May 13, 20163 min read

New gym opening in Formby on Halsall Lane in the village.

Owner John Youssef started weight lifting at the age of 12, making a home gym in the garage of his parents house. As he got older he started adding jogging to his routine to try get fit.

In his early 20s he started training military combatives, and realised lifting weights and jogging wasn't enough so he added high intensity interval training (HIIT) to increase his fitness. Through this he became a combative/self defence instructor at the age of 24.

Next he started Thai boxing, MMA and Brazilian ju jitsu (BJJ) at the aged of 27. Soon after he started running his own HIIT class at Atlas gym when he was 32.

That was the beginning of USC (ultimate strength and conditioning) Feb 2013.

After working in the family restaurant (Quo Vadis) for 20 years, he decided it was time to follow his passion, so he opened the USC training facility on Mayflower Industrial Estate, Formby. It was a great success. However on December 31st 2015, after almost 3 good years running USC, he was told that it was getting knocked down. He was devastated, as he was trying to secure the unit next door, to expand.

He began looking, and found a place that had been empty for 6 years, but had previously been a gym. At first it seemed impossible. Way too expensive. But he stayed positive, and secured the lease. With the help of many of his loyal customers and friends, they moved the gym over from Mayflower Estate, to its new home on Halsall lane in Formby village.

The new place, now called USC GYM is 9000sq foot, and has already opened its strength room, it's conditioning room, and they have started with 25 classes a week. From next Monday they will be open full time, the gym being in use all day. Next week they are hoping to open their cardio room, with treadmills, bikes, rowers, Kettlebells and punch bags.

The next thing to open is the coffee shop, being run by John’s father, the owner of the much loved Quo Vadis.

Then they are adding a spin room, which is going to be fantastic.

Showers and changing rooms will be open shortly too, and they have several businesses on the premises: -Formby Physio & sports rehab -Ultimate Kids Drop off, a kids drop off service. -Kathy Huyton Sports massage & rehab -Slim fit Liverpool.

John says “Our gym has the best coaches and PTs around, Jordan Hughes, Giuseppe Merella & Robert Humphreys all available for one on ones. I will be available for strength training/body building coaching too once the gym is set up.

The main thing about USC that's sets us apart, is we will guarantee progress. Our coaches care, and not many gyms have the owner running the classes daily.

We have also been nominated for THE BEST INDEPENDENT GYM IN LIVERPOOL, which is a massive result for us. We hope to win it in September, when the winner is decided.”

One of the private coaches is 3 time national super heavyweight boxing champion, Alex Dickinson teaching boxing. He won his 3rd title at the start of April beating the 3 top contenders in 3 days!