Nick Byom has always been involved with personal fitness. He has owned personal fitness businesses in Denver, Colorado and Scottsdale, Arizona. Now he will begin his next business; Strength Academy in River Falls.
Located at 661 N. Main St., Strength Academy is a personal fitness gym. The philosophy for the business is simple.
“You stop in, get your workout in and then get on with your life,” Byom said.
Byom and his wife Tara recently moved from Arizona but have roots in the midwest. Tara is from River Falls. The couple decided to move back to the area after experiencing burnout.
Byom saw a need for a personal fitness gym. He researched the area and found no other businesses like Strength Academy exist.
“It’s unique because it’s your one stop shop for personal training. We are a smaller space so you have a personal aspect when you train here,” Byom said.
Byom said other personal fitness businesses and gym memberships get expensive. He believes keeping costs low so regular people can afford a workout. He added the first class signup is free for interested customers.
Nick Byom and his wife, Tara, are running Strength Academy after moving from Arizona. Sam Fristed/Star-Observer.
Byom and Tara are co-owners of the business. He said Tara was the mastermind behind the interior design and layout.
Having a smaller space provides a community aspect other gyms don’t have, Byom said. He added most people don’t have time to workout. Strength Academy will aim to solve that problem.
“People have difficulty finding time to workout. When they do want to workout they want to lift with other people. This will provide structure,” he said.
Byom gave a brief demonstration of how the workouts are run. After a light warmup participants move from station to station. Participants follow designated workout instructions at their station from two televisions at the front of the gym.
During the workout the instructor of the class walks around to give feedback to the participant at the station.
Byom said the classes are instructed at a slower pace than other personal fitness classes.
Both Byom and Tara are instructors for the classes. Each class is one hour long and focuses on strength.
During the week of Thanksgiving Byom held the first round of classes. In the two weeks that followed. Since the first round classes are running at full speed.
An interesting aspect of the classes is all weights used are kettlebells. Byom said that decision was deliberate because he believes kettlebells provide more flexibility during training.
Byom’s favorite part about being an instructor is helping other people. He said seeing the progress of clients is rewarding.
“It’s like giving them a superpower. It’s awesome to watch people grow,” Byom said.
