Best of the Gold Coast: the top 10 gyms in the region as voted by you
THE Gold Coast has voted on the best venues to work up a sweat, and today the results are in. Here are the region’s top 10 gyms as voted by you.
Best of Gold Coast
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High intensity, functional fitness, weights and cardio — choosing the right gym can be a minefield. Luckily the Gold Coast has voted on the best venues to work up a sweat, and today the results are in. Here are the region’s top 10 gyms as voted by you.
10. F45 Robina
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The F45 training trend has well and truly swept the Gold Coast. Robina F45 co-owner John Williams says to keep the clients coming back for its high intensity, 45 minute classes, the staff have to keep up with the nearby competition.
“We’re in Robina Town Centre, and we’re competing against other big names gyms,” John says.
“The difference in regards to our studio is there are two levels, one with a hang out area, stretch out area, people can relax down there.
“We’ve got a creche for parents. And you feel part of something more. We do social events where 300 people can turn up.”
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9. PLC Coomera
If you arrive at PLC with a frown, you’ll leave with it upside down. Just ask head trainer Lewis Huckstep.
“It’s that cliche thing of you become who you hang with,” Lewis says. “If you hang around happy, positive people, you become happy.”
Lewis says it’s the positive vibes at PLC that see people achieve their goals.
“We do functional training which is everywhere these days, but it’s the mindset that separates us. We focus a lot on the mindset and nutrition.
“We get our clients to set a lot of goals. No one leaves a session and thinks that was the best burpees ever, they just feel amazing.”
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8. Inside Out Health Club, Parkwood
Tim Sutcliffe is living the dream on the Gold Coast after immigrating to Australia from the UK 10 years ago. Tim and a married couple opened the business less than two years ago, and are already feeling welcomed by the community in Parkwood.
“It’s a family owned and run business,” Tim says. “We’re massive family orientated facility. We’ve got a really wide demographic, parents, sons and daughters all involved together. Our biggest advocate is our members and word of mouth.”
Tim says the gym offers classes for young and old, and custom gym equipment in the weights rooms.
“We try and tick all the boxes. We have fitness classes, yoga, pilates, spin classes. We have kids classes on at night. We know children can get stuck playing video games for hours so we want to help that.”
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7. Never Quit Fit Factory, Bundall
What started as a workout space in a single-car garage five years ago has today become a high tech gymnasium with more than 100 members.
“We went from a single car garage to a double-car garage, now we’ve opened up a 380 sqm top of the line facility,” trainer Ian D’Andrade says.
“We’ve hit triple digits (in members).”
Never Quit is a class-based gym that offers two types of classes for fat loss or muscle gain. Trainer Nathan Couper says a recent 12-week challenge produced incredible results.
“(One of the winners), he was basically obese, and he lost 20 kilos of body fat.
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“He’s getting married and got little kids. He was nearly in tears, thanking us both.
“The other guy was an actor and a performer and he was 6 ft 4 and 80 kilos, a real skinny guy. He put on 10 kilos of lean muscle.”
6. Raw Iron, Ashmore
Crossfit creatures run to Raw Iron for intense strength and cardio workouts in a welcoming environment. Raw Iron co-owner Rowena Calderwood says members love pushing themselves together when they sign up to Raw Iron work out competitions.
“One of the best aspects of our business is we run competitions — we run three a year,” Rowena says.
“The main one being an event called The Butterfly Effect, a ladies only competition supports the Butterfly Foundation. We raise money and awareness against negative body image and eating disorders. Each year this event sells out in minutes.”
5. Empire Fitness Centre, Arundel
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You’re never alone at Empire Fitness, with a personal trainer on hand 24/7.
“We’re the only gym on the Gold Coast which is fully staffed, 24/7,” owner Ari Hamalainen says. “It’s expensive but it works, and it makes it safer. We do that for our members.”
Empire Fitness just completed a $2.5 million renovation and added another 600 sqm to the floor space, allowing its 3200 members to spread out a little more.
“This was a massive big facelift,” Ari says. “We’ve got different areas for different pieces of equipment. Everything’s sort of separated a little bit now.
“We’ve got a spin room, which we just revamped as well, group fitness is really busy, we’ve got a circuit area, cardio, reception area with lounges.”
4. Hype Health Club Currumbin
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Hype Health Club could take top spot for offering the most amount of fitness classes a week. “We have a lot of classes — 58 classes a week,” Hype director Casper Turner says. “That’s in winter, in summer, we’ll make that even more.”
Casper says the membership started growing when he rebranded the gym to Hype and put money back in to the facilities.
“We’ve have a pretty decent growth, over the last 12 months, started with 1700 members, and there’s 2700 members now. If you’re in here, considering the numbers, everyone talks to each other, everyone knows each other by name.”
3. AMPM HQ, Miami
The memory of actor and stuant man Johann Ofner lives on at Art of Motion, Pursuit of Movement, or AMPM in Miami. Johann and his friend Matt Teamoke had a dream to open a functional fitness centre together before Johann’s tragic death on a film set in Brisbane in January last year.
“We always wanted to open up a gym and train people in what we train,” Matt says. “Once he passed away, I thought, why don’t I just keep going with what I originally planned? I think he’d be super proud if he was here.”
AMPM offers classes in callisthenics training using mostly body resistance, as well as gymnastics-based fitness, tumbling, parkour, dance, boxing, weights and cardio.
“We even teach how to do a backflip, if that’s what you want to do,” Matt says. “You need to learn how to fall first though. Most people are scared of falling.”
Beginners are welcome to try AMPM’s classes.
2. Rewired Fitness, Helensvale
Last year’s winners Rewired Fitness were just pipped at the post to be crowned this year’s top gym. Owner Sofia Houldsworth says winning last year helped drive interest and almost double its membership.
“From winning the best of the Gold Coast, we’ve grown to 250 members,” Sofia says.
“It put us out there in the community. It gave us a level of personal expectations, we have to continue to aim and meet those expectations.”
Rewired Fitness offers classes to its capped 250 members in weight training, endurance, gymnastics, strength and co-ordination.
Sofia says there’s no bond like when everyone’s suffering together.
“When you’re both in a lot of pain and working alongside each other, they (members) build some forever friendships.”
1. Gen Fit Training Centre, Ormeau
If this backstory to Genfit doesn’t get you to sign up with a membership, nothing will. Owner Michael Kassouh was overweight and facing an early grave before deciding to turn his life and health around for his family.
“I was 110 kilos when I moved here seven years ago,” Michael says.
“I had health scares after I had my first child. I was told by the doctors if I didn’t make a change in my life, I wouldn’t be around for a long time.”
Michael joined a gym called Rush Hour in Ormeau and began studying to be a personal trainer about six years ago. He lost 60 kilos and became a marathon runner.
“I went in to a bit of a spiral when I was 29, I felt like if I didn’t do anything by I the time I was 30, I felt I wouldn’t have achieved anything. So I quit my job, opened the doors here a year and a half ago. If I could do it (lose weight), I could help other people do it.”
Genfit now boasts 530 members, with that number growing all the time.
“It’s been an adventure,” Michael says. “It’s really special to have my kids with me. I’d love for them to look back at this and realise they were a big part of this.
“They’re the ones who supported me to do 100 hours a week. I’m here in the morning, I leave at 9 o’clock at night every night.”
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