Inside FITREP: Phillip’s new boutique personal training studio

Posted on 8 May, 2026

There’s an old adage that says you can never leave the gym. But with the opening of a boutique personal training studio in Phillip, you soon won’t want to.

And it’s not just because there’s no joining fee.

Located on the corner of Melrose Drive in a large, light-filled space, FITREP has been slowly and lovingly built across 27 years. The passion project of founders Ben and Cley White – who both have eye-watering resumes in the fitness industry – FITREP represents something not often seen in traditional gyms.

FITREP combines the bespoke programming and expertise of  one-on-one training with the vibe and community of group fitness, creating a truly personal experience.

Capped at 12 people at any one time, the unique Semi-Private-Training (SPT) model sees clients share a trainer with up to three other people during an hour-long session. Ranging from  office workers suffering from bad backs and knees or menopausal women trying to improve bone density to the weekend warrior trying to stay in shape for life, Ben and Cley want to make one thing clear: it’s not group fitness.

“What’s available to most people is either a commercial gym with no trainer, and you’re doing your own thing, or one-to-one personal training where you’re paying an exorbitant amount for one person to stand there watching you during your three-minute breaks,” explains Cley.

“What we’ve done is cut down on the cost by being able to have up to four people to one trainer…it is personal training; you’re just sharing your trainer’s time.”

But how does it work?

FITREP is open by appointment only and staffed 100 per cent of the time – so you won’t be able to sneak in a cheeky Instagram scroll between sets. Like a traditional gym, FITREP is filled with state-of-the-art equipment to help you meet your fitness goals. But unlike average gyms, you won’t be sharing it with hordes of other members at the same time, and you’ll always have someone on hand to correct your form and help you through your movement.

Each FITREP journey starts with a free one-hour initial assessment – which includes goal setting and checking mobility, muscular endurance, strength, flexibility and overall fitness. Ben and Cley will then create a curated plan to help you work towards your goals.

Memberships include  SPT sessions, unlimited open sessions (which are uncoached, but supervised), a nutrition plan, and access to nutrition and training seminars. The hardest part is choosing between one, two or three SPT sessions per week.

Whatever your goals are, Cley says with their program – and support – you’ll always be progressing.

“It’s all about the service element. Too many places offer equipment, but there’s nobody there to help you, there’s nobody there if you don’t know what to do – if you don’t know how to use a machine or get stuck,” says Ben.

“This is all service – every time you come in, a trainer will be there to help you.”

“We’ve found when we talk to people and see people in other commercial gyms, they don’t know what they’re doing, and they don’t feel like it’s a community,” says Cley.

“We decided we wanted to do something completely different to that. Our entire model is based on the opposite of what every other gym is.”

FITREP was born from Ben and Cley’s own passion for fitness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a gym is where they first met. She was an aerobics instructor, and he was working at the front desk, and they say that since that moment, their dream was to run a boutique studio together. FITREP is the realisation of that dream and the culmination of decades of work. And it’s designed for everyone.

“We’re all individuals and we’ve all had different life paths to get us to where we are now. Some of us are sports people and have done training before, but for many people, as we get older, there are aches, pains and some kind of restriction of movement,” says Ben.

“When you come in, your program is catered to what you need. There’s no base program or template that we start from, nothing downloaded from the internet – it’s the exercises that are going to make you move better, to make you feel better and then hopefully live better long term.”

And with no joining fees, no fob fee, no cancellation fees (and no gymtimidation), the 12-week memberships are accessible and achievable.

“It’s about living better, it’s about improving your life,” Cley says.

FITREP is holding their official opening on Saturday 16 May, with potential members invited to pop in for a venue tour and a meet and greet with Ben and Cley.

There will also be plenty of giveaways on offer – the first 50 sign-ups receive a water bottle and towel, the first 25 also get two weeks free, and everyone who signs up scores a free first session, including a full assessment.

Add in a lucky door prize of a 12-week Basecamp Membership, a sausage sizzle, face painting, balloon art and games and a Real Life Cinderella experience from Fairy Godmother Events and you have the perfect event to introduce FITREP to the community as Ben and Cley finally see their dream come to fruition.

“This feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards. I’m so excited about it and I want everyone else to be as excited as we are,” says Ben.

“It’s a dream come true. After 20-odd years in the corporate world, to be able to think about doing this together and giving people the opportunity to improve their lives, I don’t have words for it,” adds Cley.

With the slogan of “Move better, feel better, live better” this boutique personal training studio isn’t about matching sets, endless reps and selfies. It’s about you at any age and at any life stage putting yourself first.

Everything else at FITREP is just a bonus.