Meet Leo Forchin
“My ethos is simple, I want to create a space that people can feel comfortable to train in, whether it’s their first time or 1000th time.”
From London to Melbourne, Leo is a fitness coach with experience on two sides of the world. We chatted to him about his journey so far, how the fitness scene differs in the two cities, and how living an active lifestyle helps him stay connected to others wherever he is.
His coffee order- an almond cappuccino. Leo, let’s chat...
Leo, can you tell us about your journey in the fitness world so far?
I started out as a boxing coach for my local club, and quickly discovered my passion for seeing others do well, move their bodies and feel great in a class based environment. I then had the chance to work in some incredible gyms around the London fitness circuit, like Equinox, GymBox and Third Space, before moving to Melbourne and working in some amazing studios here.
London to Melbourne must have been a huge change, how did you adapt and bring your fitness career with you?
To be totally honest, I’m not a massive person on change so it was quite daunting! But the first studio I worked at when I moved here was awesome and welcoming, and they had a great community. One of my clients even invited me to their Christmas lunch! I’ll never forget that day, one of my favourite moments here in Australia.
London is very unique- there is so much to offer in terms of different training methods and top of the range facilities, but Melbourne is definitely growing in that direction too and the fitness community here is great!
What do you miss most about London?
I’m tearing up a little as I write this one, my family! I’m really close with them so it’s been a big hit that the pandemic has caused me to be away from them for so long.
What are your favourite workouts in Melbourne for both body and mind?
Right at the top of my list would be walking, mostly everyone can do it and it’s such a good way to disconnect from everything around you and just focus on your breath. Secondly Boxing - I don’t tell many people this but I’ve competed nationally and in a few different countries for boxing.
Next would have to be Barry’s (I’m currently an instructor there and I love that euphoric feeling after each and every class!) and indoor rhythm riding - I teach at United Ride and I love being able to offer a low impact, high intensity workout where there are no prerequisites, you simply just have to be yourself.
I’m also part of a social run club called The 440 South Yarra- we simply meet, walk, jog or run for 45 minutes and get to know each other- it’s awesome.
How has living an active lifestyle helped you build community and connections wherever you are?
Fitness has always enabled me to build relationships. I even met one of my closest friends and ‘Best Man’ at my wedding through fitness. Post lockdown I have an even stronger understanding of why it’s so important to have friends you can be active with- you keep each other healthy, check-in, and of course usually catch up over coffee too.
What does ‘Make Life Richer’ mean to you?
For me, it means to invest in building healthy relationships, look after your mental health, be open to learning and growing from within, and always seeing how you can contribute to a better society.
