Large’s fitness business is booming in its new home

Sandra Large’s business is doing exactly what her clients are not: expanding.

Large, the owner of CrossFit I.F. (Inspiring Fitness) in Belgium, moved to a larger location at 251 Lakeview Dr. in June and her customer base has boomed while focusing on getting in shape and losing weight.

The building, with a warehouse-like area for the gym and offices for other health professionals, is 5,000 square feet larger than her former location.

The client base has grown from 72 to around 100 people from teenagers to those older than 70 who can attend the same class since trainers make movements scalable.

Large is in her 19th year in the fitness business. The former dairy farmer started personal training in 2004 with a room built onto her garage in the Town of Belgium.

She was introduced to CrossFit in 2013 in Milwaukee. The program includes varied function of movement at high intensity, which Large said is relative to each person’s fitness level.

She was encouraged to start her own CrossFit gym and transformed her late father’s heated shed at their Town of Belgium farm.

Large’s mother died last December, and the farm was sold. In the meantime, Large found her new location, increasing the gym size from 2,400 square feet to 7,400.

“Huge expansion. It has been amazing for us,” Large said.

Her inspiration to start her fitness business  nearly two decades ago was her own experience.

“I had lost weight myself and just wanted to help people,” she said.

In addition to individual clients, Large works with the Ozaukee High School girls’ basketball team in the offseason.

She follows the Cross Fit template and designs workouts for the gym.

“You never get bored. It’s always something different every time you come,” Large said.

Workouts including Olympic lifts, cardiovascular work and functional movement where people’s bodies are used as weights.

Classes are led by coaches, almost like personal training in a group setting, Large said, and it’s more than just fitness.

“What really comes from CrossFit is not just the workout but the community, and our community is amazing. It is the community that keeps you going sometimes when you don’t want to,” she said.

Offices at the gym offer nutrition consulting, a doctor of osteopath and sports massage. People don’t need to be members to use the services.

“We’re trying to make it a whole wellness center,” Large said.

CrossFit I.F. received the Business Improvement Award from the Belgium Area Chamber of Commerce this year.

For more information, visit www.inspiringfitness.biz.