Whether you’re looking to add a bit more movement to your routine in the new year, or perhaps you’re new to the area and in search of a gym buddy, the Greater Peoria area boasts plenty of fitness options that not only get your heart rate up, but provide a community of support to help with challenges — both inside and outside the gym.
It’s no surprise that resolutions related to physical fitness once again topped the charts headed into 2023. According to a survey conducted at the end of 2022 by Forbes Health, 39% of individuals said they want to improve their fitness in 2023; 37% want to lose weight and 33% want to improve their diet.
Setting the resolution is the first step for many people, but finding a facility to help achieve that goal is another challenge. Studio C Fitness, Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping, and CrossFit 1825 are three local options that all specialize in different kinds of workouts, but share the same goal: to provide a welcoming space where all people feel comfortable, connected, and empowered.
Studio C Fitness, Peoria
Studio C, currently located at Keller Station in Peoria, started with co-owner Cathy Plouzek’s passion for fitness. After teaching fitness classes around Greater Peoria, she founded Studio C in May of 2018. Shortly after, J’r Haywood joined the team as another co-owner and Zumba instructor, and they have been expanding ever since.
“I immediately fell in love with the just the energy and atmosphere of it,” said Haywood. “And from me being in fitness for seven years, and coming here now and… doing the group fitness part of it, it just kind of fit right in with Studio C.”
Studio C offers a variety of fitness classes, including Zumba, yoga, kettlebell workouts, cardio jam sessions, hip hop step, core work, and more. Of particular interest is their certification in Buti Yoga. Studio C is one of just five studios in the nation to have this certification and has quickly become the Midwest hub for the yoga form.
Plouzek explained what Buti is about.
“It's traditional yoga, Asana poses so foundational yoga, but we add a lot of movement. And there's some primal kind of…movement, there's Plyometrics, there are deep-core conditioning…So we are offering trainings, we're trying to branch out to surrounding states to let them know that we are certified,” said Plouzek.
In addition to offering Buti yoga, Plouzek said the special events they do really distinguish Studio C from other fitness offerings.
“So, we have fundraisers for local charities. We had a prom last year where we invited you know, significant others to come and join… we have a chair dance event and that is just amazing because we've had 50… men and women here doing a sexy chair dance and just talk about body positivity and things like that,” said Plouzek.
With a small but mighty studio, Plouzek said almost everyone who walks through the doors is on a first-name basis. Haywood added that Studio C thrives upon this community building, and it's an essential part of the work they do.
“We are all family oriented. The main thing is that everybody that comes to the studio has a place here at the studio,” explained Haywood. “We thrive upon making sure somebody feels comfortable in their own skin…we're not just here to say you want to look like those models in the world and stuff like that. You can do that here. You can get that here if you wanted, but our main goal here is to make sure that you're healthy from a physical standpoint, and also from a mental standpoint, too.”
A way in which Studio C achieves this is through frequently modifying movement to suit people of all ages and physical abilities. Plouzek noted the impact this can have on a person in a class.
“What is really cool is that I just had a new member come up the other day and say, ‘Cathy, you make me feel so welcome’...she said ‘I haven't moved like this in a long time’... and she can't get up and down, and so when we would do burpees or we do something else, I would stand up and do all of the modifications…but she said, ‘I felt successful walking out,’” explained Plouzek.
In an environment like this one, it’s hard not to make friends. Brandy Yocum and Elise Stokes both work out at Studio C. They started as strangers, however after a few classes of standing next to each other, they quickly hit it off.
“Everyone's like laughing, smiling, having a good time, and I think you just kind of, like have your place,” said Yocum. “I guess when you come to class… you find a spot and you kind of just stick there, so you kind of meet the people around you. And then it's, you know, it kind of grows from there,” she said.
According to Stokes, the community aspect of fitness is a huge part as to why she shows up in the first place.
“I don't personally like coming if my friends aren't here. So, that's a huge deal for me because I get very self-conscious about like, I don't want to be here by myself…having the support of people around you is very big,” Stokes said.
However, Yocum added that even if you didn’t know anybody there, it wouldn’t matter.
