IThinkFit Gym offers 11,000 square feet of space to work up a sweat, but rows of treadmills, elliptical machines and conventional gym equipment are strikingly absent. Instead, women push a hundred-pound sled across the room. Men flip tractor tires. High school athletes do squats while balancing atop an unstable Bosu ball.
IThinkFit’s regulars seem to share a common trait, co-owner Sean Harley says: “They like getting their butts kicked.”
Since 2008, Harley and co-owner Heath Murray have delivered challenging workouts through boot camp-style classes and one-on-one training at their facility, located near West Center Road and Bob Boozer Drive. Together, they offer skilled personal training to athletes from middle school through college, fitness competitors and body builders.
They also serve a large, all-ages population of regular people who seek a workout with proven results.
“A lot of people are bored of the corporate gym,” Murray said “It’s monotonous.” At iThinkFit, the equipment itself provides variety and challenge. Trainers switch up routines and incorporate new equipment frequently to avoid gym-going boredom. A 10-week, $1,000 grand prize contest has been a popular addition to the iThinkFit menu and serves as a motivator for new and seasoned members.
While the term “boot camp” may scare off some, the owners emphasize that their group classes offer something for everyone. The popular Fit Camp class puts members at their own stations, so they can work at their own pace and level. “Whether you’re in great shape or you haven’t worked out in years, you can work out in that class,” Harley said
Murray, originally from Neligh, and Harley, from Schuyler, met at Midland University in Fremont where they played football together. They parted ways after graduation. Murray landed in Omaha and built a client base as a personal trainer. Meanwhile, Harley moved to California and launched a fitness modeling career. His sculpted physique landed him on the cover of multiple fitness magazines, and he scored roles on “The Young and the Restless” and “Passions.” Bodybuilding.com tapped Harley as its first 2009 spokes-model in 2009.
But eventually, Harley sought to build a more impactful career. Back in Omaha, he and Murray began discussing a business concept unique for 2007 – an online personal training website. IThinkFit.com allowed Harley and Murray to take their knowledge of fitness, body building and nutrition to a world-wide audience. Later, the business plan grew to include a brick- and-mortar facility, and iThinkFit Gym opened in 2008 with nine classes offered weekly.
Today, Harley and Murray’s once-fledg – ling gym offers more than 30 classes each week to a varied clientele. Their success encouraged them to expand their offerings with a line of supplements. Not satisfied with what was on the market, the duo created Rock Solid Nutrition, offering fitness buffs high-quality supplements in tasty flavors like Cinnabun, Cake Batter and Rocky Road. The product is sold in retail stores in Canada and the Midwest, and the online store ships to customers all over the world.
To the credit of the duo’s charisma and cred (Harley is the only International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness Pro Men’s Physique competitor in Nebraska), iThinkFit’s success has grown largely without advertising. “We’re growing from the grassroots level and relying on word of mouth,” Murray said.
IThinkFit allows Harley and Murray to do what they love. Both trainers commented on how meaningful it is to work with an athlete from middle school until college, watch a client achieve her goals, or witness dramatic differences in someone’s health outlook. “I find it a lot more rewarding knowing you are changing people’s lives and truly helping,” Harley said. “You’re giving them knowledge they can carry with them the rest of their life.”
ITHINKFIT GYM
2424 S. 156th Circle
402-333-4348
http://www.ithinkfitgym.com
