Lions Den Gym & Fitness Centre

🥊 1000+ 🥊

The Fighter. The Coach. The Conversationalist.

Shayne first walked through the doors of the Den back in March 2017. Nearly nine and a half years later, he's officially clocked up over 1000 gym visits.

A big part of those years has been spent getting stuck into strength and conditioning, with his training eventually taking him into amateur boxing. These days, he's also putting that experience to good use helping others improve their own boxing at Hydra's Boxing & Kickboxing.

He's never been one to simply walk in, train, and walk out. There's usually a bit of a yarn along the way. And honestly, that's part of what makes Shayne such a great member. He's been here long enough to see plenty of faces come and go, but he's always been one of those familiar faces that makes the gym feel like the community it is.

We asked Shayn what he likes about training at the Den 🗣 "The gear, the people, the staff"

Congratulations Shayne 🥊

#1000 #027

When Nicole first walked into the Den, the goal was simple: get healthier.

Fast forward a few years and she's lost over 70kg, discovered a passion for training, and recently stepped on stage at her very first bodybuilding competition.

The results:
🥇 1st Sports Model Novice
🥇 1st Sports Model Open
🥉 3rd Sports Model First Timer
🥉 3rd Bikini Open
🥉 3rd Bikini Novice
🥉 3rd Bikini First Timer

Those placings are impressive, but they're only part of the story. What started as a goal to improve her health and be there for her family became something much bigger. Along the way, Nicole fell in love with training and discovered she was capable of far more than she originally imagined. One of the cool things too has been seeing that influence extend beyond Nicole herself, with her son now training at the Den too.

We asked Nicole about her training 🗣 "A massive thank you to you all for always supporting me and encouraging me and my family. Showing me the ropes at the start of my journey and helping me along the way whenever I had questions means the world to me. I'm so lucky to train at the Lions Den."

We're pretty lucky to have you too, Congratulations Nicole 👏

Yeeeeah Cain

Big congratulations to Coach Cain on completing his Certified Physical Preparation Specialist (CPPS) certification, developed by renowned strength coaches Joe DeFranco and Jim Smith.

At the Den, we don't believe good coaches ever stop learning. CPPS is all about understanding how people move and using that knowledge to build smarter, more individualised training through movement assessment, mobility, strength and power development, and programme design.

Cain's practical assessments received outstanding feedback too, with his programming recognised as being among the strongest they'd seen from a newly certified CPPS coach.

The exciting part? Cain will be introducing more in-depth movement assessments and individualised programming for one-on-one clients, while also exploring how this approach can become part of the wider Den experience.

Alright, that's enough praise for one day. Back to work, buddy.

Tales have emerged from Brisbane of a small but determined creature known only as the Muscle Gnome 🌏

Representing New Zealand and the Den as one of our sponsored athletes, Hamish recently competed at the 2026 UCI BMX World Championships.

A 16th-place finish in the world, personal best lap times, and a 12kg bodyweight drop during the lead-up all point to one thing: the Muscle Gnome is evolving into a seriously high-performing specimen.

Congratulations, Hamish. We're proud to have you representing the Den on the world stage.

Strong Schools continues to grow 🚀

Last term we worked alongside SPS, Pembroke, and welcomed Toko School into the programme for the very first time.

Seeing tamariki challenge themselves, build confidence, and enjoy movement never gets old.

Thanks to for helping us get more tamariki moving 💪

The gym doesn't get quieter in winter. Case in point...

Quick heads up 👇

The office will be closed:
🔴 Friday 3rd July
🔴 Saturday 4th July

No staff onsite and no classes running across these days. 24/7 gym access remains open as normal for members.

Back to normal from Monday.

Welcome back to the “Den Legends” wall, a space dedicated to honouring our most valued and exceptional members. This board stands as a tribute to those who exemplify consistency, unwavering dedication, and the true spirit of our community.

Becoming a Den Legend isn’t about showcasing extraordinary feats of strength or fitness prowess. Instead, it celebrates a simple yet remarkable achievement: showing up. Each name that gets engraved on this wall is a testament to the commitment of individuals who have trained week after week, without fail. Whether it’s achieving 2000+ gym visits or remaining an active part of our gym for over a decade, this recognition is reserved for those who have embraced persistence and unwavering dedication.

Congratulations Zarhn on achieveing in 2000+ gym visits and becoming our fifteenth official Den Legend.

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Bailey's a finalist 🤏🤏🤏

Noice. Smort. Toit.

[Best Service Person - Youth]

We had over 500 nominations for the Romeo Awards this year.
Congratulations to our finalists!

Lets celebrate our local businesses and people at the Romeo Awards Evening on Saturday 8th August. Tables are selling out fast,
More information and book a table on our website here https://stratfordbusinessassociation.co.nz/romeo-awards-saturday-8th-august-2026/

Dane's a finalist 👏👏👏

Noice. Smort. Toit.

[Best Service Person - Male]

We had over 500 nominations for the Romeo Awards this year.
Congratulations to our finalists!

Lets celebrate our local businesses and people at the Romeo Awards Evening on Saturday 8th August. Tables are selling out fast,
More information and book a table on our website here https://stratfordbusinessassociation.co.nz/romeo-awards-saturday-8th-august-2026/