A Weighty Business: Behind the Counter at Fitness 19

Name: Ryan Harvley

Title: Owner,

Age: 27

Fast fact: He’s from South Carolina but has lived all over the country, including St. Louis and Minnesota.

On living in Maryland: The humidity is kind of brutal, but the people are nice.

On his day-to-day: It’s really fun. I come in, and depending on the day, I have people I’m scheduled to train ... [or] I’m on the phone doing some telemarketing ... [or] I work on keeping the gym clean.

On why he owns a gym: That’s what I like to do. It’s a lifestyle really. I always wanted to be a personal trainer…Even before I got into the industry, I said to my friends, "I’m going to own a gym someday."

On helping people: I feel good when people join the gym who have goals like losing a certain amount of weight…I want to help people achieve those goals.

How much do you work out? One time a day, but I work out six days a week.

What’s your favorite gym machine? It’s not a machine. It’s the Kettlebell.

What would you say to someone who hates gyms? People have misconceptions about working out, like they have to do cardio to lose weight. The trick is to do resistance. That way you’ll build muscle, which increases your metabolism. Then you’ll start losing weight…A lot of people feel intimidated to come in here. You shouldn’t. Everyone is here to do the same thing, and everyone had a starting point.

Are you familiar with the term "gym rat"? Yeah (laughs). I have a guy who works out here three times a day because he gets so bored at work.

What’s the hardest muscle to tone? The most discouraging muscles are your abs. Everyone says that they want toned abs but it’s diet and exercise every day. And no, doing 100 crunches a day won’t get you a six-pack.

Is this your dream job? Hell yeah.