Young couple opens new gym

A young couple has made a fresh start with a new business, recognizing that health is more important than ever these days. 

Makenna Tipps grew up in Electric City and now has returned home along with fiancé Caleb Phillips. 

The two opened Lakeside Fitness on Coulee Boulevard in late December after the stars seemed to align to make that happen. 

The pair met in a gym at Central Washington University in 2015 and share an enthusiasm for fitness.

Phillips said he really got into fitness during his freshman year at Evergreen State College, where he played soccer. 

Tipps said growing up in the Coulee inspired an active lifestyle. 

"You have to be active [living in the Coulee]. You have to be outdoorsy. There's not a whole lot else to do," she laughed. 

"I've always been active all my life," she continued. "From when I was a little kid, we were always playing sports: swimming, baseball, basketball." 

When she went off to college, she said, she continued with that fitness life, kept up on health, and used the fitness center at CWU.

"We were both there every day at the same time," she noted. "Found a love for it and continued since then."

The pair decided to move to Electric City after about three years in Wenatchee.

"I was teaching, he was working at the winery, and we were just like, 'These are not our passions.'" Tipps said. "We both knew we were going to end up back in Electric City. ... We got to this town, we both quit our jobs and asked, 'What do we want to do?' And it's during Covid, and gyms are shut down, but it's something that's so important to us. My brother Dylan Tipps owns Anytime Fitness in Moses Lake. He has his passion for it and has evolved in it, and we thought that's something we'd love to do."

At the same time, family friend Gary Heinz was ready to sell the workout equipment from the former gym in Grand Coulee, and so the opportunity worked out for the young couple to open a gym.

Tipps' grandfather, A.J. Gerard, owns the building. The gym is in what used to be the downstairs of the Banks Lake Pub. A wall was built to separate the downstairs part into its own space, and the place was renovated with new carpeting and more. 

"He was so supportive and willing to let us try our business in here," Tipps said about Gerard. "We're very appreciative of that."

"It was an aha moment," Tipps said about the opportunity presenting itself. "This is what we were waiting for. It just happened, and happened at the perfect time."

"It was the perfect opportunity," Phillips said. 

Running a gym during Covid has its challenges. Phillips said "making sure everyone feels safe," cleaning "as much as possible," having good circulation in the room, and having patrons space out within the gym are all important.

If the gym gets enough clientele, Phillips would like for it to be his primary job and would consider getting certified as a personal trainer. Otherwise he may need to get a separate job.

"I'd love to make this something where it's not just a gym that is 24/7 and not staffed. But the biggest thing is how many members can we get in here?" he said.

In the meantime he is able to give advice for workouts. 

"There's a younger generation in the high school that seems like they're pretty intense," he said for an example. "They want to get bigger and do all these things, so there was a kid doing five sets of 10, and I heard him say, 'I want to bulk up.' So I told him, 'If you're looking to bulk up, up your weight, down your reps.'

"I want to implement some sort of workout-of-the-day on a whiteboard and be creative but also easy enough where we're not throwing out workouts they have to Google to figure out what they are," he added. 

Membership fees range from $30-$40 a month, depending on the style of payment, with discounts for senior citizens, veterans, and family plans. They also offer a $5 day pass, currently made possible by Phillips being at the building from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Phillips advocates getting out and moving, even without joining a gym.

"I think with the social media and the technology nowadays, more and more people are sitting inside," he said. "It's like 'alright guys, get out, get breathing.' It's good for your brain, it's healthy. ...  I'm a firm believer of just enjoying life. You only get one body."

Tipps also spoke about the importance of fitness. 

"Especially with everything going on right now, something that can better your body is always good for you," she said. "It's so important. I don't think people realize how important. After being on lockdown and not being able to get out and use your body, there are so many people who are so grateful just to be able to get out and get that exercise going again." 

About life in the Coulee, Phillips said "It's a beautiful place. A beautiful lake. Outdoor activities.  Everything you really need. I think my biggest hurdle is trying to find some more produce at the Safeway."

Tipps said it feels good to be home. "When I was going through high school and college, I was like, 'I'm never coming back,' but when I met my person, it totally made sense to come back and be by family," she said. "This is the place where we can be most successful, and we're very happy to be back."