Fitness on a budget as pair bring new regime to village

Steve Schofield and Leigh Kettle are opening a calisthenics gym in a unit at Whiteleather Square, Billingborough, launching it with a charity open day on July 9, from 11am.

It is a series of exercises using little or no apparatus, apart from maybe a bench or a bar at varying angles, using your own body weight to test the muscles. It is all designed to train your core muscles and comes from the Greek word for ‘beauty of strength’.

Leigh, 37, a self-employed plumber, started training using calisthenics three years ago. He said: “I got into it after seeing a guy down the gym I was training at do a ‘skin the cat’ (lifting your legs up and between your arms) on a pull up bar. I tried it after being scared to at first and when I got home I ‘Googled’ other things I could do on a bar. After that I was hooked. It’s now my life outside of my family.”

He added: “I played a lot of football growing up and then got into bodybuilding when my football career ended for about two years before I found calisthenics.”

Personal trainer Steve said calisthenics has taken off massively across the world and is beginning to catch on in the UK. He believes this will be the first such facility in Lincolnshire.

Steve has been training for a year-and-a-half, having got into it seeing a guy on Youtube performing feats of strength. Previously he had played football in Germany and done weight training. He said: “I met Leigh in January last year and we have been good friends since, supporting and encouraging each other, and like Leigh, calisthenics is now my life, my passion.”

Steve added: “We do a lot of bar work, like pull-ups, push ups, tricep dips, until we can hold our bodies horizontally, hanging from a bar.”

He said it had elements of Parkour and gymnastics too.

Now they are taking the next step to offer a facility to help others learn and practice their training regime, running classes for adults and young people.

Steve said: “You don’t need an expensive gym membership and it can be done anywhere. You can get fit just using your own body.

“It’s a fun way to get in shape and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.”

They are expecting about 70 people at the open day when there will be music and food and two big names in calisthenics coming up from London. There will be competitions and fundraising for Help For Heroes.

They would like to see their new enterprise - LS7 - become a recognised brand for calisthenics. They already have their own clothing range.

You can contact them via their Facebook page, Instagram, or on 07940 736737.