Frederick Fitness Studio, Straight Shot Training, is taking personal training to a new level. The head coach intends to grow the fitness studio in a big way.

FREDERICK, MARYLAND, USA, January 18, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- One fitness studio in Frederick, Md., Straight Shot Training, is making a strong impression on the local community.

Head coach and co-owner of Straight Shot Training, Jonny Slick, a 33-year-old Shepherdstown, W. Va. native, has worked as a certified personal trainer for more than 15 years and originally had a very different life planned himself.

"Well, originally, I was a communications student – planning to go into the TV and film industry," said Slick. "At the same time, I began lifting weights and volunteered to teach physical education to a group of homeschoolers. It was then I realized my passion for helping people become the best version of themselves, inside and out, through fitness."

Slick said he then changed his college major to exercise science and got certified as a trainer. He's been working as a fitness coach ever since.

A Comfortable Environment

"I want to cultivate a brand... one that reaches the individuals whom the current fitness industry tends to ignore," Slick said. "I love the fact that the people who train with Straight Shot aren’t the usual gym-goers. In fact, many of them would never even think about stepping foot inside a big commercial gym. They don’t care about six-pack abs or a world-record deadlift. They want to feel strong, confident, and accepted and we’re creating the very place where they feel understood, supported, and pushed to grow without being judged for how they look or what they can lift."

Importance of the Profession

Slick explains that over the past 15 years, he's had the opportunity to help people remain fit through some of the hardest points in their life.

"I've worked with clients to stay active during cancer treatments, maintain strength during pregnancies, combat depression and anxiety with regular workouts, eliminate chronic joint pain, avoid surgery, establish healthy eating habits, learn how to exercise around physical limitations, and find how exercise can improve their daily life outside of the gym," said Slick. "And by no means am I claiming I did any of this. This is all a result of the work these clients put in while trusting me with their coaching. It’s an incredibly fulfilling privilege getting to walk through life with so many amazing people – each with their own story and journey."

The Brand

Since Slick started his own fitness journey, he dabbled, coached, or competed in running, gymnastics, Strongman, kettlebells, bodybuilding, CrossFit, and powerlifting, and spent about half his life studying training methodologies.

"Throughout, there were things I liked and things I didn’t like about each practice," explains Slick. "I recall telling my wife [Rachel] about how my systems of coaching took the benefits of each practice and stripped away all the fluff to give people a straightforward approach to getting stronger and more confident. She said, 'you should call it Straight Shot.' And it stuck!"

Personal Interests

Slick says his job combines his work, passions, and hobbies all into one.

"It’s the greatest job ever, but that does make it very hard for me to unplug and switch gears," he said. "It’s nice to come home though and have my very loving, supportive wife and smart, energetic son [Wesley] to keep me grounded. They were the reason I started this company and the reason I work the way I do to grow it."

When Slick isn't hanging around his hometown of Shepherdstown, W. Va. with his family, he can be found at Lifehouse Church in Frederick, Md. where he plays drums for the worship band.

"I’ve been playing drums for longer than I’ve been lifting or coaching and I’ve been a Christian for even longer than that, so that’s a huge part of who I am," he said.

Life Hardships

The fitness coach explained that overcoming hardships has been a common theme for Straight Shot.

"I launched the first online version of this business back in 2017 to raise funds during the adoption process of our son and it provided us with some additional income but wasn’t enough for me to go full-time with it," Slick said. "In 2020, when gyms shut down because of the pandemic, I still needed a way to provide for my family, so I started trying to get Straight Shot going more, but it still wasn’t enough."

To make ends meet, Slick then ended up taking a job at the local grocery store to stock shelves during the pandemic. That weekend, however, he miraculously sold enough online personal training programs to equal a week’s pay at the grocery store.

"This was God’s way of telling me that I needed to go all in on Straight Shot Training... so I did," Slick said.

He left the grocery store position and spent the next year and a half with business partner, Chris Lewis, growing Straight Shot Training with online and in-home personal training. In 2021, they began looking for a studio to move into but were met with "nothing but closed doors" as no one wanted to rent space to a gym mid-pandemic. Finally, in the summer of 2021, Slick and Lewis rented space from a private gym and launched a new model for their business.

"That [new model] grew and grew to the point where Chris and I were able to move Straight Shot Training into our current location off Monocacy Blvd where we now have 3000 square feet of beautiful training space and an amazing team of coaches working with our clients," Slick said. "Now in 2023, we are doubling the size of our gym, bringing on more coaches, and continuing to share our passion with the people we want to reach."

Thriving in a Fitness Community

Slick says he wants people to understand that while Straight Shot Training may look like it, they're not a gym in the way most people think about it.

"This is a coaching facility that's focused on helping each person we work with become the best version of themselves; stronger, more confident, and able to live the lives they want to live outside of the gym," said Slick. "Secondly, I want to run a fitness business that allows trainers to thrive in our environment which supports their growth in an industry with extremely high turnover rates. Finally, I want to create a brand known for being caring, empathetic, and understanding in how we go about coaching, running our business, and being involved in our community."

In the coming months, Slick and Lewis will double the size of their current training space, which will open up additional opportunities for passionate fitness coaches to work with more people in the community.

"The dream is finally alive," said Slick.

Jonny Slick
Straight Shot Training
+1 240-877-0300
jonny@straightshottraining.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Straight Shot Training: Unmatched Coaching

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.