A Bradford gym is set to expand after by opening inside an iconic city centre building.

Maxxout City Gym 24/7 will occupy the first floor of Sunwin House, most recently occupied by TJ Hughes, on Sunbridge Road.

Work is currently in progress to get the floor up to scratch in time for a September opening – exactly two years after the business first opened in Allerton Mills.

In a short time period, world arm wrestling champion Umar Khan and his brothers Yasser, Nazam, Nasser, Abid and Faisal have made Maxxout Gym Ltd a success.

Now, the family is aiming to succeed again with the new city centre location.

“It was an opportunity that just came along,” Yasser told us.

“After the success of Maxxout Gym Ltd, we wanted to keep expanding and support the people of Bradford. We were looking for a second location then Sunwin House came out of the blue.

“We opened the original one in Allerton two years ago and that has gone massive. We wanted a commercial gym in the city centre, a second branch.”

With the Allerton Road gym boasting state-of-the-art equipment and fully-qualified personal trainers, their new venture is expected to follow suit.

“We are hoping to open in September,” Yasser added.

“We are just waiting for a date for the equipment delivery. There is not too much that needs doing. The changing rooms and toilets are done. The showers and the equipment just need to be installed then we are ready to go.”

Last December, Bradford Council granted planning permission for the conversion of the ground floor of the Grade II-listed building into a leisure venue.

The plan included things like trampolining, indoor golf and virtual reality activities.

It also included a café, a consultation room for a health/nutrition specialist and a physiotherapy treatment room.

Since the banner for the gym went up on one of the ground floor windows, many enquiries have been made from keen future customers.

According to Yasser, G.O.A.T Gaming is still going ahead and he thinks both businesses can benefit from each other.

“Bradford city centre needs both of them,” he said.

“The building is a great location and it has an amazing history. Even the banner we have put up has led to a lot of people making enquiries about the gym.”

Built in the 1930s as a Co-operative emporium, the art deco Sunwin House has been vacant for just over a decade.