By Tania Phillips
Ironside Industry owner Diba Heinrich started her gym to create a safe space to meet, work out and catch up with friends.
The gym, in the beautiful Milk Factory precinct, came into being in late 2019 and has been evolving and growing ever since.
Diba’s latest innovation is all about helping her friends and gym members continue on their fitness journey.
“Ironside Industry is excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Sports Dietitian Taylor Ryans and Certified Nutritionist Dani Guy to bring the BiteRite Nutritional App to the Southern Downs.
“We love our members so much that we bought all of them an app for Valentine’s Day.
“BiteRite fits right into the Ironside Industry philosophy to be the premier fitness facility for Southern Downs by bringing our members and the community, world-class fitness services and we could not be happier to help our community further along their fitness journey through the support of the BiteRite App.”
For Diba, a powerlifter in her own right, is the logical next step for the business she and her husband Ben built from scratch and have watched flourish despite opening just before Covid hit.
“We wanted to provide an inclusive space for everyone to exercise and feel comfortable,” she said.
“It’s a little bit of a social scene where friends can meet up with friends and have a bit of a workout together but I just wanted to create a space for everyone so they would feel comfortable, accepted, that’s a big thing.
“No expectations. If your fitness level is low and you wanted to gain that fitness level that’s fine, or if your fitness level is high and you wanted somewhere to continue that fitness journey no problems. I wanted to provide a space for all levels of fitness.
“But it’s not just for fitness, people could come in and socialize, have a chat, do their workout and go home.”
“I also needed somewhere for my training, there was nowhere in Warwick that I could access the equipment I needed. I was travelling back and forth to Brisbane a fair bit to see my coaches and use their gym equipment. Then I thought, I wonder if I created a space and brought this level of equipment to Warwick, would it make a difference to other people’s training too.
“I knew a lot of people were driving to Toowoomba at the weekends to train there and to try out the equipment that we didn’t have here in Warwick.”
Diba was determined to bring this experience to Warwick for other people and for her own training as well.
“I power lift, I have done for a little while,” she said.
“I started off in a gym and saw a couple of people lifting heavy weights.”
With the help of friends she took up the sport and managed to achieve her goal of experiencing competition level lifting. Diba competed in state titles in 2018 and 19 before Covid hit. She returned to the states last year in Townsville and is beginning her preparations for this year’s Qld titles.
As well as continuing her training, Diba and husband Ben have now built their safe space and gym in the Milk Factory – a building she describes as both “beautiful” and having the right aesthetic for what they wanted to create.
“It goes hand in hand,” she said.
“It is a gorgeous building.
“And to be in a part of Warwick’s history, it’s a pretty big privilege.”
