Waterlooville personal trainer who turned shed to state-of-the-art gym is seeing new business grow into an ‘amazing community’

Jack Williamson was one of many fitness enthusiasts who were horrified to learn that gyms would be among the venues to close their doors when the pandemic first hit in 2020.

The 29-year-old said: ‘I was working for a local gym when the government announced they would be closing.

‘I was devastated. I loved my job and I spent all my spare time in the gym. I had no idea what I was going to do with myself.’

Under the impression that lockdown would only last a couple of weeks, Jack salvaged some old gym equipment he had from school to tide him over.

Jack said: ‘I wasn't too bothered when I heard the gyms were staying shut; the more time we spent in lockdown the more I felt like I had to really adapt and get creative with my exercises so I could still get results, I actually enjoyed this style of training more than going to the gym.

‘One day I was listening to a podcast about a personal trainer who had started a successful business from a summer house in his garden, I remember thinking I would love to do something like that.’

When it was announced that gyms would be reopening on July 25, Jack said his ‘heart sank’ as he had been using the time in lockdown to get fit, finish his personal trainer qualification, and get qualified as a nutritionist.

He said: ‘I really didn't feel the same about the job I had once loved.

‘The more time I spent back at work, the more it became clear that I needed to become self-employed.

‘I had spent a lot of time researching what I needed to do to run a business from home, and then I finally took the plunge and started investing my hard-earned savings into building a gym.’

It took six months of hard work to turn an old shed into a state-of-the-art gym in Jack’s back garden in Meadowsweet where he could train clients.

Now, Jack has been running his own business for almost six months, and says that he ‘loves’ being a trainer.

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He said: ‘I was so happy when I finally managed to build up a large enough client base to be able to hand my notice in at the gym.

‘It's the best feeling in the world helping clients reach their goals and grow in confidence.

‘It is also so rewarding to see clients grow in confidence as they reach their goals.’

Running his own business means that Jack finds it easier to provide clients with a ‘true one-to-one experience’.

He said: ‘I feel like I can truly offer someone a one to one experience as there are no distractions, no one has to feel intimidated.

‘Not only do I believe I can offer a lot more of a personalised experience than what a typical gym does, but I feel like I can make someone feel like a part of something bigger than just a personal training session with the amazing community we've created.’

Contact Jack via his Facebook page at facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069303683377.