Most people are asleep at 4am.

But members of a fitness group in South Auckland are already getting ready for their morning workout – helped by a dedicated coach who started the club during a Covid-19 lockdown.

Coach Niuafolau Joel Amosa has been running his club – Beatty Ave Fitness – for over three years; using a mixture of CrossFit, cardio, Olympic lifting and strength training in his workouts.

The name for the fitness club is after the Manurewa street the young coach lives and is a tribute to the garage where it all began in 2020, he says, when the Covid pandemic meant a time when gyms were not open.

Sacrificing a little bit of sleep

So who are the people who consistently get up at 4 o’clock in the morning from Monday to Saturday?

“They are the type of people I want to be surrounded by,” he says.

“So if you’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of sleep for your own well-being, then I’m all for it.”

Niuafolau says even he finds it a challenge to get up that early sometimes, especially since he has a young family and works full-time as a bank manager.

“You know, there are times where I struggle to get up in the morning, but I know for a fact that as soon as I get to that gym, there are people there that will put a smile on my face and there are people there that will make me scratch my head.

“It’s all part of it and 4am is just a small snapshot. There’s 24 hours in the day. If I’m able to have your attention from 4 to 5 or 5:30 am, I’m pretty lucky.”

Members of the fitness crew come from around the city to get their fitness gains. They come from all walks of life and are made up of young parents, full-time workers, students and stay-at-home mums.

Among those is Sinapi Elizabeth Hanipale, who works as a corrections officer, and likes the 4am classes because they suit her work shifts.

She can get exercise done early and it frees up the rest of her day, she says.

“Beatty Ave means comfort, I go here and it’s my safe space where I can be myself. I don’t feel like I have to hide or anything. I’m just free to express who I am here.

‘If you can persevere…you can get through anything’

“I love the people. I love my coach.”

Rose Hellesoe-Smith is a nurse and a hard-working mum and wife. She attends the classes for her health and well-being, she says.

“I have a little toddler who goes to daycare from 8am to 1pm. I find early morning workout works for me, just to get my day started and go to work straight from here.

“I love the vibe. It’s a small fitness group, but I love learning Crossfit and everything that Joel shares with his classes.”

Pule Samate, a full-time mum, says: “It’s a safe space pretty much where you can talk about anything and everything.

“What I love most about it is the debriefs after and checking in on each other mentally, checking where everyone is at mentally, physically, and spiritually.”

While Emily Sa’u has been to five 4am classes while on maternity leave.

Niuafolau caught her attention and made her want to try out a class, she says.

“I’ve been watching Joel and his team for a while through friend’s (social media) pages. Seeing him go through injuries and I too go through injuries. Just [gives] me hope that I could get back there soon.”

Memberships are $12 a week and coach Niuafolau says he has never been in it to make money.

He describes the group as good people, a good community and like family.

“What makes Beatty Ave unique is that after every session there’s a debrief.

“I don’t know if people or gyms give you that opportunity, to share your highs and your lows, your good and your bad, your future week, your past week.

He says he wants to celebrate the highs and also acknowledge the lows.

“When you’re fit, it’s great. When you’re not fit, it sucks – and if you can persevere through those real shitty times, then you can get through anything.”