43
Sisters, YSU alumna open personal training studio
Sisters fulfill dream of opening fitness studio
By Kalea Hall
BOARDMAN
John Straub encouraged his daughters, Stephanie Straub, 26, and Alison Straub Zabel, 28, to stay active and play an instrument while they were growing up.
His business, Muscle Connection in Boardman, encouraged them to see the possibilities in becoming a business owner.
The encouragement and business they were surrounded by led the sisters to where they are today: owners of the personal training center Two Trainers, at 7825 South Ave.
“They went to business school, and all along they wanted to” open their own business, he said. “They were always around the fitness
equipment.”
John has been in business supplying workout equipment for more than 30 years. The Campbell native got started after a car accident left him in need of exercise equipment that would help him recover. He built the equipment and from there, started to build his business. Muscle Connection in Tiffany Square on U.S. Route 224 has been in the Boardman area for 29 years.
His daughters both went to Youngstown State University with the idea of becoming business owners.
“I started working at the rec center at YSU and fell in love with working closely with clients,” Straub Zabel said.
Growing up, the two went to trade shows with their father and were surrounded by the exercise industry. They knew they wanted to be a part of the industry in some way, and both saw the reward of helping clients meet their personal health goals.
After college, the sisters opened their own fitness center, Ntense Workout, in Tiffany Square.
“I was very excited for them,” John said. “The gym business is a fickle business. They put a lot of time and effort into it.”
The gym side took a lot of that time and effort, and that took away from the time they wanted to spend with their clients.
After five years with the gym, Straub and Straub Zabel closed the 10,000-square-foot gym in December 2014. By the end of January, the sisters had their new business, Two Trainers, a 1,200-square-foot personal-training center, started. Some of their clients from Ntense followed them.
The facility has Precor cardio equipment and Hoist Fitness strengthening equipment for the 45-, 60- or 75-minute sessions that are made by appointment. Free weights and other exercise necessities plus showers and lockers are available for clients.
Before scheduling, Straub and Straub Zabel will meet with their clients to develop a plan fit for them.
Both are certified personal trainers and group-fitness instructors through the National Exercise Trainers Association. The sisters already have about 100 clients age 16 to 86 at Two Trainers, where they celebrated their grand opening March 28.
“Their goals are our goals,” Straub Zabel said. “When they see those, that is our motivation.”
For information on pricing and appointments, go to two-trainers.com.