By Sara Page, Midlothian Exchange
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

When RARE Fitness holds its official grand opening on Dec. 5, you can bet there will be more than a few tears of joy in the crowd.

Midlothian’s newest workout studio, located in the Ivymont Shopping center next to Kroger, has been the dream of founder Pete Hatcher for 25 years; and it’s been a tangible project in the making for about 15.

Hatcher began exercising and training at the age of 10 and knew immediately it was something he loved to do. So when the opportunity came up in a college marketing class, to create a business, Hatcher put his mind to work on a martial arts style, group exercise and personal training business.

“That was probably somewhere around 15 years ago now, and I’ve had the web site domain for 10, and I’ve had that portfolio sitting in my closet, so I’ve just been waiting to put that name out there somewhere,” Hatcher said.

The RARE part of the title was originally simply meant as the word and has since become an acronym for Rare Achievement, Rare Experience, which means that each person will have a unique experience, tailored to their personal goals.

RARE Fitness offers five different arts in one place including kick-boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, self-defense, Tai Chi and yoga. Hatcher has also mixed sports training, martial arts, plyometrics and body-weight training into his own high-energy class called RareFit. All are group exercise classes and offered multiple times each week for many different levels.

“The group exercise classes are a great way to put people together as a team building exercise. You get a lot of good group dynamics to encourage each other, so that’s what most of my classes involve,” Hatcher said.

Hatcher, along with his wife, Michelle Hatcher, will also offer personal training.

Hatcher says that the small class sizes, along with the personal training, will give the studio a much more intimate feel and enable members to better meet personal goals.

“We’re going to meet with [members] and determine their goals from the beginning and then follow up to make sure they meet those goals. We can do that a lot easier in a smaller gym with a couple hundred members than in a big box gym with a couple thousand,” Hatcher said.

The Hatchers also hope to personalize the experience through rewards and recognition for even small achievements.

“I’m not sure what exactly we’re going to do yet, but we are looking for a way to recognize people for meeting their goals,” Hatcher said. “It might be through a photo and announcement on a member board or a newsletter. We want to make sure people get the support they need through each step in meeting their goals.”

RARE Fitness will be offering some specials around their grand opening. From the soft opening on Nov. 16 through the grand opening on Dec. 5, the studio is running a partial group exercise schedule. All classes until the grand opening are being offered free of charge. That includes the two classes on the day after Thanksgiving, so people can work off those extra holiday calories.

After Dec. 5, the full workout schedule will take effect and the business is offering the first week of classes to new members for free. Each person who joins with a weight loss goal will have their weight tracked. For each pound lost, RARE Fitness will donate a pound of food to the Central Virginia Foodbank.

RARE Fitness offers a cushioned workout floor, a kids’ play area and a separate personal training room. There will also be a comfortable waiting area with Wi-Fi in the main lobby. Memberships range from long-term to punch-pass and day-pass.

Already a successful business owner with a small contracting business called Mind in the Gutter, Hatcher says his newest venture is probably the most special to him.

“Since this is something I’ve wanted to do for about 25 years, I take each person, each member, who joins very seriously. They’re not just a member, they’re supporting my dream and that’s something that is very valuable to me,” Hatcher said.

“When they were nearly finished with the decal [on the front window], and I walked back outside, that made it very real for me,” he continued. “At the grand opening and the ribbon cutting, if you see a somewhat macho guy fighting back the tears, that’ll be me.”