10 QUESTIONS WITH HILARY ROWLAND, CO-FOUNDER OF UNITED FITNESS BRANDS
1.) Good morning Hilary, welcome to The Mayfair Musings! Tell us a little about United Fitness Brands...
United Fitness Brands is the newly formed company founded by myself, Robert Rowland (my husband and Boom Cycle business partner) and Joe Cohen (founder of KOBOX) that houses Barrecore, Boom Cycle and KOBOX. We started this business so that our brands and future companies can benefit from a consolidated HQ, economies of scale and range of other benefits such as attractiveness to landlords and increased convenience for customers through cross usage of brands.
2.) Barrecore is much loved and talked about. What is Barrecore and how does it help to transform the body and mind?
Founded in 2011, our unique Barrecore Method is an efficient, safe and intelligent way of exercising your body - proven to create lasting change in your body in just a few weeks. The secret lies in exhausting your muscles with carefully choreographed low-impact movements that bring your body into the famous "Barrecore Shake”. This high intensity but low impact way of working your body (called HILIT, as opposed to HIIT) means that we have clients of all ages, genders, fitness levels, shapes, and abilities - even people recovering from an injury and pre and post natal women.
Our clients rave about the quick physical transformations and long-lasting effects. The first thing they tend to notice is increased general energy and strength, a perkier bum, and a flatter stomach. Long-term they experience an overall improvement in well-being as well as longer, leaner muscles, and a sculpting physique even in those hard-to-reach places. By using mainly your own body weight for isometric and eccentric movements that strengthen and also lengthen your muscles, we ensure that you won't bulk - but rather sculpt in a lean way.
Above all, Barrecore will help you feel strong and confident in your own body and mind.
3.) Is Barrecore suitable for all fitness levels or is it more suitable for those with a good level of fitness?
Barrecore is literally suitable for all fitness levels, all ages, all genders, those recovering from injury and those pre-and post natal. The low impact but high-repetition method is both safe, and noticeably effective after only a few classes.
4.) You must be fit given your career path. Have you always been a very physically active person?
I was always into sports in school and dance half way through college. I started running and working out at a gym for aesthetics around the age of 19 and started spinning at 21, my career before venturing into the world of boutique fitness was modelling internationally.
I only found Barrecore in 2020 and have loved it since my first online session. It's really helped me strengthen my body for all the other activities I do and has helped my come back from a really annoying piriformis issue.
5.) Have you always worked in the world of fitness?
I started working in the fitness industry in 2011 when Robert and I founded and launched Boom Cycle studios as the first large-scale indoor cycling studio in the UK. This October marks 10 years since that journey began!
6.) We all know how challenging it is to maintain a good work / life balance. Do you have any advice for other entrepreneurs embarking on a fast-paced career journey?
Take at least one day off per week when you do NO WORK whenever possible and prioritise your health and your sleep. You will be more productive and happier this way. Burn out is bad on so many levels.
7.) How does it feel to have so many famous faces enjoying Barrecore?
What I think is cool about having so many famous faces enjoying Barrecore, is that generally, the famous can afford to have the very best. Their choice of Barrecore is a testament to the quality and efficacy of the Barrecore Method. It also shows that people who’s physical image is a big part of their job - who generally take it very seriously - trust Barrecore to deliver the results they need to achieve.
8.) Where are your Barrecore live classes and studios based?
There are Barrecore locations in Kensington, Wandsworth, Notting Hill, Wimbledon, Islington, Hampstead, Chiswick, Chelsea and of course, Mayfair in London, One in Bristol and there are also 2 franchises in Manchester and one in Leeds!
9.) What are some of your favourite places to visit in Mayfair?
I adore Fallow - the service is always great! It's always a vibe and I love the menu! A corn rib is just so satisfying with an ice cold dirty martini! Also, Mr Foggs for cocktails is a no-brainer - it's so much fun and really something different and entertaining. And of course - Little House is so Cozy and cute for a date night!
10.) When you're not busy building your business empire, where can you be found and what might you be doing?
I love running by the river in Barnes where we love and adore food and wine. Robert and I love to explore restaurants and I think it's safe to say our main hobby is cooking!
