Meet Kurt Rawlins of Kurt Rawlins Fitness in River North

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kurt Rawlins.

Kurt, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
• Began training in 2005
• Formed Kurt Rawlins Fitness LLC in June 2009
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association
• Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Illinois State University

My fitness journey began when I was young. My dad had 12 lb. dumbbells in the house that I use to just pick up and deadlift when I was 5 or 6. He also worked out with weights at the local YMCA, and occasionally he’d let me come with him to watch him workout. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I was FASCINATED. All of these grown men bench pressing, curling, getting stronger – it was awesome and I really looked up to my Dad being in such good shape.

As I reached the eighth grade, my Dad bought me a bench with a barbell and some plates. I used the little cheesy instructional workout manual that came with weight set and so began my introduction into actual weightlifting. The program was very basic, but effective.

In 9th grade, I tried out for the football team, and made the cut. Well, everyone made the cut. I was a scrawny 5’9″ and 140 lbs. and in desperate need of some size and strength. Our coaches had use squatting, deadlifting, cleaning and benching. I gained a ton of muscle over the next 3-4 years.

More importantly, I gained confidence. I stood a little taller, I felt more at ease talking to girls, and was comfortable in my own skin. That meant a lot to me, and I had a strength program to thank for that.

Going into college, I knew I wanted a degree where I could help people. While attending Illinois State University, I managed to play drums in a touring band while getting my degree in Physical Education. Once I moved to Chicago in 2006, I knew I had come to a place where I could live my dream of running a fitness business. A reformed party-animal, I am a passionate fitness entrepreneur, speaker, writer and coach. Although I am certified to train high-level athletes, I prefer to train busy professionals between the ages of 25-50. I started Kurt Rawlins Fitness LLC in June 2009, and currently have 3 other coaches on staff. We train over 85 clients at HiFi Fitness in River North with our customized 30-minute semi-private training programs.

Has it been a smooth road?
Not completely. Some of the biggest struggles included learning how to run the business side of things. I am and was well educated on the technical aspects of training, but learning how to retain clients, provide excellent service, have a consistent flow of leads and sell were all things I had to learn on the fly. It’s been a fun ride for sure!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Kurt Rawlins Fitness specializes in 30-minute semi-private training programs for busy professionals. We train 2-3 clients per session – all on customized programs geared towards their unique goals. This business model has allowed us to make personal training more cost-effective for the client, while also making it more manageable for us to train more clients and expand our reach.

I am most proud of our clients’ results – which you can see both on our Facebook page and our website. We are committed to getting our clients’ results, and in return we ask our clients to be extremely committed to our program. It’s never an easy road, but anything worthwhile never is.

What sets us apart is both our semi-private program – training 2-3 clients per session, as well as keeping these sessions to 30 minutes. No one else in Chicago offers a program quite like ours. The fact we can get you results in 30 minutes is very appealing to prospective clients because no one wants to spend more time in the gym than necessary. People are busy with work and family, and honestly most of our clients don’t love working out. If I tell you you only need 30 minutes to get you to your goals, that’s not as overwhelming as spending an hour each session.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, because there are so many potential clients in such a big city. I honestly don’t know what our city could do to improve at this point. Sure – parking and driving can be a hassle but these are non-negotiables in a big city. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here.

Contact Info:

• Address: 820 N. Orleans
  Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60610
• Website: kurtrawlinsfitness.com
• Phone: 773 809 4831
• Email: info@kurtrawlinsfitness.com
• Instagram: krawlfitness
• Facebook: Kurt Rawlins Fitness
• Twitter: krawlfitness
• Yelp: Kurt Rawlins Fitness

Image Credit:
RJO Photo

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