Gyms build muscle in downtown locations

Several gyms have opened or relocated in downtown Cincinnati in the past few months, all with one goal – to pump up young working professionals.

Snap Fitness 24-7, which opened in mid-April at 15 E. Seventh Street next to the former Blackfinn Saloon, is one of the gyms bypassing the suburbs and focusing fitness efforts on Cincinnati's urbanites.

The 24-hour gym, accessible by key card, is within walking distance of many residential complexes, says Beth Roe, its manager.

"We have people coming in here at all times," Roe says. "We have people coming in here at 3 a.m. to work out. We have cops coming in at 4 a.m. after their shifts. We just believe a 24-hour gym works here in downtown."

It's that type of clientele – the young professional living downtown – that encouraged another downtown gym, Sweat Training, to move from Pleasant Ridge to downtown.

The gym, which offers indoor boot camp and personal training, moved into its location at 18 W. Seventh St. in October 2010, says owner Danielle Korb.

It's a gym that focuses on catering to the demands of professionals who want to come in, work out hard, improve their bodies and then go play hard, she says.

"We're really for those people that are moving and shaking," Korb says.

Korb, who is also a trainer at the gym, scouted out 20 locations throughout Greater Cincinnati before settling downtown.

The open warehouse loft atmosphere of the location was a unique selling point in the gym's relocation, she adds.

"The gym is a big part of the atmosphere while working out," Korb says. "It's a loft with open windows and graffiti on the walls."

The move downtown also spurred growth, she says.

"It's the perfect pairing up of brand, location and clientele," Korb says. "I just felt like my brand was the perfect match for downtown."

By James Sprague