By Rachel Phillips
Metabolic Meltdown opened a new location at 30 Gick Road in Saratoga Springs, marking its fifth facility in the Capital Region. It boasts over 100 new members.
The space, which used to be Saratoga Health and Fitness, is a 5,000-square-foot facility consisting of the main workout area, locker rooms and a gym.
Metabolic Meltdown was founded by Matt Phelps in 2008 when he was working as a trainer for high school and college athletes. The mothers of his pupils were intrigued by his training regimens, and requested he prepare one for them as well, he said. His business grew quickly, jumping from 90 members 2013 to 2,000 in 2017. He had to expand to new locations across the area, including Clifton Park and Green Island.
The success of Phelps’ business is in large part due to the structure of his program. Unlike other workout facilities, Metabolic Meltdown is neither a gym, nor an exercise class, he said.
Each 45-minute session encompasses six different workout stations. The members exercise at each station for a given period of time before moving on to the next, giving them the opportunity to get a full-body workout that merges strength and cardio training. The exercises are considered metabolic training because they’re geared to alter a person’s metabolism, get the blood flowing and make participants healthier.
In traditional exercise classes, participants mimic a teacher at the front of the room. Metabolic Meltdown, however, provides clients with the structure of a class, while also providing them an individually tailored workout.
At the beginning of the class, the trainers assess the participants upon entering to determine what their difficulty level will be in order to tweak the workout to their particular needs.
They also demonstrate each of the stations for the class, and walk around the room during the intervals to encourage and correct members. Though there are anywhere from 42-48 people per class, the nature of the program allows for each person to get care and guidance.
COO Chris Fasano said Metabolic Meltdown is a great alternative for people who are intimidated by going to the gym. The program’s structure means that even beginners will always know where to go and how to perform a certain workout.
“It really takes the anxiety out of working out, since you don’t need to know how to do anything. The trainers teach you everything,” he said.
“This is a place where I’ve seen a 60-year-old grandma working out next to a professional football player,” Fasano said.
He said the program is great for anyone whose goal is simply to be healthy and get a good workout. Metabolic Meltdown isn’t about helping members get bigger and stronger, so much as getting healthier.
Metabolic Meltdown also offers a diet program in which a coach will interact daily with the client, provide them a diet plan and hold them accountable for sticking to it.
Metabolic Meltdown offers free week-long trials to give people the chance to try out their classes. For those who sign up before their trial period is over, their first month’s membership is 25 percent off.
Interested parties can register for free trials on the company website, at metabolicmeltdown.com.