Internationally known stars such as Dwayne ‘The Rockʼ Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sergio Ramos, David Beckham, Ralf Möller, or Dieter Bohlen train with equipment from gym80. The steel equipment, coming from the Ruhr area and produced in Gelsenkirchen, is characterized by its high quality, biomechanics, and durability.

Passion as Part of the DNA

The passion for fitness and bodybuilding is part of the DNA of gym80. The enthusiastic bodybuilder Walter Herden, at the time a caretaker at the Schalker Gymnasium, started in 1980 in the basement of the school to construct his own equipment because he was not satisfied with the market's offer. From this, the ‘King of Machinesʼ emerged, which today has loyal customers in over 50 countries around the world.

"We have succeeded in building a good brand," says Carolin Kämpf, Head of Communication. "We can inspire people for us and have our own merchandise line. We receive inquiries almost daily from celebrities or people from the social media sector who want to equip their home gym with our equipment."

The gym80 product range includes over 400 devices and machines that can get every body region in shape. In production, 4-mm steel tubes are processed in a patented form, guaranteeing particularly long durability. Some strength machines from the 1980s are still in use today. The manufacturing takes place at the location in Gelsenkirchen.

"In our manufacturing process, we combine the latest technology such as welding robots or fully automated lasers with good and solid craftsmanship," explains Carolin Kämpf. "This allows us to achieve a production depth of over 95%. Quality made in Germany is very important to us. This also supported us during Corona. Many gyms have used the time to reposition themselves, and we were able to deliver. Moreover, we are very individual and every customer can completely individualize the design of his device."

Steel Construction in Focus

The fitness industry has evolved over the years, and the topics of health and physical fitness have gained increasing importance. Accordingly, gym80 has continuously introduced new machines to the market and adapted its portfolio to meet the requirements.

The company not only equips gyms with devices like those of the Pure Kraft-Strong series, which feature a patented Load Drop mechanism, but also supplies the health market, such as rehabilitation centers, with the Medical line. Nevertheless, gym80 remains true to its DNA and focuses on steel construction.

"Our owner and CEO Simal Yilmaz has been with the company since 1990 and has once again brought steel construction into sharp focus," says Carolin Kämpf. "We continue to focus on conventional strength training because the human body does not change. That's why we don't have digitalized machines ourselves, but we can integrate the equipment into existing apps."

On a Growth Course

With this strategy, the company continues on a growth path. The turnover of over 33 million EUR in 2022 is to be doubled in the medium term. The international market is also to be further expanded. With eight direct representations on four continents, gym80 has already created a good basis. "Made of steel to strengthen the world infinitely is our vision," describes Carolin Kämpf. "We want to make people a little stronger and get them to move."