A Formby Gym is in the finals for 'The Best Independent Gym in Liverpool 2017'

A Formby Gym needs your votes. The USC Gym on Halsall Lane in Formby is in the finals to be crowned 'The best independent gym in Liverpool 2017'.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE (Takes literally two seconds)

The Liverpool Fitness Professional Awards is now in it's third year. This years ceremony till take place on Saturday 25th November at the prestigious Isla Gladstone.

On the evening, guests will be treated to a three course meal and witness some of Liverpool's best entertainment. Finalists have now been selected and voting is now open.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FINALISTS

CLICK HERE TO VOTE (Takes literally two seconds)

Tickets are now available for the event. More details here (discounts for tables)

Owner of the Formby USC Gym is popular Formby man, John Youssef. John 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 gym is now called USC GYM is 9000sq foot, and has a strength room, conditioning room, spin room, cardio room, with treadmills, bikes, rowers, Kettlebells and punch bags and have dozens of classes each week.

There is a coffee shop, being run by John’s father, the owner of the much loved Quo Vadis.

John says “Our gym has the best coaches and PTs around, Jordan Hughes & Robert Humphreys are available for one on ones. I am available for strength training/body building coaching."

"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."

"Being in the finals for THE BEST INDEPENDENT GYM IN LIVERPOOL, is a massive result for us."