PT Plus

Josh Simmons has been working as a trainer in the Greater Cincinnati for six years. He often encountered the same problem, though: He didn’t like the way most gyms and other wellness facilities were being run.

“They left the trainers disenfranchised, powerless, or stripped of said power for the most part, and gave incentives for the sales representatives to gouge the prospective client for as large of a gross contract value as possible,” explains Simmons.

This business-focused business plan often leads to trainers that start to lag in motivation and dissatisfied clients, something Simmons has seen all too often in the Tri-State’s fitness world.

To fight back against this idea of how to run a gym, Simmons decided to open PT Plus, a 4,000-square-foot facility designed to optimize the fitness experience for both trainers and clients alike.

“What I’ve done with PT Plus is eliminate the middle man, and provide a space where trainers have the equipment that they want, the space they need to operate, and they can effectively run their own business under PT Plus’ roof,” says Simmons. “They are not employees of PT Plus, they are independent contractors. My aim was to simply provide them with a launch pad to accelerate their professional growth in the field of fitness.”

Simmons is the sole owner of PT Plus and also serves as a trainer. He adds that he’s not only there to make sure everything on the site is running correctly, but he’s also in the “sweat trenches” working with clients alongside the other trainers.

Simmons says the team of trainers at PT Plus have helped to shape PT Plus into what it is today. “They help form the culture and overall sense of community that we pride ourselves on,” he adds.

The change that PT Plus has made in the local fitness community has been much appreciated by the clients who visit the facility as well, according to Simmons. “No longer are they pressured into deals they aren’t certain of,” he says. “The only person they need to deal with is their trainer. That’s it. It’s that simple. Think of it as a salon, but for personal trainers.”

PT Plus’ first location on the Hyde Park/Linwood border has been in full operation since December 1, 2015. There is currently construction being done at a second location in the Norwood area. While the business itself is called PT Plus, Simmons says that to help dissociate the two locations, they are referred to as Plus1 (Hyde Park/Linwood) and Plus2 (Norwood).

“Business has been great, the response of our clientele has been positive across the board, and we are looking forward to expanding,” adds Simmons.

While personal training is the primary service available at PT Plus, that broad category is also broken down into a few sub-categories. These include: meal planning, contest prep, nutritional consultations, remote/online programming, and weekly classes.

In the future, Simmons says that they will soon be adding cardio kickboxing classes, a new outdoor turf field, and even one or two additional trainers to join the team.

To learn more about PT Plus, visit their website or Facebook page.

Simmons says that he also encourages you to download the PT plus app from iTunes or Google Play. Once downloading the app, set up a profile, and a find a special deal on classes for being a Cincy Chic readers.

“This special will be good for three free Wednesday conditioning classes,” says Simmons. “This class is for women only, of all shapes, sizes, and athletic backgrounds. The class puts an emphasis on conditioning as well as core work, and is run by one of our trainers.”

You can find Plus1 at 5210 Wooster Road in Cincinnati, near the US Bank Corporate offices and the Otto Armieder Dog Park. Plus2 will be located in Norwood, ¼ mile off the Norwood lateral at the Montgomery Road exit.