Exclusive: British sportswear firm is seeking to obtain rights to The Conditioning Club, which is also the name of a Gloucestershire gym

Gymshark, the £1bn British sportswear firm started in a family garage, is locked in a trademark battle that threatens the future of a small fitness business.

Ben Francis, the university dropout who started sewing his own gym clothes in his parents’ garage and is now estimated to be worth £800m, is trying to add The Conditioning Club to his Gymshark stable of trademarks.