9Round Fitness has been in business for 10 years and has more than 700 gyms worldwide.
The owners of its newest franchise in Williamsburg’s Midtown Row are hoping to get in on the success while also bringing a quick and convenient workout option to the community when they open in late October.
9Round gets its name from the manner of workout it offers.
During workouts, a trainer leads members through nine exercise stations, with each round lasting three minutes. There are 30 seconds of active rest between each round, bringing the time of the workout to 30 minutes total.
There are also no scheduled classes, so members can come and go as they please.
“If you can get 30 minutes for yourself when you can get a break, you can come in,” owner Natalie Joslin said.
Her husband Sean Joslin added, “You walk in the gym, wrap your hands and go.”
While 9Round is a kickboxing-themed studio, the workouts target the entire body. Just as a bodybuilder might focus on working their legs one day and upper body the next, the exercise stations vary from day to day at 9Round so members who visit multiple times each week can get a well-rounded workout regimen.
“It really does become a full body workout every day with a focus on different muscle groups,” owner Sean Joslin said.
Personal touch
The Joslins are no strangers to fitness. They met in 2008 at Cheatham Annex when Sean was stationed there as a Naval officer and Natalie was the facility’s athletic director.
After a decade in the Navy, where he reached the rank of lieutenant commander, Sean Joslin moved on to manager positions in the business community. Prior to working at Cheatham Annex, Natalie Joslin racked up 10 years as a personal trainer and fitness director at places like the U.S. Military Academy and Life Time Fitness.
“With her background as a trainer, who better to run a gym?” Sean Joslin said of his wife.
For Natalie, the key to getting members to sign up and keep coming back is connecting with them on a personal level. 9Round, she said, makes that possible with its engaging workout regimen and the presence of a trainer.
“How can we differentiate ourselves? The personal touch you get here creates such a community,” Natalie Joslin said. “We want our members to come in and be a part of our family.”
The couple hopes to expand their family by adding another 9Round or two to the region in the next couple years.
Members wanted
Permits and budgets are being finalized, and construction is underway for 9Round. The gym is rolling out membership promotions as opening day approaches.
Those who want to give 9Round a try can sign up for three-month memberships on the gym’s website. After the first three months membership goes month to month, the Joslins said.
The first 100 members will also receive a pair of boxing gloves, wrist straps and discounts on membership rates and registration. Potential members can discuss rates when signing up.
The gym will be located between Soaps N Suds and Earth Fare. The synergy between Earth Fare’s healthy philosophy and the physical fitness offered by 9Round isn’t lost on its new owners.
“We’re super excited to have the neighbors we’re going to have, and exposure to Monticello Avenue,” owner Sean Joslin said.
In addition to Earth Fare, the Joslin’s neighbors will include the hundreds of tenants who will move in across Monticello Avenue once four new residential buildings open in the summer of 2020.
The couple said they hope to corner the market on William & Mary students, but they also expect to attract stay-at-home parents and retirees.
“It’s the people that live here that will sustain the business for the long term,” Sean Joslin said.
