THE owner of a gym is celebrating after a host of successes in bodybuilding.

Stan Dewhurst, of Barrow's Flexappeal Gym, has had a history of guiding bodybuilders to victory over the last 20 years and his coaching has yielded results once again.

Bodybuilders from his gym have recently won out in regional competitions - with his charges winning in Cumbria-wide and north west contests.

Mr Dewhurst, 56, a former Mr England said: "I have been coaching them mainly through diet, which is really tough aspect of bodybuilding.

"You have got to show a level of commitment if you want to enter a bodybuilding competition.

"It's not for the faint-hearted."

He said his gym had played its part in putting Barrow on the bodybuilding map.

"If you want to compete then you come to Flexappeal

"It's been like that for 20 years now."

Flexappeal gym-goers beat the competition at the recent Ulverston Transformer Classic and also scooped prizes at Mr North West.

"Last year we won basically everything and we want to do as well this year.

"It's great to see them doing year after. We never have a setback we just keep going

"It is hard to compete against gyms from Manchester and Liverpool in north west competitions but we have won quite a few awards both in the bodybuilding and for the gym itself."

Flexappeal won best supported gym at the Transformer Classic.

It has previously won the best supported gym in England and counts gym of the year for the whole of England among other honours

"We are not finished yet and we've got quite a few competitions coming up before the end of the year that I hope will do well in.

"It's onwards and upwards.

"We have got Mr England and Mr UK and I think we'll do well in those."

Mr Dewhurst also reserve praise for his wife Kerry, who applies tan to the bodybuilders the day before every competition.

He also mentioned Patty Ryan and "great help" Paul Goodwin.