The gym is padded with hard, rubber flooring. A treadmill, an elliptical walker and a recumbent bike sit in front of one of the mirrored walls. In the corner, there is a squat rack next to a multi-purpose workout station. A BOSU ball, free weights and medicine balls of various sizes fill the rest of the room.
“Foundation Fitness” is painted on a metal beam that stretches across the uncovered ceiling beams.
Foundation Fitness isn’t a new bodybuilding gym. It’s the home workout facility of Westerville residents Megan and Josh Arnold.
When the couple moved to Westerville, finding a house with the space to build a home gym was a high priority for them.
“Fitness is a very important part of our lives, so we try to make it accessible,” Megan says. “If it’s not accessible, you’re probably not going to do it.”
When she was attending Ohio University, Megan participated in figure competitions for women. Josh, also an OU student, was involved in bodybuilding competitions. The two met at the gym during a workout.
Because fitness is important to the couple, the convenience factor was a big plus of a home gym.
“It’s always easiest when it’s at your fingertips,” she says.
In addition to the treadmill, elliptical walker and recumbent bike, there is also a total gym, a weight pulley system and a chin-up/pull-up bar, allowing the user to work almost every muscle in the body and perform more than 60 exercises.
The squat rack is for free-weight lifting and other exercises with a more old-school feel. It works multiple muscles to build strength and mass.
The medicine and BOSU ball – half of a large, inflated rubber ball attached to a solid, flat platform – are for improving balance and the core.
Attached to the Foundation Fitness beam is a TRX HOME Suspension Trainer, which uses the exerciser’s own body weight – rather than a collection of various free and assisted weights – to perform a wide variety of exercises that build strength, endurance, core stability and mobility. It was developed by a Navy SEAL.
“We wanted to get the equipment we thought we would use and then also to be able to do a total-body workout with clients,” Megan says.
The gym is designed to provide options for achieving a more efficient workout.
“With our setup, you can have an awesome and efficient workout in 30-45 minutes,” Megan says. “It’s all about training efficiently, not longer.”
Plus, the home gym is equipped with mirrors to better inspect one’s form – not to mention a plasma TV and surround sound to keep things fun and interesting.
Family members and friends train in Arnold’s home gym, as do the few personal training clients she instructs.
“My goal is to teach people how fitness and staying active keeps people young,” says Megan.
One gym patron in particular, though, doesn’t need any help staying young: the Arnolds’ 2-year-old daughter, Ellie. The gym doubles as her play space.
The gym is baby-proof. The mirrors are secured to the wall and a power strip for all the cardio equipment is out of reach of children. Gyms and babies don’t usually mix, but Megan is determined to instill the idea of a healthy lifestyle in her daughter early on.
“Usually, we make working out a family event,” she says. “It’s all about spending time together and family fitness.”
Arnold will set up an obstacle course for her daughter, giving Ellie the opportunity to jump over things or crawl around while others are working out.
“We hope through having fun, she’ll grow up with a healthy fitness orientation,” Megan says.
Alex Wallace is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.