New Midhurst gym will feature functional fitness area and the latest strength-training equipment

Afterburn Gym is set to open its doors in the Holmbush Industrial Estate early next year, and owner Jack Plumbridge is hoping to create a centre for Midhurst’s growing fitness community which, he says, doesn't currently have anywhere to go.

"I recently started playing rugby for Midhurst, and a lot of the guys there said they have to travel 15 to 20 minutes to get to their nearest proper gym,” Jack, an experienced personal trainer said.

"You’ve got The Grange, but that’s more of a council-run facility, and what we want to do is become more of a community-driven, independent style gym. We want to make people feel welcome and supported, it won’t be this endless turnstile of people coming in and walking out when they’re done.”

Not only will Afterburn have a different feel to The Grange, Jack said, there will be different equipment too with a focus on functional fitness and strength training.

"I think that’s the way everything’s going at the moment. Everyone is discovering the need for strength training, whether it’s people going through the menopause, or elderly people for osteoporosis, or young people for aesthetics and fun. It's becoming much more of a focal point. So fifty per cent of the gym will be weight and resistance-based equipment, and we’ll have quite a large functional fitness area too.”

Jack was part of a personal training business in nearby Liphook for almost a decade before Afterburn started to take shape, and says owning his own gym was always a goal. Having played rugby most of his life, and after graduating with a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, working in the fitness industry was a clear path forward.

"A lot of what I get from working in the fitness industry is the reward of helping other people, especially people who are still working out what to do. A lot of the people we worked with in Liphook are complete beginners; they’d never even stepped foot in the gym, and it’s amazing seeing those people transform.”