Pumping up her business; Total Fitness Gym thriving with 24-hour service, CrossFit classes
Published 10:01 am Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Jennifer Jenkins, owner of Total Fitness. Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Jennifer Jenkins never has a slow day at work.
After opening Total Fitness Gym in Austin in June of 2014, she’s brought forth classes like Cross Fit and Metabolic Conditioning, which include high intensity exercises mixed with short breaks. Jenkins gets plenty of workouts in as she’s teaching classes, but she also gets plenty of mental workouts as she runs the gym.
“There’s always something that’s coming up that’s changing,” Jenkins said. “A big reason I wanted to do this is to be my own boss and answer only to me. I can do it my own way.”
Jennifer Jenkins helps Kristin Aakre during a personal workout at Total Fitness, owned by Jenkins.
When Jenkins first opened Total Fitness, she wanted to offer many types of programs, along with a 24-hour access to the gym. She said her favorite part of running the gym is helping members find what works out best for them.
“My favorite part is helping people change their fitness and health,” Jenkins said. “In these CrossFit classes I see the biggest change in my members fitness and I love being part of that change.”
CrossFit classes can be physically daunting, but Jenkins said it offers a great workout. She said that running is great for the heart and is still a solid form of exercise, but short bursts can be very effective as well.
“It’s more time efficient,” she said. “That’s where science is taking us right now and that is where you’re going to get more bang for your buck. There’s a place for the long runs, but if you really want to get in shape and burn fat, it’s the high intensity training.”
Jennifer Jenkins, owner of Total Fitness, works with Kristin Aakre during an invitational workout.
While she thrives when leading a workout, Jenkins said her biggest challenge rises when she has to make a decision about something new the gym is going to do. She wants to please all of her members, but Jenkins has to make the final decision when it comes to the gym.
“It’s for the clients and I want to do what’s best for them,” she said. “You’ve got lots of opinions out there and I’m a people pleaser and I want to make everybody happy. That’s the tough part for me is doing what makes the majority of people happy.”
Jenkins said that Total Fitness’s motto is “Find Your Fitness” and she wants her members to find out what exercise is best for them, whether it be waling on a treadmill, lifting weights or joining a class.
To promote trying different forms of exercise Total Fitness is running a 30 day challenge for its members in October. The idea of the challenge is for members to try new things that Total Fitness has to offer and receive prizes for participation.
To contact Jenkins, call Total Fitness at 507-396-2036.
