Personal Trainer Wants Clients to Feel at Home

When he opened a state-of-the-art gym adjacent to his Back Bay apartment in June, personal trainer Ryan Ankner set out to offer his clientele not only a customized exercise regimen in a comfortable and private atmosphere, but also one that best fits their schedules.

“The workouts are client-specific because not everyone has the same abilities and not everyone has the same goals…but the most important part is setting goals that are measurable and sustainable for them,” said Ankner, owner of Ankfit at 226 Beacon St. “I also offer convenience. I have a personal parking space that clients can use, and my schedule is very flexible because I live here.”

A 35-year-old Norwell native, Ankner earned an undergraduate degree in communications from Curry College in Milton and later received a certification in fitness from the American Academy of Personal Training Boston. He is also certified in gyrotonic, limited range of motion, integrated strengthening and crosscore, but his specialty is “body transformation,” which is how Ankner describes his personal physical metamorphosis from graduating college with what he describes as a “heavyset” body type to losing nearly 100 ponds and eventually gaining back another 50 pounds in muscle.

“A lot of trainers were born with a six-pack, but that’s not me,” Ankner said. “That’s why I can relate to my clients, and that’s why I know what it takes to get people to achieve their goals.”

Drawing on his extensive experience working in the fitness industry, Anker handpicked a varied array of the highest-quality hardware to occupy his approximately 500 square-foot gym, including an assault bike, free weights, a squat rack, a bench, a TRX, a universal machine, boxes, stability balls, a punching bag, kettle bells and assorted mobility equipment.

“I’ve worked at enough other gyms to know what I like and what I don’t like… and mine has new equipment that’s spotless and works perfectly,” Ankner said.

Besides designing an individualized exercise program for each client, Anker also caters to personal music tastes and set the room temperature and lighting in accordance with the client’s preferences during workout sessions.

“With how expensive personal training is I never understood why it’s cookie-cutter because everyone has different needs,” Ankner said. “One thing about personal training is that it is ‘personal’ and can be customized,”

And while he is admittedly a fitness fanatic, Ankner realizes exercise can be off-putting for others.

“I’m trying to make working out as palatable as possible as I can for people, “ Ankner said. “I never say no to anything if I can make it work.”

Ankfit offers competitive rates, a complementary fitness evaluation and the first fitness session for free. To learn more, call or text Ryan Ankner at 617-797-3076 or contact him via email at [email protected].

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