Chelsea Adamson has been living her dream these past two years, building her Sweat Social Health and Fitness brand in the Highlands. She celebrates another milestone this weekend, unveiling a new gym space in the heart of Haliburton village.
Since launching fitness programming at the Wellness Hub on Industrial Park Road in 2022, Adamson has grown her “team” to approximately 50 people. Whether you’re a seasoned pro when it comes to weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, and general training – or a novice – Sweat Social has you covered, Adamson said.
“This is a place for people who want to take fitness seriously – our classes are set up to progress you no matter where you’re starting out,” she said. “I want to turn this space into the most professional, well-rounded fitness facility you can get around here.”
The gym is located at the rear of 713 Mountain St., in the building beside the Haliburton Legion. Adamson said it has been custom designed, so while there’s only an extra 400 sq. ft. of floor space, it feels much bigger than the old facility.
Ten new pieces of equipment have been installed, including leg press, hack squat, and chest press machines. There’s 12 pieces of cardio equipment, including a stairmaster, airbikes, and rowing machines. A 14-by-sixfoot steel training rig contains 10 pull up bars and four working stations for people to do things such as barbell squats.
Adamson said there will be a range of free weights, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, plyo boxes and gymnastic rings. There’s a 200 sq. ft. space that will be used for small classes, such as the popular babies and barbells program for new moms. The gym space, with all the equipment, is approximately 1,300 sq. ft.
“I wanted to give people a facility where they can crush their fitness goals no matter how drastic they are, or whatever niche thing they’re into. If you’re a gymnast training for an upcoming event, we have apparatus for you. If you’re a bodybuilder preparing for a show, we have a top-of-the-line leg press and stairmaster,” Adamson said.
Monthly memberships are available, but Adamson said people will be able to purchase day passes. She thinks this could help attract vacationers and cottagers who want to keep up with training while away from home. Due to the location, she also thinks parents dropping off kids for hockey or dance could squeeze in a quick workout.
There will be familiar faces – John Watson, Nicole Mee, and Robyn Stehr will be back offering their expertise in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and CrossFit. Mee is also partnering with Adamson on programming to address the stigma around mental health and fitness. She hopes to open the gym on Sundays for newcomers just starting out.
She believes relocating to downtown Haliburton is the best move Sweat Social could make.
“Just the connections – I walked out to Castle for a coffee this morning and ran into a member. On my way back to the space, to show them what I’ve been up to, we ran into my bookkeeper who tagged along, then one of our coaches saw us so tagged along. It’s just so nice to be downtown – we’re more accessible and feel like we’re more a part of the community,” she said.
The gym will be open Monday to Saturday, from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. A grand opening is taking place June 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, visit sweatsocialfitness.com.
