A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Iron Rig Fitness Center in Florence offers personal training, ‘functional’ fitness — in family atmosphere


By Ryan Clark
NKyTribune reporter

Ten years ago, Andrew Rawles was just 16, but he was dangerously overweight.

He tipped the scales at more than 240 pounds, but even more alarming was the effect the weight was having on his health. He had pancreatitis. He had his gall bladder removed. All the junk food he was eating was making him seriously ill.

After his surgery he realized he needed to get in shape, so he began a diet and exercise regimen. Years went by and gradually, he began to lose some weight.

“But nothing was giving me the results I wanted,” says Rawles, who lives in Erlanger.

Then he met Joe Stotlar.

Joe Stotlar

Stotlar, a 26-year-old Arizona native, is a Marine, NKU student and fitness trainer who loves the cross-training style of exercise. He is a certified personal trainer, fitness nutritionist and exercise therapist, and he was able to help Rawles get results.

“I needed to know how to lift weights properly, and I needed to know different diet plans,” says Rawles, now a 27-year-old psychosocial facilitator. “I started seeing more results with Joe, so I’ve been with him ever since.”

That was three years ago. And Rawles now weighs 176 pounds.

He is just one of the growing clientele who have found Joe Stotlar and his Iron Rig Fitness Center in Florence.

“The best part of the center is we all encourage each other,” Rawles says. “It’s like a brotherhood. We try to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable, because — as we all say — when you’re here, you’re a part of something bigger.”

The fitness center, located at 8544 U.S. 42 in a Florence strip mall just next to Barleycorn’s restaurant, sometimes showcases its customers working out in their parking lot, though the landlords have told them to keep the exercises inside.

Still, on the inside the fitness center does not look like a normal center. You can tell that Stotlar is a fan of the tough mudder obstacle course races and Ninja Warrior-like exercises.

There’s a huge tire that begs to be flipped. Of course, imagining it is a lot easier than doing it. There are rings and ropes ready for climbing.

On its website, the center is described as “a fully equiped Cross Training gym.”


“We offer personal training, group fitness classes (high-intensity interval training and yoga) and open gym memberships,” it reads. “Now offering kids obstacle course race/Ninja Warrior classes and birthday parties!”

Obstacle course racing — that’s what Stotlar loves to do.

“I was a trainer at L.A. Fitness, then I started training on my own,” says Stotlar, who opened the fitness center nine months ago. “One day one of my clients said we should open our own gym, and that was the start of the idea.”

Stotlar, who lives in Florence, is studying exercise science while taking business classes at NKU.

“In our boot camp classes we offer group fitness, high-intensity training, cross training,” he says. “We mix in cardio with weights, and we like to prepare for obstacle course training. But we also offer classes for kids, who love to come in and climb around.”

Tim Peterson, who lives in Covington, invested in Stotlar’s business early on. Of course, he wanted to invest because he’s also been a client of Stotlar’s for three years.

“This is functional fitness,” says Peterson, a physician’s assistant at St. Elizabeth hospital. “You’ve got to be able to carry, climb, run. You use these things in life everyday. It’s old-school training and Joe designs everything. He keeps it creative and fun.”

Peterson joins Stotlar on his obstacle course races. They’ve now done 28 of them.

“When I got involved, I wanted to finish the races better,” he says. “I’m now finishing in the top 20 percent of the participants.”

So what about the future of the center?

“We keep getting bigger and bigger every month,” Peterson says. “We’d love to expand, get a bigger place and be able to do more inside and outside exercises.”

“We’ve got a lot more we want to do,” Stotlar says. “This is just the start.”

For more information: https://www.ironrigfitness.com/


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