Military training coming to Anytime Fitness

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Fitness centers have become almost as common as coffee shops in the past decade, so when former Naperville resident Mike Starck, 30, decided he wanted to open one of his own, he was faced with a problem: how could his fitness center be different? The answer partly lies in his military training.

Not to worry, Starck said. He’s not planning to go commando on his clients. But the 1999 graduate of Naperville Central High School served from 2000 to 2004 in the U.S. Army and is a veteran of the First Ranger battalion, which Starck argues has provided him with some interesting skill sets.

“Being in the military teaches you a lot about respect and how to show that for the people around you,” Starck said. “It gives you a sense of confidence about what you do. The biggest thing I think you get from the military is motivation — making people do something they don’t want to do. And that’s a problem for a lot of people who are looking to get into an exercise program.”

This month, Starck and his small staff are opening Anytime Fitness at 1271 Rickert Drive in Naperville. A franchise fitness center, the new facility joins more than 30 other locations in Illinois, including centers in nearby Aurora and Geneva. Starck said he has spent six years with another major exercise franchise and wanted a chance to oversee his own operation.

“Many of these large, corporate centers are just huge and don’t offer the opportunity for one-on-one training that people want,” he said. “They can’t provide the level of service we’re hoping to offer and the personal experience some people are looking for.”

Starck said his training includes being National Academy of Sports Medicine certified, along with other certifications, including being a correction exercise specialist and a performance exercise specialist. While he admits that being physically fit is part of the military experience, “the whole Ranger school thing was about motivation.”

“There were days you had to do a three-mile run, and you were motivated by officers to go out there and get it done,” Starck said. “And while I don’t see getting in people’s faces, I think motivating others is one of the things I can do.”

Patty Mayo-Katsion plans to work as a fitness director and part-time trainer with Starck and said her new employer “brings with him a ton of energy and motivation.”

“Mark is a great motivator, and I’ve seen what he can do,” she said. “We worked together at other fitness centers, and I’ve seen people come in tired and having had a lousy day, and they spend five minutes with him and he’s turned them all around. I find him to be very inspirational, and he has a lot of energy.”

Bob Pizzurro, 65, who lives in Naperville, has used Starck as his personal trainer for 18 months. Pizzurro said he likes Starck’s “organized approach” and adds, “you can really see his military background.”

“When Mike says to be there at 2 p.m. for a session, you make sure you’re there by 1:45 warming up and getting ready,” Pizzurro said. “He talked to me at length about my own health history, diet and what my goals were. At my age, we do light weight with a lot of reps, and when I’m finished, I really feel like I’ve worked out. This is the best shape I’ve been in during my life.”

Starck promises “state-of-the-art equipment” and said he expects women as well as men to enjoy the services he’ll offer.

“About 60 percent of my clients here will be women, and you need to approach them differently, but we’ll have women as well as men trainers here that will work with people and whatever is comfortable for them,” Starck promises. “You can work one-on-one or by yourself. There have been times I’ve sat down with a client for two hours and just talked about their previous workouts, injuries they’ve had and what’s worked or not worked in the past and why. I like that personal experience.”

Starck promises a few additions to his services in the months ahead, including bringing in a physician sometime later this summer for rehab and massage issues. And for “special” customers, Starck also warns a little “boot camp” attitude is still likely to emerge.

“I am going to offer a boot camp class for guys who are hoping to go into the military and can’t pass the fitness test as yet,” he said. “There are a number of kids out there who aren’t in shape yet, and they’re going need some boot camp mentality to get there.”