Pro-Fit Gym expands to Cedar Rapids

It has been a busy couple of years for Aaron Lamore.

In July 2013, Lamore relocated and expanded his business, Pro-Fit Gym, from its original 1,500-square-foot space in Coralville to the 10,000-square-foot former home of the Coralville Transit Center. In January 2014, he expanded again with the addition of hot yoga and indoor cycling studios.

In late 2014, he opened two new Pro-Fit locations in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

'That's been our objective all along, to duplicate and multiply,” Lamore said.

Pro-Fit Gym Cedar Rapids, located just off Blairs Ferry Road NE, offers five classes each weekday and a class on Saturdays. All Pro-Fit classes provide a 60-minute, high intensity workout that combines elements of strength, cardio and flexibility. The workouts change daily, and participants are able to track their progress through an online monitoring system.

'The way it's programmed, you can come every day,” Lamore said. 'A lot of our members attend five or six times a week.”

Lamore's partner in the Cedar Rapids gym is Alan Weber, who handles day-to-day operations at the facility.

Lamore and Weber met when they interned for the University of Iowa football program under strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. Weber later worked full-time for the Iowa program. He also has held strength and conditioning positions at the University of Maryland and Southern Illinois University.

'He's a great guy and an outstanding coach,” Lamore said.

The men say their experience with coaching and training athletes is one of two things that set their gym apart. The other is a fitness program that is sustainable.

'We focus on injury prevention with flexibility exercises at the beginning of every workout,” Weber said. 'This keeps the workout sustainable and makes people feel better when they leave.”

'That's the thing about having an expert lead the program,” Lamore added. 'We can see when people are trying to do too much and pull them back before they get hurt.”

Later this month, Pro-Fit Gym Cedar Rapids will launch its athlete academy, a strength and conditioning program for youth and student athletes.

'The program allows athletes to take the tools they are developing with their coaches and use them at a higher level,” Weber said.

With the recent addition of two new gyms, Lamore plans to take some time to smooth out the systems before pursuing his long-term goal of franchising the business.

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