Ground Floor: Husband and wife strengthen Coralville business

When husband and wife Aaron and Anna Larmore established Pro-Fit Gym in August 2011, they did so with a view to the business' future growth. Their vision is becoming a reality with a recent expansion into a significantly larger space, the addition of new programs and services, and plans to grow the business even more.

In July, the Coralville business moved from its original 1,500-square-foot space into the 10,000-square-foot former Coralville Transit Center in Iowa River Landing.

'Having more space allowed us to do so much more,” Aaron Larmore said. 'We added showers and changing areas. With those facilities, we were able to add morning and noon classes and expand our client base. We're now at 350 members.”

The increase in membership spurred even more growth. By the last week in January, the Larmores completed work on the final bay of the new facility that included the addition of hot yoga and indoor cycling studios.

In addition to hot yoga and spinning, the gym offers adult and athlete fitness classes incorporating high intensity intervals of strength and cardiovascular training. The workouts, which are created by Larmore and change daily, are designed for participants to burn 500 to 1,000 calories per 60-minute class.

In total, the Larmores spent about $100,000 in the build-out of the facility and almost another $100,000 on equipment. The gym's new technology includes a computerized heart rate training system and 55-inch plasma televisions for members to monitor their heart rates during classes.

'The new system helps people work out harder,” Larmore said.

The couple is planning to open a second Pro-Fit Gym within the next year. Their long-term goals include franchising the business.

'Since day one of opening, I've wanted to put in a model that could be used by others who want to be in the profession,” Larmore said. 'There's a high burnout rate in personal training. It's rewarding, but it's a big commitment of time and energy and working around people's work schedules.

'My goal is to create a system that is duplicatable so I can step away and show other people how to coach.”

Larmore has been working in the fitness industry for more than a decade. He said he is the hands-on partner of Pro-Fit Gym while his wife handles social media, marketing, and member outreach.

'Anna complements me well,” Larmore said. 'We've grown a lot but still provide the great service that got us there.”

Know a manager or company in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor”? Contact George Ford at George.Ford@sourcemedia.net.

At a Glance

'Owners: Aaron and Anna Larmore

'Business: Pro-Fit Gym

'Address: 770 Quarry Road, Coralville

'Phone: (319) 338-2571

'Website: www.TheProFitGym.com