Picking the right gym can change your life

Two years ago, Kenzi was 15 years old, weighed 120kg, avoided mirrors and hated sport. Today, he’s 25kg lighter, confident in his physique and loves working out. How did he do it? He found the right gym for him.

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Kenzi’s a confident young man now. He looks you straight in the eye when he talks to you. He speaks to you clearly, with good diction reinforced by assured body language. For a high school senior, he has a certain maturity. It hasn’t always been like that, though, for Kenzi.

Two years ago, he was self-conscious about his 120kg frame - as many a 15-year-old would be - and by his own admission, he was “not good in the head.” He knew he had to do something about it, that he needed to lose weight. But the problem (a negative self-image) was more powerful than the obvious solution (a balanced diet and more physical activity).

“I was afraid of doing sport,” he shrugs. “I hated the idea of going to these big gyms and being surrounded by other people that I didn’t know, all looking at me. I just didn’t feel right. I began to think I’d never lose weight.”

There are plenty of these ‘big gyms’ around. The ones with endless rows of pristine running, rowing and cycling machines pounded by focussed-faced members listening to their own music and minding their own business. Places where people exchange fleeting, furtive glances rather than words. Places where you can turn up, train for a couple of hours and leave without having to speak to another soul. This is exactly what many people want: precious time alone to digest their thoughts and spend some calories. But it wasn’t for Kenzi. Luckily for him, the answer was on his doorstep.

“I often walked past the House of Gains because it’s on my street. It seemed different. Intimate. Not trying to be fancy. It looked like the people inside were having fun together.”

So Kenzi plucked up the courage to go in and talk to Keven, the owner and walking advertisement for the H.O.G.

“Keven started by talking to me about what I eat and told me that to lose weight, I’d need to cut down on certain foods, reduce the carbohydrates that I was getting from things like bread and pasta. He explained to me how the body works and how it burns energy. Then he gave me some light workouts to get started with.

“Very quickly I started to appreciate the family atmosphere there. It wasn’t just Keven who was giving me advice and encouragement. The other members of the gym were talking to me, telling me I was doing well and to keep going. Straight away I felt comfortable being there. Quite quickly I started to lose some kilos and I saw that it was actually possible.

“The best thing for me was that, as the kilos came off, the other guys shared the same pride I had in myself. They were as happy as I was that I was losing weight! Everybody there looks after each other. It really is like a family there.”

Gradually, Kenzi’s workouts evolved to fit his changing physique. In his second year at the H.O.G., Keven began to include elements of crossfit.

“That was when I really started noticing the difference. Now I’m down to 95 kilos and that’s about the weight I’d like to maintain, but by adding more muscle and burning more fat.”

Different people want different things from a gym. Some want autonomy, to be left alone to train in peace. In Lyon, there are plenty of gyms that cater to this clientele. But for those who are looking for a more social experience, who prefer to be part of a pack rather than lone wolves, the options are few.

By finding the right kind of gym for him, a gym that gave him a sense of belonging rather than a feeling of anonymity, Kenzi’s life changed for the better. He is now healthy – in body and in mind – and happy with how he looks. He can approach life after school, the so-called ‘real world’, with confidence.

“Now I can’t stop doing sport. I can’t wait to go and work out. The thing is now, if I do have to stop, like when the gym was closed during confinement, I don’t feel good.”

These withdrawal symptoms are a new problem for Kenzi but, then again, there are worse problems to have.