Hilliard Gyms and Fitness

Yet another set of weights had been slid onto the already crowded bar as J.L. Holdsworth nudged it forward, squatted down, and stood back up with 905 pounds on his shoulders. The ability to perform this type of feat does not come about overnight. Before he opened The Spot Athletics, Holdsworth studied exercise science and nutrition at Wayne State University and worked with collegiate athletes as a Division I strength-and-conditioning coach. Although he could squat 905 pounds, he wasn’t content focusing solely on building muscle mass, so he developed a well-rounded fitness approach that includes conditioning the nervous system and training fascial planes through myofascial release and specialized stretches. He and his team of fitness instructors share this approach during fitness classes, personal-training sessions, and youth summer camps. Each of the high-intensity workouts unfolds inside Ultimate Sport Center’s 80,000-square-foot facility, which houses a basketball court, volleyball courts, a turf field, and one of Paul Bunyan’s 80,000-square-foot dumbbells displayed for inspiration.

In 2011, USGTF–certified instructor John Ubbing established indoor golf studio Columbus Golf Academy to spread swing-honing wisdom to eager pupils year round. An active coach at the middle- and high-school levels for the past 15 years, the passionate teacher has earned District and Regional Coach of the Year honors for his work at the varsity level and for once saving a community from a rogue golf cart. As clients pummel golf balls inside the Academy’s indoor hitting bay, John imparts corrective advice with a keen eye for each player's individual skills and physical capabilities. After lessons, clients depart with a better understanding of their swing and with drills such as putting exercises to further drive home new concepts or with strategies for improving unruly nine irons’ course etiquette.