After five years of leading classes at her Studio S locations, Sara Moreland Hester said it was time to add something new to the mix.
As of Wednesday, the Studio S space on Reed Road now operates as a 24-hour gym. With the majority of her fitness classes held at her Raceway Road location, Hester said she felt the other location was beginning to feel a bit neglected. And so, she came up with the plan to open her own, unique 24-hour gym.
“Everything I offer is going to be 100% original. It’s a different kind of gym than anybody’s been to,” Hester said.
With the majority of her fitness classes taking place early in the morning, Hester said she felt it was limiting her membership opportunities for others in the community.
“I wanted to reach more people with my program and I didn’t want to open a regular 24-hour gym and say, ‘Go in and good luck,’” she said.
What’s offered
The new Precor equipment the Studio S gym offers includes two bikes, three ellipticals, three treadmills, a captain’s chair, an all-in-one machine, boxing bag, dumbbell weights, mats, battle rope and a sled push.
And so, Hester designed her own program offering several workout routines to cater whatever a person is looking to focus on that particular day.
Instead of members getting on a random piece of fitness equipment with no set plan, Hester said they can first enter the workout room, which features more than 30 work out challenge posters and the walls are lined with several shelves and drawers filled with printed workout plans.
“If they want to do full-body or they want to work on their legs, arms or abs … I’ve made up to 150 to 200 workouts that are available to them right now,” Hester said. “It’ll give them flexibility to go when they want but still follow my program.”
For anyone who may be unfamiliar with what a particular exercise move is, Hester has created a link titled “Exercise Demos” on her website with video demonstrations.
For those who want to follow a class routine, Hester has a TV in the gym with her Studio S Live DVD connected with plenty of floor space so they can feel as though they are participating in a live class.
“It’s not just full-on machines, it’s just open floor space so you can do the workouts still,” she said, noting all new gym members will get a walk-through upon joining.
Hester also encourages people to check out her workout videos on Amazon Prime and download the Studio S app on their phone.
To keep things fresh, Hester said she will regularly come up with new workout plans. As for her other Studio S locations in Greenville and Cleveland, Hester said it’s a possibility they could also become a 24-hour gym one day. For now though, she is having fun with the new gym.
“We’ll play with this a little while and see how this goes. I think it’ll be a hit,” she said. “This is just another way that I want to offer more people in Greenville who maybe can’t come to the class time still gives them the option to benefit from the program.”
Membership costs
Access to the 24/7 Studio S gym costs only $20 each month. For those already a member of the Studio S classes, the gym membership is an additional $10.
The first key fob, which allows members to enter the door, costs $10 and members can purchase up to three additional key fobs.
Gym members can purchase up to three additional key fobs for anyone 16 years of age and older who might like to come out and work out by themselves. If they are under the age of 16, they need to come to the gym with an adult.
One misconception with her gym, she said, is that men aren’t allowed to join. Any males interested in joining the gym just needs to talk to contact Hester directly, she said.
“For male memberships, you just have to contact me,” she said.
The Studio S motto, “Come as you are,” holds true for Hester’s gym.
“This is a place where we are welcoming and when people come in, they don’t feel like they’re judged and they don’t feel like if they’re not in tip-top shape they can’t train. My workouts are designed to meet any fitness level, whether you’re in the best shape of your life or you never worked out in your life at all.”
For more information about Studio S, visit saramorelandfitness.com or call 662-207-BFIT.
