Every Client is a Success Story
Our Story
EIF Co-Founders Erin and Joe Aben, grew up in Anne Arundel County and both attended St. Mary’s Elementary school in Annapolis. Erin often jokes she always knew she would marry Joe and even wrote about him in her 4th grade diary! Joe attended DeMatha Catholic High School and earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia, where he lettered in varsity football. Erin attended Severn High School and Boston College and captained the Women’s Varsity Sailing Team. The summer of 1995, Joe & Erin ran into each other again and the rest was history!
-
EIF’s roots trace back to the summer of 1994 when Founder, Joe Aben, attended a “Nautilus Training” certification course in Dallas, Texas. There he was taught the (exercise) science behind proper resistance training and the application of superiorly engineered strength equipment. Joe also learned the importance of precise exercise form from the physical therapists at the University of Virginia while rehabbing his football injuries.
Upon graduating from UVA, he worked as the Fitness Director in a commercial health club, obtaining his Personal Trainer, Conditioning Specialist, and Medical Exercise Specialist certifications. Joe was fortunate to be mentored by strength training industry leaders Coach John Philbin, Bob Sikora, and “Maximum” Bob Whelan. Joe quickly felt the desire to create his own training program and protocol to reach more people, so he made the difficult decision to leave the big box gym to go out on his own and create “A Total Fitness Concept,” an on-site personal training company.
Running a “one-man operation” and traveling from location to location was very fulfilling but also came with certain limitations – time, namely, and not enough of it! During the next 5 years, Joe’s wife, Erin, began researching and purchasing selective pieces of strength equipment and storing it in their townhome garage in the hopes of one day using said equipment in their own brick and mortar studio space.
In the spring of 2004, dreams became reality when the Abens opened Excellence In Fitness Personal Training Studio, located in a 1500 square foot facility in Arnold, MD. Things happened fast after that, including hiring 2 part-time employees within 6 months of opening. Within a few years, the EIF staff (about 2 full-time, 2 part-time coaches) and clientele were busting at the seams. To accommodate demand (and space), EIF Annapolis opened its doors in the summer of 2008.
For the next 5 years, the amazing team of Professional Fitness Coaches put their noses to the grindstone and assisted hundreds of individuals with achieving mind-blowing results. So much so that in 2013, the original EIF Arnold got a new, bigger home in Millersville with a 2800 square foot facility. Both EIF studios received facelifts and updated renovations in the summer of 2023.
Erin & Joe Aben are extremely proud to have developed their Body of Excellence (BX) Protocol & Program into the “Ultimate Personal Training Experience.” As a result, they now have an in-house certification program, BX Training Academy, which all new EIF Coaches must pass. The Abens are equally proud of the incredible clients who have chosen to patronize EIF over the last 20 years. They have graciously voted EIF the best in the area with numerous accolades such as best personal trainers, best overall workout, best nutrition program, and best gym amenities.
