KATO CROSSFIT
FROM PHILOSOPHY TO REALITY
A
t this point, nearly every-
one has heard of CrossFit.
Most people, however, may
not have any idea what it
actually is. A gym? A lifting
program? Another fitness fad? In reality, it
is more of a philosophy toward exercise
than anything else, having evolved from
that philosophy to be a competitive sport.
CrossFit could be described as a lot of
things, but it is essentially a method of
cross-training between multiple physical
fitness disciplines, including interval train-
ing, powerlifting, calisthenics, gymnastics,
and more.
When Ben Janike, owner of Kato CrossFit,
was first introduced to the CrossFit style
of training, he was in the 24-hour-gym
business. Managing a gym full-time for
Snap Fitness Corporation, he was becom-
ing somewhat disillusioned with the
industry. Though the gym was success-
ful, there weren’t a lot of opportunities to
move forward and expand as a traditional
gym. From there, he decided to pack up his
things and try his hand at owning his own
gym.
Starting in 2012 with around 800 square
6
feet of space on the second floor of a
building and around 12 total clients, Ben
quickly moved to the current location with
around 3,000 square feet of space. Since
then, Kato has gone through five expan-
sion projects leading to 8,500 square feet
across two gym spaces, six total coaches,
and around 330 clients.
In Ben’s own words, “The last six years
have been nothing short of a learning ex-
perience, but we’ve been fortunate enough
to grow and succeed in a tough business
model. With some amazing help along the
way from my coaches and staff, we are now
one of the bigger gyms in the state.”
Everything is a challenge when starting
a gym. Not only do you have to help your
clients with their own issues but you also
have to face the typical problems that any
business would have to deal with. Grow-
ing pains are one of the largest. With every
new client comes a need for new equip-
ment and more space. Problems, yes. But
good problems for any business.
Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that
Kato is a coaching program, not a gym.
They align themselves with client goals
and, in that way, personalize the treatment
that everyone receives. From the start of
a membership and for the first six weeks,
clients have total access to coaches to
ensure that all clients are able to align their
workouts, nutrition, sleep, and other habits
with their goals.
Fitness, as most of us know, is not a one-
size-fits-all endeavor. Neither is diet. We
certainly all have different goals. So the
time of fitness gyms where everyone does
the same training and expects the same
outcomes are over, and Kato is leading the
charge in the personalized way of fitness.
For more information, visit us at
katocrossfit.com. +