Fitness

Blue Lion Fitness to open on Stadium Ave this spring

Ryan Van Bergen and Danny Roth both love fitness and Ann Arbor, so it's appropriate that the friends who met at the University of Michigan are now the co-owners of the forthcoming Blue Lion Fitness, a gym with a team-approach to working out. Their gym opens on W. Stadium Blvd. in early spring.  "For us, working out, is so much more than getting to gym, putting your headphones on and doing your own thing. You can only get so far that way," says Roth. "What we're doing really brings people together and gets rid of that fear of trying anything new and pushes them to the extreme." The class-oriented gym will offer one-hour team training sessions including high-intensity interval training, strength and conditioning, core strength training, suspension training and plyometric training. Renovations to the 4,000 square foot facility have just begun, and will include a complete reconstruction of the space with top-of-the-line equipment and astroturf flooring. The partners expect construction to be complete by early February and to open the facility between mid-March and early April. "In the fitness industry, location is key," says Van Bergen. "We think it will be highly visible and  centrally located from all the high schools. I also like cruising down Stadium and passing the Big House on my way to work." Blue Lion Fitness will employ three reception staff and a gym manager in addition to Van Bergen and Roth as trainers. The business will also place a focus on community involvement, offering clients a free one-hour session for five hours of community service in a month. Source: Ryan Van Bergen and Danny Roth, Blue Lion Fitness Writer: Natalie Burg 

Latest in Fitness
B Young B Fit expands into 4,200 sq. ft location

Ann Arbor native and personal trainer Brian Young's B Young B Fit began in a 900-square foot location in 2006 and has been beefing up ever since. In 2010, the member-focused gym grew into a 3,500 square foot location in Glencoe Crossings, and then continued its growth this year by moving to a 4,200 square foot space on Washtenaw Ave.  "This new studio is designed with field turf, state of the art equipment, a private yoga studio and all the necessary tools for us to train everyone from the elite athlete to the beginner fitness enthusiast. A former Snap Fitness, the space was ideally suited to BYBF's needs. It also includes outdoor studio space for boot camp classes and other training classes. The BYBF concept is intended focus on personalized fitness and individual progress. In addition to serving individual members, BYBF also works with local businesses on their corporate wellness programs, an initiative Young plans to expand upon in his new space.  "We also are growing our Sports Performance programs to work with local high schools for boys and girls in sports," he says. "This is a big passion of mine working directly with athletes as I was once in their shoes." Source: Brian Young, B Young B Fit Writer: Natalie Burg

Manchester mom to inspire others into healthy living with The Distance gym

After having three kids in four years, Sarah Andrews wanted nothing more than to be able to keep up with them. In order to do so, she knew she had to start focusing on her physical fitness. What she learned during her quest to get into better shape, is that getting healthy isn't about reaching a goal weight, but about lifestyle change. That is what she hopes to teach her clients next year when opening her own gym, The Distance, in Manchester.  "If you have a goal to live a better life, weight loss is going to happen," says Andrews. "If weight loss is your focus, it's so easy to get derailed. My purpose is to give [clients] ta focus on being healthy and training for life, not training for a size or number on the scale." Andrews will open The Distance in an approximately 1,500 square foot space on Main Street in Manchester. It is a part of the building her husband's business Andrews Family Chiropractic, will soon occupy as well. She will teach bootcamp-style classes and will eventually expand into a variety of fitness courses.  "They'll get a full body workout, all in one hour with different stations that will be customizable for each person," Andrews says. "You can be standing next to an elite athlete on side of you and a grandma on the other side, and all of you will get the best workout for yourselves." Andrews hopes to open The Distance as soon after the first of the year as possible to help clients tackle their New Years' fitness goals from the get-go. She plans to grow her business over the next two years, with plans to bring on three to five additional instructors to offer additional fitness classes. Source: Sarah Andrews, The Distance Writer: Natalie Burg

Real Ryder Revolution relocates cycling studio, expands number of classes

Just five years old, Real Ryder Revolution indoor cycling studio has already grown to four locations in Birmingham, West Bloomfield, Chicago and Ann Arbor. After first operating on N. Main for three years, the Ann Arbor location will soon be even closer to its core clientele with a new studio on E. University.  "We wanted to be as close to campus as possible," says Leslee Blatnikoff, owner of Real Ryder Revolution. "We just want to feature it more toward the students."  The approximately 1,500 square foot E. University location will open next week. The new location will offer an expanded number of classes for the 18-bike studio. The business is now running a pre-grand opening special on classes. The goals of Real Ryder Revolution, says Blatnikoff, will remain the same in their new space. "We just want to make sure it's busy and we can give the students the workouts they want, and continue to be good, healthy influence in the fitness arena," she says.  Real Ryder Revolution operates with eight to ten instructors. Updates on the business and new studio can be found on the business's Ann Arbor Facebook page. Source: Leslee Blatnikoff, Real Ryder Revolution Writer: Natalie Burg

