In 2013, personal trainer and marathon runner Annie Beck-Kaliin opened her personal boutique fitness studio, YOLO Fitness, in Park Hills, conveniently located off I-75. At the studio, she provides personal one-on-one training and group classes.
The group classes hold up to 14 people and focus on strength, balance, core and cardio.
“My group classes are designed for many different fitness levels,” she said. “I try to meet the client where they are and advance their fitness from there. I create new workouts every week and always mix it up for clients.”
She offers workouts that use kettlebells, free weights, rowing machines and punching bag work. “For the most part we’re focusing on general fitness, but clients have different goals. Some people are focusing on weight loss,” she said. “I might tell them how to approach the set if they’re focusing on that. If people are trying to get a little bit stronger, get a little bit more mass on them, I might coach them differently than weight loss clients.”
Starting a consistent fitness routine can be difficult for some people, as life gets in the way of training. But YOLO helps clients to integrate working out into their livelihoods.
“I know that a new gym can really give people anxiety,” she said. “So I really try to make everyone who walks in my door comfortable and set up for success.” Fear of embarrassment and of the unknown, she explained, can prohibit people from participating in fitness.
“If they’ve never done it, they’re afraid,” she said. “And so I always try to get on the phone with people and say, ‘Why don’t you stop in?’ And we can have a chat. I think a lot of times I can do a little better when we can sit and then I can make them not be nervous.” She especially sees women intimidated by the training. “That is always something that makes me so sad,” she said. “Fitness is for everyone.”
Beck-Kaliin and her instructors make sure they’re coaching the clients well, because that makes a difference, as does education: She has a bachelors in exercise science and a master’s in exercise physiology from University of Kentucky.
“I feel like if you can coach someone properly, that can take some of that frustration away,” she said.
Sometimes the thought of exercising isn’t exactly what people want to do, but she knows how to motivate people, and offering a welcoming and accommodating environment helps, too.
“I have so many clients who don’t like to exercise,” she said. “They don’t hate it, but if I can be the reason why they came in and we can cut up and joke around and whatever, and then they leave and they feel good about it, they did their workout and we still had a nice time.”
Currently, she has a lot of clients for personal training but would like to have more people in her group classes. She offers those classes in the mornings and evenings: 5:30 a.m. five days a week, 9:00 a.m. three days a week, a 6:00 p.m. in the evenings, and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
“It’s always a good full body strength, cardio, and endurance,” she said.
Plus, the group aspect allows the classmates to show up for one another.
“We are kind of like a family here,” she said. “We see each other through big life events like weddings, pregnancies, new jobs, divorce, and other life obstacles. I like YOLO to be a place of refuge for my clients, a place where they can be seen and get their stress out.”
As for the name of the woman-owned studio, it stands for “you only live once.”
“It really did encompass the message we wanted to put down because it was like, you only live once so you might as well feel good,” she said. “You might as well look like you want to look. You might as well be in this life and do it right. If you’re going to be here and you got one shot at it, let’s try to take our best shot.”
Lori Huber testimonial
“Thanks to Annie’s expertise and encouragement, I’ve seen incredible improvements in my strength, endurance, and overall health. The personalized attention and genuine care for my progress have kept me committed and excited about my fitness journey. I highly recommend Annie and YOLO Fitness to anyone looking to achieve their fitness goals in a supportive and professional environment. It’s a community of support in the group classes, with everyone supporting others life and fitness goals. Whether it’s lifting five more pounds or running your first 5K or marathon, it is the best hype crew to get the day started.”
