The space was designed to fit 120 pieces of equipment without making the gym feel too crowded. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
After meeting at a gym and forming a friendship rooted in their love of fitness, Jason McCourt, Jeremy Koger and Matt Caldwell started dreaming about what it would look like to open their own gym.
The trio said based on their own experience in the fitness industry, they felt like a gym focused on strength training was missing in the Katy-Fulshear area.
“What we felt was missing was a gym that focused on strength training,” Caldwell said. “If you go to most gyms, they have an overabundance of cardio, and that's their focus, but as time has progressed, the culture has changed where people realize that resistance training is the key to longevity and health.”
In 2024, they opened Arco Fit Gym and Wellness, a 27,000-square-foot gym that emphasizes science-backed fitness and features over 120 pieces of equipment.
The approach
When individuals have health issues, they go to the doctor, Koger said. He wants more people to apply that concept to strength training and fitness.
“When it comes to exercise, because they don't know what to do, [a lot of people] just wing it,” Koger said. “There are a lot of them that will skip over the research part.”
In part to avoid injuries, the gym has on-site personal trainers available to help members use machines, and every member also receives one free workout with a trainer. Additionally, all three owners teach free monthly seminars for members to ask any questions they have about fitness and training.
Jason McCourt, Jeremy Koger and Matt Caldwell officially opened Arco Fit Gym & Wellness Dec. 28, 2024. (Courtesy Arco Fit Gym & Wellness)
A closer look
As for accessibility, Caldwell said they intentionally chose a range of equipment that can be customized.
“We have an entire line of equipment that has a form of adjustability that allows people who have injuries, or they have unbalanced symmetry between their left and right side, or they have unbalanced anterior-posterior, like their quad versus their hamstring ... to use it as their next step in their rehab journey,” Caldwell said.
Along with strength training, Arco also offers group fitness, Pilates and yoga, as well as amenities such as a posing room, custom saunas and a kid's club.
Koger said he wanted the space to be a place where anyone can work out, regardless of experience level.
“It's a place where anyone and everyone can work out, and that's why community and culture are so important to us,” Koger said.
