BEST TRAINING GROUNDS
For our Community Advisory Board members—leaders who juggle demanding careers, philanthropic commitments and social engagements—physical wellbeing isn’t optional. Workouts provide the foundation that sustains their demanding lives, giving them the energy to show up fully for the causes they champion and the stamina to stay sharp long-term. When every minute counts, the right personal trainer becomes a secret weapon. These are the fitness pros our advisors trust to deliver results.
Adria Starkey: Jovan Milovanovic, Pure Skill Fitness
Working out at Pure Skill Fitness offers a 50-minute reset for Adria Starkey. “It’s like my little haven,” she says. The Naples studio, which offers both group and private training, uses AI-powered Technogym equipment to track performance in real-time. Group classes follow a circuit-style format—mixing strength, cardio, mobility and endurance drills—while private sessions use the same framework, tailored to the individual.
For Adria, the draw is trainer Jovan Milovanovic. “He knows who I am and works with me from that perspective,” she says of the NASM-certified trainer and corrective exercise specialist.
As president of FineMark Bank Collier County and a trustee for the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), Adria is wired to push herself—an asset in business, but risky in the gym. “I was notorious for getting hurt,” she says. With Jovan’s help, she broke the cycle. He prioritized posture and mobility before layering in heavy weights, adjusting intensity based on her cues. A typical session includes a five-minute warmup, weight training, cardio bursts and stretching—but every day varies. If Adria shows signs of strain or fatigue, Jovan eases off. If she’s breezing through, he raises the bar.
With his guidance, she’s seeing the lasting results she used to chase. Now, she’s training smarter, not harder—and feels stronger for it. —Annamarie Simoldoni
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Courtesy Pure Skill Fitness
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Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
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From Pure Skill Fitness in Naples (first picture) to Iron DNA Fitness in Fort Myers (pictured above), these trainer-led gyms offer efficient, full-spectrum workouts, built for high-performing schedules.
Dwayne Bergmann: Josh Vogelbach, 2 The Top
A force in Southwest Florida’s interior design scene, Fort Myers’ Dwayne Bergmann is always on the go. To keep up the pace, our board member trains like an athlete, waking up at 5:30 a.m. to meet with Josh Vogelbach, owner and certified personal trainer at Fort Myers’ 2 The Top. “When you go to 2 The Top, you’re there to work out and get it done,” Dwayne says.
When he hits the jersey-lined gym, the designer has two goals: increase longevity and feel strong day-to-day. Josh’s functional fitness-focused approach delivers. A former college football player, the coach blends foundational conditioning drills, like squats, lunges and box jumps—exercises made for bodies in motion—with a balanced push-pull approach that allows alternating muscle groups to recover between sets. The result is an effective and sustainable combination of strength and cardio training that gets results without burning him out. “The workouts are focused on building strength rather than bodybuilding,” Dwayne says. Thanks to the smart, athletic pacing and emphasis on real-world strength work, the entrepreneur’s morning grind keeps him sharp long after the session ends. —A.S.
Denise Cobb: Zachary Weidemeyer, P-Fit
Denise Cobb had never been inclined toward exercise, but 30 minutes with Zachary Weidemeyer, owner of North Naples’ P-Fit, changed her mind. The Gulfshore Life board president and NCEF trustee had dabbled in fitness classes around town. Nothing stuck until she stepped into her first HIIT (high-intensity interval training) class at P-Fit and was hooked by Zachary’s infectious energy.
The industrial-style gym—tucked off Old 41 in a lofty warehouse, where the doors roll open to let in the fresh air—hosts 30-minute HIIT classes every 45 minutes, starting as early as 5 a.m. Sessions are small, fast-paced and constantly varied, incorporating moves like squat-to-press combinations, resistance sprints, push sleds and core-stability drills. “It’s like he’s in your head, pushing you just the right amount,” Denise says of her go-to trainer, who walks the room offering real-time cues and personalized modifications, so no one falls behind.
She also loves the community feel. Zachary knows everyone by name—from the teen athlete to the 80-something retiree. “It’s not just a workout—it’s a community,” Denise, a former CNN news anchor, says. “By the end of each session, we’re all clapping and shouting ‘FAMILY!’” —Emma Witmer
Courtesy P-Fit, photography by Brian Tietz
Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
Carly Schwartzel: Seth Hayes, Iron DNA Fitness
Between serving on nonprofit committees, raising two kids and being married to Gulfshore Life president Jim Schwartzel, Carly keeps a packed schedule. For her, fitness is about efficiency and momentum. She trains three days a week at Fort Myers’ Iron DNA Fitness with in-demand trainer Seth Hayes. Her coach brings a multidisciplinary approach, with certifications in sports performance, functional strength and mind-body coaching. “He maximizes your time and is completely focused on you,” Carly says.
Each hour-long session at the sleek, 19,000-square-foot facility starts with a 10-minute warm-up, followed by a mix of fundamentals (squatting, lunging, running) and strength-building exercises, using tools like a weighted bamboo bench press bar to challenge balance and stability. Training with Seth is less about complicated regimens or flashy equipment and more about building strength with precision; sessions are tailored to how a client moves that day.
His prescription proves effective. In December, Carly was doing chest presses with 10-pound weights. By March, she’d jumped to 25s in each hand. “I know I’m going to get a good workout in [with him],” she says. —Addison Pezoldt
Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
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At Iron DNA Fitness, trainer Seth Hayes brings a multidisciplinary edge, with certifications in sports performance, functional strength and mind-body coaching.
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Courtesy Iron DNA Fitness/Lionstar Photography
best training grounds swfl power player trainers iron dna
At these gyms, progress is personal—but no one does it alone. Trainers and fellow trainees help push past limits, even on the toughest days. “It’s not just a workout—it’s a community,” GL board president Denise Cobb says of her P-Fit trainings.
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Courtesy P-Fit
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