Today we’d like to introduce you to Maurice Lewis
Hi Maurice , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in South LA, specifically the Crenshaw District. Growing up, I played sports, mainly football and basketball. After losing my father at the age of 11 I turned to sports and working out as an outlet. I was bused out to attend high school in Woodland Hills, where I played football. I excelled, but missing half a critical season cost me the chance to be noticed by major universities, leaving me with offers from smaller schools that didn’t interest me.
With hopes of playing football at West LA College, I ended up focusing on school and working at Jamba Juice in Inglewood. I quickly rose to store manager, and my focus shifted toward work and making money. After a year and a half, I realized I’d lost sight of my original goal. During that time, I remained consistent in the gym, enough to see my body change and reach small fitness milestones.
At the age of 20, I made the decision to quit my job and school to become a personal trainer, thinking it would support me until I figured out my bigger vision. Soon after, I applied to a new Equinox gym opening in Hollywood. With my management experience, I was hired at the front desk while I completed my personal training certification. After a year of studying, I became a certified trainer at Equinox in 2017.
I continued my education at Equinox, acquiring several certifications and hundreds of hours of hands-on experience. I became one of the top trainers at the Hollywood location, working with high-end clients and celebrities, completing over 2,300 sessions during my time there.
When the pandemic hit in 2020 and gyms shut down, I adapted by training clients outdoors in parks, on tracks, and even in their garages. In April 2021, two fellow trainers and I decided to create a safe space to train our Hollywood clientele, and that’s how Atrium Training Facility was born. While my co-founders moved on to other ventures, I am now the sole owner of Atrium, three years later.
With a team of staff trainers, classes, events, a strong community of clients, and a gym puppy named Quest, Atrium has become a go-to spot for many in the entertainment industry, as well as those looking to plant and nurture the seeds of their health and wellness in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. The first couple years of training there is so much to learn and expected of you to know at the same time and there were definitely battles with imposter syndrome and hiccups in learning to sell and run a business book of clients. Covid and the pandemic presented a huge obstacle in the fitness industry but also fueled the shift and priority in fitness. Coming out of the pandemic convincing clients I had an intimate clean space for them to train and stay out of the sun from training at parks was easy and clients fell in love with the space we created. What was difficult now was what do we do with this space. With not much business background aside from my personal training clients and business, I had no experience in running a brick and mortar gym. This presented and still presents obstacles along the way when it comes to things like marketing and other areas where I have had to put in the time and work to learn myself as i navigate now being a business owner and personal trainer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So when it comes to personal training I cover an array of areas and can help almost any client that walks through my gym’s doors but I would say I specialize in helping clients to grow past plateaus and develop a healthy mindset/relationship with their health/fitness/gym. I am most proud of my ability to be creative in the way I train clients and adapt to clients needs. I have trained clients through full-term pregnancies, hip replacements, soccer leagues, acting role prep, wedding goals, rehab injuries, and much more. I think that’s exactly what sets me apart – being able to adapt to train any client for almost all goals and continue to remain creative in doing so. For example, I once trained a client for 3 years and she pointed out to me that we never repeated the same workout over time and that’s what kept her consistent and engaged.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I can see the industry expanding and becoming more popular amongst more young people. A big chunk of my clients are young people who are starting to feel their bodies age and realizing they need to prioritize their health and movement. I can see things becoming more technology-based. For example, there is a a big boom in body scans and people more closely monitoring their body composition. Also, fitness is being gamified through technology as we see in Apple watches and aura rings with people comparing their steps and sleep scores, which is amazing. I think there is a lot of saturation and people who look fit but don’t care about helping others that will fall off.
Pricing:
- 1st session is always free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trainatrium.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reeselewistraining_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maurice.lewis.92
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@reeselewisfitness7306?si=E5HpVOO8r6S9-jIe
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/atrium-training-facility-los-angeles-4?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Image Credits
Chris White ( SavVision)
Fdf_studios
Marccolcer
Hannaharistaphotography
