Fitness Revolution Opens Mentor Studio

You have to know somebody to get a job in today's economy, right?

Not if you're C.J. Lockhart, the 26-year-old manning the recently opened Fitness Revolution location in Mentor. Believe it or not, he became manager and lead trainer with old-fashioned, quality résumé.

"(Co-owner Nate Miracle) said, 'hey, I've got this opportunity, and I'd love to talk to you," Lockhart said. "I came out that week, and we sat and talked for probably a good two hours about Fitness Revolution, and I fell in love with what they were doing."

Fitness Revolution has four Northeast Ohio locations co-owned by Miracle and Dan Bednar, who runs the Westlake location. Previously known as Cleveland Fitness Bootcamp, Fitness Revolution gained fame training chefs Rocco Whalen and Kimberly McCune for Food Nework's "Fat Chef" show. Its 4,800-square-foot Mentor studio opened just two weeks ago.

"We were thinking of another big area out east, and Mentor just seemed no-nonsense," Bednar said. "So many people out there, 1,500 people in the high school's graduating class. We figured the numbers were there, and (Lockhart) seemed to be a great fit."

If those numbers begin producing more clients, Lockhart might not be on his own. For now, though, he enjoys the responsibility and dabbling into marketing the studio. He has little difficulty doing so because finds many similarities between his philosophy and that of Bednar and Miracle.

"You can tell the good from the bad," Lockhart said. "They're individuals that really, really care about their clients' well-being and not just, 'come in and we'll make money.'

"I've always been big on being loyal to my clients, being respectful to my clients. They're the same way."

At Fitness, Lockhart trains clients with TRX machines, agility ladders, prowler sleds and more. He says his workouts produce burn throughout the body, instead of one particular area. In trying to pry people from larger gyms, he stresses his belief in the client-trainer relationship. A free, two-week trial period doesn't hurt either.

"I truly try to communicate with my clients on a daily basis," he said. "I stay on top of you with your diet and exercising, but at the same time, I'll talk to you about everyday life. 'How's work? How are the kids?

"Give us a try."