Gym Profile: North Loop Fitness

With its numerous refurbished lofts and close proximity to downtown, the North Loop neighborhood seemed a prime place to open a gym. Rob Duggan, a long-time personal trainer and former Minneapolis firefighter, debuted North Loop Fitness two years ago with the help of partner Brendon O’Brien. The gym is smack-dab in the middle of the revived Minneapolis neighborhood—next to Babalu and Bewiched, and between two warehouse buildings.

Inside, exposed ceiling pipes and air ducts hang above brick walls to create an industrial setting while large-panel windows and skylights bring in plenty of natural light. As they enter, members get a full view of what the open 5,500-square-foot space has to offer. Dozens of machines—lat pulls, bench presses, treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and more—occupy most of the gym. Free-weights, up to 120 pounds, are lined against back walls. But what Duggan really loves about his gym is the mirrored area in back where clients use kettle bells, medicine balls, climbing ropes, jump ropes, and exercise bands. Before opening North Loop, he traveled across the country, working with respected trainers, learning the best ways to maximize fitness. He developed his own technique for using body weight to attain a high-functioning body in less time than other workouts.

All NLF members are offered a complimentary training session. “What we do here is get people engaged from the start,” Duggan says. They’re taught how to use not only the machines but also the hand-held equipment for Duggan’s signature workout technique.

“These exercises promote balance, posture, and alignment, so your body functions efficiently,” he explains. “Fun, full-body, athletic-style workouts are much more efficient than low-impact cardio on a treadmill.”

North Loop Fitness offers personal training, five-day-a-week boot camp sessions, and small-group classes. Other amenities include private tanning rooms, tidy locker rooms with showers, a quaint lounge area, twenty-four-hour security, and member parking.

After only two years in business, Duggan is already planning an expansion for North Loop Fitness so that he can offer more room for body-weight exercises and space for additional classes and boot camps.

North Loop Fitness, 800 Washington Ave. N., Mpls., 612-455-2929