This article is about my ambition, my dream, and my challenge. Call it what you want, but it’s what I’ve always wanted. Being told by people I know and trust that it was all just a crazy fantasy just made me want it more. If I was to give you the best piece of advice I could right now, it would be this—don’t give up on your dream regardless of how big the challenge seems. Success is found. It doesn’t find you!
Three and a half years ago, I started working for a big commercial gym, and I thought it was going to be the best job in the world. At this time, I had already done the usual b*llsh*t courses required to work in a gym that don’t teach jack, but in my own time, I was busy building up my knowledge, researching on various websites, and reading plenty of books! These were like gold compared to the courses I’d been in.
I wasn’t employed to be a cleaner, so why the f*ck was I on my hands and knees cleaning the machines. I didn’t sign up for this. If you’re employed to be a trainer, that’s what you should do, not scrub away at someone’s sweat gathered over a half mile walk. As the months passed and I was no longer the new boy, my cleaning duties subsided. Instead, I was encouraged to use the latest fad piece of equipment in this industry. I needed to get clients deadlifting, squatting, lunging, pressing, and pulling, not standing on a vibrating plate while watching them get a cheap thrill. I wasn’t having it!
After working for about a year, I became my own boss and chose my own hours to see my clients. This was what I’d always wanted—until I found myself fitting my schedule around my clients. I was waking up before I’d even gone to bed and working the kind of hours that a 24-hour security camera does! The more I read, the more I wanted to put into practice, but I was told I couldn’t do what I’d learned. No chalk. No noise. Deadlifting—what’s that? “Benching like that will hurt your back.” In the meantime, I had to put up with seeing exercises that a two-year-old kid could put together. The funniest thing I ever saw was someone sitting on one of those Swiss balls with one leg in the air while doing a rotator cuff exercise with a pink dumbbell with another trainer! This sh*t actually goes on in the gym!
While I was working, there came a point when I realized that my ultimate dream was to set up my own training facility. A year and a half ago, me and my now business partner, Zoran Dubaic, went to Dirty Jerzee to meet up with Zach Even-Esh and Joe DeFranco. After seeing what they were doing over there, I decided it was time to put it into practice in the UK. When we got back, we got straight to work pricing up everything we needed and emailing anyone who could help. But as the months passed by, we actually weren’t getting anywhere. We were knocked down by some of our friends who said it wouldn’t work, by the council for our unit space, and by the banks for money. The list went on and on. Being in this situation, it was so easy to give up, but we didn’t. We kept our goal in mind, digging away at it bit by bit while still slaving away at the local gym and having to watch the most stupid exercises and half reps galore. Over time, pieces fell into place. We used all the information gathered from strength coaches (our mentors) and put endless hours of work in and soon it was becoming a reality. The ambition, the dream, and the challenge were complete.
The point I’m trying to get at here is never ever give up on what you want. I know a lot of coaches say this, but when you realize your dream, you have to do what it takes to make it happen. Don’t let anything or anyone get in your way! We didn’t and look what we’ve achieved now. I went from working in a commercial gym to becoming a proud owner of one of the best training facilities in the UK. For me, it still hasn’t totally sunk in!
“Never, never, never give up.” –Winston Churchill
Please have a look at the birth of our new facility—Strength and Performance—at www.strengthandperformance.co.uk.
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Sean Keefe is a director and co-founder of Strength and Performance. A talented athlete and former international competitor, he has risen through the ranks of the fitness profession over the last five years and is now one of South Manchester’s most highly sought after performance enhancement specialists. Having worked with some of the nations sporting elite, Sean has earned a reputation for his no nonsense approach to training, unique perspective on program design, and corrective exercise experience. With his extensive knowledge of strength conditioning, postural correction, and nutrition consolidated with thousands of hours spent under the bar as a dedicated athlete, Sean takes a hands-on approach with all his clients. His winning mentality and meticulous attention to detail enables him to push his athletes further than they though possible. 
Good article, but was hoping to read a bit more on how they “financed” their dream. Or the final straw and what led to the opening of the gym… Regardless, congrats Sean and Zoran! Keep making folks strong!
