Boutique-style gyms offer big benefits
Shana Leonello walks toward the wall. The next thing you know, she is standing upside down.
The handstand pushup is a move she's been perfecting at Renegade Training-CrossFit Shadyside.
“The coaches here have helped me learn this move, as well as many other techniques,” says Leonello, a Strip District resident. “It took me six months to learn this move, but they kept encouraging me. They help you perfect what you are doing. They helped me get stronger and more fit. That's why I joined here. It's small enough to get the extra attention and big enough to get the awesome workout I want.”
Leonello isn't alone.
Many people are drawn toward boutique-style gyms because they offer more personalized service. You get to know the owners and trainers and more importantly, they get to know you.
That's the reason Erin Trease and Ashley Mangone bought CrossFit Shadyside in December. They wanted to own a smaller, more intimate gym, so they can give clients their undivided attention.
“When I see someone push through pain when they want to quit, and they give one more rep when they thought they physically couldn't, they begin to realize that their mental limitations are far beyond where they originally thought,” Mangone says. “That's powerful. And it is that powerful moment that keeps me coming back for more.”
Trease agrees.
“It's empowering to help people,” she says. “And if people see results, they will keep coming back. We keep them constantly moving. They get to see where they started and how far they've come. And in a gym like this, they are surrounded by like-minded people.”
Most boutique gyms keep classes to a manageable number, such as 10 to 15 people. They offer many one-on-one workouts, too. Clients can track workouts, and programs can be tailored to each client's ability. At CrossFit Shadyside, fees run $121 per month for two visits a week. An open-gym membership is $65 per month.
After a grueling hour workout there, a sweaty Michael Mercurio of Oakmont smiles.
“It's exactly what I have always wanted in a gym,” Mercurio says. “I am motivated while I am here and motivated to come back.”
Keeping clients motivated is important, says Meredith Ward, owner of The Barre Code in Shadyside and McCandless. This gym goes well beyond the barre, offering a variety of classes that allow clients to get cardiovascular conditioning, strengthening work and restoration all in one place. The first class is $8, then it's $18 to drop in and a five-pack for $80. Unlimited is $115 per month.
“It's a motivating community aspect to come to a gym where everyone knows you and everyone has a passion for fitness,” Ward says. “It is fun working out with people you know — and we will notice if you aren't there.”
Yes, they will, agrees Robert Southall Jr., general manager and strength coach for Pittsburgh Pro Fitness in Emsworth, scheduled to open Feb. 1. They offer a limited amount of memberships because it's not a big-box gym. A single membership is $55 per month.
“A lot of people like the feel of a smaller gym,” Southall says. “It's more personal, and we hold clients accountable. If you don't show up, we will check up on you and see why not. I have worked in those bigger gyms and, for most of them, it's about getting the money. If people show up, they do. If not, they get their money anyway. We are different here. We want people to come in.”
And they make sure when clients come in they aren't bored with a routine. It's about changing things up and creating new workouts.
People will most likely stick with a workout when they join a smaller gym, says Moses Jevicky, owner of Virtus Institute in Greensburg. “Because they aren't doing anything in anonymity,” Moses says. “People know who they are, which is a good thing because we care about them and about helping them achieving the best workout they can.”
There is no way one trainer or instructor can watch more than 15 to 20 people at a time, Jevicky says. They won't be able to see if someone's form isn't right because there will be too many bodies in front of them. Working out in a smaller gym also can lessen injuries, he says, because improper techniques can be caught early. A person can walk in for a group fit class for $10.
Lou Rocco is always keeping watch over his clients at No Boundaries Fitness in South Greensburg.
“You don't get lost in the shuffle here,” says Rocco, a certified personal trainer who provides a lot of one-on-one workouts for $45 to $50 an hour. “We know exactly what is going on, and we provide the safest workout environment. It's a private workout and it's effective. We tailor the workout to the client, and we change workouts because people get bored.”
Teri Bowes of Hempfield comes twice a week to No Boundaries Fitness.
“I love it here,” Bowes says. “I like that I get the personalized attention. Lou is so attentive to everything I do. He makes it interesting.”
He sure does, says Ryan Jobe of Hempfield, who is a member with his wife, Emily. Rocco designed a regimen for Ryan Jobe to get him in shape for a hunting trip in Idaho. From one year to the next, he noticed he was in better shape to hike, carry a backpack and lug an animal.
“Lou talks to you and focuses on you,” Jobe says. “He wants to know what you want in a workout. He is so creative, and he challenges you. That wouldn't happen in a big gym.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7889 or jharrop@tribweb.com.
