Show Up Fitness is a small private personal training studio in the heart of Santa Monica. It’s not a Crossfit, or a trendy group training boot camp style gym. They’ve got dumbbells, machines, balance tools, a squat rack, foam rollers, and even a Glute Station to help perk up that backside so many people are trying to achieve. But this still doesn’t really separate them from the saturated personal training market in Santa Monica. So what makes this quaint training studio at 1207 4th Street (Suite 150) so special besides its catchy name? Education.
Did you know the average personal trainer goes online to become a fitness professional? There are more than 2,000 different certifications, and are no universal requirements to be a trendy trainer these days, it literally takes the click of a button. Go online, find a cheap certification, and they’ll send the material to anyone to study and take the exam at home.
Not at Show Up Fitness. Every trainer has gone through a rigorous six month personal training school, The National Personal Training Institute (NPTI).
Chris Hitchko, the director of education and owner of Show Up Fitness in Dublin, CA and Santa Monica, has been instructing at NPTI for more than five years.
He teaches in-depth anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics, kinesiology (the study of human movement), and nutrition. The students receive hands on training in the gym, while he closely monitors proper form and programming to help reach each individual’s desired goals.
Being a trainer for more than 10 years, he saw a huge flaw in the system. How can one call themselves a fitness professional without going to school, he asked. Having a degree in Kinesiology from Chico State, a one-year internship at the top Kinesiology program in the nation (University of Connecticut), and a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), the highest certification in the industry, Hitchko didn’t like being put into same category as those who attended a weekend workshop.
“I’m not a doctor, but imagine someone going through a weekend workshop, and after completion, they begin calling themselves a doctor,” Hitchko said. “Something’s not right here.”
So he wanted to make a greater impact on the industry by teaching the sciences, not what he calls the anecdotal “Bro Science” that he says is running rampant today.
But still, does this really separate Show Up Fitness from the rest of this industry? Not so fast.
Let’s dive a little deeper into what defines Show Up Fitness: Trainer’s In Training a.k.a. TNT. Just as a beauty college has cheaper haircuts if performed by a student attending the college, Show Up Fitness has the same business model. You can train with a TNT at a much lower hourly rate. TNT are credentialed trainers who’ve completed more than half of the program and yearning to get their “reps” in a.k.a. live one-on-one personal training.
One of the flaws of NPTI is that the students are unable to gain live practical experience – they train each-other, but lack the experience training the average American who’s overweight, and deconditioned. Enter Show Up Fitness. Hitchko is able to choose the best students to be interns as a TNT at his studio on 4th Street in Santa Monica at a discounted rate – as low as $40 per session.
The average personal training rate in Santa Monica is between $75-$110 an hour; Hitchko himself charges $200 an hour to train one-on-one with him.
Hitchko said TNT trainers are knowledgeable, passionate, and super excited to implement the scientific fat loss strategies to help people achieve their goals.
Every Show Up Fitness personal trainer not only has a diploma from NPTI, but is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), a leading certification. Hitchko requires all of his trainers to enroll in continuing education courses such as the three month Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement Specialist courses at NPTI.
At the end of the day, Show Up Fitness literally has the best trainers around. They’re educated, fun, in-shape, but most importantly, they’ll listen to you and help you receive your goals.
In big letters on the side of the studio it reads, “90% of success is just SHOWING UP” if you’ve been struggling with your New’s Year’s resolution, this personal training studio is calling your name, you just need to Show Up.
Go to www.showupfitness.com to fill out an assessment form to receive a free personal training session if you mention this article. Otherwise, first time assessments are $75. Make sure to say The Mirror sent you.
Additionally, every Sunday at 10 am, Show Up Fitness offers free Booty camps to the community of Santa Monica. And every Thursday at 7:30 pm, Hitchko gives a 15-30 minute “Chris Talk” to educate the community and debunk fitness and nutrition myths.
