses, personal training bootcamps, I've managed other gyms, the big ones and the small ones and 12RND … has answered all the problems people have had with fitness industry like the cost of personal training, value for money and having timetables that doesn't suit everybody, so this system blew me out of the water," he said.

"An amazing statistic that I love is that 82 per cent of people who try 12RND and go, 'Oh I'm not sure' and end up leaving actually come back and join and we are the only gym that have that."

Regular client Naomi Coburn, who won the 12RND national training camp after just six months of training, said the gym helped people achieve their goals.

"I only just joined the gym and won it," she said.

"It has a really great energy, great people and a wealth of knowledge with the trainers push you are constantly getting that personal training experience."

Despite the possibility of opening a new gym in Peregian, Mr Smallcombe said his main priority was the Coolum community.

"We have been looking to opening one up towards Peregian Springs but more so I want to make sure that this place is inbred in the community and everybody just knows you and loves us and comes on in," he said.

"It's about helping people and I want to see people achieve.

"It's the little moments that happen every day - someone does their first box jump or someone goes up a weight … or someone who has lost two kilos. It's those little things that you see on the floor every day that make your day worth it."

As apart of the birthday celebrations 12RND Fitness Coolum is offering a free come and try week and a membership sale.