The former Borders headquarters building on Phoenix Drive in Ann Arbor recently welcomed its newest tenant: Coval Fitness & Sports Performance.
Owner Mike Coval relocated his gym – which emphasizes individualized training – from Varsity Drive to the 330,000-square-foot building at 100 Phoenix Drive.
Coval joins Gold Star Mortgage, Aysling and Universal Marketing Group in the building, which is being redeveloped by Ann Arbor-based Wickfield Properties after Borders vacated the property in 2011. Wickfield purchased the building in 2011 for about $5.5 million. Colliers International Ann Arbor is marketing the building for lease.
"Coval is great in there. We're excited to have him there. It's a great benefit to the building," said Wickfield's Brad Hayosh.
The move is a 1,800-square-foot expansion for Coval Fitness & Sports Performance. The gym added showers, extra changing rooms and a nutrition program. Coval plans to bring in a massage therapist and eventually, a physical therapy program.
“The extra space just makes it much more accommodating for clients,” Coval said. “We want to take a very holistic approach, as far as improving people’s lives and having top-notch professionals from each industry all under one roof.”
Coval said he doesn’t get caught up with “cute” or “fancy” training tools; his clients use free weights, kettlebells, medicine bells, TRX suspension trainers, weight sleds and their own body weight to reach their fitness goals.
“You can make things hard enough on somebody as long as you know how to coach them and know what you’re looking for,” he said.
Coval’s training technique is to focus on the individual and design personalized programs for clients. Coval said his gym has grown to 80 clients since he first opened in a 1,400-square-foot space in the Airport Plaza Business Park in May 2011.
“Before somebody even comes in and trains with us, we will put them through a screening that goes over fitness abilities, nutrition habits and any modifications they need to make in their lives to be where they want to be. Right from the get-go we get very personal,” he said.
The gym recently expanded outside of fitness training with the addition of a nutrition program.
“Achieving the results people are looking for takes much more than the training aspect of it,” Coval said. “Bringing on the nutritional aspect of it was something we saw was important and an opportunity to capitalize on being able to help people out.”
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at 734-255-2638, email her lizzyalfs@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter.