Chicago health studio, Practice Second, expands into Milwaukee market

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When Nik and Kati Rodriguez first opened Train Moment in downtown Chicago, they were already planning to expand the strength-based group fitness concept to Milwaukee as a second market one day. Almost two years later, the …

When Nik and Kati Rodriguez first opened Tensile moment in downtown Chicago, they were already planning to one day expand the strength-based group fitness concept to Milwaukee as a second market. Almost two years later, the couple are preparing to open a studio in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Train Moment is slated to open in early to mid-November and will occupy a 3,700 square foot space on the first floor of the Dye House building at 320 E. Buffalo St. The studio will include classrooms for up to 24 people. Reception area and changing rooms with full service. Train Moment offers 50-minute trainer-led courses that combine gentle strength training with HIIT (high-intensity interval training) on ​​the VersaClimber full-body cardio machine. Classes are aimed at a wide range of experience levels, from beginner to current athlete. The studio’s founding vision was to offer the caliber of strength training that clients would get from a personal, individual trainer, but at a lower price and in a group setting, said Nik Rodriguez, who played soccer at the University of Notre Dame and has in recent years built a career for nine years, working for and leading various fitness brands in Chicago. In 2016 he helped set up a one-on-one training facility called Strive Village, but soon discovered that the business was only accessible to a small segment of the population: with us. “” I realized that a large part of the population is excluded, ” Rodriguez said, “I haven’t seen anything from observation that serves people who wanted good, solid strength training, but who might not be able to afford the price and didn’t have their own knowledge.” After giving his share of Strive Moment to his business partners Nik and Kati, who have a corporate background in retail buying and started their careers at Kohl’s Corp., based in Menomonee Falls, launched Train Moment in Chicago’s West Loop in November 2019 – not long before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The studio relied on virtual and outdoor classes while handling temporary closures and capacity constraints With the reopening for in-person classes, the business has continued to grow month by month and the studio has built a reputation for cleanliness, which helps keep customers coming back. The decision to expand to Milwaukee was an easy one for the Rodriguezs, who love the area and have stayed connected through Kati’s professional network at Kohl’s Corp. In developing the concept, the Third Ward has always proven to be the right choice for a Milwaukee location, especially with its similarities to the West Loop. “We see it as a great market that continues to grow and attract our main demographic: young active people in their 20s and 30s,” said Nik Rodriguez. “We saw a lot of growth in the fitness market there and some cool brands keep opening their doors.” He mentioned Solidcore, a popular Washington DC fitness concept that open in January, also on the first floor of the Dye House building. Others are Orangetheory Fitness and Club Pilates, both of which open in recent years north on Milwaukee Street, as well as SPIRE Fitness, Barre Code, Vita Physical Therapy & Fitness and Push Power. “We’re excited to expand the fitness community there in Milwaukee,” said Rodriguez.

Exercise Moment owners Nik and Kati Rodriguez (second and third from right) with their Chicago studio staff. Image credit: Zugmoment