World Gym operates more than 50 locations in Australia. Photo: World Gym Australia, Facebook.
World Gym, the global franchise once run by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is preparing to open its first Canberra location in Belconnen later this year.
The global fitness chain, which traces its roots back to the golden era of bodybuilding at Muscle Beach in Los Angeles, is taking over a site on the corner of Chan Street and Benjamin Way.
While an exact opening date hasn’t been locked in, the company says the doors will open sometime in winter 2026.
World Gym isn’t just another name to gym goers. It was founded in 1976 by Joe Gold and quickly became a training base for some of bodybuilding’s biggest names, including Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno and Dave Draper.
Arnold Schwarzenegger with Joe Gold and Franco Columbu. Arnie took over as CEO of World Gym for three years in the 1990s. Photo: World Gym, Instagram.
Schwarzenegger later served as the company’s CEO for three years, helping guide it through a changing fitness industry in the 1990s.
Since then, the brand has grown into a global chain with more than 225 locations across six continents. Australia has been a major focus, with the company opening its 50th local gym in Lambton near Newcastle last year – a move it said highlighted “explosive growth” nationwide.
Canberra is its latest destination.
The Belconnen gym is being pitched as a large, training-focused facility, with operators promising a “massive gym floor” and what they claim will be Canberra’s biggest dumbbell range.
It will feature equipment from a mix of high-end suppliers, along with dedicated spaces for powerlifting and functional training.
In a rare move for Australian gyms, the plans also include several in-house recovery facilities: a 15-person sauna, two ice baths, and two ice showers.
A posing room for athletes is also part of the design, a nod to the brand’s bodybuilding heritage.
Beyond the weights floor, the site will include a Barbell Café serving protein shakes and coffee, along with a retail shop selling supplements, apparel and ready-made meals.
Like many modern gyms, it will operate around the clock, offering 24/7 access.
Just some of the supplements on sale. Photo: World Gym Australia, Facebook.
The company has started spruiking a “foundation member” deal online, promising the lowest available pricing for early sign-ups, but hasn’t released official rates.
For comparison, World Gym in Macquarie Park, Sydney, charges about $24.95 a week for a basic membership, with higher tiers offering extras like access to all Australian locations or recovery features such as cold plunges.
Whether Canberra prices land in the same range remains to be seen.
Original Article published by James Coleman on Region Canberra.