INTERVIEW WITH EDWARD HULL (OPTIMAL OWNER)
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND OPTIMAL?
I have worked at the Solihull Arden Club for about 15 years now. Just after COVID, the club approached me to run the gym. At the time, I said that I was happy to run it, but I wanted to bring in personal trainers. Ultimately, since then, we have built up Optimal, getting busier and busier to the point where we hit maximum capacity and had to let the club know. They then offered us this space to build what you see in front of us today, where we now coach over 200 people.
Our clients are mainly over the age of 40, and they are all looking to become fitter, leaner, move better, and improve their longevity. We offer two different types of programmes. First, we have our small group training, which involves completely bespoke plans. However, we often find that when people train together, it yields better results, makes it more enjoyable, and builds consistency. We also do larger group training, which focuses purely on fitness and fat loss. For this, we have three different types of sessions: Burn, Strong, and Hybrid. Each has a different emphasis, but ultimately, it is all about community, fitness, and helping people feel better.
WHICH EQUIPMENT DID YOU CHOOSE?
A lot of the equipment we use here at Optimal is functional. We do not really have fixed resistance machines because we believe in natural movement and improving mobility, which is essential for the longevity our clients are after. We have plenty of Assault Bikes, sleds, and SkiErgs, alongside benches, a variety of barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells. Essentially, we chose anything that will improve movement patterns in both our small and large group settings.
HOW DID WOLVERSON HELP YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR JOURNEY?
Wolverson were great. James, the person I was dealing with, was incredibly patient. As you can imagine, building a gym from scratch makes it difficult to know exactly where you want everything, how much kit you need, and what is essential. He was always open to me bouncing ideas off him, changing and adjusting multiple quotes to help us out and ensure we got the right gear. Even when we had queries, they were right on top of it, supporting us the whole way.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WOLVERSON TO OTHERS?
I would definitely recommend Wolverson. There are a couple of key reasons. First, the customer service throughout has been absolutely fantastic. Second, the quality of the equipment is brilliant. It is incredibly strong and durable, which is exactly what you need in a busy gym, but it also looks smart and professional. It reflects how we want our clients to view our business, and I feel Wolverson’s equipment perfectly embodies that.
