The Inc. 5000 list has ranked Hardcore Fitness Boot Camp Santa Clarita’s fasting growing company for the second year running.
This year, they were ranked 962 of 5,000 nationwide, reaching a total of $5.5 million in revenue in 2017, with a three-year growth of 514 percent.
Founder of Hardcore Fitness, Larry Nolan, says he began personal training at 16, and quickly realized he didn’t agree with the corporate gyms’ business model.
“After years of seeing a gym’s sole focus be profit with no concern for their client’s wants or needs, I realized something needed to change,” Nolan said. “At that time, there weren’t many ‘boutique gyms,’ so there weren’t really many avenues to pursue. I started in a park doing ‘boot camps’ with my now wife and mom as my only clients.”
When Nolan was finally able to open the gym in 2007, he admits he didn’t know anything about business — all he knew was that he wanted to change the typical fitness model.
“I made one mistake after another, but kept trying to add value,” Nolan said. “It was almost a blessing that I didn’t know what I was doing, because I knew I didn’t, so everytime I would make a mistake I knew I needed to correct it.”
Not everyone has the same fitness aspirations, so Nolan’s main goal was to create a training program that would work for anyone, and he says he has designed patent-pending equipment to allow everyone to get their best workout.
“It’s almost impossible to train a group in the way that a personal trainer does because everybody trains differently and there’s no way to have equipment that works for everyone,” Nolan said. “We realized all these issues, and now we’ve got the resources to bridge that gap. That one piece of equipment is able to do over 300 exercises, which allows me to personalize the workout and train each client in a better way.”
Nolan attributes the gym’s success to his dedication to each and every client. His fitness plan strives to create an individual experience for everyone.
“We’re not trying to sell everyone on one product,” Nolan said. “We figure out what they need and then place them where they will get the most success.”
Joe Anaya has been a member of Hardcore Fitness for three years and says he’s tried other gyms, but Hardcore Fitness has a “different vibe.”
“The results are incredible and the team support is second to none,” Anaya said. “They’ve shown me how to work with my injuries and are very dialed in on giving you the feeling that you are not just another member at a big gym. This is my gym and this is my gym family.”
Nolan believes his gym would not have come this far if it wasn’t for the Santa Clarita Valley. With over 100 local gyms, Nolan says the competition is what drove him.
“If I had start my gym anywhere else, I would’ve stopped trying to improve ages ago,” Nolan said. “But because I had to keep up with such great local gyms, I was able to continue pushing myself to create a better experience for my clients.”
Santa Clarita also taught Nolan how to do business correctly. Nolan says that without having to go through all the correct channels and follow all the licencing, permits and regulations to start his Santa Clarita gym, his other gyms would never have succeeded.
“I’ve already got all I ever wanted and dreamed of having as a little boy,” Nolan said. “Now what I want is to see the owners do the same for themselves.”
Edgar Vega is one of those new owners. He says he began as a client at the Santa Clarita gym after his brother won Hardcore Fitness’ 60 day weight-loss challenge.
“My brother brought my mom in for a class after he won, and I came in to support her,” Vega said. “I was really into fitness and frequented most of the local gyms, but I quickly realized that this gym was special, and I knew I had to get in on it.”
Within six months, Vega had completed his training certification and became a trainer at the gym. Four years later, Vega is starting his own Hardcore Fitness location near the beach in Huntington with his brother and his brother’s girlfriend.
“We’re not just a gym — we’re a family and a community,” Vega said. “This gym truly cares about helping each person reach their specific goals whatever the challenge may be. I’m so excited to take what I’ve learned here and implement it into my own gym.”
To learn more about Hardcore Fitness, visit hardcorefitnessbootcamp.com.
