New Black Country gym for over 50s sees huge demand ahead of opening

Stourbridge is set to welcome a new gym - designed specifically for anyone over 50.

Lewis Majid, who runs Black Country Barbell, is opening the new venture, called Strongevity, in Talbot Street next to his existing premises.

The gym, based in a former tanning salon premises, will offer small group personal training with a focus on building strength, confidence and balance and helping members to tackle age-related issues such as menopause, knee, back and joint problems and more.

Lewis said: “It’s specifically for people over 50 so we’re taking into account a lot of the things they've got going on.

“We teach them how to incorporate strength work to not only make their bodies more resilient but keep the metabolism high so they can keep the fat off, improve their bone density so they don’t have to worry about falls later in life, keep their balance and coordination good and just for everyday life - being able to get the shopping in easily and get the lawnmower out the shed, all those kind of things.”

He added: “We're a personal training gym but we train everybody in a smaller group so it's still customised to what they need to do but it's delivered in a group so there’s a bit more camaraderie and support, less intimidation around the training.”

Lewis, who has been running Black Country Barbell for eight years, said: “Over that time I've had over 2,000 consultations with clients all around Stourbridge and they've kind of asked me for something like this.

“It’s a combination of everything the clients have been suggesting over the years but it’s taken a really long time to come to fruition and to actually be able to do it justice - even down to the aesthetic of making the environment look less intimidating for somebody who doesn't like a typical gym.

“And the fact that everyone is over 50 they don't have to worry about the typical bodybuilder or gym bunny that would make them feel uncomfortable.”

The gym also caters for those with health complications.

Lewis said: “We’ve got a few people recovering from cancer treatment, degenerative discs, it’s people that have got complications that are going to be working with us…because they need a higher level of support than a typical gym and also they need an environment that’s understanding that their journey might not be the fastest or the most straight forward."

Membership of the gym will also include things like annual blood work “so we can make sure they’re healthy inside and out” - Lewis said.

The gym is also partnering with a women's health physiotherapist, chiropractor, chiropodist, podiatrist and therapist and it will be hosting monthly seminars around things like bone density, mental health, joint health and nutrition. The events will also be opened up to non-members.

The new business venture is set to open officially on June 1 although it could be ahead of schedule - Lewis said.

He reported reaching a huge milestone with all equipment now delivered, ready to transform the empty unit into a ‘proper gym’.

Although it hasn’t even opened yet - all initial sign ups and consultation calls have been fully booked up, such has been the demand for the new venture.

Lewis said: “It’s been absolutely crazy, we’ve nearly sold out spaces. We’re still taking people onto a waiting list for our next intake that's later in the year.

“We had 400-plus people on the waiting list last time I looked and our capacity is 100…it’s so many more people than I was expecting.

“We can eventually work up to 150 people but I need to hire more staff before we can do that. We’re in the process of looking for more staff - to find a really good quality knowledgeable personal trainer that ticks all the boxes for us.”

He added: “I've also had loads of amazing conversations with people. I’m really really excited, we’re trying to build a very supportive community.”

People can find out more information by emailing [email protected] or check out the gym’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.