Today we’d like to introduce you to Vinnie Ronca.
Vinnie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My passion for health and fitness started back in high school. I grew up playing sports and generally being active, but somewhere along the way I found myself overweight and unhappy. One day I decided something had to change, so I committed to myself that I would finally get healthy. Through strength training and proper nutrition, I was able to lose 50 pounds and establish a much healthier lifestyle. Reclaiming my health allowed me to more fully enjoy life in a number of ways. I knew that going forward, I wanted health and wellness to play a prominent role in my life and to be something I could share with others.
Fast forward 10+ years, I found myself living in Washington, DC and a friend recommended I check out a gym called MADabolic. I had been working out from home for as long as I could remember, having never really found a gym I enjoyed enough to become a member. As soon as I took my first class at MADabolic, that all changed. I had never experienced such a structured, purposeful, yet fun workout. The coaches were top notch and I found myself simultaneously challenged and encouraged all at the same time. I immediately signed up and became a consistent member for two years before I decided to make the move back to Houston. I decided that if I couldn’t be a member at MAD anymore, I would just have to bring it with me back to my hometown. A few short months later, I officially signed an agreement to open three MADabolic locations in Houston over the next few years.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While overall, I feel very blessed with how the whole process has played out, there have certainly been some challenges along the way. My Dad would always tell me to “Expect the expected”, meaning things are going to go wrong, but that’s okay. That’s just life, and when something does go wrong, we shouldn’t be surprised. We adjust and we make the most of it. Not to mention the countless times in life when I thought something went wrong, only to look back later and realize how much of a blessing that “problem” turned out to be. While the opening of our first location has taken longer than I had hoped (due to lease negotiations, permitting issues, financing, etc.), I can already see how those perceived delays will actually benefit us in the long run.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about MADabolic?
MADabolic is Houston’s first and only strength-driven interval training franchise. Our founders are former professional hockey players who leaned on their experience training as pro-athletes to build our program. Each workout is still carefully designed by hand and focuses on fundamental movement patterns like squatting, pushing, pulling, lunging, hinging, crawling, etc. While our workouts are very structured and purposeful, they are also extremely scalable to all fitness levels. Every workout is built around work-to-rest ratios so we can put a novice fitness goer and an elite athlete through the same workout and offer them equally effective results. While we are a group fitness program, our coaches go through a very extensive onboarding and their focus is always going to be on making sure you’re moving well and safely. At MADabolic, you’ll get a 1:1 training experience in a group setting. Here is a breakdown of our three signature intervals:
(M)OMENTUM
Work-To-Rest = 2:1
An energetic fusion of Athleticism & Endurance. Expect a gradual build in pace and intensity.
(A)NAEROBIC
Work-To-Rest = 1:1
An intense exhibition of Speed & Power.
This is the difference between “exercising” and “training.”
(D)URABILITY
Work-To-Rest = 3:1
A grueling display of Strength & Stamina.
Time under tension is a critical element of our programming.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Make sure your identity is not rooted in your career or business. While we all strive to be successful entrepreneurs or businessmen/businesswomen, the legacy you leave will be more about who you were as a person and how you treated those around you, not about the product you sold. Love people well and leave them better than you found them.
Pricing:
- 5 days for $5 – Try us out!
- 12-month unlimited – $188/month
- 1 month unlimited – $218/month
- 8 sessions per month (12-month contract) – $128/month
- 8 sessions per month (month to month)- $148/month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.madabolic.com/location/The-Heights
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mad_theheights/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MADabolictheheights
Image Credits
Ashlen Lee
Erin Garber
