Fitness instructor helps client community remain healthy in mind and body

LUCAS Debek has been dedicated to fitness, training and exercise – since he was a teenager.

Now the 41-year-old has two studios full of clients who are part of the fitness community and are joining in the celebrations after Lucas won an award – Mid Cheshire’s Best for Fitness 2024.

In April, we launched our Best of 2024 competition and we’ve given out eight awards.

Best for Hair - Fox Hairdressing

Best for Pies - JD's Café

Best for Nails - Blue Beauty Cheshire

Best for Roast Dinner - The Bowling Green

Best for Cocktails - The Grape and Bean

Best for Breakfast - Zaza Café

Best for Fish and Chips - The Corner Fish and Chip Shop

Best Beer Garden - The Carriers Inn

Voting for Mid Cheshire’s Best for Tattoos is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best Independent Shop of Business.

Vote for Mid Cheshire’s Best for Fitness 2024

Nominate your favourite for Mid Cheshire’s Best Independent Shop or Business 2024

Ten top fitness instructors in Mid Cheshire made the shortlist for Best for Fitness and Lucas Debek took this year’s coveted crown.

Lucas’ business – Trained by Lucas Fitness Studio – opened in Sandbach in 2019 offering personal training sessions and due to the demand he decided to offer fitness classes in 2022.

He opened a second site on Goostrey Lane in Goostrey in September last year.

Lucas, who is 41 and originally from Poland, moving to Cheshire East in 2008, said: “Due to demand, I made the decision to expand, opening our Goostrey Studio in September 2023.

“It has been fantastic to have the ability to expand the business and support more clients to achieve their personal goals.

“Working over two studios is a dream.

“This has also given clients the opportunity to train in two different studios and access to a greater variety of classes.

“Our fitness studios mainly offer personal training and fitness classes, however, we do have a small amount of gym memberships available at our Goostrey Studio.

“Over our two studios, we offer a variety of strength and cardio based fitness classes, small group training and bespoke personal training as one to one or duo sessions.

“Everything that we offer is tailored to all abilities and all fitness levels are welcome.

“New for 2024 we have become HYROX affiliated studios, offering HYROX classes for adults and HYROX YOUNGSTARS for children / teenagers aged nine to 15.

“HYROX is a fast-growing sport and our coaches compete and support their clients in events all over Europe.

“Due to overwhelming demand, to enable us to reach more clients and to increase opportunities to join us, this month we have launched ‘Dual Fitness’ our online personal training platform.

“This has been well received with lots of new clients from across the UK joining us online.”

Lucas opened the Goostrey studio in September last year

Lucas has always had a personal interest in fitness, particularly body building.

From the age of 16 every spare minute was spent on training or learning about exercise and the human body.

Lucas, who now lives in Holmes Chapel, said: “Having achieved many of my own goals, I decided that I wanted to share my passion and knowledge with others therefore I trained as a personal trainer in my spare time.

“Initially, I freelanced in any hours I had spare alongside my job as a technician, however I loved the work so much, I took a gamble, gave up my permanent job and opened my Sandbach studio.

“I have never looked back and I enjoy my work so much.

“My clients are the ones who make my job so fulfilling.

“I now look forward to going to work every day!”

Lucas lives and breathes fitness and is a great believer that exercise is on the best things in life as it supports people to be healthier in both body and mind as well as providing goals and a sense of achievement and builds confidence.

Lucas said: “Supporting each of my clients to achieve their own goals is so fulfilling and so many of our clients have formed long lasting friendships from being a part of our gym.

“This has also helped them to maintain their lifestyle changes.

“Our business is family run and because of that we remain grounded in our understanding of what people need and the complexities of life.

“Juggling work, family and social lives is difficult, however we support everyone no matter what their circumstances.

“Many of our clients are long standing customers with us and this gives our studios a warm and welcoming feel.

“We ensure that our classes are not oversubscribed, which supports people to get to know one another.

“Our clients say that the feeling that they get walking into our gym hasn’t at other gyms.”

Lucas has created a fitness community

To celebrate the achievements of his clients, Lucas provides the opportunity to attend a professional photoshoot, which have taken place in Sandbach, Goostrey, Nottingham and London with this year’s in Dubai in March.

Lucas offers a variety of classes with a ‘Trained by Lucas’ twist.

No class is every the same - from HIIT-based (high intensity interval training) classes to strength-based classes, there is something available seven days a week across the two studios.

Clients can pay as they go or take out a monthly membership option and all classes are accessible for all fitness levels.

What do clients think about Lucas and his fitness classes? Why did they think he should win our latest award?

One nomination said: “Lucas is genuinely changing people’s lives whatever their ambitions, age or abilities.

“He’s built a fitness community with a real family feel.

“Lucas’ passion and dedication is unmatched.”

Lucas says his clients know they came about each of them, receiving 100 per cent commitment and support at every class.

Lucas said: “Most of our clients achieve amazing transformations and have surpassed their own initial goals, achieving a level of fitness that they never thought would be possible.

“At the end of every class or personal training session, clients leave their sessions with a sense of achievement and a feeling of positivity.

“Each client is different and has a different goal or reason for being a part of the gym.

“I was nominated for this award by one of my clients and it was such a surprise.

“All our clients then started to vote which was amazing.

“We are a small family-run gym and to see how much our clients wanted us to win was so lovely.

“I have only had my business open for three years so this is such an achievement.

“I am so lucky to have such supportive people surrounding me.

“My partner Jennie is a big part of the business, assisting in keeping the studios running smoothly and supporting my aspirations to continuously develop the business.

“I also have amazing freelance trainers working alongside me - Lucy Lloyd, who is an exceptional personal trainer and HYROX fanatic, Lauren Taylor, who is a fitness coach, body builder and posing coach, and Liz Moore, who is an extremely knowledgeable personal trainer and high energy class coach.

“However, my biggest supporters are my clients.

“They are the absolute best clients a personal trainer could wish for and without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“I am so thankful to all of them for supporting the business and in creating an amazing fitness community.”