The path to the Champions Factory Gym in Khan Younis, Gaza, takes you through jagged blocks of concrete and warped rebar. But the stairs leading down to the basement doors, which stand free of a wall that no longer exists, are mostly clear.
The building above the gym – once three storeys – was bombed during the nearly three years of war in Gaza. Without electricity, the gym is only open during daylight hours.
Captain Mohamed Ziad al-Biss, a trainer with a 190kg bench press, is the gym’s owner. In May 2024, he shared a video of his reps on social media, the room around him covered in rubble. Since then, the floor has been cleaned, but the walls remain cracked. Sunlight shines through massive holes onto stationary bikes and an old-school weight rack.
The gym has filled with members, some of whom trained there before it was bombed and some who joined afterwards.
‘The inside of the gym still needs renovation, but we work with the circumstances,’ Al-Biss said.
Members say gym fees are around 40 ILS (roughly £9).
What to read next
Men’s Health visited Champions Factory to photograph and talk to the men who train there and learn about their workouts. They are plumbers, tailors and electricians who say they come to the gym for both their bodies and their minds.
Mohammed Walid Al-Salami, 26
Tailor and Electrical Appliance Repairman
I did bodybuilding for two years before the war. It was almost my only hobby.
The war took everything from us.… It took the shop where I used to work, and it took the neighborhood where we used to train.
We stopped doing sports for a long time, because our bodies and minds couldn't handle anything more than that.
When we started to feel a small sense of hope, we went back to the gym. I train four times a week because my tailoring work takes up a lot of time, and I need to cover my household expenses. Food isn't always available, but I try to eat whatever is there, and I don't let that stop me from training.
Sports are not a luxury in Gaza, they are a necessity. They are the only way for us to release our negative energy and rebuild ourselves.
Abdullah Ahmed Khalil Al-Farra, 24
Right now, one of the most important things in Gaza is that – whether it’s football, weightlifting, or parkour – you need to release your energy.
There’s no work, no trips with friends, no places to go. The Gaza Strip is finished. We spend the entire day at home. There’s no source of income.
Food is extremely difficult to obtain. Even chicken breast—the cheapest option—is still beyond the reach of many people.
Without the coach supporting us here, many of us would not be able to continue exercising because he helps make things a little easier.
When it comes to exercise, my advice to people is to strive. If you have nothing to do today, come and train. Maybe God will open a new door and you’ll get a job opportunity. When that opportunity comes, you’ll need to be physically capable of doing the work.
Captain Mohamed Ziad al-Biss, 32
Gym Owner and Bodybuilding Coach
Sport represents a fundamental pillar for the whole world. But in Gaza, it needs to be a priority because it is a form of recreation. At this gym, we release energy, build our dreams, and build our bodies. We get out of the atmosphere of war and pressure.
Today, there is a huge demand for gyms in Gaza. Several have reopened across Khan Younis. I encourage young people to join sports clubs, give themselves a mental break, and escape the pressures and psychological stress that we are all living through.
I have competed in championships at the Gaza Strip level. I continue preparing for international competitions, but the border crossing remains closed to us.
Food is scarce, nutritional supplements are scarce, but we have determination, and we continue moving forward. I look forward to the future, hoping for donations that will allow me to rebuild the gym.
Ibrahim Amer, 29
Plumber
The war devastated our lives and made us forget what weightlifting even was.
We returned to it after a long period of hardship.
Once our mental health began to improve, we came back.
My advice to all young people who love sports and have lost hope is this:
Don’t make excuses by saying that exercising is pointless these days because there isn’t enough food or water. These are not valid reasons to give up.
The most important thing for a person is their health. Keep training and keep going. And put your trust in God.
Nassim Khattab, 17
Cart driver
I come here every day. Friday is my only day off. We work shoulders, we work chest, we work everything.
Coming here is better than staying at home and suffocating. We have fun, we work out, we move our bodies – better than being at home.
Shaaban Jaber Shaaban Al-Sheikh, 39
Construction Worker
I work in construction, and I exercise to maintain my physical strength and keep my body healthy.
The war has affected every part of my life. Displacement, the lack of food, and the famine have made it much harder to care for our health or follow a regular training routine.
Even under these conditions, I try to continue with a range of exercises whenever I can.
My message to young people is to keep moving and take care of their bodies. Exercise is one of the few positive things that can help us protect both our physical health and our mental well-being.
Abdulrahman Mohamed Jadallah, 22
There’s no work, so you need to find something to do during the day. Exercise is good. I work out approximately an hour every day. For example, from 12 to 1.
Whatever we’ve got at home, we eat. Not everything you want is there. Sometimes there’s meat, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes there’s fish, sometimes there isn’t. In the Gaza Strip we make do with what we've got.
My advice is that no one should just sit at home. Everyone should exercise.
Here, a monthly gym membership is affordable. In fact, this gym has one of the lowest membership fees in Gaza.
Ibrahim Tamim Al-Lahham, 40
My training includes weightlifting and cardio exercises.
Exercise gives me focus and energy. It helps me deal with the pressure and prepare my body for the demands of everyday life in Gaza.
We are a people who deserve life, and exercise is one way of holding on to it.
My advice to young people is to care for your body, your health, your focus, and your energy. Go to the gym, because exercise is life.
Translations by Ahmed Morsi and Mahmoud Abu Hamda. These interviews were edited for length and clarity.
