Grounds for personal fitness

Trainer and The Training Ground owner Michael Lias works with gym trainer Ryan Lemley, 27, of Estero.


Rob Stoltz, 35, is a client of The Training Ground in south Fort Myers. He trains at the gym because of the personal service and because he has a doctor's office next to the gym.

Michael Lias and his partner Donald James are working south Fort Myers out at The Training Ground Advanced Human Performance Systems.

The pair bought and opened a gym on Winkler Road five months ago and have transformed it into a training facility for athletes or those just looking to get fit.

“We are a totally different concept from other gyms. It’s not about human performance, said Lias, 35, about the gym that caters to all age and fitness levels. “It’s about the good things we can do. It’s to change the community and change people’s minds.”

The partners, which also include founder and owner Markus Sherry, are working to change traditional perceptions of gyms by offering a comfortable atmosphere with a focus on the individual.

“Performance enhancement is for everybody to better their self-esteem, gain more confidence, and there is a mental factor too,” said Lias, of Estero, adding that the they opened the gym after seeing people get hurt at other gyms. “We got sick of watching people doing it wrong and we stepped up to fix it.”

Clients who sign up with the gym are trained based on the activity they are interested in.

“We can work with people just for running and how their body needs to work properly to do it,” said Lias, who will be offering a running store within the gym.

The store will be operated by Run Florida and will sell running shoes and organize running events. “There is a niche of people in this area with families with kids and older people who want to train.”

The 5,000 square foot training facility is equipped with free weights, cardio machines and a back room where clients can focus on sport specific training.

“With smaller facilities, you can give 600 members a lot of your attention and build that personal bond,” said James, who came into personal training after working with Red Sox players. “We aren’t trying to be (other gyms), we want this to be our Cheers.”

Rob Stoltz, a doctor whose office is next to the gym, said he joined because of the personal feel of the gym.

“The service is excellent and it’s personal one on one service,” said Stoltz, 35, of south Fort Myers while working out.

Apart from working to make bodies work properly for running, baseball or just simple walking after a heart attack, the trainers also offer a variety of programs.

The Iron Kids program is for children 7 years old and up and focuses on health habits and teaching children how to do exercise that can be fun.

“We do dance revolution and we use machines in a new way to show them how their bodies work,” said Lias, who also mentors local athletes and is looking for students interested in more training. “Our talents come from personal training, strength conditioning and rehabilitation.”

The challenge, said Lias, is that some people get injured because they don’t work on the body in ways that will help them in their chosen sport.

“We can do all kinds of things ... if you can prepare for it than we can put it together,” Lias said.

The next step for the gym is expanding the gym without losing the personalization.

“We are looking for female trainers ... we want to add more programs and get even more involved with the community,” Lias said. “It’s about the clients needs.”