Train For Life Fitness is a family-run personal training and martial arts gym on Mill Road in Bombay, Auckland, helping people of all ages and fitness levels build strength, improve fitness and create lasting habits for life. The goal is simple: supporting you in becoming stronger, healthier and more confident, both physically and mentally.
The gym grew out of coach Steve Johnstone's own story — after gaining 60kg in his early twenties, he lost 50kg, dropping from 147kg to 97kg, and found a lifelong passion for health and fitness. Alongside him, trainer Jess Loubser brings a dance background, lived experience of overcoming anorexia, and study in Sport and Exercise Science and Nutrition at AUT. Together they offer personalised 1-to-1 sessions, small group training for up to four people, online coaching, and lifestyle-based nutrition built around the idea that what you do to get healthy is what you'll need to keep doing to stay healthy.
Jiu Jitsu is a big part of life here. Kids from 4.5 years through to teenagers train in a no-GI programme with a belt and grading system on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, while adults can join evening grappling classes, women's-only sessions, a Saturday advanced group and an open mat. Adult swimming classes are also on offer for building water confidence, technique and fitness.
What you won't find are quick fixes or one-size-fits-all programmes. Training weaves in mobility ('strength at length'), skills such as Olympic lifting fundamentals, calisthenics and kettlebells, and a 90% nutrition philosophy that leaves room for real life. It's an appointment-only, family-friendly space proud to serve Bombay, Franklin, Pukekohe and South Auckland.
On Mill Road in Bombay, Auckland, Train For Life Fitness does things a little differently. This family-run personal training and martial arts gym was built on a simple belief: fitness should be accessible, supportive and genuinely life changing — never intimidating, never built on quick fixes, and never one-size-fits-all. Whether you're a beginner who doesn't know where to start, a busy parent chasing more energy, or someone returning after injury or time away, the promise is the same: they meet you where you're at and support you every step of the way.
Head coach Steve Johnstone doesn't just talk the talk. Active and lean growing up, he gained 60kg in just over two years after leaving home at 20, along with the low energy and joint pain that came with it. The turning point was his now-wife Mel bluntly telling him, "Steve, you're fat. You need to do something about it." He started eating better, moving more, and dealing with the root causes of his habits — dropping from 147kg to 97kg in the process. Losing 50kg sparked a lifelong passion for health and fitness, and it's now the foundation of how he coaches.
He's joined by Jess Loubser, a former dancer whose own path — overcoming anorexia in high school — inspired her career helping others feel strong, capable and confident in their bodies. She's studying Sport and Exercise Science and Nutrition at AUT, and brings a compassionate, evidence-based approach for clients with busy lives.
Personal training here is built around you. Options include 1-to-1 sessions entirely focused on your goals, small group sessions capped at four people for a time- and cost-efficient option, and the "Stronger For Life" programme, which builds strength and mobility to combat the negative effects of aging. Nutrition support is lifestyle-based — the pitch is simple: lose it once, so you don't have to repeat 12-week challenges.
The coaching philosophy runs deeper than sets and reps. Weight loss plans are shaped around your personal history, because what you do to get healthy is what you'll need to keep doing to stay healthy. Mobility training — better known as "strength at length" — prioritises being strong at the very end of your range of motion, whether that's a deep squat or stepping off a high box. Skills training keeps things fun with Olympic lifting fundamentals, calisthenics and kettlebells, while nutrition follows a 90% principle: eat well most of the time and still enjoy the food that marks celebrations, comfort and connection.
Martial arts are half the story. The kids' no-GI Jiu Jitsu programme runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm for ages 4.5 through to teenagers, building confidence, discipline, coordination and real self-defence skills in a fun, structured environment. A belt and grading system gives kids clear goals to work towards, with every promotion a proud milestone celebrating their effort and growth.
Adults are well catered for too. Women's grappling runs Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00pm to 8:30pm — a safe, supportive space for complete beginners and experienced grapplers alike. Men's grappling takes over Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same times, focused on fundamentals without pressure. Saturday mornings belong to the serious: a high-intensity advanced grappling group at 7:00am sharpens takedowns and submissions, followed by an all-welcome open mat from 7:45am. Adult swimming classes round out the timetable for those building water confidence and technique.
Train For Life Fitness is appointment only — you call or text to schedule — and new starters are invited to book a free trial first. The environment is deliberately family-friendly and pressure-free, and members notice. One, Brittany Redding, describes "a challenging coach, welcoming environment, flexible in training options and styles as well as a reasonable and affordable price point." Another, Blair Shearer, training twice a week at 48 after years of injuries, says Steve has "quite literally changed my life and my outlook on the future."
More than just a gym, it's a place where people come to grow, be encouraged and support one another — proud to be part of the local Bombay community and to serve individuals and families across Franklin, Pukekohe and South Auckland. If there's a fitness goal you've always wanted to achieve, the first step is a call, a text, or that free trial.