Business: Platinum Fitness Performance & Wellness Center

Address: 8 Pecks Lane

Owner: Randy Lockwood

What is your business background? “I’ve had [a place] in Milford … and then Danbury for the last 14 years. I have [an] exercise science degree, massage therapy degree, technically a physical therapy degree, which I don’t practice. I’ve been doing this for 22 years come October. It’s something that I love. It’s different … My master’s degree was technically a doctorate … When I saw that route that you could only help certain people instead of everybody, that’s when I took the switch in my brain of ‘How can I help everybody?’ … When we go to a gym, we think we need to have six-pack abs, we’ve got to look like the poster child, we have to have these big gnarly muscles … Most of us don’t want that. But that’s what we’re selling. When you go to a normal gym, you’re selling: ‘You can lose weight!’ Here’s the scary part: I don’t want anybody to lose weight. I want muscle. I want muscle to sustain the rest of your life so you can play with your kids, or your grandkids, whatever your heart desires to do because if you can’t do that, what’s the purpose of life? ... There’s no right way for fitness, and there’s no wrong way for fitness. Everybody’s different, but everybody responds differently.”

What is your business’ focus? “Longevity and fitness. Like I said, you want to be with your spouse, your partner, your kids. You want to enjoy life, and, unfortunately, there’s more care in sick care than there is healthcare … We take a holistic mind, body, and soul approach to movement. Anybody can lift the weight, it’s why you’re lifting the weight. What are you doing for tomorrow, that’s the next goal. Most of, if not all of my clients, tell us either [they have been] injured by another trainer, sold crap, unfortunately been hurt in the workforce, and the doctor said ‘You can’t do this.’ We’re the guys going, ‘Okay, I’ll change that.’ That’s our mentality. There is no ‘no’ on where you should be in life.”

What is something important to you that readers should know about your business? “It’s not what you expect it to be. Fitness is different. We think we know what it is … I could be the Shoemaker’s shoe, too. I can be lazy if I need to be, but I know the outcome is a whole different ballgame. If you don’t take care of you and find time for you — remember, we’re all busy, kids, husbands, wives, whatever it is, sports — you need to find a way to find one hour just for you. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. If you can’t, you’re just coasting through life waiting for something to happen.”

Hours: Staffed hours include: Monday-Friday 6 am-7:30 pm and Saturday 7 am-11 am; members have 24 hour access to the facility.

Website: platinumfitnessct.com, @platinumfitnessct on Instagram.

Phone: Call or text 203-470-3723.

E-mail: platinumfitnessct@gmail.com