Johnson Lane Fitness gets new owner

For Peter Price, bringing his wide and varied knowledge of athletic training to the greater community has been a goal for the better part of his adult life.

After six years of work with his start-up gym, Capitol Fitness, and as a personal trainer, he believes he's found his ideal venue.

Price, 45, learned that Minden-based Johnson Lane Fitness was up for sale and he jumped on the opportunity.

"I bought it May 1 and totally overahauled it," Price said. "I brought in about twice the amount of equipment that had been there previously and remodeled.

"I wanted to build a place for individuals dedicated to improving their quality of life.

This is for people that don't want to be at a meat market. You learn about hard training and setting goals.

"My feeling is that this is the nicest gym in the general area now. We have something for any type of athlete."

Price said his 6,000 square-foot gym is equipped with 30,000 pounds of free weights, climbing ropes, cardio equipment, cable training equipment, an 800-square-foot area for flexibility exercises, tanning beds, and locker rooms with full shower areas and handicapped shower stalls.

There are also areas for medicine ball training, swiss ball and yoga training and plyometric training.

"For the athlete, this place is ideal," said Price, who offers sport-specific training programs. "It was a vision that came to years ago. I have everything I need here in order to offer what is essential to any level of athlete."

Price brings a wide array of athletic experience to the table. He was a multi-sport star in high school and eventually took his standout bowling career on a pro tour.

"It just wasn't for me," he said with a laugh.

From there, he enlisted in the military and began body building and weight lifting.

"I was involved in some amateur body building and power lifting," he said.

He later studied kinesiology in college and got involved in martial arts and scuba diving. He also became an avid cyclist and triathlete.

Through it all, he felt a responsibility to share from his experience.

"I love to teach," he said. "I just love giving back from the knowledge I have."

Things took a tragic turn seven years ago when Price lost his son in a car accident.

"I just threw my whole life into training at that point," he said. "It was basically survival mode. After about a year of working through that, I accumulated some funds and some people in the area helped me set up Capitol Fitness."

Then, about four years ago, Price broke his neck. The next two and a half years were spent in recovery.

"They put my life at a real halt but the great people in this area helped out so much," he said. "I'm at a point in my life now - I believe everything happens for a reason - where I can start giving back to all the people that have been here for me over the years. This is my last stop for a while."

A little over a month into the new venture, Price said business is picking up.

"It's growing really quick," he said. "We get a lot of cops and firefighters. We get people training for the Death Ride or getting ready to enter the Army or the Marines.

"It's a hard-core atmosphere. If you're looking for results, this is where to find them."

Johnson Lane Fitness is located at 2248 Meridian Blvd. E off of Johnson Lane.

It is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 to 4 on Sundays.

For more information, visit www.johnsonlanefitness.com or call 267-0389.