More Women Choosing Butterfly Life

SPRING HILL - The members at all-women gyms go as much for the camaraderie as they do for the health benefits.

Butterfly Life opened in Brooksville largely because the owner felt the other gyms did not offer enough of the latter.

The weights are better, the machines provide better resistance and there are 54 different classes available, said Melinda Barrable, who opened the city's newest gym in August.

"Everybody gets the benefit here," she said. "It's just a beautiful place to be. I have a wonderful group of women here."

Membership is approaching 100, but Barrable has plenty of room for more. Her goal is to exceed 350.

There are 10 machines available for circuit training. There also is a 55-inch flat-screen television, connected to a DVD player, on the wall for aerobics or yoga classes.

Barrable was skeptical in the beginning about the DVD classes. She thought any woman could have the same luxury at home and no one would want to pay a monthly fee and drive to the gym to get a similar workout.

"But then I realized women don't do their tapes at home," she said. "As long as people are in a group, they enjoy it more and are more likely to do it."

The 10 machines work all of the major muscle groups - arms, shoulders, chest, back, abdominals and legs. Members can opt to use each machine for 40 seconds at a time or 20 seconds. They switch machines when the light overhead changes from green to red. There are no rings or repetitive voice recordings.

To warm up, women can either stretch or use one of the available trampolines.

"There are better machines here," said Ramona Whatley, a former member of Curves. "I like the fact there are weights ... and classes.

"My 17-year-old daughter comes here with me," she continued. "She doesn't have to deal with the male issues at other gyms."

Barrable said the machines she uses at her gym are the same as those used at Gold's Gym. She pointed to the leg press machine and explained how it can be used to exercise all the muscles in the legs - gluts, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. It all depends on how you use it.

There are seven mother-daughter pairings at Butterfly Life. The membership age ranges from 13 to 84, Barrable said.

"Sometimes, people do a class and sometimes they come to do a circuit," she continued. "Sometimes, they do both. They always have more energy when they leave."

Since August, at least two of her members have lost more than 20 pounds, Barrable said.

There are diet and exercise programs available for members. Barrable is running a special that is expected to last through January. Monthly memberships are $34.95 and a one-time processing fee has been reduced to $49.95. The membership fee has been waived.

In February, Butterfly Life is offering a Weight-Loss Express program, which will include a diet plan and boot camp.

Participants will meet at the gym twice per week for the boot camp sessions. It will last for approximately six weeks.

The cost will be $69 for members and $99 for nonmembers. Barrable has owned the gym for five months and already she is seeing women who have dramatically reduced their arthritis pain. Others have lost so much weight, they can feel bones and muscles they did not realize they had.

"With the classes and machines, you can get all the cardio you need," she said. "You can get as little as you want or as much as you want."

Barrable's gym has more space in the back. There is a locker room and a kitchen area where she keeps bottled water and juices.

The empty space in the back is likely to be turned into something for members to use - perhaps an aerobics room or a spinning room. It all depends on membership and demand.

"When I looked at other franchises, I didn't get a good feel," Barrable said, recalling how she chose Butterfly Life to be her next business. "There is a community of women here. We talk about everything."