Gweru’s first ever upmarket gym, Studio X Gym and Fitness Centre, which opened its doors to the public last year, celebrated its first anniversary over the weekend with one of Zimbabwe’s renowned fitness trainer Paul Vella tipping the centre to be a force to reckon with in the country’s fitness industry.
Speaking during the anniversary celebrations, Vella, a top personal trainer from Bulawayo’s Pro-Active Gym who attended the event as a guest trainer on the day, said in his career as a fitness trainer, he is yet to see an organised gym that has managed to acquire state of the art equipment within a year as Studio X has done.
“I have been invited to many places around the country and I am yet to see a gym to come up this fast and this good with the amount of equipment that these guys have within a year.
“From functional fitness to weight training, aerobic activities and spin classes it makes the centre a total hub under one roof which is very impressive,” he said.
Vella went on to say the gym could be the second best in the southern region after one in Bulawayo and in the next coming few months it will be one of the power houses in Zimbabwe in terms of fitness training and body building if they maintain the pace and standard of operation.
He also said it will not be surprising if some of the country’s top athletes start trickling into the facility.
Despite most gyms in the country not accommodating kids in their system, Studio X was hailed for incorporating kids into to their fitness training menu.
“The fact that they are also integrating kids is formidable as well because a lot of gym structures don’t cater for children, which is pretty exciting to see here because as you know children under the age of 16 are not recommended to do weights but they are doing some physical fitness activities,” Vella said.
Meanwhile, Vella bemoaned the idea that there are many people in the country qualified to take up fitness training, but little effort has been directed towards them having state of the art equipment which will then make the fitness industry as big as it should be.
During the celebrations Vella also took time to lecture those who had come to celebrate on the basics of fitness training and safety issues assisted by Presley Mabhena.
“We were celebrating our first year since we opened our doors to the public. The turnout has been encouraging. We are even looking forward to many people coming today to celebrate with us.
“Our menu accommodates kids and having said that, we have kids from the Midlands Christian College who are doing fitness here, so we do cater for kids but not on the weight lifting side but general fitness,” Studio X Manager Stacey Young said.
Founded by Lisa Lauren, the fitness centre offers several gym and fitness services such as zumba fitness, strength and conditioning, spin classes, aerobics, boxing, health meals through its coffee shop, Studio X branded regalia and accessories.
Young said the market has been favorable so far and the gym gets clients from as far as the capital Harare and Bulawayo, with patrons who visit Gweru on business or vacation taking time to come to the facility.
The gym also has different payment packages for different groups with discounts which include the elderly, students and couples.
