Co-Founders and Head Coaches James Isaac (standing left) and Jack Forster (centre) with (l-r) Ollie Wilson, Coach; Alice Scott, Personal Trainer; Mark Childs, Personal Trainer; Ramona Bachell, PT Coach, and Lisa Dobbs, Coach.
Published: May 9, 2021 | Updated: 10th May 2021
A new community gym is now open for business after expanding more than five-fold.
E-Motion Fitness Hub has relocated from a 1,100 sq ft unit in Poole town centre to a purpose-built 6,000 sq ft unit on the Nuffield Industrial Estate.
It shares the space with four other businesses:
It means you can take part in a training session at the gym, enjoy a coffee, have a massage and then leave with a haircut!
James Isaac, 29, and Jack Forster, 32, Co-Founders and Head Coaches, met while working as personal trainers at Virgin Active.
They launched E-Motion in 2017 after resolving to start their own business and, said James, have invested “tens of thousands of pounds” in the new gym.
It was previously at Dear Hay Lane in Poole.
He said: “We were ready to open in January but, of course, couldn’t do so because of the lockdown.
“It’s been tough with no classes as we’ve been doing 60 or so one-to-one sessions and Zoom workouts.
“We’re really looking forward to May 17 and starting up training classes again.
“It works well with other businesses as people can pop in for a coffee, have a gym session and even a haircut in one place.”
E-Motion now has 120 members.
It says it’s committed to improving not only people’s physical but also their mental health through three key principles: Coaching, Community and Education.
James, pictured, said: “Our vision is a healthy, happy, community gym and helping as many people as possible to learn to look after themselves both physically and mentally.”
Programmes and services at the gym, delivered by a seven-strong team including James and Jack, include:
Other members of the team are Ollie Wilson (Coach); Alice Scott, (Personal Trainer); Mark Childs, (Personal Trainer); Ramona Bachell, (PT Coach), and Lisa Dobbs, (Coach).
The two founders say they have different, but complementary, approaches.
James enjoys creating a buzzing atmosphere where people are prepared to push themselves to their limit and support others in the group to do their best.
He says he enjoys both coaching and programming but isn’t afraid to mix up the session to bring the fun.
Meanwhile the personality of Jack, pictured, sets him out as a coach capable of enthusing people who may have never stepped in a gym before and making them comfortable.
He believes that training is something for everyone.
Both founders regard exercise as a celebration of what your body can do and should never be a punishment for something you ate.
James said: “We’ve received a great response to the new gym and are very optimistic about the future.”
E-Motion will continue to support local charities including MYTIME Young Carers, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, Dorset Mind and RE-ACT Disaster Response.
Past fundraising events include a Thrash the Trainer where gym members paid to physically train the coaches, raising more than £600.
“We believe really strongly in giving back to the community,” said James.
