An ex-England rugby player’s exciting plan for a world class gym in Chester is taking shape.

The Athlete Factory at Chester Rugby Club hopes to attract international teams and athletes to train in the city.

But the state-of-the-art facility will be open to absolutely everyone to join.

It is a labour of love for former British and Irish Lion Phil Greening.

The 41-year-old will be joined by an elite coaching team to help members achieve their goals.

Phil said: “It’s not going to be just a bog standard gym. There’s nothing like this in the UK.

“It’s all the equipment we use with elite sports but there’s no reason why people can’t use them.

“We want to share our expertise with everyone.”

Building has begun on the Athlete Factory at Chester Rugby Club

After years of planning, the gym is now being built with the framework currently being lifted into place.

Phil, who won 24 caps for the England team, hopes to have the Athlete Factory open by October.

It will feature high-spec equipment on the gym floor, a nutrition bar and an indoor artificial turfed area.

The unique feature is a cryotherapy chamber, ‘basically a big fridge’, which is used to aid recovery.

Each member will have a workout plan tailored to them whether they are elite athlete or a busy mum.

The coaches will only ask you commit to the hard graft.

Phil said: “We want to change the way the industry works. To transform the way people train.

“If you are hoping to change your lifestyle and your health this will be the place to come.

“Everyone will be on our training app with their specific programme. Everyone will have an assigned coach who works closely with them.”

Discussions have already taken place to bring both the England and Wales rugby sides to the Athlete Factory.

Phil has extensive links from his time in the professional game both as a player and a coach.

His most recent role has been as a consultant with USA Rugby, which has also included getting the chance to see the huge gyms on offer for American colleges and clubs.

This experience has helped the 41-year-old pinpoint exactly what a top class facility needs and he says it is simple to apply this to anyone no matter their fitness level.

The ex-England hooker said: “We’ve plucked all these great ideas because we know they work.

“Our aim is to create an atmosphere where it’s exciting and fresh but we work hard to get results.”

Building has begun on the Athlete Factory at Chester Rugby Club

The Athlete Factory plans to offer classes for kids, such as ‘superhero’ training, where youngsters will go through fun exercises to feel like their favourite heroes.

On top of its links with Chester Rugby Club, they also hope to run an academy for young rugby players who have been released by professional clubs, to help them stay in the game.

Phil, who lives in the area with his wife and three children, is committed to making it a success as well as a draw for Chester.

He said: “I’m going to pull this off. I don’t think it’s ambitious as it’s just applying what we do anyway with international sportsmen and women.

“Chester is home now and we love it here. The deal was we throw everything into it but we are not moving again.”

To find out more and express your interest in joining the Athlete Factory contact Phil Greening on phil@theathletefactory.global.

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments below.