JS Fit at 18 Brinkerhoff Street in downtown Plattsburgh is the place to go if you want to join a fitness center that specializes in small group classes, personal training and individualized attention focusing on strength, mobility and function.
I met with Stephen and Jennifer Galietta at their 700 square foot fitness studio where there are no mirrors to worry about and everyone from toddlers to seniors is welcome. Since opening in March of 2017 JS Fit offers classes that are small and focus on mobility and strength with each member’s needs and goals in mind.
A TEAM EFFORT
This husband and wife business team were in sync right from the moment they met. According to Jennifer they met in 2008 through eHarmony. Stephen was just finishing up his personal trainer certification. She became his first client and lost about 40 pounds in five months. He proposed to her in August of 2010 and they married the following June. Their first born, a son, followed in 2013 and their daughter in 2014. Moving to the North Country in the spring of 2016 to be closer to her family, they decided to start their fitness training studio here in Plattsburgh. The business is a team effort as Stephen has a full-time job in addition to running classes at the studio and Jennifer is a stay at home mom as well as being in charge of marketing, book work and social media for JS Fit. Stephen said, “She definitely has the harder job being a full-time mom and a big support for me.”
CLASSES
Well diversified 30-minute classes are offered in the morning and the evenings and are limited to 12 people. They range from a class for beginners to HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) classes. Strike Fit class, which is very popular, focuses on using strikes and kicking equipment to increase muscle tone and burn calories. The Power class uses weights and resistance equipment to increase muscular strength and Turbo class is an intense cardio blast that focuses on burning calories. Stephen also offers Reiki and has a Toddler Fit class every Saturday for ages 2-6 where the focus is geared toward mobility and stability exercises to increase motor and social development. He intentionally keeps his classes small as he feels he can give better service to members and their individual needs. “I’ve worked at big gyms before with 24 people in a class and I didn’t even know anyone’s names,” he observed. He recommends calling ahead to reserve your spot as classes fill up fast and space is limited. Personal training, self-defense and Reiki sessions are by appointment.
TRAINING BACKGROUND
Stephen has a Master’s degree in Sports and Performance Psychology and has been a certified trainer for 10 years. He has been practicing martial arts since 2008 and holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate. He offers classes in self-defense and if members want to join him in training for a particular event such as a Spartan race they can do so. Spartan races are obstacle course races of varying distance and difficulty offered in different locations across the U.S. and other countries. Medals from Spartan Sprint, Massachusetts Rugged Maniac, Plattsburgh Half Marathon, Viking Obstacle Course/ Catskills, Spartan Beast in Vermont and others are proudly displayed in the JS Fit studio.
JS Fit does not require you to sign a contract and there is no maintenance fee. Stephen said, “We invite people to try a free class. We are very flexible.”
PHILOSOPHY
Jennifer explained, “There is one thing we want SB readers to know— fitness is for everyone and it doesn’t matter what shape you are in or how old you are. It’s like a family here. We are not a gym, we are a fitness studio and our members are our personal friends. We want members to feel comfortable and work at their own pace.” Stephen observed, “I don’t want to be a big fitness center. I want to be small and intimate. Our philosophy at JS Fit is to move better, feel better, live better.”