A starting place: New fitness center offers personalized training

By Mary Owen

Daniel and Tirzah Hawkins are taking fitness in a whole new direction.

“We offer personal attention in a private setting,” said Daniel of the couple’s new fitness center, Where to Start Fitness, in downtown Stayton.

The Hawkins, both in their late 20s, know first-hand how important exercise is to a successful weight-loss regime, and how hard it is for most over-weight people to venture to a gym or similar option where many are building muscles, not dropping fat.

The Aumsville couple has lost a combined 130 pounds in the last two years, which helps them to understand the struggles many people face in getting healthy.

“Both of us had tried all of the various diets in the past with little success that always resulted in a return to our original weight and even heavier than before,” Daniel said. “We only started to see success when we combined fitness with a healthy diet.”

The Hawkins became interested in the professional side of fitness from their desire to help others who struggle with weight loss and self-image.

Both personal trainers certified through the National Academy of Sports, they opened their studio on Jan. 3.

“The people who come to Where to Start are typically those who seek an accountability partner, someone to help them on their weight loss journey,” Daniel said. “We help people who are motivated and ready for a lifestyle change.”

At the studio, Daniel added, “People can concentrate more on themselves and what they are doing rather than on who might be watching them and how self-conscious they feel. This also means there are no gym fees required to access a professional trainer.”

Sessions run $35 for 55 minutes, and multiple session packages are available. Personal training is done by appointment. Also offered are Zumba, a Colombian dance-fitness craze developed in the ‘90s, and GroupFit, an hour-long group weight and cardio class, at $6 per session, with multiple class punch cards available at reduced cost.

“We do not offer the usual services of a gym where people come in and exercise on their own,” Daniel said. “All of our clients come in and are either working out one-on-one with one of us or in one of our group classes.”

The couple enjoys seeing people excited about exercising, they agree.

“And providing a support system to people and helping them,” Daniel said. “Everyone we talk to has at one point been frustrated with their weight and fitness. Everyone wants the answer or secret.”

Tirzah added, “And everyone loves Zumba. People have been responding well to having another option.”

“We genuinely want to be able to help people of all fitness levels achieve their goals, feel empowered, and feel successful,” Daniel said. “We aren’t just fitness junkies. We are people who know failure and success.”

Tirzah wants their clients to think of them as coaches and accountability partners, now just personal trainers.

“Daniel and I were accountable to each other during our weight loss journey, and believe that was a major contributing factor to our success,” she said.

The Hawkins are clients of the GROW program that helps entrepreneurs in the string of communities between Aumsville and Idanha to establish and develop successful businesses.

“GROW has been a huge help and will continue to be in the future,” Daniel said.