Wolf Fitness opens in Traverse City

Nov. 2—TRAVERSE CITY — A wolf pack takes care of each other, even the pups.

That's the focus of a new gym in Traverse City: Wolf Fitness.

A new fitness facility, Wolf Wellness, opened Oct. 10 at 3077 Garfield Road North. A grand opening open house is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the facility on the east side of the building.

Beth Bohrer, who owns the fitness facility with her husband, John, said the idea for the name may have begun with the couples two black German shepherds and a resemblance to wolves, but morphed into a philosophy instead.

"(Wolves are) interesting in how they work together as a pack," Bohrer said of the name. "They all support each other and they all have a job working as a pack. That support and community, that's what I want as a gym."

Bohrer, who estimates about 95 percent of her clientele in her first weeks in business are female, put a group of nine women through a 45-minute Leg Day Drop Set on Monday. Bohrer circulated through the group as they worked on cardio and with kettlebells and dumbells.

"It was a good workout," said Traverse City's Lorraine Justin. She did a real nice job.

"She's very personal. Beth came around to make sure what you were doing and to make sure your form was correct. That's real important."

So is the opportunity to work out without worry. Wolf Wellness has complimentary child watch "open during a variety of camp times each day." The staffed kids area featured an area for small children as well as a table for older kids and is nearly free of electronics save for a few toys and Raffi music.

That was comforting for Natalie Foust of Charlevoix, who was holding 15-month-old daughter Eleanor while 4-year-old daughter Lucy was at her feet. Foust was making her debut at Wolf Fitness to support Bohrer and catch up with some former Fit4Mom Grand Traverse colleagues, where Foust was an instructor for two years.

"I'm here to support my friend and I love to workout and have somebody to watch my kiddos," Foust said. "After (Fit4Mom) closed down there was no where to bring your kids."

Bohrer said Wolf Wellness isn't the only fitness facility to offer personnel to watch children while their parents work out. She said it may be one of the few to offer it on a walk-in basis and on the east side of Traverse City.

"It's very important," said Bohrer, who moved to the area in October 2019 from the southeastern part of Michigan. "The West Y offers child watch and Elev8 Climbing Gym offers it some of the time at an additional charge. But no one else has a complementary kids area from the research I've done."

Bohrer said Wolf Fitness stresses "personal training in a group session." She said the facility strives to meet participants where they are in their own fitness journey, including postpartum, post-heart attack and pregnancy.

"Every day you can take it at the level you're comfortable at and every day is different," Bohrer said. "No two workouts are the same and we provide modifications of where you can do it at."

Bohrer said that's also where working out in a pack has benefits.

"You're going to workout harder when you're in a group," she said. "They all support each other and cheer each other on. But they're not competing with each other. Your only competition is with yourself."

Wolf Fitness offers ladies-only camp times because Bohrer said some women aren't comfortable with women in a gym setting, particularly when weight lifting is involved. But there are always coed times the first and last camp of the day.

While Wolf Fitness is still in its soft-opening phase, Bohrer said nearly two dozen people have showed interest in signing up for memberships. Bohrer said Wolf Fitness is working toward a membership model and will be rolling it out soon.

The grand opening of Wolf Fitness on Nov. 12 is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to noon and will include a free boot camp class from 9-9:45 a.m. Bohrer said there will also bve a couple of vendors on site offering food and giveaways.

Bohrer said the grand opening will also be a time to sign-up for one-time $70 individual and $105 family monthly memberships.