Couple opens ‘alternative' gym

A pair of trainers create their own business, By Laurie Gordon Franklin — A new “gym” is opening here on Feb. 1. The reason the word gym is in quotation marks is that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill gym. Full Throttle Fitness is based on the concept that if you keep moving, the results are going to be ten-fold those of more traditional workouts. Business wise, Full Throttle Fitness is a calculated leap of faith. “We know we’re awesome at what we do,” said co-owner Karen Verbeke. “But when it comes to the business aspect, we’re doing this all on our own with our own savings.” She’s not worried. And neither is her partner, both in the business and in life, Mike Tedesco. “When you’ve seen people’s lives change because you’ve helped them, there’s no question,” said Verbeke. Verbeke and Tedesco met while both were working at the Sussex County YMCA as trainers. Though they loved their clientele and the Y, they found they were drawn to a different, more out-of-the-box sort of training. One thing led to another and now the couple is raising their collective five children and starting a business. Both gave notice at the Y two weeks ago and so the leap of faith begins. Verbeke said the closest comparison to what they do is something called Cross Fit. “What we do is all high intensity interval training.” This all began last summer when the couple started offering what they call boot camps at Franklin Town Park. “People loved it,” said Verbeke, but then the weather turned cold. “They asked us ‘What now?’” That’s when the pipe dream became a reality. They looked to rent out space and settled on 49 Church St. in Franklin. Verbeke is 42 and grew up a Jersey girl in West Milford. She had her entrée into the fitness business at age 18 and has herself competed in a number of triathlons. She and Tedesco live in Jefferson. He’s a retired Port Authority policeman. He worked for the Port Authority for 12 years, and spent three as its fitness director. “When 911 happened, that was it,” Verbeke said, so Tedesco found work closer to home, which has been Sussex County for his entire adult life. Birds of a feather “It’s so hard to find someone with the same work ethic athletically and in the training business,” Verbeke said of herself and Tedesco. “We just started developing programs together.” Both have helped run weight loss challenge programs. “You can change people’s lives and you can see it happening.” It’s this same interest in seeing results that has led them to create Full Throttle. It isn’t a “gym” per se. There’s no free gym time when people can work out like a traditional gym. Rather, it’s all program based beginning at 9:30 am with personal training. From there, the day will unfold into classes including: kettle bells, cardio kick boxing, boot camp, mixed martial arts conditioning and other private training options later in the day. People who know the couples’ training are excited about the new facility. Fans include Hamburg Police Chief Jan Wright, who said, “I do like the concept of training that is for function. As I tell the new police recruits, ‘I have never bench pressed or squatted a suspect, but I have sprinted then have had to use my strength, coordination and cardio to complete the call.’” For more information, e-mail them at fullthrottlefitness@gmail.com or call 973-713-6293.