New Revolution (NR) Health and Fitness Clubs was founded by Nathan Gostling in 2017 with one location in Wymondham.

The aim was to bring affordable membership prices to gymgoers living in towns across the region.

The 35-year-old now has seven gyms in Norfolk and Suffolk, with his portfolio sweeping from Lowestoft to Watton.

Before NR

Inside the newest NR gym in Thetford (Image: Nathan Gostling) Running this sort of business is not new to Nathan as he was an apprentice at Mosaic Spa & Health Club in Caister.

“It was what I needed,” he said. “They really pushed me to grow and they’ve been a big factor in how I conduct my own business.”

The apprenticeship saw Nathan running a health club at the age of just 20, but it was not always plain sailing.

“At some of my older jobs, I never felt truly valued. I try my best to make my management staff feel as appreciated as possible now.

“I always said to myself, one day you’ll get what you deserve. I feel like I’ve achieved that now.”

Starting the business

Nathan Gostling (right) and Aaron Johnson (left) (Image: Facebook/Nathan Gostling) Many people wondered how NR would be able to compete in an industry dominated by chains offering cheap prices in dozens of locations. 

“PureGym and Gym Group couldn’t come to places like Watton with the lower prices you might see them have at their gyms in Norwich,” Nathan explained. 

“They might get an initial boost from it, but we’ve found that over time, people come back to our gyms.

“Early on in the journey, I’d say for the first four years or so, Aaron [Johnson] and I were running the classes ourselves.”

Aaron is a good friend of Nathan’s and joined the business in 2018 when the gym in Attleborough opened. 

He then became a company director in 2021, a role he remains in today.

“I told him when he came in, you’re going to need to bring in enough people to give yourself a wage, because the company can’t afford to pay you.

“Whenever people needed to improve their fitness in the area, it was always ‘go and see Nathan and Aaron’!”

What is next?

Nathan and Aaron have ambitions of making £1m profit this year (Image: Nathan Gostling) Nowadays, Nathan says his job mostly consists of helping streamline the business and looking at finding new locations. 

“We’ve got a goal of making £1m profit per year,” Nathan added.

“The money isn’t what’s important to us, but it’s a good indicator of how a business is being run.

“It feels like things are just speeding up now. We’re able to offer apprenticeships ourselves, which is a really nice, full-circle moment for me.

“We are always looking at those guys to step up into a bigger role.”