Potts Point may be better known for its food and nightlife than its fitness scene.
However, the owner of RE:UNION, Luke Istomin and his fiance, Rochelle De Luca, insist that you can – and should – enjoy both.
Istomin was one of the founders of fitness phenomenon f45. He also has an impressive CV, training the likes of Nicole Kidman and Leonardo Dicaprio – not to mention transforming Hugh Jackman’s body into the sculpted form of Wolverine.
In October 2018, Istomin opened his new venue, RE:UNION, smack bang in the middle of Potts Point on Macleay Street, where De Luca also works as operations manager and trainer. I had a chat to this very energetic couple about what brought them to the area and what keeps them there.
What drew you to Potts Point?
Luke: I’ve always been in the area and Rochelle is a Sydney Eastern Suburbs native as well. Between both of us, we have always been nearby. We have a nice, strong following with the local community.
We also loved the potential of this location. There are a lot of facilities that aren’t up to standard – we believe – so we thought we would really raise the standard and create a premium training facility.
What do you love about working here?
Luke: I love meeting people and the variety of clients. The neighbourhood is a great mix of people: you’ve got the pink dollar, the corporates, the creatives, the self-employed people, the hospitality crowd, the service field, the navy and police. We love being part of this community.
The group training environment is great too, you meet so many different people throughout the day. We are making them feel strong and happy, which is so satisfying.
Often, we see people improve in just two weeks. We help them work on their body and also improve their mental outlook and approach to life. It really is a very satisfying job.
How is it going?
Luke: Really well! Our classes are close to capacity in the morning. We are hoping to draw in the people who work from home, the mums in the area and the lunchtime crowd.
What’s your favourite local park?
Rochelle: We are pretty lucky to be living in nearby Darling Point so it’s definitely McKell Park. We love to take our picnic down there in summer.
What’s your favourite season?
Rochelle: We love that time when spring is coming into summer.
Luke: People are in a better mood, more sunshine, more Vitamin D. More people are keen to get out and make some changes to themselves.
What are your favourite coffee places?
Rochelle: Definitely Gypsy Espresso in Potts Point. They also have the best scrambled eggs ever.
Where is your favourite place to eat?
Rochelle: Room 10.
Luke: I always have the broccoli salad with beef, it’s stunning.
Where do you like to shop?
Luke: The Potts Point Market is part of our weekly tradition on the Saturday after we finish work. We love to get out and meet the locals. We always try a few different dishes from the stalls. It’s always fun there.
Is it hard to stay healthy with so many tasty temptations in the area?
Luke: Well that’s half the reason why you train as well. You can have everything you want with the right moderation, at the right time. You just need to get into a good habit of looking after yourself physically, this allows you to splurge on treats whenever you want and feel good about yourself as well.
Rochelle: It’s all about balance. I live to eat, or I guess I train to eat.
If you could give an outsider a tour of the area, where would you take them?
Rochelle: We would start the day training at RE:UNION. I would then take them for coffee at Gypsy, then on a walk to The Fountain and to Llankelly place.
Luke: From there, I would take them to the Coca-Cola sign, which is a bit of a monument, then take the steps down to the naval base in Woolloomooloo. We would then grab a pie at Harry’s Cafe de Wheels and walk to Andrew Boy Charlton Pool for a dip. After that, I would walk around Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and maybe make them do 10 laps of the Fleet Steps.
For a free session at RE:UNION contact the gym and mention you read this article.
