TRAVERSE CITY — It’s all about goals.
That could easily be said of Mitch Snider during his playing days for Traverse City West hockey, and it’s certainly still true today.
The former area hockey star opened his own gym in downtown Traverse City, believed to be the first on Front Street in recent history.
Uki Gym is a private workout space, designed for professionals and business people, as well as athletes who want to stay in peak condition.
“It’s a community gym shrunk down to a size for people who want to make progress,” Snider said.
Snider played at Traverse City, helping the Titans to their first Big North Conference championship in 2006 and winning four in a row. He later played for the Alpena Icediggers and Traverse City North Stars in the North American Hockey League before moving on to Manhattanville College and Arizona State University.
Following his playing days, Snider traveled, backpacking through New Zealand to find inspiration. Then it hit him.
“I was accumulating ideas to get back into hockey,” Snider said. “I missed the game so much.”
He returned to Traverse City and started a path as a personal trainer, working at several Traverse City gyms over the last three years.
Last October, he took the plunge and opened his own gym, the first on Front Street in downtown Traverse City, located right behind the Cook’s House.
His clients include professional hockey player and former Traverse City Central star Jared VanWormer.
Snider worked as a personal trainer in TC-area gyms the last three years before deciding to go out on his own.
“Being from TC, that is the most special part. This is my home,” Snider said. “Front Street is great. I remember going to Friday Night Live every summer weekend. I remember just finding any body of water to jump in with my friends. I’m glad to give back to TC something that doesn’t include jumping off a bridge.”
Uki can handle up to 6-8 clients at a time, although Snider likes to keep it lower than that to provide more personalized detail.
“The space basically does the work for itself,” Snider said. “It was created for a human to have the best workout possible.”
Snider tailors a program specifically or each customer, addressing imbalances, taking into consideration overused muscles/joints and providing an atmosphere where his clients can get the most out of their sessions.
The space is filled with plants, calming music, custom woodwork, full-spectrum lighting, purified air, a pure water filtration system and even wildlife — his cats, Masa and ‘Lani.
“It’s a little different because I’m so obsessed and focused on the little details,” Snider said. “Most gyms don’t have nature.”
The gym — with more details at ukigym.art — features over 1,000 pounds of weights, including rubber ones for the free weights, like on the dead lift platform. There’s also several multi-use stations. Bare feet are optional.
Rachel Starr, whose sons play hockey, has gone to the gym since it opened.
“When we’re working out at other gyms, they’re crowded,” Starr said. “You’re waiting for equipment. There’s no competition for equipment. I’m all about efficiency.”
The 52-year-old veterinarian and her husband Jay learned of the gym when Snider was helping train Traverse City West players as part of their summer workout program.
“When you’re there, the whole gym is yours,” Starr said. “It’s great for busy people.”