MALE
MUSCLE
“If it was all about making money I’d
never do it again, as there are many
better and easier business models
within the wider fitness industry. But,
as trainers we are in an incredibly
privileged position to touch people’s
lives in such a way that we can make
an enormously positive difference, and
that’s why I wouldn’t have it any other
way. I’ve also got some amazing people
who are part of the UP family and
share my vision of creating the world’s
best personal training company. For
that, I feel very grateful and very
lucky,” he says.
Nick attributes many
things to his overwhelming
success.
“I could write a very long book if
I were to give you a comprehensive
reason as to why UP is so successful,”
he says. “In short, personal training
suited my specific set of skills very
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MUSCLE & FITNESS / MARCH 2018
well and that g ave me a big leg up
in the industry when I made the
switch. I also gained experience in
two very distinct yet opposing worlds;
the corporate world of banking and
lawyers, and the spit and sawdust
world of bodybuilding gyms.
Bringing these two worlds together
was a critical part of my early vision
for UP.
“After that, it all became about
relentless attention to detail and
meticulous when it came to setting
high standards. I’ve no doubt that my
sheer hunger to succeed has helped
to set UP apart,” says Nick.
“As for the business model itself, it’s
not necessarily that our model is that
different from anyone else’s, it’s just
that we execute it very consistently
and the team that I have around me
have come through ‘the UP way’ and
think and act a bit differently from
most other trainers.”
Nick has some sound advice
for new and established
trainers hoping to launch
or expand their business.
“First of all, forget about this nonsense
of ‘building a brand,” he insists. “Build
a business that can stand on its own
two legs and adds value before you do
anything else. You can achieve that by
giving clients what they want- results.
Get results, because without that all
you’ve got is a house built on sand.”
Not surprisingly, Nick has
worked with a multitude
of famous physiques.
“From a bodybuilding perspective,
the biggest name I’ve worked with
and had in the gym is Ben Pakulski,”
says Nick. “Dorian Yates used to train
clients in our Marbella facility from
time to time and that was fantastic,”
he recalls. “In the UK, our celebrity
clients include Paddy McGuinness,