PHOTO: Renegade Personal Training & Fitness is located in Eagan at 4590 Scott Trail, Suite 102. They are on the Web at www.renegade-fitness.net .  Photo submitted

After considering his options, Branson launched Renegade Personal Training & Fitness on April 1, 2009. 

He said he created the Renegade brand in hopes of putting a dent in the personal training and fitness industry.  His brand was fueled by the desire to help people achieve a healthy way of life.

The folks at Renegade recently took time out to answer questions for the Dakota County Tribune Business Weekly’s Spotlight.

Q. What are some milestones in the company?

A. Since opening its doors, Renegade expanded from its original 1,500 square feet to 2,500 square feet, adding more state-of-the-art Life Fitness equipment, kettlebells and strong man training equipment.

We’ve also added four additional highly qualified personal trainers and two nutritionists in the last year and a half.

Currently, for the convenience of our clients, we are in process of constructing both men’s and women’s locker rooms complete with showers and custom lockers.  In addition to the locker room expansion, we are obtaining an additional 500 square feet, creating a 3,000-square-foot facility.

Q. What are the basic services or products that your provide?

A. With our facility, our goal is to provide a non-intimidating environment with the luxury equipment that larger health clubs offer.  With our open floor space and wide variety of knowledge and equipment, we offer 1-on-1 personal training, nutrition planning, small-group personal training, boot camps, kettlebell and strong man training, sports performance enhancement, movement pattern screens and triathlon training.

Q. What is a product or service you provide that many people would be surprised to know?

A. Kettlebell and strong man training.  Larger facilities do not offer these training methods due to the over-crowding membership base and equipment clutter.  These methods require an open floor space, knowledgeable trainers and a strong desire to sweat, and succeed.

We also offer a blog with weekly updates discussing fat-loss tips, myths and training secrets. Well, not all of them. With the Internet having false information readily available, we want to keep our clients and readers informed.

Q. What kind of civic involvement is the company or its employees involved in?

A. At Renegade, we donate personal training packages to the following foundations: Minnesota Children’s Museum Access Program, which helps open the doors to 130,000 children and adults, to visit the museum each year through free or reduced admission.  We also donate to the Eagan Rotary Club and the Eagan Citizens Crime Prevention Association.

Through our donations, our goal is to help fight the cure to child and adult obesity.

In addition, we welcome Augsburg college students for an intense internship program.  Our goal is to train “future trainers,” to step outside of the health club box, and educate them to get results faster than their certifications allow them too.

Q. What is the most rewarding part about being involved in your field?

A. The most rewarding part of being in the center of the health and fitness community is helping people discover their true potential, whatever it may be.  As human beings, we are creatures of habit, both good and bad.

Teaching people to utilize their good habits to overcome their bad habits is an amazing feat. When human potential is discovered, longevity is increased, quality of life is improved, and people start to take ownership over their decisions. 

Q. Why do you like having your business located where it is?

A. We are located on one of Minnesota’s busiest streets, in the same building of Acu-chiropractic. Referring back and forth, we are creating a healthier community. 

We are also located within a few miles of two large health club facilities and several other personal training facilities. At the center of things, we have to outperform our competition. Our client testimonials reveal that results speak for themselves.  And that is what it’s all about: results.

Q. If the business has local ownership or management, provide some information about the people in these positions?

A. All of the Renegade trainers live in the communities of Eagan, Lakeville and Apple Valley. 

Q) What was the motivation to start the business?

A. As previous employees of a prior “big box” gym, we all witnessed a failure rate.  For years, on a daily basis, we witnessed individuals stuck in their same routine, never getting anywhere with their goals.  Many of them didn’t even understand what a goal was or how to accomplish a goal if they had one.

We sought out our own goal to help people achieve.  In order to do so, we created an atmosphere that encompassed everything a “big box” club had, but on a much smaller level. We take the approach that the only thing that matters is results. That’s what matters to our clients.  We all feel that the rest that goes into the fitness business is irrelevant.

Q) What advice do you have for other business owners either in your  own field or generally?

A) Results speak volume, nothing else matters!

Renegade Personal Training & Fitness is located at 4590 Scott Trail, Suite 102, in Eagan. It can be reached by calling (651) 402-8847 or online at www.renegade-fitness.net .


Managing editor Tad Johnson compiles the Dakota County Tribune Business Weekly’s Spotlight, which specializes in featuring local small business and micro business owners. To suggest a business for a Spotlight feature, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it