Meet Ayla Hernandez: Gym Owner & Personal Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ayla Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ayla, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Something that was at the top of my list when creating Rec Room was making sure I had the best possible trainers. I mean this in the sense of skill level and credibility but also compatibility with others. Creating the type of culture I wanted at Rec Room was going to start at the most fundamental level, the trainers. I believe the essence of Rec Room’s success comes from the people who make it possible. By being picky, only accepting candidates with clean reputations, and being patient, I have been able to secure my personal dream team.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My gym Rec Room is a private personal training facility located in Las Vegas. We definitely have the highest female to male ratio over any other strength training facility in the valley. Getting to this point seemed to be effortless in the ways that matter the most. It didn’t seem like a huge leap because I had been training clients previously for years. In that time I made a lot of relationships with the trainers I have working at my gym today. Things came together for me in a way that I am lucky to say felt fluent. A big part of opening your own business is financing, but I had been saving up between training clients and working in nightlife so I am happy to say that I started the gym debt-free and without financial obligation to a third party. I recommend grinding things out to get to where you want to be. There are times I missed a lot of late nights out with friends because I had to be up early for clients or I went weeks without a day off, but when I got the keys to the gym, nothing else mattered.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As much as I love to workout, I also love to eat. Las Vegas is filled with so many exceptional restaurants. I would spend an entire week navigating through this lineup. FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Bazaar Meat BEST SUSHI: Sen of Japan BEST STEAKHOUSE: Cut BEST ITALIAN: Carbone BEST MEXICAN FOOD: Bonito Michoacán BEST THAI: Lotus of Siam BEST SMALL PLATES: Jaleo BEST VIBE: Catch Off-The-Strip Gems: La Strega, Nora’s, Firefly, Locale, Palace Station Oyster Bar, Taste. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I had an inkling of an idea that I wanted to become a personal trainer, my husband is the one who pushed me out of my comfort zone and told me to start immediately. He told me he would help me however he could, as long as I would start now, and not wait for a “more convenient” time. My husband is generally skeptical about anything new, and because of his certainty of my success, I felt more confident than ever. This propelled me into a position where I was able to perform without fear of failure.

Website: Recroomlv.com

Instagram: @recroomlv @ayla.hernandez

Image Credits
Allison Holloway