Ignite Fitness Apex

08/27/2026

As more fitness education moves toward online courses and digital certifications, we’ve been leaning further into what we believe coaches need most: hands-on, practical experience.

Our 6-Week Mentorship Experience is built around doing the actual work - coaching mock clients, shadowing experienced trainers, practicing cueing, troubleshooting movement, working with equipment, and receiving immediate feedback.

The goal is not simply to give you more information. It’s to help you build the skills, judgment, communication, and confidence you’ll actually use with clients.

📈 6 Week Mentorship Experience – structured progression designed to build coaching skills and confidence

🎯 Weekly Practical Demos & Assignments – run mock client sessions, receive immediate feedback, and practice targeted skills

👀 Weekly Shadowing Experiences with Reflection Prompts – observe 1–2 trainers per week and record insights in a shadow log

🧠 Individualized Assignments & Growth Tasks – focused on strengthening cueing, communication, and coaching presence

🏋️ Hands-On Equipment Experience – practice with both standard and specialty equipment across a variety of movement patterns

🛠️ Expanded Coaching Application – improve technique troubleshooting, cueing ability, and integration of training methods

🧭 Developing Your Coaching Identity – increase confidence in your personal training style, philosophy, and session ex*****on

📝 Self-Evaluations (Week 1 & Week 5) – reflect on strengths, areas for improvement, and measure progress across the mentorship

🎓 Capstone Project – create and present a 12-week training program for a mock client profile

Interested? Send us a message or visit our website to fill out an application. Available to coaches who already have their personal trainer certification.

08/19/2026

We’re excited to welcome Ray Dunn to the Ignite Fitness team! 💪

Ray’s fitness journey started back in junior high, when he began training to get stronger and better conditioned for sports. Before long, he found that he loved not only training himself, but also encouraging and helping the people around him.

More than 30 years later, Ray is still just as passionate about working with people of all fitness levels, from complete beginners to advanced athletes.

His goal is simple: to help people get stronger, improve their fitness, and stay active in a healthy, sustainable way.

Outside of the gym, Ray enjoys being outdoors, sporting events, live music, some admittedly bad dancing, a good IPA and spending time with family.

We’re really happy to have Ray at Ignite and excited for our clients to get to know him.

Welcome to the team, Ray! 🔥🔥🔥

08/12/2026

Group Strength Classes begin NEXT WEEK! 💪

Sign-ups are now open at soulfulstrengthyoga.com.

Want to try the new classes? Our $60 New Member Intro includes:

• 2 weeks of Unlimited Yoga
• 1 Strength & Performance Foundations Class
• Sunday Morning Barbell Foundations classes
• 4 Strength Classes (2 per week) after Foundations

Once you purchase the intro, you can register for yoga and your Foundations class. Your two-week intro period begins when you attend your first strength class after Foundations.

Already have some weight-training experience? You can jump directly into Beginner Weight Training / Hypertrophy with Frank — Mondays & Wednesdays at 8:00PM without taking Foundations first.

This is a straightforward, old-school strength workout focused on building muscle and getting stronger, without turning strength training into a cardio session. Expect barbells, dumbbells, machines, cables and bodyweight exercises and core - with enough rest to train hard and maintain good form. Modifications and alternate exercises are provided when necessary.

Can’t find a Foundations class that works with your schedule, or have experience and want to know if you can register directly for another strength class? Call/text Frank at 919-740-3460.

08/06/2026

07/14/2026

Please join us in welcoming Maximiliano to the Ignite Fitness coaching team!

Maximiliano brings a strong combination of advanced education, collegiate strength and conditioning experience, and firsthand experience as a high-level athlete.

He earned his master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Western Colorado University and holds multiple respected coaching credentials, including NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, USA Weightlifting Level 1, and USA Track & Field Level 1.

Before becoming a coach, Maximiliano competed in collegiate track and field as a pole vaulter, earning NAIA All-American and conference honors while setting school records at Southeastern University. He later continued competing at Western Colorado University, where he also helped coach athletes across 11 NCAA sports.

His approach is thoughtful, encouraging, and holistic. Whether he is working with an athlete pursuing higher performance or someone simply looking to become stronger and healthier, Maximiliano aims to meet each person where they are and help them move forward with confidence.

