Video By Ricky Kerr
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
At only 21 years old, Alex Munsch has went from body builder to model to entrepreneur. His newest venture, a million-dollar fitness facility – Munsch Fitness, 1104 E. 22nd – is set to open soon, promising to be the most technologically advanced fitness facility in Kansas.
“I just wanted to carry my passion to Hays. I love Hays,” Munsch said. “I wanted to give the people a good place to work out.”
After considering his options, Munsch began looking for a place to build in Hays, working with a wide spectrum of local businesses to build the facility.
“I had been looking for land for a long time to build one, and I just couldn’t get anything around Hays,” Munsch said.
That all changed when David Randa, owner of Reliable Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, began building an almost 13,000-square-foot facility just off of Vine on 22nd streets.
“I just stumbled across this building. He was putting it up, and I saw a for-rent sign in front,” Munsch said. “It was all build-to-suit, and it turned out really good.”
Munsch is renting the building for now, with plans to purchase later, but in the meantime has designed the facility to perfectly suit his needs.
“I designed the whole building myself, and it turned out awesome, just how I envisioned it,” he said.
While the building is impressive in its own right, the equipment that is being brought into the facility will set it apart from anything else in the area, Munsch said.
“We have everything from cardiovascular machines, sectionalized equipment, free weights, you name it,” he said.
His experience has given him the vast knowledge to pick the best equipment for the gym.
“I’ve been all around the world, worked out on all the best equipment,” Munsch said. “I know what works, I know what’s good for you joints, I know what’s good for the natural motions of your body, so we’re going to have all the best in here,”
Along with the best fitness equipment, Munsch will also offer related features to make a fully integrated facility, including a coffee bar, tanning beds and a detox sauna.
“I only want the best,” Munsch said. “We have one stand-up (tanning bed) and three lay-downs. … They’re really, really good tanning beds.”
The coffee/smoothie bar will add a place to relax in the facility with a fireplace, TV and tables for members to gather. The bar will be run by another local business owner from Hays.
“It’s going to be pretty cool,” Munsch said.
State-of-the-art technology will also help keep the facility clean with an Air Knight system installed in the building.
“It goes in the ductwork and, every night, it coats all the equipment with peroxide,” Munsch said. “You can actually bring anthrax in this building, and it will kill it.”
Originally, the building was set to open Jan. 1, but equipment delays have hampered that time frame.
“All the equipment is Cybex. It’s all brand new,” Munsch said. “They’re building our equipment from scratch, so it’s actually taking a little longer than we thought, so our equipment is actually getting delivered Jan. 11, so we will be open no later than the 13th or 14th.”
Despite the delay, Munsch said it will be worth the wait to ensure Hays has access to the best equipment available.
“The amount of technology going into this place is nuts,” he said. “Kansas does not have a place this technologically advanced, as far as gyms go.”
For Munsch, building this facility in Hays was only the next step in a blossoming career in fitness, starting as a body builder in high school, turning into an in-demand fitness model.
“I’m only 21 right now, I actually started doing competitions and getting into weight lifting when I was in middle school,” Munsch said. “I take a lot of pride in it.”
Now that desire for fitness has turned Munsch into a big name in the fitness modeling world, having recently signed with Silver Model Management.
“As I progressed in competitions, I kept getting noticed by known photographers and starting taking some photo shoots here and there,” he said. “My name exploded overnight, I got really well known. I fly all over the world to do photo shoots.”
Even with his success, Munsch felt staying local and giving back to the area was important.
“This is bigger than just myself, it’s for the community,” he said. “I really want to bring everybody together, I want to help people help themselves.”
For Munsch, giving people a better life begins with proper fitness.
“I feel like if you work out, you stay healthy you’re going to have a better life. … I really want to help people do that,” he said.
With the center, he hopes to accomplish the goal of helping people become more fit.
“This is the next step in the building the better you. … This is the best place you can build yourself up, because we have so many encouraging people here, we’re going to have a great atmosphere,” he said. “This is what I love to do, this is my job, so I really know what I’m talking about when it comes to this.”
To find out more about the facility and find membership pricing, visit the Munsch Fitness facebook page.