World Gym was founded in the 70s by Joe Gold during the glory days of ‘Muscle Beach’ on Venice Beach, California. The massive 1800 square metre site is beginning to shape up and is expected to open next month, right here in Ipswich.
Ipswich First caught up with co-owner Darcy Edwards to find out why Ipswich is the perfect place to build the enormous gym.
From April 19, the sounds of grinding and hammering will be replaced with the whirring of exercise machines and clinking of weights.
Darcy Edwards and his father Dominic Edwards are co-owners of purpose built gym.
Electrician Darcy Edwards has spent the past three years working around Ipswich, contracted a lot of that time, to the Ipswich City Council.
“I realised how much potential was here at Ipswich. The council’s outdoor parks are ridiculously good. I love working out at Sutton Park, the river boardwalks and bikeway at Brassall. There is so much potential for a fit and healthy Ipswich.” he said.
“I see how much the council is giving and how many people are putting so much work into the parks and activities.
“But I felt there was no one solidified epicentre for fitness. I saw a gap in the market here for an all-round gym.
“My goal would be people come here to World Gym and get the confidence to go into those spots and know how to safely and effectively use all that equipment and utilise them in the best possible way.
“Come in, have a few PT sessions, find out what equipment and type of training is the most effective for you to personally reach your goals.”
Despite the gym’s global reputation for strong men, Mr Edwards said he wanted everyone and anyone to experience his gym.
“Ipswich is a great sporting area and has some many good sporting teams and also elite athletes,” he said.
“Our biggest challenge is to create a community here, I want it to have a team feel. I want as many people involved as possible.
“I’ve approached some high schools not just to get their A Grade athletes to come and train here but to allow their B and C teams to come too. They should get the same opportunity.
“I want anyone, maybe someone who has never set foot in a gym before, to come in here and feel comfortable.”
Mr Edwards said he planned to offer all facets of healthy living from exercising to nutrition and recovery.
“Nutrition is a huge part of training. Depending on your goals, if you nutrition is not on point, you will never progress weight wise. You may get stronger and heavier but exercising without correct nutrition isn’t going to work,” he said.
“We have sourced local coffee and all sorts of healthy food and shakes for our café. We even have protein ice cream on offer.”
The recovery sector of the fitness industry has been growing in recent years. The gym will have a pilates area, massage room and will expand soon after opening into yoga as well.
Mr Edwards’s favourite part of the gym will be the outdoor area.
“I’m at that point where I most enjoy body weight training. I’ll be spending most of my time on the chin up bars and perfecting my handstands outside,” he said.
The class will run from 7.15am – 8.15am. The high intensity interval training sessions are available to members of the public and are for all abilities.
For more information about the new World Gym Ipswich at Bundamba, click here.
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