The Local Gym For Everyone + Every Hour Of Every Day

After opening in 2017, Evolution Strength & Fitness in Moss Vale has become a hive of activity for local fitness fans 24/7. 

Matt Burke, already a local business owner running a busy electrical biz, had gone through his own fitness journey losing 35 kilograms and finding a passion for power lifting in the process, when he decided to open an inclusive gym with a diverse range of training facilities open 24 hours. 

So Evolution Strength & Fitness opened in 2017 and five years later, this busy gym has over 400 members. 

We chatted to Matt about the Evolution journey – his own AND the gym’s.

1 :: You run another business, but fitness had always played a part in your life.

That’s right – I played grade football for the Moss Vale Dragons for 17 years and was also involved with training at junior rep level and have coached league for as long as I can remember. 

When I retired from playing rugby league and I had a bit more spare time on my hands, I noticed the weight started to creep on. 

I started training and lost 35 kilograms. Through that, I discovered power lifting which I now compete in and was enjoying the benefits of improved fitness, so decided to do a PT course and was trying to find a gym to join that had a diverse range of training options for members. 

None really fit my criteria, so that’s when I decided to open my own gym.

2 :: What do you focus on providing at Evolution Strength & Fitness?

We want our members to want to come and train here, and not sit on their membership.

Lots of our members have specific goals they’re trying to achieve – whether it’s training for a competition, weight loss, building strength or whatever it might be – so our team help them with that. 

It’s not a gym where you turn up, use the equipment and go without having spoken to anyone.

We don’t just provide the facilities….. our team is there to provide you with encouragement and expertise too. Your success is really important to them. 

We’re really proud of the diversity of our members.

Evolution caters to every age group and fitness level. Our youngest member is 11 and our oldest is 80!

3 :: Being involved in the community through sport is another important part of what you do too, isn’t it?

I’ve been involved with rugby league in the Highlands for decades so we do what we can to give back to those grassroots sporting organisations. 

We’re a sponsor of Southern Highlands Storm Rugby League Club and offer the players half price membership to the gym. 

My sister, Kylie also runs sport specific training at Evolution for local football and netball teams in the 11 – 16 age group. She creates sessions that focus on the fitness or strength or agility requirements of the sport the kids are playing. 

We do that at a heavily discounted rate to make it affordable for the local clubs and families.

4 :: Evolution Strength & Fitness is a passion project for you. How does that inform your approach to owning the gym?

I’m not here to make heaps of money. I just want to provide a place where people can be the best version of themselves. 

I know [firsthand!] that it can be harder to stay fit as you get older, so I wanted to help people who think they can’t get fit again or think they’re too old for that fun run or struggling to keep up with their kids.

You can and you will.

If you want to do something about your health and fitness, you can do it right here in Moss Vale, and do it well.

5 :: Tell us more about the gym and the vibe?

The space itself is very different to a lot of local gyms. It’s a big warehouse style gym with plenty of air flow and natural light. It’s light, bright and airy which immediately gives it a good feel as soon as you walk in.

We’ve invested heavily in quality equipment. I say if you want to be the best, you train with the best and that goes for equipment too. We have a diverse range of equipment – from cardio to weight machines – which our members really like. Many comment on how they don’t get bored. 

And the equipment and machines are spread out. It’s not cramped at all. It’s really spacious. 

We also have a kids’ playroom which is great for parents and carers who might be home with the kids but want to get a workout in. 

Our gym is there for everyone at any time.

6 :: The team play a big part in the vibe of the gym too, don’t they?

Definitely. 

We have three staff all fulltime, all local. My youngest son, Cooper works at the gym too. 

My wife, Trish has been involved in the whole process of opening and building up Evolution. She does a lot of work behind the scenes with admin and she’s great to bounce ideas off. 

We built the gym ourselves, so Trish was involved with that and taking care of the family while I was running my electrical business and starting Evolution – it was a pretty busy time!

7 :: There are a number of Personal Trainers that work out of Evolution.

We have a great group of local PT’s that use Evolution as their base and work with their clients on a range of areas.

There are PT’s here whose expertise include pre-natal and post-natal fitness and recovery, fitness training for specific sports, working with seniors and also kids at the other end of the spectrum, power lifting and more.

It’s a great resource for our members to tap into.

8 :: Speaking of power lifting, we’re keen to know more about your power lifting success.

I’ve been doing power lifting for over eight years.

It started as a hobby to lose weight, and then I became better at it bit by bit and started entering competitions. 

I’ve set some Australian records and really enjoy the competitive side of it. I had missed that once I’d finished playing footy.

9 :: So what’s next for Evolution Strength & Fitness?

It’s all about the Evolution members for us.

We want to keep building on the trust they’ve placed in us by signing up to our gym and keep helping them achieve their goals.

We see what happens when members break free of the limits they put on themselves – it’s pretty inspiring actually.

Sounds great, Matt!

Evolution Strength & Fitness is a locally owned and run 24/7 gym in Moss Vale, with a full range of cardio, strength and mobility training equipment, and a fun kids room. Membership rates include 24/7 access and availability to staff to assist with all your fitness goals – check out more about Evolution here and start or RE-start your fitness journey today.

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