The gym Pump24 is coming soon to Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Inside Pump24 Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Pump24 Vienna General Manager Rachel Jenkins (courtesy Rachel Jenkins)

The front desk at Pump24 Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Hyrox equipment inside Pump24 Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A new gym is getting warmed up in Vienna’s former Tuesday Morning storefront.

After months of preparation, Pump24 Vienna anticipates opening in the Vienna Shopping Center at 136A Maple Avenue sometime in August, though the official launch date remains a moving target.

“That is the million-dollar question,” Pump24 Vienna General Manager Rachel Jenkins said when asked about a possible opening date.

According to Jenkins, the delay primarily stems from the addition of some equipment, including Hyrox rigs custom-designed by one of the gym’s owners, that wasn’t shown in the original floor plans submitted for permits from Fairfax County.

“We were saying July before, so that did get pushed back a little bit, but I would say we’re hoping to open in the next few weeks or so,” she told FFXnow during an interview on Aug. 5.

A resident of Burke, Jenkins originally got involved with Pump24 as a member of its sister gym, Olympus Gym, which has been operating in the area since 1971 and counts wrestler and actor Dave Bautista among its former members. She was introduced to Olympus by a friend shortly after graduating from college and quickly fell in love with the atmosphere and community.

Jenkins soon established her own business as a personal trainer at Olympus, drawing the attention of its owners. After hiring her as an assistant manager in Burke, they raised the possibility of her leading a planned expansion to Vienna.

“[They said] it’s gonna take someone who loves people and loves going out into the community. We think you’d be great at that,” she recalled. “That’s how I got here. I absolutely love it. I have the ability to say I love what I do, which is really rare nowadays, so I feel very grateful.”

Also found in Harrisonburg and South Riding, Pump24 works with personal trainers as independent contractors who can offer one-on-one sessions and lead group classes.

At 6,005 square feet, the Vienna location is slightly smaller than Olympus in Burke, which is around 7,000 square feet in size with higher ceilings, Jenkins says. But the look of the space and the equipment provided are more modern, with workout options ranging from weights and the aforementioned Hyrox rigs to sit-up racks, kneeling leg curl machines and a functional training area for stretching, pushups and other exercises.

Jenkins says one of her favorite pieces of equipment is the pit shark machine, which is used for squats and helps with lower back issues.

Pump24 Vienna General Manager Rachel Jenkins demonstrates a belt squat on a pit shark machine (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Pump24 also differs from Olympus in allowing around-the-clock operations, as implied by its name. The gym’s main entrance will be from the parking lot behind the retail strip, rather than off of Maple Avenue, and it will be locked at all times, with members scanning a card to gain access.

Staff will be on site during certain hours, likely from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the times could change depending what’s needed.

“We want staff here when our members are here, obviously,” Jenkins said. “So, members can be here of all ages during staffed hours, but in order to use our unstaffed hours, members must be 17 and older.”

While the gym is still working to finalize an opening date, Jenkins says she’s excited to meet the inaugural members and is working on planning a VIP open house. The event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert and raffles.

Pre-sales are currently underway, with discounted rates starting at $23 for two weeks or $33 for the ability to bring a guest for free. Jenkins says all members will get a free trial day before billing starts.

As Pump24 Vienna’s general manager, Jenkins hopes to create the same “kind and supportive” environment she found at Olympus. She noted that, unlike many of the fitness chains found in Fairfax County, parent company Reef Fitness is locally and family-owned.

Among the four owners is Mike Bianucci, a former minor-league baseball player who retired in 2015. He now lives in Florida, where Reef Fitness recently launched a new all-women’s gym concept called Peach by Pump, but he was born in Fairfax.

Jenkins says the company is planning to expand further “at a very rapid pace” but hasn’t announced any specific locations yet.

“What drew me to them and what kept me there [at Olympus] is the people,” Jenkins said. “… Vienna is very community-based, so we want to bring that community into a gym, and I love the idea of that. I love the idea of creating a space that is welcoming, safe and supportive, and the fact that I get to lead that is super-cool.”