Their motto speaks volumes about the type of business they wanted to create.

“We are Concord’s gym for people who don’t like gyms.”

Matt and Anna Ferrara opened Ascent Training and Performance in 2020 after years in the fitness industry and failing to find a place that truly included everyone and helped everybody reach their personal goals in a safe and comfortable environment.

Ascent offers individual and small group personal training, along with “total body” group classes meant to be positive and reinforcing. The idea for this personalized training service was sparked when they began to identify issues within the strength training community they felt were detrimental to people’s mental health and self esteem.

“We saw some toxicity. Between diet culture, forcing different unhealthy ways to lose weight and inappropriate comments on people’s bodies, just a lot of negativity and a lot of barriers to entry when it comes to fitness,” said Anna Ferrara. “We know that strength training itself is intimidating or scary to start. The image of strength training that’s out there is big, already fit people in a gym throwing weights and loud music, and it doesn’t have to be that.”

The Ferrara’s both graduated from Bridgewater State University, where they met, with degrees in exercise science and began their careers working in the greater Boston area. After working in the industry for years, they felt something was missing. Anna worked as an intern and in entry-level fitness positions while Matt worked as a strength and conditioning coach for Bryant College and then moved to private fitness to make a difference in regular people’s lives.

They always knew that they wanted to own their own business and now at Ascent, they created what they felt was missing – a gym that is supportive, welcoming and accessible to all. 

The individualized services they wanted to provide naturally overlapped with creating an inclusive space, and as word spread, more people came to them seeking a home. The Ferrara’s keep a binder full of information for each individual customer they train, and are fully flexible in their approach, allowing everyone to tailor their experience with professional help.

“Anna and I went to school for this. We know what we’re doing, and we’ll write you a really good program,” Matt Ferrara said. “But after every four weeks, they put in a program notes form, and they get some input. So from there, it just gets better and better, and we get to know them better. And if their goals change, we get it right away.”

It’s more than just a workout, it’s also about creating the right space to want to work out. 

“Another big thing that we try to focus on is the personal touch because every person that comes in here has a different goal, different experiences in life, different traumas, different health concerns,” Anna said.

Chelsea Annett is a baker and the owner of Table in Concord. She first heard about Ascent from a customer at her own business. As a baker, she works long hours in a demanding setting and decided to try it out to increase her strength and durability.

“It came up with one customer in particular, because we were talking about community and how to find community, how to build community. She mentioned that she was a member at the gym, and felt like she was part of a community there, which piqued my interest, just because it’s certainly something that engages me,” Annett said. “I want to be a part of the Concord community, everybody craves being a part of a community.”

The Ferarras welcome everyone with open arms, and they try to open their minds and learn a little bit every day. They have about 100 current members who come for the combination of health, community and acceptance.

“I think we’re in a time, right now, that feels so divisive, and to have a place where you could go where you don’t feel that,” Annett added. “There are often times that I always go early in the morning and go in a little bit sleepy, and I always leave feeling better no matter what, even if I don’t really want to be there. And I think that that is rare and special.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com