Dance with Heart studio to bring dance to Manchester

Anya Noveskey had long wanted to make a career out of dance, then a hip injury derailed her plans. But even after putting down her dream to study counseling and receiving a masters degree, it only took a few years of returning to dance as an instructor to resurrect her original plan. Now fully certified to teach dance, Noveskey is opening her own studio, Dance with Heart Studios, in Manchester this week.  "I want to be a different type of studio," Noveskey says. "I really want to teach the passion of dance and the feeling it can give you. I want to kids to learn how to act appropriately and kind, and still get to their goals without having the negative feelings that can come with competitiveness." Noveskey began dancing and also taught dance in Adrian. When looking for a place to open her own studio, she found Manchester had fewer dance offerings than other communities in the area. In addition to offering classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern dance, musical theater, yoga and Zumba, she plans to give the community different ways to experience dance.  "I have ideas about movie nights, to play a full-length ballet to educate the community," she says. "A lot of people don't realize what you can do with dance. You can make it a career if you want to." Dance with Heart will open this week on Main St. in Manchester. Noveskey and her sister will teach the dance classes, and will be joined by two Zumba and one yoga instructor. She hopes to grow the business enough to expand into a second studio in the basement of her current location.  Souce: Anya Noveskey, Dance with Heart Writer: Natalie Burg

Peachy Fitness opens on Huron Pkwy with Zumba, yoga and more

As an adult, Zaini Lateef has learned a lot about fitness and nutrition, but she doesn't want her kids — or any others, for that matter — to wait that long to get healthy. That's why she started Peachy Fitness, a fitness business offering Zumba, yoga, dance and more to both kids and adults.  "We have teen yoga class, kids' Zumba, kids' yoga, mother-daughter classes, and in the fall I will have more," says Lateef. "My goal and my passion is to have more kids classes, and brining some nutrition classes in as well." After hosting classes in various locations around town for two years, Leteef recently opened a permanent space on S. Huron Pkwy. for better visibility and to grow her business.  "For people coming from Ann Arbor, and even from Saline, it's a pretty central location," she says. Lateef began adult classes in the approximately 1,100 square foot space last week, and will kick off children's programming with an open house on Saturday. In addition to regular classes, summer camps for children will be offered throughout the summer.  Peachy Fitness offers many classes and special events for adults as well, including Zumba fundraising events, corporate fitness classes and Zumba bachelorette parties. Lateef employs about seven different instructors to teach her various classes and events. Source: Zaini Lateef, Peachy Fitness Writer: Natalie Burg

Tony Hawk to celebrate opening of Ann Arbor Skatepark

Having Tony hawkshow up to christen your community's new skatepark is a pretty big damn deal - as Dave Askins, co-founder of the The Ann Arbor Chronicle discovers. Excerpt: "Now that Tony Hawk is scheduled to make an appearance in Ann Arbor in just a little over a month, I took some time check into why it’s a big deal. Here’s what I have learned. He’s a professional skateboarder, and not just some very good professional skateboarder. If a new tennis court were being dedicated, it’d be like Roger Federer showing up to hit a few balls over the net. Or if a new public swimming pool were being christened, it’d be like Michael Phelps turning a few laps on opening day. If new chess tables were being installed at a city park, it’d be like Garry Kasparov sitting down at a board to force checkmate in three moves." Read the rest here.

Try Ann Arbor’s Sky-Tri triathlon, WSJ says

Area fitness buffs with day jobs don't have to travel far to get to the nearest triathlon. If you're already in good shape, how about Ann Arbor's Sky-Tri? Excerpt: "I'm a Jock who is... Just Dabbling Training 4 to 6 hours per week – Six to eight weeks  could prepare you for a short-distance  event, like the  Sky-Tri  in Ann Arbor, Mich., on April 27." More here. 

Ann Arbor Derby Dimes practice in Ypsilanti
Ann Arbor Roller Derby Raises its Game

Blockers. Jammers. Fresh meat. Roller Derby is more than just the latest hipster entertainment, it's a growing sport with calls for inclusion in the Olympics. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti's trio of teams may indulge in hilariously cheeky names but they are packing some serious athletic mojo.

Barre Bee Fit opening new studio in Plymouth Road Plaza

After spending ten years in the corporate world, Ann Arbor native Adrianne Madias was looking for a more satisfying career. She found it when she met some women in Chicago who were starting a new fitness business, Barre Bee Fit.  "I was already doing to a ballet barre class at the time. It's very addictive and very effective," says Madias, who opened the city's first Barre Bee Fit on E. Washington in 2011. "They had just opened the year prior, and we decided to use Ann Arbor as a test market. We've expanded to about ten different locations now." Ann Arbor will soon be added to that list of growing Barre Bee Fit locations a second time, when Madias opens a new location in the Plymouth Road Retail Plaza, which opened with names like Starbucks, Big Salad and DFCU Financial in March. The 2,500 square foot studio will take up about a third of the development's second floor. "I noticed there's not anywhere for women, or anyone, to get a great workout on this side of town," Madias says. It's lacking in group fitness. When I saw the space being built, I knew immediately it was where I wanted to open another location."  Barre Bee Fit is a workout concept that combines Pilates, dance and yoga with a ballet barre-based workout. New to the Plymouth Rd. location will be a high tech audio and lighting system that Madias says will turn the 60-minute workout into an experience. Music and lighting will automatically ebb and flow with the progression of the class.  Madias is currently in the middle of building out the space and plans to open the new studio in January, and will soon announce a grand opening date. Initially, she plans to employ three to four instructors and two front desk employees. Source: Adrianne Madias, Barre Bee Fit Writer: Natalie Burg

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