New RockWell Fitness Owners Plan Improvements At Community Gym

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Small-business owners Brian Chisholm and Sid Saab have partnered to take over ownership of RockWell Fitness in the heart of Severna Park.

The men had wanted to invest in a venture together for some time when the opportunity came along. They became official proprietors on September 1. Chisholm has been a member at RockWell since 2001, and he was enthusiastic about the chance to own the gym. “We want to brand this to be your community gym,” he said.

“This is a special gym,” Chisholm explained. “We have about 1,540 members, and of that, 500 are here at least once or twice a week.” Whether members are weightlifting, taking group exercise classes, using cardio equipment, or customizing workouts with personal trainers, RockWell enjoys a high rate of participation, as gyms go. “The community feeling is great here,” Chisholm added. “The location is perfect. People feel like they know everyone here.”

Since becoming a gym owner, Chisholm has spent a lot of time at the facility, overseeing day-to-day operations and improvements like remodeling of the personal training studio and fresh paintwork throughout the gym. There are plans to update the smoothie bar, install new flooring, and add televisions in the weightlifting area.

“I am excited about all of the physical changes and to take something of this size and help it grow,” Chisholm explained. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s very exciting. I take a ton of pride in it.”

RockWell was last remodeled in 2015, when it was expanded to incorporate a vacant space next door. Chisholm estimates that most of its weightlifting equipment was replaced about two years ago.

Most popular at RockWell are the group exercise classes. They are offered morning and night during the week, and in the morning hours over the weekend. Cycle classes, yoga, HIIT (high intensity interval training), Zumba, kickboxing, group weightlifting instruction, stretching sessions, and barre classes and more are available. Many of the teachers have large followings and keep members energized with popular and new exercise routines. Local Pilates instructor Deb Vincent teaches classes out of a custom studio with specialized equipment within RockWell.

Chisholm hopes to promote and attract more members to the personal training options at the gym. RockWell’s large personal training area is undergoing reorganization. The space features TRX equipment, kettlebell and weight stations, squat racks, training benches, ropes, weighted sleds, and turf. Using the dynamic area, Chisholm hopes to start offering team training opportunities and youth training programs.

“This feels like a family/community gym, but we also have a lot of young people who come in to exercise,” he explained. Teens may become gym members, and students receive discount membership fees — military personnel, families and seniors also get special rates.

Once some of the physical improvements have been completed, RockWell will host a member appreciation night and grand reopening. For more information about the gym and its offerings, stop by for a tour or visit www.rwfitness.com.

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