Recently, Club Sports was able to sit down and speak with the business owner of Able Body Fitness, asking questions focused on Club Powerlifting, their local community connections, and what they can offer for their customers. 

Club Powerlifting has officially leveled up their connection with the community, growing on their partnership with Able Body Fitness. Able Body Fitness is a local gym, focusing on their slogan, "Fit for Life", which offers many different amenities to paying customers and those looking to expand their horizons on how they can choose to exercise. Having the facility being previously named St. Julian's, a re-brand was a necessity. With Monday - Friday staffed hours of 7:00am - 9:00pm and Saturday - Sunday staffed hours of 10:00am - 8:00pm, the ability for customers to access the facility and ask questions for what services can be offered to them is vast. 

Amenities include: 
- Drink Partnership with Keurig
- Extensive Options for Free Weights
- 24/7 Facility Access with Premium Membership
- No start up fee, no annual fee, and no cancellation fee
- Posing Room 
- Specialty Equipment
- Cardio Equipment
- Much More!!

With the direct connection to Powerlifting, business owner Cory Foster chose to purchase the facility recently and has not let up in their focus on growing their brand. Having begun his fitness journey in his basement with his father at 12, Cory grew his love for fitness as a part of the CCP program from Bowling Green High School, which allowed him to train the BGSU Student Recreation Center. A passion for bodybuilding helped to grow his interest in the sport, leading to more opportunities in exercise/fitness. With admiration for the surrounding influences of hard work, he pressed forward in his fitness career with positions at Planet Fitness, becoming a manager. A graduate of Bowling Green State University with two Associates degrees, Cory Foster chose to bet on himself and was sought out by an investor for his own fitness entrepreneurship path.

Now at the age of 25, Cory continues to grow his fitness passion, where "Fitness chose me." was the answer given when asked about why he chose fitness as a career. A powerful message from a local business owner, with a passion for his community. Understanding that providing people with a passion for fitness as not just an outlet, but an opportunity to grow has been his major motive in funding the process for Able Body Fitness and Club Powerlifting. 

"The people. The community here is something else. If you went to our Google Reviews online, we are like a 5 Star Rating, with over 200 reviews." Customer service has been a major component and piece to their puzzle, with clear evidence shown to back that up. Cory spoke more on how connecting with people through fitness means more than you know, "The community aspect again, you can't really put it into words." 

Clayton Boberg, a founding member of Club Powerlifting, also was able to speak on the community aspect as well: 
    "For me personally, at my meet on Saturday, I was randomly talking to a lacrosse player from another school, and they are actually coming to play BGSU Club Lacrosse this coming Saturday, so I'm hanging out with him this Saturday." 

Meeting people and connecting through Powerlifting is an important mission, one that Club Powerlifting puts as a pillar and staple for their growing program. With the Club Powerlifting program beginning with just two people and now growing to over 25 people in their ranks, connecting with people through Powerlifting has helped them mightily, to be succinct. 

Coming back to the conversation on how Cory Foster chose to grow through connecting to BGSU Club Powerlifting, he did so in a big way. With the support he has given, many have been able to succeed off of his generosity. He chose to grow their local connection by purchasing over $20,000 worth of equipment, with Club Powerlifting in mind. With equipment ranging from hack squat machines, a Pendulum Squat machine, kilogram plates, dumbbells up to 150 pounds each, a Rogue deadlift platform in transit, and much more, Able Body Fitness can not just provide a premier location for aspiring fitness members of the community, but for Powerlifting members who may have previously been on the fence of taking their fitness seriously. The ability to do other things, such as hosting events, has shown through as well. 

"We can hold state meets here. This is all regulation, this is all by the book. It's not off brand; this is the real deal," shares Cory Foster. "This is a lot of good publicity too, for both the team and the gym, because we're one of the few facilities in the area who has got that setup." 

Clayton Boberg also was able to speak on the standard this sets for their ability to train, " ... from a Powerlifting aspect too, it's different than using a regular box squat rack, than using an actual competition rack, with actually walking down ... the standard that you lift is different. With a regular bench, things have to be a certain height, a certain weight, the benches have to be a certain way. ...It makes it easier, as we are more competition ready as a group. ...Personally, from my last meet, with using this equipment, my overall meet total was over 100 pounds from my last time competing." Being able to grow your stats as a Powerlifter is the ultimate chase, and with growing usage of premier equipment, the floor of expectation grows. 

Current Club President Logan Bieganowski provides another note, "I think with the combo racks in particular too, it allows lifters to lift together, with the same weight. So with me and James (James Peugeot), he's a lot taller, and we can keep that same weight on while moving the height of the bar, which is pretty rare with other squat racks and equipment like that." Amenities like these help to show how important local connections can become.

With the opportunities given to Club Powerlifting from Able Body Fitness, there is no telling of the ceiling of talent, preparation and competition that Club Powerlifting can produce. Being able to compete with other facilities in terms of preparation is the name of the game, with momentum on the side of BGSU Club Powerlifting. The mission to grow is a fast-moving train, with chances to get on at your next stop. Make sure to grab on tight, because they plan on taking this new partnership and initiative to a new stratosphere. 

To follow along with anything Able Body Fitness, check out their website at ablebodyfitnessbg.com and check out their social medias listed below: 
Facebook - Able Body Fitness
Instagram - able.body.fitness

To follow along with anything Club Powerlifting, check out their website at bgsuclubsports.com/sports/weight-lifting and check out their social media below: 
Instagram - bgsu_powerlifting

Also, be sure to check out our Facilities page in the coming future, with Able Body Fitness being added soon!