For weeks, it buzzed through the city: Arie Boomsma is going to open his own gym. Last Wednesday was the day, so very hip and sporty Amsterdam turned out to see up close what he had been working on for so long. And that, that did not disappoint. Amayzine set out today again on route to his Vondelgym and asked Arie about his week and weekend. Read along.  

The official opening Wednesday, tell me, how was it?

Wonderful! Full house, at the peak there were about 400 people. During the evening, we gave demonstrations to show what spectacular classes we offer here.
Crossfit, bag training (boxing on a bag, ed.), running, boot camps, and just fitness. Tough girls and boys were really giving it their all.

How were the reactions?

Very good, people were especially very impressed with how the gym looks and the demonstrations. My idea is to get everyone who loves sports to this gym. From families and friends, colleagues, and top athletes. That was the case at the opening, and a beautiful atmosphere already developed. That's a good sign.

Do you have many people who signed up due to New Year's resolutions?

Well, we don't have a checkbox for their motivation, but we have already received more than 600 registrations within three weeks. Many of those will be good resolutions, but I hope they also come for the concept. Vondelgym has fun classes all day long, and that's what people want. An hour of intense training under supervision.

And? Are there already many dropouts?

No, just one person who moved abroad. With us, you can cancel on a monthly basis. I don't agree with gyms where you are tied to a subscription for six months to a year. If you are not satisfied or do not receive the right service, I believe you should be able to leave. There was once an old lady who came in, looked around, they were doing crossfit and bag training, full room, a lot of shouting, and then she said: ‘Oh yes, yes, no, this is not for me.’

Are you also going to give training yourself?

Of course, we have certified trainers who know exactly what they are doing. Our crossfit trainers even have the highest level in the country. How do you find those?
I personally give two classes on Saturday and occasionally a training session for companies. Tomorrow, I will have the ladies from ELLE visiting, and soon the editorial team from Vogue will come for a training session. You understand that you will also get your turn, right? For the rest, I train a few people privately here and there, but I mainly focus on the concept, the atmosphere, and the tone, so I am here every day.

Do you still hang out a lot with the weights?

I train 5 to 6 times a week for 1 hour. That's a lot, but the funny thing is that it gives a lot of structure to my schedule. If I make an hour free for it every day, I get so much energy back. I usually train at a high intensity, with a fast pace, many repetitions, and a solid body weight. I enjoy climbing, stretching, jumping, or rowing. Usually, it's more based on endurance and strength than on muscle building.

Can you relax a bit now and then?

Of course, I put a lot of time into the gym, and my programs just keep going, so there is actually little rest. On the other hand, I started this year to ensure that I take on few extra jobs. We don't do any new requests that weren't planned. Saying no everywhere. That saves a lot.

It's Friday? How do you kick off the weekend?

On Saturday, I usually work, so for me, it only starts on Sunday. I always want to keep that free to be at home or spend time with my girlfriend. Then we go to the opera, museum, cinema, or just out to eat. But soon it might be that I toast to the weekend on Friday because I want to organize a box drink here every week. First a bit of sparring and hitting the bags, and then everyone at the bar. We actually have a beer tap.

What do your Saturday and Sunday look like?

On Saturday evening, I travel to my parents in the east of the country. On Sunday, I go with my father to Emden, a small town in Germany. A gift for his birthday. He chose it himself. I've never been there.

What does your ideal weekend look like?

Italy or France. It doesn't matter much. As long as it's a place with a lot of art and I have my books there to read, write, and walk a bit with my girlfriend. And can it be like that every weekend?

What time does the alarm go off on Monday?

I actually don't set an alarm, but I wake up at 6:30 AM by default. On Monday, I will be in Emden, so I won't jump out of bed immediately, but sleep in a bit until 7:30 AM. And that's a luxury!