FRIENDLY FITNESS: “We are set apart by our size, standards, and personal service. We have a very friendly atmosphere and accessible space. The members enjoy knowing the owner and the trainers and our interaction. We know your name when you come in!” Alex Obe, owner of P.T.S. (Personal Training Studio) Health & Fitness, is shown in the center’s new Wall Street location.

Fitness is for you … and you … and you!

Alex Obe, owner of P.T.S. (Personal Training Studio) Health & Fitness Center at 390 Wall Street, just off State Road, is determined to bring fitness to everyone. Size, shape, age, previous experience are all part of one’s individual package, but none of these should be an obstacle to a positive session at the gym.

“We try to keep things fun,” says Mr. Obe, who has owned P.T.S. for 10 years. “We want to appeal to everyone, including the people who think they have to shape up or lose weight before they come to the gym. They will never feel intimidated here. Our clients come in all shapes and sizes and levels of fitness. We welcome everyone and treat everyone with respect.”

P.T.S. recently moved to its new Wall Street location. “We had an opportunity to move, and it is 2000 square feet larger than our previous location,” explains Mr. Obe. “It has very nice features, and the members are very pleased. There is a lot of light, with a wall of windows, up-to-date men’s and women’s locker rooms, and very attractive decor.”

Latest Equipment

P.T.S. offers the latest equipment, including a complete set of circuit machines for resistance, state-of-the-art cardio-vascular machines, free weights, stability balls, as well as group exercise classes. All the cardio equipment features personal viewing screens.

“We have all new treadmills and ellipticals,” points out Mr. Obe. “Also, we have a new step mill — a revolving step machine. It’s guaranteed to tighten the quads and glutes. it’s the machine that members love to hate! It’s very challenging.”

In addition to Mr. Obe, six personal trainers are available to help P.T.S. members reach their goals. All are nationally certified.

“Our standards are very high,” notes Mr. Obe, who previously was a general manager of New York Sports Clubs.

“I always knew that eventually I would like to have my own business, and I was always interested in fitness. It just always made sense to me. In college, I had a job in the weight room, and I was able to work out.”

After graduating from Bucknell University, however, he entered the corporate world, working at Price Waterhouse Coopers and IBM for more than four years. Then he realized he wanted to change direction.

National Certification 

After completing the challenging course of instruction and earning national certification as a personal trainer, he worked at New York Sports Clubs for three and a half years before purchasing P.T.S. He could not be happier with that decision, pointing out that P.T.S. is now celebrating its 20th anniversary, and he has been part of its success for 10 years.

“I love what I have experienced during this journey. I was nervous 10 years ago when I took it on, and now I am so happy. I am getting to do what I love, what I have a passion for.”

He has also made a point of ensuring that P.T.S. has an excellent staff. “Our trainers are highly trained and experienced. I definitely have a way I like things done, but I also understand that a personal trainer can have his or her individual style.”

The P.T.S. staff is trained in first aid, he adds, and safety equipment, including an Automated External Defibrillator, is also available.

Interestingly, says Mr. Obe, at one time, he considered opening a restaurant because of his love for healthy eating. He eats very carefully, he reports. Always with enjoyment, but mindful of the importance of healthy nutrition, a regimen he tries to share with members.

“We are not nutritionists here, but we can help guide people toward healthy eating. Sometimes, we suggest that they keep a food journal, and they are surprised to find that they are eating more than they realized.

Losing Weight

“Also,” he adds, “the life-style of so many people today is sedentary. They get less exercise, sit at their desk or at the computer more often, and eat more. Fitness gets pushed to the side.”

In fact, many of the P.T.S. members are prompted to join in order to lose weight, reports Mr. Obe. “Some just want to lose five or 10 pounds or tone up. But we have had people lose a lot more, including one member who lost over 100 pounds!”

All ages can benefit from the P.T.S. programs, and members range from 14 years old to people in their 80s. Men and women are equally represented, and kids can even join at 12, under the guidance of a personal trainer. New members have two free sessions with a personal trainer.

“We take into consideration the persons’ general fitness and design a program to help them reach their goals,” explains Mr. Obe. “It’s very helpful for a member to work with a personal trainer who has the knowledge and experience to help them create a suitable program.

“We can also adjust the program to the requirements of each individual and their particular health and fitness situation. And, if there are special considerations, such as arthritis, getting over an injury, or other conditions, we can set up a program specifically for their needs.”

Mr. Obe reports that there are people at every range of activity, and he always reminds everyone that “The best exercise program is the one you will do! We want our members to achieve their goal, whether they are training for a race, preparing for mountain or rock climbing, hoping to lose weight, tone up, or have more energy.

Boot Camp

“Coming three times a week is good, but four times is even better to see results. It’s more days active than not,” he points out. Not everyone can manage that, however, and he adds that whatever time one can spend at the gym is helpful. And even if members don’t work with a personal trainer, help and guidance is always available. Someone is always there to answer a question or help out.

In addition to the P.T.S. program, which offers general memberships or specific programs with trainers, the center has introduced a new “Iron Core Boot Camp”.

“This includes classes, such as spinning and the TRX Suspension Training System (which originated with a Navy Seal), and a lot of core work,” explains Mr. Obe. “This is a challenging 45-minute class and a great work-out. I liked the idea of the Boot Camp fitness model, and I wanted to offer it here. We have a separate staff for it, consisting of small group trainers. Boot Camp clients pay for each class on an individual basis, while the P.T.S. program involves a membership fee and a monthly payment plan.”

He adds that there is also a lot of cross-over between Boot Camp and P.T.S., and that both programs are very competitively priced compared to other fitness clubs.

Mr. Obe looks forward to continuing to help his clients reach their fitness goals, and he is happy to be able to work in a field that he loves. “It is wonderful to be able to do this, and to know it is making a positive difference in someone’s life. I am so pleased when someone says, ‘I have so much more energy’, or ‘I was able to lose weight’, or ‘now, I can keep up with my kids!’”

It’s never boring, he adds. “No two days are alike. And, I love the continuing interaction with all the members. Just remember, fitness is available to everyone. It doesn’t matter who you are, your age, or your background. You want to feel and look good, and you can get extra energy from a work-out that can pump you up for the rest of the day.”

P.T.S. can be reached at (609) 252-1117. Websites: ptsprinceton.com. and ironcorebootcamp.com.