Julie Newman, owner and fitness director of the Shape Up Shoppe Fitness Club Inc., has been pushing women to their personal physical limits for 35 years. The health club started in Bay View in 1981 and added three locations in Wauwatosa in the late ’80s. In the early 2000s Newman decided to consolidate to the Bay View location and expand to three floors of fitness at 2697 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. and is proud to say that the Tosa members stayed with the club and commute to Bay View even when no one knew where Bay View was. Newman has always encouraged members to support all Bay View businesses to build the community. Part of the consolidation process was to have the members vote on the new building color and federal bright blue won to break up the streak of tan buildings on KK and to try to emulate some of the art districts in more progressive areas such as Tampa and Miami. It is no coincidence that one of the Tosa locations was the same blue. Popular classes at the Shape Up Shoppe include Cardio-Complete and Box Bag, which is taught by Dennis Newman, Julie’s husband and a former professional boxer. Members also have access to a full gym, cardio equipment and women’s day spa as well as a tiki deck and bamboo room to relax in after class. Off the Cuff spoke with Newman about her unique club and why she enjoys helping her clients.
How did the idea for the Shape Up Shoppe come about?
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The previous health clubs I worked for wouldn’t let me teach intense workouts. Primarily women were taking the cardio classes and the club owners would say, “Oh you have to be easier on the women,” to which I replied, “No you don’t.” So I started a women’s club because I wanted to kick butt without permission. Our goal here is pushing women to their full potential and motivating them to realize their full potential while providing injury-free workouts.
Why did you want to make the club exclusively for women?
By request! When I first opened in 1981 I had coed days and women-only days. Women really liked the change of not having to get ready to go to the club and interact with guys. At the previous clubs I worked at many guys would interrupt women during their workouts and try and correct their form. Don’t get me wrong, we love men, many of us just prefer to socialize with them after we work out. This also allows us to focus on women’s requests for shaping up certain problem areas. Each piece of choreography in the Cardio-Complete class focuses on a different area that many members request, such as lower abs, triceps and glutes, all the while staying aerobic and burning fat.
Why is fitness so important to you personally?
It’s to be healthy, much more than anything to do with looks. My dad died of cancer in my arms when I was 17 and he said, “Stay healthy, take care of yourself.” I’m all about internal wellness. My office is lined with letters that say things like “Julie, my doctor took me off my blood pressure meds today, I have no more hypertension thanks to your classes” or “I lost 30 pounds and I am no longer at risk for diabetes.” I get chills reading that. Those things thrill me. Helping people with internal wellness is definitely why I am in this business. Sweating off stress, being stronger and looking more fit are definitely great side effects though.
What are some tips you give to your clients?
Setting short-term goals is number one. Don’t think so far in advance. Rather, decide where you would like to be in four weeks. The most important thing is don’t be obsessed about every aspect of wellness all at once, get it out of your head and find the workout that motivates you so that you want to go more often. I guarantee customers that our classes will work for them. You just find what’s fun for you, show up as much as your schedule allows and I’ll make sure your heart rate is up. After four weeks you will be a different person. People often come up to me and say, “Oh my god I was dying that first week, but thank you, now I feel stronger and everything is falling into place.” Instead of thinking, “Oh I have to lose 50 pounds,” think, “All I have to do is show up and have fun.”
