Warwick training club set up by man who turned his health and fitness around goes from strength to strength

Barbell Training Complex, on Millers Road, was set up by Pete Grove as a personal trainer in 2017, before extending its premises and adding a gym in 2020.

He got into fitness almost a decade ago when he weighed 18 stone, smoked and had a chest infection.

Pete quit smoking, joined his local gym, and by the end of the year he lost seven stone – leading to him to be offered a job by his gym as a weight-loss coach, and eventually setting up his own business after moving onto weight training.

Barbell has seen membership increase from 185 people at the start of the financial year to 265 – and is on track to hit 300 members by the end of the year.

It now boasts top Team GB and Team Ireland athletes among its members and has become nationally recognised, being the only facility in Warwickshire to host powerlifting competitions.

On the back of its growing success, it has now launched its first ever classes to build its growing powerlifting community.

Pete has been helped to grow his business by Project Warwickshire – a free support programme set up by Warwickshire County Council and by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to help companies in the wake of the pandemic.

Pete worked with business supervisor Russell Grant during the programme. He said: “There’s lots you don’t know about when you start a business, and I reached a point at the start of the year where I just needed some help to get my head around things.

“Russell could just look at it with a blank slate and was fantastic. Although it sounds simple, it is so nice to have somebody step back and say ‘have you tried this?’.

“I’m dyslexic so the financial side of the business has always been a bit more difficult, so Russell was a great help with that.

“We’ve come a long way since we started. We’ve tried to change our image on social media, and membership has really taken off to the point where we’ve had such demand we’ve expanded with these new classes.

“It’s great that we have a really strong following online now. If we walk into any powerlifting gym in the country, people know us.

“We host the Varsity powerlifting competition between the University of Warwick and Coventry University, British Powerlifting Union (BPU) and Amateur British Powerlifting Union (ABPU) competitions and our own too.

"We’re the only gym in Warwickshire doing this – so we’re just about bringing something new and a friendly space to get fit in.”

Russell added: “Pete’s done a fantastic job at nurturing his own passion into a business, and one that has not only weathered a pandemic, but is now really taking off.

“He’s helping to put Warwickshire on the map for powerlifting and, not only that, he’s helping to introduce new people from all ages to build their strength and fitness. It’s fantastic to see and I’m really pleased I could help.”