Business: Pure Force CrossFit
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Address: 550 Industrial Drive, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-848-7000, pureforcecrossfit.com
Owner: Dan Cirino
Years in business: 1.5 years
What does this business do? “CrossFit is a combination of gymnastics movements, Olympic movements and just endurance movements,” said Cirino, a registered nurse. “Anybody can do CrossFit. What you see on TV are professionals. What they are doing nobody in here can do. We scale it. We modify the movement so anybody can do it. … I don’t allow people to come in here and yank heavy weights up without proper form.”
Why did you start this business? “I used to train hockey players, kids. My son needed a facility back then, and that’s what got us started. But frankly, kids don’t want to work as hard anymore as they used to. So I converted this to CrossFit.”
What’s the best thing about being in Naperville? “The size of the facility, the rent and the landlord. When we switched over to cross fit, there was never a thought of leaving. The landlord, and the whole family, just super people.”
What’s the biggest challenge? “Nothing really. Maybe competition. Or the misconception about weightlifting.”
How does your program work? “Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have a 5:30 a.m. class. Every day of the week we have a 9:30 a.m., a 5:30 p.m. and a 6:30 p.m. (class), and on Saturday we have a 9 a.m. (class). I do the programming, and I do it a week at a time. So, I know on Monday we did this, so on Tuesday we leave that alone, and then Wednesday it’s strictly technical and lifting, that’s all we do. People come in, and we do the skills that they need to work on. And Thursdays we do what’s called a girl wod (workout of the day).”
What is a less-known fact about your business? “We do not have an open gym. Most people who are here are learning. And I don’t want you coming in and practicing on your own because the only thing you are going to do is practicing it and doing it wrong.”
What thing do you most like to do as part of your business? “Coaching. Seeing the members help each other, encourage each other.”
What is your least favorite thing to do? “Administrative stuff and the advertising stuff. But I understand it’s part of it. Facebook.”
What is the best thing about owning your own business? “To see people come in here who have never touched a weight in their life, and two months later, see their progress, three months later, four months later.”
What is the biggest downside? “The money,” Cirino said with a laugh.
Tell us about your most memorable customer. “I have a woman at 65 years old who comes in here (and) has never touched a weight in her life. She’s been doing it for close to a year now and she’s absolutely fabulous at it.”
What is the biggest misconception about your business? “Injuries. I don’t know any sport that is injury free. Everybody gets injured in sports, whether you are doing it right or you are doing it wrong. Somewhere a long the line your body is going to break down. But, if you maintain proper form and stability, your chances of getting hurt are very, very slim.”
How would you describe your business philosophy? “Compassion, honestly. You know, people walk through this door and they are intimidated right off the bat. And I get that. You have to treat people with kindness and compassion. And whatever you do when you come in here is more than you would have done if you didn’t.”
What advice would you give someone thinking about opening a gym? “Think real, real hard before you do it. It is very expensive. The fitness industry is not cheap as far as it goes to equipment, weights.”
Daina Saleh is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
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