Jonese Holloway and her daughter. (Photo by Teria Rogers)
Eleven men and women were sweating to the beat in a Saturday morning workout. James Davis was on the back row dropping one knee into a lunge holding kettlebells. Felesha Johnson was on the front row lying flat on her back, legs suspended by resistance bands doing reverse crunches. “Just 10 more,” the class instructor Jonese Holloway called out. One woman yelled in response, “Jesus!”
This workout class is unique because it is not held at one of the large gyms such as Gold’s or 24 Hour Fitness. It is held at Johnnie Boi Fitness, a boutique fitness studio owned by Holloway and housed in a small, shopping plaza in Clinton, Md. The studio offers strength training in an intimate setting for a more individualized workout.
The married mother of two began her fitness trek five years ago after having her daughter and becoming a stay-at-home mom. “I started strength training, lifting weights, and I lost 60 pounds,” Holloway said. “I wanted to become an inspiration to other moms.”
Holloway started by becoming a personal trainer but did not like working at the larger gyms where you split your training profit, sometimes as high as 60/40. She decided to offer in-home training and developed a client base largely in Bowie. She also became certified in TRX, total resistance exercise, which has become a popular workout genre based off Navy Seals strength training.
Her first opportunity to teach TRX classes was at the Inter-American Development Bank in Downtown Washington and the classes were continuously full with fitness enthusiasts of all types. “After I taught the classes and saw how much they enjoyed the workout I wanted my own TRX gym,” Holloway said.
Jonese Holloway leads a class. (Photo by Teria Rogers)
Holloway and her husband Marc took three months and $10,000 to open Johnnie Boi Fitness at 6901 Old Alexander Ferry Road in Clinton. Classes are held morning, evenings and weekends at a rate of five classes for $75 or $20 for a single class. Private fitness parties are also available for birthdays or special events.
The studio is approaching the six-month mark but has already proven to be a success for Holloway’s business and personal goals. “It’s great because I’ve already hit my fitness goals for class enrollment and monthly profit,” Holloway said. “I can support my family and have the flexibility to pick up my children in the afternoon.”
The biggest challenge for the studio so far has been exposing African-Americans to TRX, according to Holloway. TRX is more easily found in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, but in Prince George’s working out with weights or dance and aerobics classes are more common.
The customers at Johnnie Boi Fitness however are convinced of the benefits of a small studio and TRX. Davis, 48, of Brandywine had high blood pressure and was overweight. He has been taking classes there for three months but has now “lost 15 pounds” and got his “blood pressure down.”
Johnson, 40, of Chesapeake Beach was diagnosed with Lupus in 2011 and has been working with Holloway since 2013. “I’ve lost 60 pounds since I’ve been with her,” Johnson said. “I feel like this is really good alternative to the basic gym workout, it shocks your body and builds up the muscles you might not otherwise engage. TRX is a great workout.”
Holloway’s future plans for Johnnie Boi Fitness include studio expansion and developing more fitness trainers.