“You would still feel welcomed even though you wouldn't necessarily know the people you're dancing around,” she said. “It just feels like a family. It just feels…it just feels very welcoming.”
For more information on Studio C Fitness and how to get involved, visit their website or find them on social media.
Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping, East Peoria
Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping is a 10-week fitness program designed around kickboxing, strength training through resistance bands, and nutritional coaching.
There are Farrell’s locations in eight different states. Molly Best is the head coach at the East Peoria location. She said after some positive peer pressure from her husband, who first completed the program, she decided to give it a try herself.
“I eventually joined three sessions in and just got hooked. So, from there I started coaching and instructing and took on, you know, more of a management position in Peoria,” Best explained.
All classes at Farrell’s are 45 minutes long, and participants attend class Monday through Saturday at a class time convenient to them. All classes are instructor-led. Best said while members are completely new to this kind of workout and have never experienced it before…that’s the fun part.
“The fact that we get boxing gloves, and we get to punch and kick is I mean, where else do you get to do that? You can’t do that at home,” said Best.
Participants also paired are with a coach who has completed the entire 10-week program themselves. Best said these coaches play a hand in cultivating relationships and introducing members to each other.
“Some coaches get together outside of here…they just become friends and members become friends,” explained Best. “The culture is just, it's friendly, and it's fun, and it's encouraging. Because if it wasn't fun, I mean, why are we coming? Like why, you know, why are we doing it?”
Best added the relationships that form between people at Farrell’s are unreal. She’s even been invited to several weddings over the years of people who initially met in the program. Ultimately, Best believes the community here is “everything.”
“I think the workout would happen, and the results would be good because of the way it's designed. I think the community pushes it to the next level, I really, truly do,” she said.
If a person misses a class, Best said another participant in the program will reach out to them to make sure they’re okay. And while the program only lasts 10 weeks, the relationships formed stretch well beyond that time frame.
Once an individual has completed their 10 weeks, they are offered an opportunity to continue on in the program under a FIT membership, which stands for Farrell’s Ultimate Transformation. Gary Affolter is a FIT member and has been working out at Farrell’s for about 11 years. What keeps him coming back?
“The family atmosphere, made a lot of good friends over the years…and then just the accountability and being able to come in and see some friends and get a good workout in and learn a little bit about nutrition, which I didn't really know before,” he said.
He said it’s fun when a new group of participants join the program because everybody’s in the same boat.
“And nobody knows what to expect. Everybody's a little bit apprehensive, a little bit nervous,” said Affolter. “And after you've been here for a while and you've been a FIT member and have done this for a number of years, it's a lot of fun to help out the new people and try to get them more comfortable with what's going on.”
Affolter recognizes it’s not always easy to stay motivated, adding that where this community really comes into play.
“I think we've all been in the boat where you pulled in the parking lot, sat there for five minutes and turned around and left,” he said. “Some days, you just don't feel it. Whereas here, you know, you're going to come in, you're going to see these people…they got up, they made the effort to come in here. And once you're here, and once you're in the environment, it's a lot easier to get your workout in and you feel a million times better when you're done versus going by yourself.”
The spring 10-week session begins on April 15. For more information on Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping in East Peoria and the 10-week program, visit their website.
CrossFit 1825, Washington
While CrossFit has emerged as a popular fitness movement and brand, many people still have questions about what is included in the program.
Veronica Price and Audrey Ainsworth opened their own CrossFit gym in 2020 in Washington under the name of CrossFit 1825. Price describes CrossFit as “everything.”
“It is functional fitness at its finest. So, Johnny is a 75-year-old-man with three knee replacements can do it and so can Suzy, the 12-year-old gymnast down the road…classes are different every day. Typical is a workout specific warm-up and then a strength of some sort whether that be Olympic weightlifting or back squats, front squats, Tabata sometimes, and then we'll do a workout as well,” explained Price.
Price said the workouts are constantly changing and are able to be modified to each individual. While Price believes the workouts are the best, she said there's also some common misconceptions people have about the fitness program.
