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Finding the perfect health club isn’t always easy, and finding the right workout routine is even harder! But, when it comes to finding the right services and amenities, Hendrick has everything you need for improved health, increased strength and a better quality of life.
The History of Hendrick Health Club
Hendrick Health Club first opened its doors March 18, 1996. The small staff who had the pleasure of becoming the founding employees of the Health Club transferred from their positions at Hendrick Center for Rehabilitation. Little did we know how this small group would eventually grow into a staff of more than 20 employees, including front desk and membership sales, personal trainers, Pilates instructors, KidZone caregivers and group exercise instructors. Our story of growth is one of blessed support from members and the community, and we are grateful to be able to share it with you today!
The day we opened our doors, we signed on 350 members. What a great day! Our facility was only 6,000 square feet and was shared with Hendrick Cardiac Rehab – one of the first in our area. Included in our facility was a pool for water aerobics, one 700 square foot exercise room with air-pressured resistance machines and two locker rooms – each with one single shower!
Due to Medicare guidelines regarding the co-mingling of patients, our members were restricted to using the cardiovascular equipment during certain parts of the day while the Cardiac Rehab patients utilized them for improving their own heart heath.
Our continued growth allowed us to expand three different times, establishing us as Abilene’s premiere fitness facility, and we continue to hold that title. Our first expansion included filling in the pool and transforming it into our first Icarion free weight area – no more air resistance machines! All of our pool participants moved to Hendrick Center for Rehabilitation where they remain exercising today. We upgraded to a new and exciting juice bar area and built in small changing areas onto the locker rooms. During these years, we started using Biometrics and Apex Nutrition Programs. With the aid of these programs, we took on a second title of Abilene’s premier personal training facility as our fitness trainers began training a record-breaking 100 hours or more per month EACH!
Then after many years of proposals, our dream of adding onto the building finally came true. We completed our second major renovation in late 2004. Having seen its own success and growth, Cardiac Rehab was rewarded its own facility to stand alone and continue to strengthen its program. Within Hendrick Health Club, we were able to build two distinct areas for cardiovascular exercise – one in the front of the building and one toward the back with stadium-style placement of equipment. Each area has 10 or more TVs with each piece of equipment having a cardio-theater box for listening. A state of the art Kidz Zone allowed parents of young children to experience the convenience of caring child supervision while they exercised. We built larger locker rooms, each with eight vanity stations, four showers with individual changing rooms, four bathroom stalls and an endless wall of lockers – available for both rent and day use. An entire clinical area was developed to perform wellness profiles and resting metabolic testing. We have several large corporate clients and are now doing off-site corporate screenings.
We changed our old pool area one more time, but this time it became home to our future RPM room. We added a 2,200 square foot group exercise room and a large free weight area in the back of the health club. The entire club received a face-lift with elegant paint, tile, fixtures and comfortable lounge areas. We introduced the Lighter Side Juice Bar with more than 100 smoothie combinations available. In 2006, we began offering small group specialized exercise classes taught by personal trainers which eventually led to our Edge group personal training classes.
Perhaps the greatest change that affected us the most from the second addition was the licensing of the Les Mills group exercise classes. We began launching each of the eight programs within months of each other until we officially became a Les Mills Platinum Club. Programs include BODYPUMP, RPM, BODYFLOW, BODYSTEP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYJAM, BODYATTACK and BODYVIVE. Our world-class instructors have grown the program to include more than 70 classes per week, and each month we see up to 60 percent of our members walking through the doors attending a group exercise class! We lead the nation with group exercise check-ins, with other gyms averaging 20 percent check-ins.
Finally in January 2009, our last expansion of 3,000 square feet included three rooms – a full Stott Pilates Studio, an additional “soft” room for smaller group exercise classes and Pilates, and an isolated 40-bike RPM room with state-of-the art BodyBikes.
The Stott Pilates studio became home to those instructors who went through pain-staking trainings every weekend – receiving the education equivalent to a college degree! The training they received from Stott Pilates has been incomparable to any other Pilates training. They have been educated and skilled in all areas of Pilates including: Mat, Reformer, ladder, chair and barrel as well as special populations – those recovering from illness, injuries, surgery and cancer. Members have been able to experience muscle lengthening, core strengthening, joint stabilization and increased body awareness as they take valuable time to themselves each day through this mind and body connection!
We phased out our Biometrics and Apex nutrition programs and began licensing the DotFit weight management program the first of this year. Since then, we have also launched the use of the elite EXERSPY – an incredible tool that helps one measure exactly how many calories they burn each and every day, taking the guesswork out of weight loss! It has proven itself to be a very user-friendly system while providing the weight loss that is expected.
“The Edge” classes boomed into success as soon as we transitioned to the Art of Strength group personal training systems. The program focuses on strength in motion – helping to increase core strength, muscular flexibility, improved coordination and body awareness, and incredible strength. Highly educated trainers work with up to 15 clients as they pound through one station to the next, attacking one weakness at a time and soaring to the heights of their potential. AOS attendees encourage each other, motivate, drive and keep each other accountable as they work together as a team and settle for nothing less than their best from the beginning to the end of each hour! Individuals have been able to reach strength levels they thought were once unattainable. In Art of Strength, there are no boundaries, and limitations are crushed!
We expect great things for the future of the Hendrick Health Club. We are continually looking to improve our fitness facility and look forward to you being a part of our ongoing success.
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