The Fitness Center

After nearly 30 years in the fitness business, Vic Nigri knows it takes more than just a gym membership to get in shape. He believes a healthy lifestyle requires consistency, perseverance and a personalized approach to exercise and nutrition, and this is the foundation of the Fitness Center.

The Fitness Center started out as One to One Personal Fitness, which Nigri bought in 1994. At the time, personalized training was still in the early stages of development. 

“When we started with personal training 20 years ago, it was probably just in its infancy,” Nigri said. “Being on the ground level, so to speak, made a difference in solidifying our program and making sure all the incremental parts of it were in place to bring success to the client.”

Personal training at the Fitness Center starts with an evaluation of each client’s current fitness level and goals. From this evaluation, the trainers can build a customized exercise and nutrition regimen to meet these goals. 

“We’re so seasoned that when someone comes in, it’s an easy read,” Nigri said. “You know exactly what the client needs after talking to that client, and you can adjust your protocol pretty quick to get those clients the results they need.”

Along with customized fitness plans, the Fitness Center staff spends time building relationships.

“We take each person individually and we really get to know our clients. And it’s just a friendly, open atmosphere, but people feel safe, they feel secure,” said Beth Nigri, Vic’s wife and the Fitness Center’s co-owner. 

The Nigris said their clients are also more consistent in their fitness regimens when they have a personal relationship with their trainer and other clients. Some of the Fitness Center’s clients have been regulars for more than 15 years because of the results they have seen.

In the two decades that Vic Nigri has owned the Fitness Center, he has seen clients use his exercise and nutrition plans to solve a number of health issues, including weight problems, orthopedic issues, diabetes and high blood pressure. However, he said his clients also regularly experience better moods, increased energy and better relationships with family and coworkers alongside their health benefits.

“With all the stresses that society has today, if you can be working out and get rid of stress and do it without using medication...it’s going to make a huge difference in your life,” Vic Nigri said.

The Fitness Center is also involved in promoting healthy lifestyles and charity in the community as a whole. Beth Nigri is the race director for the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Village to Village 10K, and the center has been a sponsor of the Birmingham Zoo’s ZooRun 5K since it began in 2005. The Nigris have also hosted their own fundraisers and collections for local non-profit organizations.

In all they do, Vic and Beth Nigri believe that the relationships they have built have made them successful in improving their clients’ health and lives.

“That’s what the Fitness Center is, it’s family,” said Beth Nigri. “Clients, trainers, us; we just all feel connected.”