April 24, 2017

Meet William Alvarez of Edge Group Fitness in Oak Cliff

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to William Alvarez.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been passionate about fitness. After an injury sidelined my soccer career, I became fascinated with the human body. I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Kinesiology- the scientific study of human movement and I have used what I have learned everyday as part of my career as a personal trainer.

Before opening Edge Group Fitness, I worked with clients 1:1 as a personal trainer with a wide variety of clients. From professional athletes to top executives, each of my clients had the same goal: being healthy and fit.

I loved my job as a trainer, but deep down I knew that I wanted to own and operate my own gym. Fast forward to 2016 and that dream became a reality. Edge Group Fitness is now celebrating one year in Oak Cliff and we have an amazing membership that continues to grow!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think that our main enemy towards achieving our goals is time. Often we feel that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish our goals. As my family started to grow, I became focused on finding that ultimate fitness plan that would allow me to see results, but not have to spend hours at the gym. I started researching methods and came across High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This became my go to routine and I started to see results right away. This led me to the idea of opening the 30-minute gym- I knew that this workout would be ideal for the modern busy person that is struggling to find time for fitness. Just like that Edge was born. It took a few years to find that perfect space, but I am thankful for the path that it took me to get here.

Edge Group Fitness – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
From the beginning, I wanted Edge Group Fitness to be THE gym for the neighborhood. We specialize in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – this is a fast paced and extremely effective workout. Each class is 30 minutes in length with a focus on both strength and cardio training.

The 30-minute format is divided between 6 stations with 6 rounds at each station in 30- second intervals- with 10-second breaks in between rounds. Through HIIT, participants gain muscle as well as endurance as a result of their training.

The class size is small by design- 15 people max- and I like to keep it small so that I can divide my attention between the participants and make sure that everyone has correct form. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the improvements to the health and wellness of our members. They put in the work, I encourage them along the way. We are in it together every step of the way, and that is extremely humbling and rewarding.

There are many things that set us apart from other gyms- but one of my favorite aspects is an intangible, and that is the feeling of the gym during workouts. Our members range in age from early 20s to 60+ and come from diverse backgrounds- and even though they are all so different, they are extremely encouraging of one another. We celebrate milestones and fitness victories as a family.

The community feel that Edge has is cooler than anything I could have imagined.

How do you define success?
Success for me isn’t about the number of members that Edge has. For me it is about ensuring that the people that we train have an amazing experience. I want them to feel excited about the results that they see and I want them to look forward to coming to the gym. Exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore, and I regularly hear from members how their experience at Edge has them excited about fitness. My proudest moments center on my clients and their successes.

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