ABOUT US
OUR STORY
For nearly a century, the Wareing name has been synonymous with physical fitness. Since 1923, our legacy began with Bill Wareing, Sr., a renowned physical culturist in New York City. His son, John Wareing, continued the tradition, opening the first Wareing’s Gym in 1960. A legendary figure in Virginia Beach, John touched countless lives as a fitness guru, war hero, strongman, and more.
As we expanded throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s, Wareing’s Gym became a local fitness leader. Today, the torch has passed to a new generation, ready to tackle current health epidemics. Our enduring success is rooted in hard work, real results, strong relationships, and a good laugh. At Wareing’s, we prioritize family, and as a new member, you’re now part of our family.
OUR CULTURE
Since 1960, Wareing’s Gym has made it our mission to be the best part of people’s day. We strive for every member to leave the gym feeling better than when they arrived. Our success has never relied on equipment or programming nearly as much as it has the very people we consider ourselves fortunate to coach. By treating our people less like clients and more as an integral part of our culture, we create an environment that minimizes judgment while promoting support and a sense of community among one another. While it’s vastly important to see people’s bodies feeling better, the true goal is to sustain an environment where people are free to feel better about themselves.
OUR MISSION
“Our grandfather opened the first Wareing’s Gym in 1923. Our father opened his gym over 45 years ago (1960) in Virginia Beach. The success of our grandfather and father was because of their “ always give more than you take” attitude, with their “no frills”, “no nonsense”, just results approach to proper exercise. When our father turned the gym over to us in 1978 we maintained a commitment to these family traditions and beliefs.
We have always strived to do the common things, uncommonly well, and it’s not the quantity of instruction that we do, but the quality of instruction that we do that counts. Because of these feelings and beliefs, we know that there is no other advertisement like a good reputation. Our gyms reputation shows the integrity and honesty of what our name represents. We truly believe the level that we give our members affects everything else in our gym, and our lives.
We must never be satisfied that our instruction is fairly good, or good enough. Nothing short of the best is good enough. Nothing short of the best will do because only the best is good enough to provide our members the results and benefits that they have paid for. “Their success is our success.”
Helping a person realize their potential helps them, it helps the gym, the community, and even the world, but just as importantly it helps you as a person.”
MEET THE TEAM!
Jake Wareign
Come for the gains, stay for the love. With a strong focus on what brings us together, Jake knows that the key to whole health is belonging to a gym family that nurtures real human connection. After obtaining his degree from Virginia Tech and serving Wareing’s Gym clients for nearly two decades, Jake knows what works. He says that when it comes to getting results, it’s all about “people helping people.” It’s this positive outlook that shows you can count on Jake (and the rest of the Wareing’s crew) to always be there for you, cheering you on.
Jackie Wareign
Living life to the fullest is what Jackie Wareing is all about. Whether it’s taking charge of Wareing’s “control center” from the front desk or spending time with family and loved ones, Jackie aims to make people’s days a little bit brighter than she found them. After over 4 decades in the fitness biz, Jackie knows all the ins and outs of Wareing’s …and she still shows up with a smile every day!
Janel McGowan
Thanks to her “Navy brat” upbringing, Janel has lived all over the place, from her hometown in upstate New York to growing up in sunny San Diego. However, nowhere could have prepared her for the humidity of outdoor running in Virginia Beach! So Janel decided that she prefers to remain indoors and work on strength or power exercises instead. (We don’t blame her.) After getting a degree in health & fitness from East Carolina University, Janel worked in corporate fitness for the better part of a decade. These days, Janel swears by a mantra of “quality not quantity” when it comes to executing successful fitness plans for our Wareing’s Gym clients.
Teri Twine
If your workout needs some tough love, Teri is the trainer for you. A police dispatcher in a former life, her friendly demeanor and no-nonsense attitude get results. After over a decade at Wareing’s Gym, Teri has the proof to back it up. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Old Dominion University, Teri is a certified personal trainer who is also TRX certified, Spin certified, and CPR certified. (That’s a lot of certifications.) With a penchant for burpees — yes, really! — Teri knows just what it takes to achieve incredible results. No magic pill, just hard work. Show your body some love by getting tough with Teri!
Jimmy Mitchum
Helping people learn to train the right way comes naturally to certified strength and conditioning specialist, Jimmy Mitchum. Growing up playing sports, he’d help coach teammates, friends—even family! Jimmy loves trying lots of different fitness disciplines from CrossFit to yoga to performance training because he believes each one offers a variety of benefits to overall health and fitness. He’s a big believer that you get out what you put in and achieving results means prioritizing rest, recovery and nutrition. At the end of the day, it all comes down to accountability and that’s what Jimmy helps our clients achieve.