It all works out at Athletic Club

It’s a “club,” not a “gym.”

That is, to Ted and Kellan Eisenhardt, the essential difference between their newly expanded athletic facility at Meadowmeer and other local outfits with weights and stationary bikes.

Members of the Bainbridge Athletic Club may come for the workout, but it’s hoped that they’ll stay for the atmosphere.

“We feel like this is something not available on Bainbridge that we wanted to provide,” said Ted Eisenhardt, co-owner with his wife, Kellan.

No longer just a “racquet club,” the 14,000 square feet of new workout space offer an expansive weight room – “everything that anybody could want to use,” Ted Eisenhardt said – a fitness studio awash in natural light and other amenities.

Eighteen new stationary bicycles crowd a downstairs room, while the mezzanine above offers a bird’s-eye view of the action on the newly refurbished tennis courts. A steam room and sauna adjoin new locker and shower rooms.

The layout is arrayed around a high-ceilinged lobby with a “pro shop” for equipment, clothing and snacks.

When the new patio gets poured outside, the Eisenhardts hope the facility will pick up a “family atmosphere” that carries beyond workouts to social events like barbecues.

Two levels of membership are available: “Tennis” – which actually includes access to all of the facilities – and the less-expensive “Fitness,” for those who just want the equipment. Tennis membership will be capped at 300 to ensure that members get enough court time.

Designed by architect Dennis Kirkpatrick and completed at what Ted termed a “substantial” investment, it marks a new phase for the facility off Koura Road purchased by the Eisenhardts 14 years ago.

“In terms of how many people we can accommodate at one time, it’s probably tenfold,” Ted said.

The club’s motto: “Be fit, be well, be yourself.” In other words, the non-muscle-bound are welcome, too.

“We’d not want to connote the Arnold Schwarzenegger look,” Ted said. “We want people to feel good about themselves when they’re here, and about whatever program they’re a part of.”

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