We’re excited to have his knowledge, experience and genuine investment in people at Ignite! Welcome, Maximiliano! 🔥🔥🔥

05/06/2026

✨ Trainer Spotlight: Brandon Paronett

Brandon works with all ages and fitness levels, with a passion for strength training and helping seniors stay strong and capable. His coaching style is adaptable, supportive, and individualized.

Brandon’s fitness journey started after struggling with obesity as a child and eventually discovering boxing, where he built confidence, transformed his health, and competed nationally - sparking a lifelong passion for fitness and performance.

He later served 13 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman, earning his Master Fitness Trainer certification before continuing into personal training.

Outside of the gym, Brandon is a dedicated dad who enjoys helping his own kids train for track, Spartan races, and other athletic goals.

“My training philosophy is: everyone is an athlete, and the game is life. Whatever your goals are, my job is to help you achieve them while enjoying the process along the way.”

We’re excited to have him on the team🔥

Set up a free consultation on our website using the link in our bio!

04/18/2026

Meet Coach Nicki: Ignite’s Director of Sports Performance.

Nicki came up as an athlete, found her passion in strength training, and has spent the last eight years turning that passion into results for the athletes she coaches. From middle schoolers finding their footing to collegiate athletes pushing their ceiling, she’s worked with them all.

As our Director of Sports Performance, she sets the standard for how we assess, program, and develop every athlete at Ignite. That means real baselines, real tracking, and programs built around what each athlete actually needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

The philosophy is simple: master the fundamentals, train consistently, and trust the process. The results take care of themselves.

If you have a young athlete ready to take their performance seriously, this is where they belong.
nicki8

🔗 Link in bio to learn more about athletic performance training at Ignite.

04/06/2026

The bar is loaded. The date is set. 🔥

Ignite Powerfest is BACK. Saturday, October 10th, 2026.

Our 3rd Annual Mock Powerlifting Meet is here and this year we’re opening the doors WIDER.

If you’ve never stepped on a platform before, or you’re just getting started on your strength journey - this meet is for YOU.

T-shirts for all participants. Prizes and giveaways. RAW USA Powerlifting standards.

Registration & details coming soon - follow along and tag someone who needs to get under the bar. 👇

📍 Ignite Fitness | Apex, NC

01/20/2026

⛹️‍♀️Free Athlete Performance Testing Workshop

Ignite Fitness will be offering a free session of performance testing and speed & agility drills this Saturday, January 24th at 2:00pm, for athletes 13 and up!

This will be an opportunity to get some testing benchmarks (or re-testing for current athletes) and experience a small-group training experience at Ignite Fitness.

Why Small Group Testing and Speed Training?
Performance testing is an important part of understanding how an athlete is developing over time. Regular assessments give us a clear picture of what’s improving, what needs more attention, and whether training priorities should shift. Athletes can see objective changes in their performance and receive guidance from our coaches on how to train moving forward.

While one-on-one training allows for focused strength and conditioning work, training in a small group creates opportunities to practice speed, agility, and decision-making in a more sport-like environment. Reaction drills, short competitive games, and shared effort help connect weight-room progress to on-field movement. Combining individual strength work with small-group speed and agility sessions supports well-rounded athletic development and prepares athletes for the demands of their sport.

What Will You Receive?
First, we will conduct a Performance Testing Battery. We will assess acceleration, speed, change of direction, jump height, reactive strength index, and jump distance. Each athlete will receive feedback from our head coach on the following: 1) Where they stand in relation to other athletes in their age group and 2) Which training parameters are most important to improve upon for their individual sport.

The second half of the session will be for SAQ (speed, agility, and quickness) training in the form of drills, games, and exercises. We will go over the fundamentals of speed training, including sprint and change of direction techniques. We will conclude with competitive drills that use reaction timing and decision-making based on an opponent’s movements.

We hope to see you there!
Register using the link in our bio.

01/05/2026

Ignite Fitness Apparel is Here 🔥

We’re excited to share our first Ignite Fitness apparel release!

This first run includes:

• T-shirts
• Crewneck sweatshirts
• Hoodies

Each piece features Ignite branding with a front print and an oversized graphic on the back.

If you’re interested in one of these, please fill out the pre-order form in our bio. This helps us dial in sizes and quantities before placing the order.

Pricing:

T-shirt: $30
Crewneck: $50
Hoodie: $60