1R Melbourne gym enjoys ‘overwhelming response’ in first week of opening

Offering what it says is “a new world of fitness”, 1R has launched its first boutique club in Australia at the new Capitol Grand building in Melbourne’s South Yarra.

Founded in 2015, 1R opened its first flagship club in London by James Balfour (son of Mike Balfour, Fitness First founder) seeking to disrupt existing gym models.

With a futuristic look and feel and located over two levels, the group’s first Australian gym provides three unique training concept methods - Reshape, Rumble and Reformer - over 800 metre² of floor space. Each class runs for 45 minutes and is a high intensity, grueling workout that is perfectly timed to the beat of the music curated and compiled by local DJs.

The group’s largest club to date, 1R also has a bar on its first level which serves smoothies and espresso throughout the day and prosecco and beer at night.

Commenting on the new club, 1R Australia Chief Executive, Amanda Maclean told Australasian Leisure Management “the response has so far been overwhelming, with classes already waitlisting.

“What is more … 48% of customers who visited us at our launch have already returned for a second class.”

With 1R now having eight locations across the globe including Melbourne, Maclean advised “after years of extensively researching this market, we know now is the time to move and we have decided

to go big. From the moment you walk into the club, you will become immersed in an experience.

“Our classes are intentionally tough, but not in the way that you would think. What differentiates us is our ability to tap into the mindset of our customers. Everything you see, feel and hear in your workout has been timed and curated to create energy, a feeling of being invincible, to push our customers to work harder than they thought they were capable of ever doing.”

When James Balfour first created 1R, he wanted to ditch 12-month contracts and give consumers the flexibility to ‘pay as you train’ and create a better relationship with fitness.

At 1R Melbourne, club-goers have the option to choose from a variety of paid options: for memberships, they can select from two sessions up to unlimited sessions per week and cancel their membership at any time via the 1R app.

For those who want to work out less regularly, they can purchase packages which can be used at any time.

Beyond this first club, Maclean adds “in terms of our future plans, the intention is to open five clubs in Melbourne, and five in Sydney over the coming three to five years, with our second club also being located in Melbourne. Every club that we launch will be entirely unique. As such, our first club at Capitol Grand - the space, design, personality - will be one of a kind and never again repeated.

“The goal of our clubs has always been to create a space that our customers are excited to visit, one that replaces a gruelling workout push with an addictive experiential buzz. Visiting 1R shouldn’t feel like a chore, it should feel like you’re heading to an event, a performance. One where you are the leading star.”

Images courtesy of 1R.