The workout area of Elite Total Fitness in Bonney Lake resembles that of a CrossFit facility - open and minimalist with some weight room equipment off to one side. There are no ellipticals or treadmills in sight.
Then there's that giant green patch of artificial turf, big enough for a team of young football players to train on that surface.
Indeed, youth - and the lack of fitness and training resources for youth in Bonney Lake - is what inspired Mason Hale and Jamiel McDowell to open the Elite Total Fitness up here on the Plateau over Hale's native Puyallup.
"I'm just passionate about working with kids," Hale said, and because kids have parents or guardians who also would like to get a workout or two in, Elite Total Fitness is set up for an entire family to be able to work out together, he said.
Hale describes Elite as middle ground between a traditional fitness facility and that of a high-intensity workout like CrossFit. The owners are trainers themselves, and all trainers at Elite emphasize safety to ensure lower risks of injury with members. Classes along with one-on-one training are available for both kids as young as age 6 and adults.
Class sizes are typically at a ratio of 1 instructor to 12 kids or 1 instructor to 15 adults, he said.
Since Elite opened about a month ago, Hale said, membership has grown to about 50. Membership is month-to-month, and Elite doesn't lock members into contracts.
"We want people to come and work out," he said, and staff will go as far as calling members who've fallen off the wagon to ensure they continue to pursue and reach their fitness goals.
The goals are made sweeter by cash incentives that trainers regularly offer for those who set and meet their fitness goals or challenges whether it's losing weight or performing a certain exercise.
Elite is keeping its grand opening rates of $60 per month for kids and starting at $50 per month for adults, Hale said. The fees cover unlimited training with no contracts and no additional enrollment fees.
Hale said Elite also welcomes school and club coaches to tour the facility and explore having their young athletes train on site.
For more information, visit www.EliteTF.com. Elite Total Fitness is located at 20617 SR 410 E in Bonney Lake (next to Midtown Grill).
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