This column is sponsored by BizLaunch, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
Because Arlington earned the title of Fittest City in the U.S. for the third year in a row last week, we thought we’d use this as an opportunity to highlight one of Arlington’s newest fitness brands, Method Fitness, which opened its doors earlier this year.
Aryan Siahpoushan, the founder of Method Fitness, moved to Arlington after college and began working for one of the Big Four consulting firms in the region.
“After about six months in, I realized it wasn’t for me,” Siahpoushan said. “In college, I majored in business because I wanted to be an entrepreneur; at the time, however, I didn’t know what my future business would be.”
Through much self-reflection and research, Siahpoushan realized he wanted to work in the fitness industry. After a year at the consulting firm, he left for a career change and began working at a gym in Ballston.
“Working there was an opportunity for me to obtain certifications, gain training experience and learn more about the industry in real-time,” he said.
Toward the end of 2019, Siahpoushan left to become an independent personal trainer for a local gym in Arlington.
“My intention was to open my own gym someday soon, so I became an independent personal trainer to gain experience managing and building clientele — without the overhead of my own space,” he said.
Then, COVID-19 came and forced gyms to close in March 2020.
“In many ways, COVID-19 accelerated the opening of Method Fitness,” Siahpoushan explained. “While during the lockdown I was still providing sessions, albeit virtually, but the volume at which I was training simply wasn’t the same as before. This afforded me the opportunity to truly focus on my business plan.”
In July 2020, he began looking for space to open his one-on-one fitness concept and secured a location at 3315 Langston Blvd (formerly Lee Highway) in December.
“I saw an opportunity within the industry that could thrive, especially given the ‘new normalʼ that COVID presented us — the concept of a one-on-one fitness space that provides clients an exclusive environment for just personal training, which differs from a big-box gym,” Siahpoushan said.
To help him with his business plan, Siahpoushan sought out the Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) through George Mason University. He began meeting with his counselor, Mark Julian, in July 2020.
“My counselor was instrumental in helping get Method Fitness off the ground, serving as a resource and sounding board for my idea,” Siahpoushan said. “Outside of friends and family, he was the only person I spoke to about my idea.”
With its consistent ranking as the Fittest City in the U.S., it makes sense that Arlington would be a desirable location for a fitness startup.
“People in Arlington prioritize their fitness,” Siahpoushan said. “When I come in before 6 a.m., I constantly see people along Langston Blvd run, bike and walk to start their day.”
Since opening earlier this year, Method Fitness has seen a positive response from the community, allowing Siahpoushan to bring on two additional trainers, Mateo Moore and Justin Fabella.
Method Fitness offers in-person and virtual one-on-one personal training sessions customized to meet clients’ needs for those looking to focus on their fitness goals. Check out their website to schedule your initial consultation and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.