Sam Kennedy and Mary Peters are two of four co-owners behind H2K Fitness, a gym that celebrated its grand opening Dec. 4.
H2K Fitness, which stands for Hard To Kill, is a studio-style, boutique gym offering pilates, strength training, infrared heat workouts and more.
Kennedy and Peters sat down with Community Impact for an interview about their new gym and the trend of studio gyms in the fitness community. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
What inspired you to bring H2K Fitness to Frisco?
Peters: We're the only gym of this kind [in Frisco]. There is nothing else like it that offers the three types of classes that we offer. We love this area. The reason we thought Frisco was such a good area is just [because] that's where we're located. ... We didn't have an attachment to [anywhere else]. ... We live in Frisco, our kids go to Frisco schools. We have been here for a long time.
How do you compare to other local gyms?
Kennedy: What's great about ... what we're building here at H2K is gyms are always intimidating. ... [Someone will] walk in ... [they] don't know anybody, and what's cool about [H2K] is ... they get so excited when somebody new comes in and they just sweep them in, they're like, "Okay, now you’re family, you're here, you're ours," and they help them, and they challenge them. They push them; they're like, "Alright, we'll see you here this time." So it's not just ... the instructor or us asking for the person to come back and keep going. It's the members themselves. ... [Someone will] walk in and ... just feel so welcome and comfortable. And that's one big thing that was important to me because it is intimidating, especially if you're starting your fitness journey.
What about Frisco made it a good market to open a gym?
Peters: We're all local. My husband and I have lived in the Frisco area since 2005. And we love it here. ... Our kids go to school here, we love everything that Frisco has to offer and being in this downtown area has just been so nice. ... We're in the middle of everything, and we've gotten to know our neighbors and ... everybody just has something so unique to offer to this downtown area. It's been really great.
What makes studio gyms so popular?
Kennedy: If you're trying to target something or are really focused on ... your physique and ... how you feel, it’s really hard to get that by just walking to the gym by yourself because, I'm not gonna lie, I'd probably walk into a box gym and get on the treadmill and be like, "I'm bored." ... I need the class. So, if you're a person that can go in and ... program your own stuff, it's probably great, but if you're a person that needs a program ... it's pretty boring.
Peters: People that want to come to the studio gyms ... want to feel a part of a community. ... If you're going to a ... box gym, then you're just going, sticking in your headphones, and having at it for an hour. Nobody is going to come in here with their earbuds on because everybody's chatting with, "How was your weekend, what'd you do last night," or ... things like that.
What about studio gyms fosters community?
Kennedy: When someone walks in the door, we are going to meet them and then get to know their name. And not only us, but our front desk team and our instructors. So when [someone] comes into a class, we're going to know [them]. ... Typically we have a 6 a.m. group that always works out at 6 a.m. or the 8 a.m. group always works out at 8 a.m., and then [they] have a spot in the room where [they] typically work out so [they] get to know [their] neighbors, and it really is just the community. ... Once you're here every day seeing those same people, then it's like, "Hey, you want to go grab a cup of coffee or meet for dinner?" ... It's not just in the studio, there's friendships that are important because of the studio that are now outside [of the gym].
