When Ashley Lowe founded Sweat Equity, she wanted to create a new boutique gym focused on strength training and a place for her clients to get started.  

“You can walk into an open gym anywhere, but my customers say, ‘I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to start and I don’t want to go look like an idiot'”, Lowe said. “They come here because they want somebody to show them what to do in a safe environment that’s not intimidating.”

Sweat Equity opened its doors last April at 111 11th St., Suite 108. Lowe said the gym emphasizes muscle-building as the cornerstone of health, weight management, longevity and performance — a philosophy that sets the gym apart from other fitness options in the Yampa Valley.

While women make a large part of Lowes current clientele, she said the gym is open to all people who are looking to build strength and achieve better health.

“We’re finding, especially as we age, the importance of muscle to having high quality of life,” Lowe said. “Great bone density, and muscle mass is key to managing your metabolism, keeping body fat down and there aren’t many places that train in a way that’s designed to help you build muscle.”

Unlike gyms that focus on high-intensity circuits, CrossFit-style training or yoga and pilates, Lowe said Sweat Equity specializes in small-group strength training sessions capped at eight people. Members commit to training a minimum of two to three days a week, choosing from Hype, a high-energy hypertrophy program designed to maximize muscle growth, and Hype Classic, a slower-paced option with joint-friendly modifications.

“What we do here, versus the other gyms, is the equipment we have is all designed for weightlifting and muscle building,” Lowe said. “We aren’t a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) facility, we’re not CrossFit and we’re not doing large group classes.”

Lowe’s classes accommodate up to eight people, and the training emphasizes hypertrophy using compound movements and accessory exercises. The gym offers a supportive, non-intimidating environment.

“I used to hate gyms and group classes that were intimidating, impersonal and just not for me, said Whitney Shaw, a client. “Sweat Equity completely changed that. The classes are personalized, the community is welcoming and Ashley is truly amazing, supportive, encouraging and always knowing exactly what you need.”

Lowe is a former public relations professional who pivoted her career to coaching three years ago after completing advanced training with Elevated Coaching Systems. She earned her coach certification with “No BS Weight Loss” and started training clients online and at her private barn studio in Routt County.

Sweat Equity uses a combination of free weights and machines for it’s classes. Lowe recently hired her first coach, Abby Hill, who is teaching the 6-7 a.m. classes and is also looking for a coach that is willing to teach classes after 4 p.m.

She said her staff has the ability to customize exercises for all ages and ability levels and that she has plans to add more programs in the future.

“I’m going to pilot a program for teen girls in December focused on learning to lift weights,” Lowe said. “We will do it two days a week for girls ages 12 to 16. It’s called Hype Girl, and it’s all about building confidence and strength with no focus on esthetics — It’s just about coming in and learning to become strong and powerful through lifting weights.”

She said the gym’s current programming is focused on helping members “get their ski legs back” and offers small group training. Sweat Equity also offers a “First Week Free” promotion, which includes two complimentary training sessions in the first week for those looking to join.

“This is the gym I always dreamed about — the best equipment, killer high-energy playlists, weightlifting programs designed for real results and no extra fluff and the camaraderie of people who want to train as hard as I do,” Lowe wrote.