Fitness has always been a focal point for James Restrepo Jr.
The owner of WyoFit Clubs found his passion for physical activity at a young age, playing basketball in high school and college before taking a job as a personal trainer at a nationwide chain.
“The athletic director at the school I went to said, ‘Hey, you can make this a living if you want to,’” Restrepo said. “I wanted to combine business and fitness.”
In 2011, Restrepo took his coach’s advice one step farther: He opened Wyomissing Fitness and Training, a 10,000-square-foot facility on Woodland Road.
“I wanted to have a company where, across the board, everyone is there to help the members achieve their goals,” Restrepo said. “It really took off from there.”
Rapid growth
Within a few years, Wyomissing Fitness had undergone two major expansions, adding another 10,000 square feet to the building.
In 2017, WyoFit Clubs introduced a new location with the opening of Exeter Fitness on Perkiomen Avenue.
WyoFit’s Wyomissing and Exeter locations have since undergone additional expansions, adding services such as smoothie bars, saunas, studio rooms, and new cardio and strength equipment.
This year, WyoFit underwent its largest expansion plan to date: a multiphase plan to acquire the membership base of PA Fitness in Exeter, as well as the PA Fitness facility in Wyomissing.
“This was hands-down our biggest project,” Restrepo said.
He said the company revamped the Exeter facility to accommodate the members of PA Fitness in Exeter, which is now closed.
“We transferred them (the members) essentially across the street to our Exeter Fitness,” Restrepo said. “Beginning in April, we started construction to open up the floor plan. Exeter Fitness underwent significant changes (between April and June).”
PA Fitness becomes Wyo West Fitness
At the same time, WyoFit was undertaking another construction project: a complete remodeling of the former PA Fitness at 1119 Bern Road in Wyomissing.
“We painted the entire facility, re-did the child care, expanded the hours, enhanced the flooring, lighting, group exercise rooms, added a smoothie bar, enhanced the hydro massage rooms, and equipment upgrades as well,” Restrepo said. “There’s something for everyone with this whole project.”
That facility is now Wyo West Fitness. Its remodeling began in July, with the site remaining open throughout the transition.
Restrepo said Wyo West enables the company to offer services it couldn’t fit at the Woodland Road location.
“Wyo West has child care,” he said. “Child care does very well for us at Exeter Fitness, but it’s something we just didn’t have the floor plan for (at Woodland Road).”
Membership options include a bundle package that allows the use of any of WyoFit’s three facilities and offers perks like free classes and hydro massages.
Helping members progress
Despite no longer being a personal trainer, Restrepo said his favorite part of the business is still helping members progress.
“Someone scans in…they leave an hour later, they’ve got a big smile on their face, they’re telling you, ‘Hey, that was just what I needed,’” Restrepo said.
He said he’s consistently impressed by the massive results members obtain.
“Whether it’s losing 70 pounds or putting on weight…you see a member when they first join they’re 17, now they’re 25 and they look like a completely different person, it’s incredibly rewarding,” Restrepo said.
He noted that gym members are unique customers because of the amount of time they spend at the establishment compared to other businesses people frequent like restaurants.
“You may go to (a restaurant) twice a month…a gym member, they could be in five, six, seven days a week for 45 minutes plus per visit,” Restrepo said. “What we provide is a really important part of people’s days. We never lose sight of that.”
He attributed some of WyoFit’s success to the gym’s constant pursuit of the ideal member experience.
WyoFit regional manager Pete Martinez said he’s been with the company for about a decade.
Martinez said it’s been encouraging to watch the business grow from a handful of workers in the beginning years to over 100 currently.
“Not only have I grown professionally, but also watched the business grow, it’s been a unique process,” Martinez said. “I was training on the side, you help people grow, the same thing is happening with the business.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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