“People will say that CrossFit is dangerous. CrossFit is not dangerous; a bad coach is dangerous. The wrong environment is dangerous. But all of our coaches here are educated, all have their certifications. And I don't worry at all about that,” she said.
Co-owner Ainsworth added that many are intimated just by the word CrossFit.
“They see CrossFit and say, that's not something that I can do...I'm not familiar with any of that. It's too hard. But I think people don't realize how scalable it is. And anyone can do it just, you know, basic things, like picking something off the ground is pretty much deadlifting,” she said.
Even for those that may be a bit intimidated, Price and Ainsworth have worked hard to create an environment of encouragement in the gym. Price said that community is number one in CrossFit.
“We're big military supporters. We do fundraising events, like for October, we raised money for another local gym in Peoria for breast cancer awareness. People will write…hero WODs (workout of the day) for fallen soldiers. We wrote one for Audrey's brother-in-law,” explained Price.
Hero WODs are a tribute to a first responder or member of the military who died while serving in the line of duty. Price said people at the gym will show up to do a workout just to support Ainsworth and her family. In fact, Price said she thinks of many people at the gym as her own family.
“We have gatherings, chili cook-offs…several of the members came to my birthday party, and my parents got to meet some of my favorite members. And they're like, well, that guy thinks of you as a daughter, that guy thinks of you as a sister. And I'm like, yep, it's just how it is here,” Price said.
While the friendships here are tight, Ainsworth said there’s always room for more.
“We have so many different walks of life here, people that would probably never…cross paths. And we just have so many different kinds here that I mean, it's really cool. Everybody wants to help each other outside of CrossFit. It's really cool,” Ainsworth noted.
One person who has been in the CrossFit world for a while, and who is a current member of CrossFit 1825, is Michelle Tipsword. She started her fitness journey in 2016, and as a Peoria native, tried out many fitness offerings in the area. However, the coaching aspect of CrossFit made her stick with the program for the past few years.
“They would give tips and that the workout was different every day. And I wouldn't have to figure out what I was doing every single day. That's part of the main struggle that I know a lot of people, myself included, have with working out on their own. It's just what do I even do? So, with CrossFit, that's all prescribed for you,” Tipsword explained.
Additionally, Tipsword said CrossFit programs are not only suited to meet people where they're at, but the program also takes the next step and provides a road map on how to get where you want to be.
“So, it's not just, you know, I'm going to show up, and I'm going to do this aerobics workout for 45 minutes or whatever and call it a day. It’s, I know that I've got this skill in here that I don't yet have, so I want to develop that. And you know, six months from now, I want to be able to do this skill when this workout shows up again,” said Tipsword.
When Price was asked what distinguishes CrossFit 1825 from other CrossFit programs in the area, she said it all comes down to the amount of fun had in the gym.
“I always say like, yeah, we want to get fit, but I want to have fun while we do it…I want people to want to come here. Well, part of the reason people want to come here is because we do have fun,” she said.
And according to Ainsworth, although Price won’t say it, the main reason people come back is because of Price herself.
“That's why we're different. That's why we stand out. That's why people stay. That's why people love it. She's so much fun as a coach. From the ridiculous thing she says on a daily basis to the music, she plays, Disney songs, all the way to dirty rap. I mean…it's a fun environment every day,” Ainsworth said.
For more information on CrossFit 1825 in Washington and how to get involved, visit their website.
Words of wisdom
When these fitness leaders and participants were asked what advice they would give to those who are new to fitness, are a bit shy, or simply don’t know where to start, they all agreed on this: you just have to take the first step and give it a try because you never know what might happen.
And as someone who has been in those shoes, Tipsword said it’s important to remember one thing.
“The first step is nobody is actually looking at you. You think and you feel like everybody really is. But it's the truth that nobody is looking at you. Everybody's in the midst of suffering on their own, and they're not paying attention to what anybody else is doing,” she said.
“Find something that works for you,” she continued. “Running on a treadmill may work great for some people, but it may be terrible for other people. Don't stop trying new things until you find something that works for you. Because there is a way for everyone to get into fitness.”