Good article! As a former PT in a commercial gym in the UK I can testify as to just how much bullshit you have to put up with. You’re pretty much forced to sacrifice your principles in order to pick up clients. Complete gym novices are encouraged to do stupid shit with cables whilst standing on one foot on a bosu instead of actually learning how to squat or deadlift. The sad thing is that thanks to magazines like Men’s Health they absolutely lap that shit up because they want a quick fix solution to log term problems. They want a six pack in 4 weeks without having to alter their diet or lifestyle. God forbid you actually give them an exercise that is difficult. Why would anyone want to deadlift when they can spend an hour on a treadmill wearing a wetsuit with a vacuum cleaner attached to it?
It’s great to see proper facilities opening in this country at last. It gives me hope that one day I’ll be able to realise my dream of opening a proper DeFranco style warehouse facility in Brighton. A couple of questions though; how did you raise the capital and did you buy or lease the equipment?
need this, as i am on my way to fulfilling my own dream.
winding road
These boys are AWESOME! I am NOT shocked by their success, these guys had fire in their eyes and they weren’t gonna let ANYTHING stand in their way.
That’s exactly how it should be!
Hey, where in the UK are you based? If it’s even remotely close to where i am, i;d love to come check your facility out…
Very inspiring. Keep them coming.
Mark/Tom – We had to take a small loan out although not from a bank. The main reason for this was to cover the rent for the first year and to help buy the flooring and some equipment. With regards to the equipment we have bought the dumbells, plates, bars, kettlebells. The power racks, sleds, prowler and benches have all been custom made, the sandbags are homemade and everything else has been passed onto us.
Ario – Get yourself a mentor and listen to what they say, we went over and did Zachs cert which was quality
Zach – Will be over again very soon hopefully, thanks
Big A – Were based in Stockport, Manchester. Is this close by to you?
Thanks for the kind words
Was a pleasure to meet and work with you two, opened my eyes to another side to training! Goo stuff happens to good people all the best guys. No doubt catch up with you soon!
these guys are my role models and i wouldn’t learn from anybody else! if you havn’t checked it out then you don’t know about the best place to train strength and conditioning in the uk! no joke. the atmosphere is the best.
Tom M – would be good to have a similar facility in Brighton, but in the meantime there’s always Cheetah’s – I guess you know about this? Would recommend it to anyone visiting Brighton and looking for a proper gym. More oriented to bodybuilders, but has enough iron to keep most powerlifters happy.
Sean – is the facility open to anyone to train (i.e. unsupervised), or is it like Zach’s where the focus is on the instruction? From your Services page, it looks like you could just turn up and train with whatever group is about to start next?
Would be great to have access to a gym like that where you can just turn up and train on your own and use the prowler, sandbags etc.
Great article, very inspiring. Would love to do something like this myself. Best of luck with the business in the future.
Dave,
Thanks for your kind words. The gym is not open to anyone. All sessions are planned and structured to suit their goals.
If you are ever up in Manchester then let me know
Ian – If you need any help then just let me know
Great job and a good motivational story for others in your position. I know at the time I definitely am. I tried opening a hard core gym in my hometown but it was filled with people who like the commercial crap. I, like you, are tired of seeing the half-ass crap that goes on in those places and am tired of seeing trainers ,who themselves don’t even lift, sit idly by while somebody does an exercise the wrong way. Its my goal to have a facility where the trainers are knowledgeable as well as experienced in the gym and have an anything goes mentality: chalk, loud music, weight slamming, loud yelling, just lift weight facility.
Interesting article, good to see facilities like this over here in the UK. Would be interesting to hear more about both of your backgrounds since you left the commercial gym sector i.e. who youve worked with, how you got them involved, and also a bit more about you personally and your own athletic background. i.e. Sean it says you were a former international competitor but in what? Don’t want to seem too sceptical but it seems odd this info is left out.
himm It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have diffused. Just continue composing this kind of post. I will be your true reader. Gives Thanks once more…
even as looking for a similar subject, your website came up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.