Coval Fitness & Sports Performance recently expanded into a new location on Varsity Drive.

Courtesy photo

At Coval Fitness & Sports Performance — which recently relocated from Airport Plaza Business Park a mile east to 3751 Varsity Drive — Coval said he likes to utilize other means to help people reach their fitness goals.

That includes: ropes, medicine balls, a TRX suspension system, cones and turf for conditioning exercises.

“We have a bunch of different tools,” he said. “When people think of cardio they think of ellipticals or treadmills; we use other means to get people their cardio.”

Owner Mike Coval training one of his clients at his new gym location.

Courtesy Photo

The gym, which first opened in a 1,400-square-foot space in the Airport Plaza Business Park in May 2011, offers semi-private personal training.

The move to Varsity Drive doubles the gym’s space, and Coval plans to start boot camp classes and selling supplements in the coming weeks. He also brought on two new employees.

“My lease was up and because my clientele was building and I’ll be having more offerings with group classes, I really needed more space,” he said.

He added: “I liked this space because warehouse space is more flexible and it’s more of a gym atmosphere. It’s better than going to a gym with all the distractions — the TVs, and people chit-chatting.”

Coval, who has worked at One On One Athletic Club, Bally Total Fitness, and Western Michigan University's Strength and Conditioning program, said his client base is now up to 51 people and growing.

In the highly competitive fitness market, he said he’s been able to grow his clientele with his focused and personalized training methods and by keeping on top of the latest in the industry — which includes attending seminars across the country.

“If you’re not exceeding people’s expectations, they are going to look elsewhere,” he said. “I keep in touch with clients by email or phone calls outside of the gym, and I am constantly improving my training skills and my staff’s training skills.”

Coval plans to host three charity boot camps July 14 to celebrate the gym's grand opening. Classes will be $5 and all proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer's Association. For more information, visit the gym's Facebook page.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.