Anytime Fitness in Oakmont named top club in Pennsylvania

Anytime Fitness in Oakmont was recently named the top club in the state by company officials.

There are more than 70 clubs in Pennsylvania and 2,466 in the United States.

The 24-hour gym at 111 Allegheny Ave. had ranked in the top 20 nationally since March 2018 and reached No. 1 in the commonwealth last month.

Clubs are evaluated monthly on a slew of criteria, including customer satisfaction, total membership and length of memberships.

“I’m thrilled (and) beyond proud of my staff,” owner Laura Lamouree said. “We (have) a fantastic membership base that has helped grow this club from the beginning. I could tell Oakmont was a very close-knit community. It really helps the community atmosphere of the gym, which was what the goal was.”

The 5,200-square-foot facility in the borough’s Edgewater development opened in March 2017 with 320 members. It currently has 894 members, most of whom are from Oakmont and Verona.

“Over the last two years, I’ve seen people form relationships,” said Lamouree, a Murrysville resident and 2003 Franklin Regional graduate. “I’ve seen people reconnect. It’s creating more than just a place for people to work out.”

Lamouree, manager Chris Domenico and two others run the business. Both have personal training experience.

The gym has free weights, various machines, a cardio section with each treadmill and bike having its own TV, hydro-massage and a group fitness area.

Lamouree said many people come to the gym for the personal and group training.

“I hire people that are very good at what they do,” she said. “We have that expertise to be able to help.”

Resident Bill Keller, former owner of Anytime Fitness in Natrona Heights, said the Oakmont location is one of the best he’s ever seen.

“It’s the access, the owner, the trainers, clientele, the equipment,” Keller said. “It can go on and on. It’s a nice relaxing workout. You’re not hounded by personal trainers.”

Resident Jim Godish was working out with Keller and echoed his thoughts on the always-open gym.

“You don’t feel like you’re in a basement, and everybody in here’s pretty friendly,” Godish said. “I haven’t ran into one who isn’t.”

Lamouree graduated from Robert Morris University in 2007 with a degree in television and video production. After some time working for local media outlets, she decided to work for Anytime Fitness in 2012 after being a member for two years.

She learned from Brian Murray, who owned the Murrysville, White Oak and Leechburg branches.

“I really got to know the franchise and I got to know the model and was lucky enough to work for somebody who was very successful, and I owe him a lot,” she said. “He sold his locations and moved out of state. At that point, (I thought) I could continue working for somebody else or I could do this myself. … In high school, I wanted to own a business and had no idea what business I wanted to own.”

Lamouree said she plans to expand personal training and group services in the future.

Discount memberships are available for emergency responders, teachers, local businesses and military personnel.