The New Year has brought a neatly wrapped present to fitness fanatics.
Ferrum Fitness opened its doors in November, at the corner of Kanan Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
“The boutique gym’s time has come,” said Jessica Unbewust, a certified personal trainer and one of the partners.
“It’s for those who desire working out in a smaller, more intimate setting,” she said, gesturing towards their 2,400-square foot open flooring design.
High-end commercial grade exercise equipment are strategically situated throughout the gym, without the familiar overcrowded feeling one gets in larger gyms.
Unbewust and her business partner Jason Powers previously worked together at one of the fitness chains in town and exactly knew what they wanted in their new venture.
“We saw the need for a more individualized approach to fitness,” she said, describing the recent surge of boot camps, among others.
Unbewust and Powers bring their personal training philosophy to their new venture. “It’s paying attention to injuries and doing the appropriate modifications to the exercises,” said Powers, on what sets them apart from other gyms.
“When a client walks in, not only do we know his or her name, but we also know about previous injuries, goals, etc.,” said Unbewust, a former swimmer. “We really make an effort to know everyone well.”
Unbewust described their service further. “It’s one-on-one attention you’ll get from a personal training session but in a class,” she said. “It’s more cost-effective.”
Two trainers are on the floor all the time – one to train and one to spot or check on everyone’s form, she said. Classes are limited to 15 students.
“We want our clients to have proper form and to be injury-free,” said Powers., a personal trainer for over 15 years. “They can worry about tempo and pace later, but the correct form is first priority.”
Classes at Ferrum Fitness are six days a week, with three to four classes a day. The pre-designed workouts include plyometrics and exercises tackling agility, balance, stamina, flexibility and power, among others.
“It’s functional training so you’re not just using machines all the time,” said Unbewust. “You’re doing multi-joint exercises so there’s no danger of over-use.”
“We really want to be a part the community and be the neighborhood go-to gym,” said Unbewust.
Right now, there is a 50-50 split between men and women clients. “There are more women in the mornings after school drop-offs I think,” said Powers. “Then students start trickling in, in the late afternoons.”
“We also want to partner with the schools and help tackle obesity,” said Powers, describing one of their long-term goals.
Meantime, they have their sights set on formally welcoming the public. Watch out for their grand opening on Saturday, January 28.
