Taking the Fitness Experience to the next level in Burnley

The cliché of someone with a gym membership who doesn't work out is alien at Fitness Experience, with the world-class facility offering bespoke personal training for everyone from pro footballers to those aiming to get fitter. Put simply, they get results.
Jamie Kennedy is the Director of the company and one of FX's Personal Trainers.Jamie Kennedy is the Director of the company and one of FX's Personal Trainers.
Jamie Kennedy is the Director of the company and one of FX's Personal Trainers.

Now operating out of a custom-designed space at their new home on Empire Business Park off Liverpool Road, FX’s team of eight qualified Personal Trainers, all of whom have specific areas of expertise, engage their clients more holistically than mainstream gyms in an effort to offer more tangible and beneficial long-term results.

A real family business, FX’s Directors, brothers Jamie and Josh Kennedy, have tens of thousands of hours’ personal training experience and have worked with the likes of England boxer, Joe Crawford, and footballers Oliver Norwood, Danny Ings, Kieran Trippier, and Jay Rodriguez.

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From pinpointing specific areas to work on physically through tailor-made workouts, to advising on nutrition, to planning recovery and being a mental sounding board, FX’s PTs are invested in their clients. And with a retention rate of 85% after six months - almost triple the typical rate for mainstream gyms - the focus is on the long-term change, not the short-term.

World-class: the facilities at FX are of the highest calibre.World-class: the facilities at FX are of the highest calibre.
World-class: the facilities at FX are of the highest calibre.

“People come to us knowing we offer expertise and experience,” said Jamie. “It’s all about finding a more effective way to train. We designed the new gym from scratch so we have what we feel is the perfect environment for people to get results.

“We’ve delivered thousands of hours of personal training sessions, and we cater for everyone, not just elite athletes,” he added. “We want to bring something for aspiring athletes and our personal training clients as well.”

Boasting everything from elite gym gear (such as the £1,000 Tornado Air Bike) and high-end conditioning equipment (FX is a registered British weightlifting club), to a padded running track from Germany which enables athletes to train without fear of injuring themselves, FX’s facility is unique outside of top-division sports clubs, offering everything from body transformation and sport performance services to injury rehabilitation and wellness plans.

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“It’s dead easy for someone to go on a course for a week and make someone feel knackered as their personal trainer ,” explained Josh, who has a Masters in Strength and Conditioning. “But for someone who, over a year, wants to take their life to a different level, you have to look at everything: the diet, the programme, and the training. We personalise it all.

Holistic: FX's mantra is to ensure that their programmes are uniquely personalised to each of their clients.Holistic: FX's mantra is to ensure that their programmes are uniquely personalised to each of their clients.
Holistic: FX's mantra is to ensure that their programmes are uniquely personalised to each of their clients.

“We look at it holistically, so we can take anyone to where they want to be, from developing athletes to those coming in for weight loss,” he continued. “Our service makes sure everyone get the best experience.”

Jamie added: "We work as a team of eight experts, we bounce off each other and combine to offer a unique and personalised plan. It's all about allowing someone to train well over the long term.

"It's easy to get someone to train hard for four weeks, anyone can do that, but the end goal is long-term benefits," he said.

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FX opened in 2011 with Jamie and Josh’s father, John - a well-known local businessman - helping Jamie start the company, acting as its sole Director and shareholder. John’s tragically sudden death of a heart attack in 2016 at the age of just 58 placed the onus on the two brothers to take FX to the next level.

Zen: FX's dedicated yoga studio, run by Sue Kennedy, Jamie and Josh's mother.Zen: FX's dedicated yoga studio, run by Sue Kennedy, Jamie and Josh's mother.
Zen: FX's dedicated yoga studio, run by Sue Kennedy, Jamie and Josh's mother.

“When Dad passed away we really got out heads down,” said Jamie, who also paid tribute to Burnley Bondholders. “We’ve got a really loyal customer base - most of the people here have been with us long-term. We’ve learned a lot in seven years.

“When I first set the business up, people had just started to see that personal training wasn’t just for celebs, athletes,and footballers,” he added. “I had the idea of creating a unique, comfortable environment for those who didn’t want to go to the gym, which can be invasive and a bit overwhelming.”

Settled in their new surroundings, FX continues to grow. With a dedicated app from which PTs can set workouts for clients if they want to train outside of their minimum of two personal training sessions per week and with a sports therapist and physiotherapist now on the staff, the new facility also offers something decidedly more zen.

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An on-site, bespoke, heated and sound-proofed yoga studio is run by Sue Kennedy, Jamie and Josh’s mother. Formerly a keen runner, Sue herself turned to yoga after countless long-distance cardio events took their toll on her knee joints, with the yoga studio representing the therapeutic benefits of exercise and reflecting the importance FX places on mental health.

Inspirational words from a certain John Kennedy.Inspirational words from a certain John Kennedy.
Inspirational words from a certain John Kennedy.

FX are focused on doing things right by their clients, and take pride in the efficacy of their work. Everyone is “always learning,” in Jamie’s words, and there are inspirational quotes dotted about the facility, but one stands out, taking pride of place on the main wall in the gym.

“Let the other comes after us, we welcome the chase,” it reads. Wise words from a certain John Kennedy.