Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Dutcher.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tim. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began working as a personal trainer in 1996, but my fitness journey began roughly a dozen years prior. I grew up in South Boston and like many exercise enthusiasts, I participated in team sports (football, baseball, hockey, and basketball). I was also a competitive boxer at the McDonough (Muni) gym in South Boston. As a young adult, I began working out at all of the top gyms in the Boston area.
I actually had specific gyms I would visit just to do specific muscle groups (i.e. a leg gym, back gym etc.). By the time I broke into the industry in 1996, I had already developed a system of exercise which involved active moving workout programs. So when I started working, I took this philosophy and applied it to my clients. They loved the energy and diverse exercise design and I immediately developed a following. After working for several years, I opened up Spartan Training Center in Braintree in 2003 and moved it over to our current location in Quincy in 2013. At the center, we have serviced thousands of clients and our programs are the standard in the industry.
Has it been a smooth road?
When the center first opened, there was a great deal of curiosity. None of the chain training centers that you see advertised now existed in 2003. I had a group of hardcore Spartans that followed me from Boston and were the spark which got the local South Shore community to come through the door. The housing crisis and the down economy in 2007 was especially difficult on personal training. I had clients who were distraught because they could no longer afford the center.
The latest fad or the explosion in chain training centers with large advertising budgets is a constant adversary. Fortunately, we have a very committed group of clients who have always supported the Center which has helped us persevere through difficult times. As we approach 2018, I am proud to say Spartan Training Center is the oldest exclusively personal training facility in the Boston Area.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Spartan Training Center story. Tell us more about the business.
Spartan Training Center is a 2,000 square foot facility (roughly the size of a basketball court) which is completely private. The center offers commercial grade gym equipment which rivals any gym in the area, but at Spartan, you aren’t sharing the equipment with several dozen members all trying to get to the same bench, machine, or floor space. We have a maximum of 3 trainers and 3 clients on the floor at any one time.
One of our most popular programs is weight loss and conditioning where an adult does a dual energy system (weights and cardio). Every workout is different and designed for each individual client.
In general, clients find themselves shaking, sweating, and extremely challenged after completing upwards of 40 movements in 30 minutes. Another popular program is bodybuilding. Clients describe their ideal physique (sculpted abs, larger chest, more defined arms) and we create a workout to give them that beach body look they want. Flexibility training and dietary advice are integrated into all training programs.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I feel like the next logical step is formally integrating exercise into the health care system. A huge percentage of our health care costs are directly related to being unfit. Obesity directly leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, spinal and joint distress, and depression to name a few.
For example, prior to a gastric bypass, why not send a client to Spartan for a multi-day six-month program for 1/50th of the cost. If they are successful, a bypass is not needed. Even minimal success (i.e. learning to exercise) would benefit them after the surgery. This is just one of the countless examples of how well thought out, well rounded physical exercise could decrease health care cost and increase productivity in this country.
Pricing:
- 50/ Half Hour
- No initiation fee
- Free consultation available
Contact Info:
- Address: 11 School Street Quincy, MA 02169
- Website: spartantrainingcenter.com
- Phone: 781-843-0087
- Email: info@spartantrainingcenter.com
Image Credit:
Issac Savona
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