WHO Chelsea Baugher, owner of Detroit Sweat in Royal Oak (detroitsweat.fitness).
WHO ELSE Baugher and her husband, Tim, live in Birmingham and are expecting their first child this month.
WHAT IT IS “Detroit Sweat opened its doors in July 2021,” Baugher says. “I've always envisioned having my own gym/space someday but never thought it would turn into such an incredible journey as this.”
THE BACKSTORY “After ending an eight-year sales career, I knew that my passion was in health and fitness. I became a certified personal trainer at the age of 28, and had to find a way to make it work, plus make money. I worked at a small gym 25 hours a week, while also working retail for Lululemon for a few years until I began to expand my career by working in a corporate gym setting. After months of building a private clientele, the pandemic hit: I was furloughed, and all gyms were shut down. There was only one choice — pivot and regroup myself and clients. I created a studio in my basement for virtual training and called it Detroit Sweat, which included group classes, 1:1 private training and many outside park workouts. I was finally able to look for a brick-and-mortar space in the fall of 2020.”
THE VISION “My goal was and remains to continue serving this community with efficient workouts, constant motivation and to hold individuals accountable to their health goals. Our brand of fitness includes workouts that focus on muscle endurance, strength training and metabolic conditioning. Being an athlete my entire life, I wanted to incorporate different ways to move the body in the most efficient and effective way.”
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT “We are known for our effective and efficient training model, which includes three full-body workouts per week. Clients will always have an accountability trainer coaching them and will never feel left out. Our goal is to be there for you, encourage you and make sure you are living up to the goals you have set. You can count on us to give you direction, motivation and commitment every single session.”
THE DETAILS “We offer a semi-private membership and personal training memberships. With four certified trainers on staff, including myself, our semi-private members have access and flexibility to attend three sessions/week. On average, there are 24 semi-private sessions on the schedule each week, which are a max capacity of six people per session, with one trainer. Personal training consists of a more customizable approach to the individual, and these sessions are planned out with a trainer.
Our space and equipment reflects functional training. We have 2,000 square feet of training space that includes dumbbells, kettlebells, slam balls, resistance training tools, rowers, skiers, bikes, sleds and three barbell racks.”
THE PHILOSOPHY “Our training programs deliver an all-around approach to a sustainable body, with rest and recovery between sessions to ensure our members are coming back to their next session ready to go.”
WHAT SHE LOVES ABOUT WHAT SHE DOES “There is nothing more fulfilling than helping people move better, feel better, reach their goals, increase their confidence and function better in their everyday lives.”
THE GRATITUDE “I’m proud of the Detroit Sweat community we have built inside these four walls and beyond. We have such a special and unique group of members who want to better themselves. The Detroit Sweat name speaks for itself, and I’m so grateful for the support that has been poured out over the past two years.”
THE WORKOUT
FIVE-EXERCISE CIRCUIT: 10 REPS, 3X THROUGH
#1: DUMBBELL SQUAT THRUSTER
Focus: legs, core and shoulders
A. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, and dumbbells in a front racked position on the shoulders. B. While maintaining a proud chest and engaging your abs, lower your body into a squat stance. C. Keeping elbows up, stand up and raise the dumbbells overhead with a push-press movement. Simultaneously return the dumbbells to the shoulders and repeat for 10 repetitions.
#2: REVERSE LUNGE TO BICEP CURL
Focus: legs, core and biceps
A. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart. Take a step backwards with one foot and lower your back knee toward the floor, while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge with both legs and dumbbells remaining at your side. B. Lightly push off the back foot while using your front leg to return back to a standing position, while simultaneously bringing both dumbbells towards the shoulders while keeping elbows still next to the rib cage to complete a dual bicep curl. Repeat on the other side, for a total of 5 reps per side.
#3: SLIDER ATOMIC PUSH UPS
Focus: core, shoulders, chest
A. Bring yourself to the floor and enter a high plank position, with your toes on the middle of the sliders. B. While maintaining a tight core, slowly lower yourself into a push-up position, and as you return to the high plank position bring your knees in towards your elbows contracting your abs while slowly extending your feet back into the starting position. That is 1 rep. Continue for 10 reps, and modify to your knees for the push-up if needed.
#4: SUSPENSION BACK ROW
Focus: mid/upper back, biceps
A: Begin by adjusting the strap length and ensure handles are parallel. Grasp the handles, extend your arms and walk your feet forward till your body is at a 45-degree angle, while the shoulders are pulled back and down. B: Maintain a neutral grip holding the handles while squeezing your shoulders blades together as you pull/row your chest up to the handles with your elbows close to the sides of the body. Be sure to pull your rib cage down. Do not hyperextend the hips. C: Lower yourself back down and be cautious not to round the spine, but instead keeping a nice neutral spine position. Repeat 10 times.
#5: ALTERNATING SINGLE LEG V-UP
Focus: core and lower body
A: Lie flat on your back with your legs extended out in front of you and your arms extended behind you. Lift your right arm and left leg off the floor into a V position to meet as close together as they can. Return to the starting position. Then lift your left arm and right leg off the floor into a V position to meet as close together as they can. Repeat for 5 reps per side.
The trainers: Carly McPhail, personal trainer and group coach, Chelsea Baugher, owner and head trainer, Anna Newblatt, personal trainer and group coach.
