Classika Fitness 2306 Bedford Avenue / Lynchburg VA 24503 / 455-4788

The New Year

This is the time of year when everyone looks forward to what might come -- a time to plan and dream. It's no different for Classika as well. Let me explain a bit about how Classika has grown and what we'd like to see in the new year.

Classika started in 2007 in a 1000 square-foot unit on the back side of a building on Timberlake Road. I, Mark Haskew, did almost everything at that time. We began with some clients I had from the Y and we slowly grew there. We added our first trainer at the end of our time there, Tara Birely, who is still going strong with us. In 2008 we had a great opportunity to open in a larger, 1600 square-foot facility in downtown Lynchburg. The building was perfect for us at that time, with a nicely decorated interior at the old Academy Cafe site. It had a beautiful vaulted roof, iron rafters, and a cool feel to it. There we were able to grow further, to the point where we couldn't accept anymore clients, particularly in the evening hours.

So, we sought more space and ended up at 2306 Bedford Avenue, the old Vaughan Chevrolet building next to the new organic meat shop, very close to Randolph College. The new facility gives us at least twice the workout area as the downtown location. This building was pretty run down when we moved in and we are still looking at a lot of ongoing work. However, the essential work is nearly completed and further work is aimed at making your time here even more enjoyable and comfortable.

The extra workout area now allows us to host two small groups at the same time, or one small group and a couple other individuals working out with other trainers. This is important to me since the small training group idea has been a key element of the Classika plan since the very beginning. Small groups reduce the cost per person and provide some fun moments but are still personal enough to have lots of individual attention from your trainer. As the economy shows both positive and negative signs right now, more people are looking for the accountability and encouragement that small groups can provide. Bigger gyms have a hard time doing this. Classika, which is still on the small side, can do it very well.

At this point, we've grown to four trainers other than myself. In 2010, we can host more people seeking to improve their health and look, feel, and move better. One of the most exciting things we can offer this year is more training for high school athletes. Before, we simply couldn't fit many in; now we can host a few classes every day for active high schoolers to reduce the chance of injury and play better. We have oodles of more room here and we might even be able to expand into having a small membership as well. We are right next to the old car dealership's garage, which would make an ideal workout space for a general membership facility.

If you are serious about losing weight and getting fitter and firmer, consider Classika. We have experienced, professional personal trainers, and we have top-notch equipment (I won't bore you with the details but we have put a lot of thought into our equipment, right down to how rough the knurling is on the bars). Whether you are looking for the "me-time" of one-on-one training or the camaraderie of a small group or class, we believe Classika will be one of your top choices in the Lynchburg area. Our contact info is 455-4788 or info@classikafitness.com.